COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES

Comparative Adjectives

 

When we talk about two things, we can "compare" them. We can see if they are the same or different. Perhaps they are the same in some ways and different in other ways. We can use comparative adjectives to describe the diferences.

In the example below, "bigger" is the comparative form of the adjective "big":

New York is bigger than Rio.   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 1-syllable 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   The following adjectives have irregular forms: good → better well (healthy) → better bad → worse far → farther/further   EXAMPLES: John is 1m80. He is tall. But Chris is 1m85. He is taller than John. America is big. But Russia is bigger. I want to have a more powerful computer. Is French more difficult than English?