Mastering Comparative Adjectives in English with Examples

Comparative adjectives are a type of grammar whose importance can be overlooked when learning English. If you are looking to be able to make a comparison between two nouns then you will certainly need the use of a comparative adjective. There are a whole host of comparative adjectives in the English language and by adding these to your vocabulary, you will have the opportunity to form more complex sentences.

In this section, we are going to be studying the comparative adjective and looking at some examples of how they can be used. By the end of the section, you will be confident in comparing two nouns using this method.

Comparative Adjectives

What Are Comparative Adjectives?

Comparative adjectives are words that compare two or more things. They’re usually used to express either a positive or a negative comparison between two people, places, ideas, or things. An example of a comparative adjective is “better”; it means more desirable than something else.

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Forming Comparative Adjectives

There are two types of comparative adjectives: additive and comparative forms.

• Additive forms add “er” or “est” (for example, “hotter” or “coldest”) after the adjective being compared and denote increasing degrees of an attribute.
• Comparative forms contain words like “more” or “less” (for example, “more expensive” or “less dangerous”) which denote relative degree comparisons between two things on the same scale.

It’s important to understand the difference between these two types as they have different uses when comparing items on different scales (for instance if something is larger versus better).

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.

Using Comparative Adjectives Correctly

Using comparative adjectives can be tricky, as there are many common mistakes people make. Often, people will use “more” or “less” with an adjective that already has a comparative form, such as brilliant (brillianter) instead of more brilliant. It’s important to understand the irregular forms and know when to use “than”.

For example, “I am smarter than him” is correct, not “I am more smart than him”.

To use comparative adjectives correctly, it’s helpful to remember some key points.

• Firstly, don’t forget the -er rule (but do be aware of some irregular forms).
• Secondly, pay attention when using “more” or “less”, and make sure you don’t have a comparative form for the word you’re using.
• Finally, take note of when you should/shouldn’t be using “than”. With practice and discipline, you’ll soon know how to use comparatives like a pro!

Examples of Comparative Adjectives

Examples of Comparative Adjectives in Context

Here are some examples which illustrate how comparative adjectives can be used in different contexts:

• This autumn has been colder than any other one I can remember!
• That dress is nicer than mine!
• Bigger isn’t always better – my new phone fits perfectly in my pocket even though it’s smaller than my previous one!
• Tom’s decision-making skills were much quicker than mine!
• This dessert tastes sweeter than I thought it would!

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

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