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Formation of Comparative Adjectives
There are two ways to make or form a comparative adjective:
- short adjectives: add "-er"
- long adjectives: use "more"
| Short adjectives |
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old, fast |
- 2-syllable adjectives ending in -y
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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
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modern, pleasant |
- all adjectives of 3 or more syllables
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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 »
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