Comparative Adjectives! Learn how to use and form comparatives in English with useful grammar rules, ESL pictures and example sentences.
Comparative Adjectives
Comparative Definition
Comparatives are used to compare and clarify the difference between two nouns. In other words, comparative adjectives are used when two persons or objects being compared.
Forming Comparative Adjectives
One-syllable Adjectives
1. Form the comparative forms of a one-syllable adjective by adding –er.
Examples:
- long – longer
- tall – taller
2. If the one-syllable adjective ends with an e, just add –r for the comparative form.
Examples:
- cute – cuter
- large – larger
3. Add –er to adjectives that end in consonant-vowel-consonant and double the last consonant.
Examples:
- big – bigger
- hot – hotter
Two-syllable Adjectives
1. With most two-syllable adjectives, you form the comparative with more.
Examples:
- honest – more honest
- famous – more famous
2. If the two-syllable adjectives ends with –y, change the y to i and add –er for the comparative form.
Examples:
- happy – happier
- crazy – crazier
3. Two-syllable adjectives ending in –er, –le, or –ow take –er to form the comparative forms.
Examples:
- narrow – narrower
- gentle – gentler
Adjectives with Three or More Syllables
Add more to adjectives that has 3 or more syllables.
Examples:
- expensive – more expensive
- difficult – more difficult
Irregular Adjectives
- good – better
- bad – worse
- far – farther
- little – less
- many – more
NOTE: When comparative adjectives are used, the word “THAN” appears after the adjective.
Comparative Examples
List of affirmative and comparative adjectives in English.
| Examples of Comparative Adjectives | |
| Affirmative | Comparative |
| slow | slower |
| fast | faster |
| cheap | cheaper |
| clear | clearer |
| loud | louder |
| new | newer |
| rich | richer |
| short | shorter |
| thick | thicker |
| old | older |
| tall | taller |
| large | larger |
| wide | wider |
| wise | wiser |
| nice | nicer |
| big | bigger than |
| fat | fatter than |
| fit | fitter than |
| polite | more polite than |
| helpful | more helpful than |
| useful | more useful than |
| obscure | more obscure |
| hungry | hungrier than |
| happy | happier than |
| pretty | prettier than |
| heavy | heavier than |
| angry | angrier than |
| dirty | dirtier than |
| funny | funnier than |
| narrow | narrower than |
| shallow | shallower than |
| humble | humbler than |
| gentle | gentler than |
| clever | cleverer than |
| interesting | more interesting than |
| comfortable | more comfortable than |
| beautiful | more beautiful than |
| difficult | more difficult than |
| dangerous | more dangerous than |
| expensive | more expensive than |
| popular | more popular than |
| complicated | more complicated than |
| confident | more confident than |
| good | better than |
| bad | worse than |
| far | farther than |
| little | less than |
| much/many | more than |
| stupid | less stupid than |
Forming Comparatives | Images
Adjectives in English Grammar
List of useful lessons about adjectives in English.
- List of adjectives
- Types of adjectives in English
- Possessive adjectives
- Demonstrative adjectives
- Comparison of adjectives
- Order of adjectives
- Compound adjectives
- Adjectives ending in -ED and -ING
- Adjective suffixes
- Adjective preposition collocations.
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