Formation of Comparative AdjectivesThere are two ways to make or form a comparative adjective: - short adjectives: add "-er"
- long adjectives: use "more"
| Short adjectives | | old, fast | - 2-syllable adjectives ending in -y
| happy, easy | | Normal rule: add "-er" | old → older | | Variation: if the adjective ends in -e, just add -r | late → later | | Variation: if the adjective ends in consonant, vowel, consonant, double the last consonant | big → bigger | | Variation: if the adjective ends in -y, change the y to i | happy → happier | | Long adjectives | - 2-syllable adjectives not ending in -y
| modern, pleasant | - all adjectives of 3 or more syllables
| expensive, intellectual | | Normal rule: use "more" | modern → more modern
expensive → more expensive |
With some 2-syllable adjectives, we can use '-er' or 'more':
- quiet → quieter/more quiet
- clever → cleverer/more clever
- narrow → narrower/more narrow
- simple → simpler/more simple
Exception
The following adjectives have irregular forms: - good → better
- well (healthy) → better
- bad → worse
- far → farther/further
Use of Comparative Adjectives » |