Comparative Adjectives

Comparative Adjectives

Comparative Adjectives

• One Syllable Adjective ( small /cold / hot )

• Two-syllable Adjectives ending in -Y ( lazy / pretty / happy )

• Adjectives with Two or more Syllables ( handsome / nervous / intelligent )

• Adjectives - Irregular Forms ( good / bad )

One-syllable Adjectives

To form the comparative, we add -er to the end of the adjective.

Example :

small - smaller 

cold -  colder 

light - lighter 

wide - wider *

* When an adjective ends in the letter E, we just add the -R

We do not write two Es together. Wider (correct) not wideer (incorrect).

** When an adjective ends in a consonant + short vowel + consonant (C + V + C), we normally double the last letter.

Example

big - bigger

wet - wetter

hot - hotter

Two-syllable Adjectives ending in -Y

To form the comparative, we remove the -y and add -ier to the end of the adjective.

Example :

funny  - funnier

happy - happier 

early - earlier

Sentence :

My joke was funnier than yours.

This section is easier than the rest.

Adjectives with Two or more Syllables

For Adjectives with 2 syllables (that don't end in -y) and higher (3, 4 syllables etc), we use more for comparatives 

Example :

*handsome - more handsome

*nervous - more nervous

Some of the two syllables are not added with -er but need to use 'more' for comparatives

Three or more syllables :

enthusiastic - more enthusiastic

beautiful - more beautiful

dangerous - more dangerous

interesting - more interesting

intelligent - more intelligent

Sentence :

My girlfriend is more beautiful than yours.

Alex is more intelligent than his brother.

Adjectives - Irregular Forms

Example :

good - better 

bad - worse 

far - further / farther

little - less 

many - more

much - more

old - older/elder