Comparatives in English

Overview

Comparatives are used to compare two things, people, or situations. They answer questions like "Which is bigger?", "Who is taller?", and "What is more expensive?" Comparatives are essential for expressing preferences, making decisions, and describing differences.

At the CEFR A2 level, you need to know how to form comparatives with both short and long adjectives, and you should be familiar with the most common irregular forms. This is one of those grammar areas where clear rules make things predictable once you learn the pattern.

English uses two main strategies for forming comparatives: adding -er to short adjectives (bigger, taller) and putting "more" before longer adjectives (more interesting, more expensive). Knowing which strategy to use depends on the length of the adjective.

How It Works

Short Adjectives (1 syllable, and some 2-syllable)

Rule	Adjective	Comparative
Add -er	tall	taller
Ends in -e: add -r	large	larger
CVC: double consonant + -er	big	bigger
Ends in -y: change to -ier	happy	happier

Long Adjectives (2+ syllables)

Rule	Adjective	Comparative
Add more before	interesting	more interesting
Add more before	expensive	more expensive
Add more before	comfortable	more comfortable

Irregular Comparatives

Adjective	Comparative
good	better
bad	worse
far	farther / further
little	less
much/many	more

Comparative Sentences

Structure	Example
A + be + comparative + than + B	She is taller than me.
A + be + more + adjective + than + B	This book is more interesting than that one.
A + be + less + adjective + than + B	It's less expensive than I thought.
A + be + not as + adjective + as + B	He's not as tall as his brother.

Two-Syllable Adjectives: Which Rule?

Use -er	Use more
Ends in -y: happier, easier	Most others: more famous, more modern
Some common ones: narrower, simpler	-ful: more careful, more beautiful
	-less: more careless, more useless
	-ing/-ed: more boring, more tired

Examples in Context

English	Note
She is taller than me.	Short adjective + -er + than
This book is more interesting than that one.	Long adjective with "more"
He drives better than her.	Irregular: good > better
It's less expensive than I expected.	"less" for the opposite comparison
My new apartment is bigger than the old one.	CVC doubling: big > bigger
English is easier than Chinese.	-y > -ier
The weather is worse today than yesterday.	Irregular: bad > worse
This sofa is more comfortable than that chair.	Long adjective with "more"
He's not as fast as his brother.	Alternative comparison with "not as...as"
London is more expensive than most European cities.	Long adjective with "more"

Common Mistakes

Using "more" with short adjectives

• Wrong: She is more tall than me.
• Right: She is taller than me.
• Why: One-syllable adjectives use -er, not "more." You would never say "more big" or "more fast."

Using -er with long adjectives

• Wrong: This is interestinger than that.
• Right: This is more interesting than that.
• Why: Adjectives with three or more syllables always use "more," never -er.

Forgetting "than"

• Wrong: She is taller me.
• Right: She is taller than me.
• Why: Comparative sentences require "than" to introduce the second item being compared.

Double comparatives

• Wrong: This is more better.
• Right: This is better.
• Why: "Better" is already the comparative form. Adding "more" creates a redundant double comparative. Never combine "more" with an -er form.

Pronoun after "than"

• Wrong (formal): Using "me" in formal writing
• Right (formal): She is taller than I (am).
• Note: In everyday spoken English, "She is taller than me" is perfectly acceptable and very common. "Than I" is more formal.

Usage Notes

In casual speech, "than me/him/her" is standard and natural: "She's older than me." In formal writing, some style guides prefer "than I/he/she" (with the implied verb): "She's older than I am." Both are widely accepted.

"Farther" and "further" are often interchangeable in American English. In British English, "further" is more common for both physical distance and abstract meanings, while "farther" is mainly used for physical distance.

"Less" + adjective is the opposite of "more" + adjective: "less expensive" = "not as expensive." Both structures are useful, but "not as...as" is often more natural in spoken English.

Practice Tips

• Compare things around you: Pick two objects and compare them in as many ways as you can: "My phone is smaller than my tablet. My tablet is more useful for reading. My phone is lighter."
• Learn the irregulars by heart: There are only a handful (better, worse, farther/further, less, more). Write them on a card and review daily until they are automatic.
• Sort adjectives: Take a list of 20 adjectives and sort them into "-er" and "more" categories. This exercise builds your instinct for which rule to apply.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Adjectives -- understanding adjective basics is needed before learning to compare
• Next steps: Superlatives -- learn to express the highest degree (the biggest, the most interesting)