Comparative Adjectives

Comparative Adjective is used to compare two things, people or places. We can tell if they are
the same or different. When we talk about two things, we can "compare" them. A noun to
another noun such as this bus uses more fuel than this car.

1. Comparative Adjectives are used to describe things or people. Though often Comparative
Adjectives are followed by 'than', sometimes they are not used while comparing things.
Examples:

We really need a stronger boat now to continue our journey.

I had a better experience on my tour last month.

2. Comparative Adjectives with 'than' are used to compare things/people/places with one
another.
Examples:

The eggs in this shop are costlier than any other shops here.

The Main Papers in the exam are tougher than the Allied Papers.

3. Comparative Adjectives are used to describe the effect of changes on someone or

something. When describing about the changes it is always used with 'two comparatives' and
'and'.

Examples:

The stakes of losing money has been getting bigger and bigger these days

The boys recruited in the army are facing more and more hardships on days of war.

4. Comparatives Adjectives are often used to denote the dependency of one thing on the other.
Examples:

If there is more rain, the climate becomes colder.

When there is more efficiency in the technology, the price rates become higher
than usual.

We use comparative adjectives when talking about two things not three or more things.

Example: Mt Fuji is higher than all other mountains.

Here, we are talking about hundreds of mountains, but we are still comparing one entity (Mt
Fuji) to one other entity (all other mountains).

List of Spelling Rules for Comparative Adjectives

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Some of the spelling rules to be followed while forming Comparative Adjectives are:

Adjective

One Syllable Adjectives

Comparative
Formation
Add -er

Examples
Tall Taller
Old Older
High Higher
Calm Calmer

Differ in their
formations:
For some add -er
For some replace
y with -ier

Great Greater
Fast Faster
Dry Drier
Shy Shier

One Syllable Adjectives

ending with silent e

Drop e and add er

Safe Safer
Huge - Huger
Large - Larger
Wise Wiser

Some One syllable Adjectives

ending with a Single
Consonant and preceded by
a Single Vowel

Double the end

consonant and add
-er

Thin Thinner
Big Bigger
Sad Sadder
Hot Hotter

Two Syllable Adjectives

Differ in their
formations:
For some add -er
For some add
more

Clever Cleverer
Narrow Narrower
Perfect More Perfect
Gentle More Gentle

Two Syllable Adjectives

ending with y

Change the y to
an i
and add -er

Early Earlier
Angry Angrier
Heavy - Heavier
Healthy Healthier

Add more

Important More Important

Interesting More Interesting
Beautiful More Beautiful
Expensive More Expensive

One Syllable Adjectives

ending with y

Three or more Syllable

Adjectives

Exceptions:
Some of the adjectives are formed in an irregular basis. Here no specific spelling rules can be
observed. These are to be memorized because they differ completely for all the three kinds of
adjectives Positive, Comparative and Superlative.
Look at these examples for irregular forms of adjectives:

Positive

Comparative

Good / Well

Better

Little (amount)

Less

Many / Much / Some

More

Bad

Worse

Far

Farther / Further

Late (order)

Latter

Late (time)

Latter

Old (age)

Older / Elder

In some of the adjectives, Comparatives can be formed by using either -er or more.

Adjective

Add
Example

2 Syllables or less

ER

Tall , calm,
sweet, thin

taller, calmer,
sweeter, thinner

3 Syllables or less

MORE

attractive,
perfect,
anxious

more attractive
more perfect
more anxious

Comparative Adjectives use ER or MORE.

Quiet Quieter / More Quiet

Simple Simpler / More Simple

Clever Cleverer / Most Clever

Subtle Subtler / More Subtle

Stupid Stupider / More Stupid

Likely Likelier / More Likely

Polite Politer / More Polite

Examples:

The girl is taller than his sister.

My house is smaller than your house.

The movie is more interesting than the book.

The shoes are more expensive than the boots.

My sister is older than me.

The dress is more expensive than my dress.

Comparative Adjectives Examples

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1. Ronaldo is a better player than any other in his team.

2. Charlotte is not taller than Rebecca.
3. His sister is more intellectual than Joe.
4. Learning English is not more difficult than learning French.
5. A Cent has a very less value than a Dollar.
6. The well in my house is deeper than many other wells in my hometown.
7. The Sun is larger than any other planets in the Solar System.
8. Mango is sweeter than Apple.
9. The rate of LED TV is higher than LCD TV.
10. His attitude is more peculiar now days.
11. Candy is a smaller dog than Bruno so she usually loses the fight over dog treats.
12. The shops are always more crowded just before Christmas.

Grammatical constructions used for comparing adjectives

There are three forms of comparison:

positive

comparative

superlative
1. Comparison with -er/-est

clean cleaner (the) cleanest

We use -er/-est with the following adjectives:

1.1. Adjectives with one syllable

positive

comparative

superlative

clean

cleaner

cleanest

new

newer

newest

cheap

cheaper

cheapest

1.2. Adjectives with two syllables and the following endings:

1.2.1. Adjectives with two syllables, ending in -y

positive

comparative

superlative

dirty

dirtier

dirtiest

easy

easier

easiest

happy

happier

happiest

pretty

prettier

prettiest

1.2.2. Adjectives with two syllables, ending in -er

positive

comparative

superlative

clever

cleverer

cleverest

1.2.3. Adjectives with two syllables, ending in -le

positive

comparative

superlative

simple

simpler

simplest

1.2.4. Adjectives with two syllables, ending in -ow

positive

comparative

superlative

narrow

narrower

narrowest

1.3. Spelling of the adjectives using the endings -er/-est

positi
ve

comparati
ve

superlati
ve

comment

large

larger

largest

leave out the silent -e

big

bigger

biggest

Double the consonant after sho

rt vowel

sad

sadder

saddest

positi
ve

comparati
ve

superlati
ve

comment

dirty

dirtier

dirtiest

Change -y to -i (consonant
before -y)

shy

shyer

shyest

Here -y is not changed to -i.

(although consonant before -y)

2. Comparison with more most

all adjectives with more than one syllable (except some adjectives with two
syllables see 2.1. to 2.4.)

positive

comparative

superlative

difficult

more difficult

(the) most difficult

3. Irregular adjectives

positive

comparative

superlative

good

better

best

comment

positive

comparative

superlative

comment

bad

worse

worst

much

more

most

uncountable nouns

many

more

most

countable nouns

little

less

least

little

smaller

smallest

4. Special adjectives

Some adjectives have two possible forms of comparison (er/est and more/most).

positive

comparative

superlative

clever

cleverer / more clever

cleverest / most clever

common

commoner / more common

commonest / most common

likely

likelier / more likely

likeliest / most likely

pleasant

pleasanter / more pleasant

pleasantest / most pleasant

positive

comparative

superlative

polite

politer / more polite

politest / most polite

quiet

quieter / more quiet

quietest / most quiet

simple

simpler / more simple

simplest / most simple

stupid

stupider / more stupid

stupidest / most stupid

subtle

subtler / more subtle

subtlest / most subtle

sure

surer / more sure

surest / most sure