Mastering Comparative Adjectives: A Guide
Are you familiar with using comparative adjectives like older, better, and more interesting? Test your knowledge with some interactive exercises and read on for helpful explanations!
Understanding Comparative Adjectives
Comparative adjectives help us compare two things or indicate a change. Here are some examples to illustrate their use:
- The city is more interesting than the countryside.
- This house is older than mine.
- She’s better at cooking now than she was before.
Grammar Breakdown
Comparative adjectives depend on the number of syllables in the adjective. Let’s dive into how they work:
One-Syllable Adjectives
For one-syllable adjectives, we typically add -er:
- old → older
- clean → cleaner
- slow → slower
If the adjective ends in -e, just add -r:
- safe → safer
- nice → nicer
For adjectives ending in a vowel followed by a consonant, we usually double the final consonant:
- big → bigger
- hot → hotter
Two or More Syllables
For two-syllable adjectives ending in a consonant and -y, change -y to -i and add -er:
- noisy → noisier
- happy → happier
- easy → easier
For most other two-syllable adjectives, as well as all three-syllable adjectives, use more to form the comparative:
- crowded → more crowded
- stressful → more stressful
- dangerous → more dangerous
Note: Some two-syllable adjectives, like common, gentle, and simple, can take either -er/-r or more:
- Life in the countryside is simpler than in the city.
- It’s more simple to live in the city since everything you need is nearby.
Irregular Adjectives
Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms:
- good → better
- bad → worse
- far → further/farther
Using “Than”
To specify what or who you are comparing, use than:
- Their house is cleaner than ours.
- Traffic is slower in the city than in the countryside.
- After the race, I was more tired than Anne.
By mastering these rules, you can enhance your descriptive language and make your comparisons clearer. Ready to practice? Dive into our interactive exercises and see how well you know comparative adjectives!