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Comparative adjectives show how two things differ in quality, size, price, or other measurable traits. This short guide focuses on forming comparatives in clear, natural English and includes useful examples.

Form

Most short adjectives add -er for the comparative, while longer adjectives use more before the adjective. This section explains the basic forms for each type.

Short Adjectives

Short adjectives usually take -er for the comparative, and doubling or dropping letters follows predictable spelling rules. Examples show common adjectives you can apply this to.

	Positive Adjective	Comparative Adjective
	small	smaller
	tall	taller
	hot	hotter
	big	bigger

Fill in the BlankA(small) dog can fit in my bag.

Short adjectives usually form the comparative by adding ___ (–er).

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Long Adjectives

Adjectives with two or more syllables generally use more before the adjective to form the comparative. This pattern works consistently for descriptive words.

	Positive Adjective	Comparative Adjective
	expensive	more expensive
	beautiful	more beautiful
	comfortable	more comfortable
	interesting	more interesting

Fill in the BlankA(comfortable) chair is better for reading.

Long adjectives often use ___ (more) before the adjective to form the comparative.

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Irregular

Some common adjectives have irregular comparative forms that must be memorized because they do not follow the usual patterns. This short list covers the most important ones.

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

Fill in the BlankShe is a(good) singer than her sister.

Some adjectives have irregular comparatives. 'Good' becomes ___ (better).

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Usage

Comparatives normally compare two things using than, and the adjective matches the quality you want to highlight. This section gives sentences with typical comparatives in context.

Double Comparatives

Double comparatives use more with an -er adjective or repeat the comparative idea and are generally considered incorrect in standard English. Stick to one form for clarity.

	Incorrect	Correct
	more better	better
	more stronger	stronger
	more happier	happier
	more faster	faster
	more nearer	nearer

Which sentence below contains a double comparative and is incorrect?

She is more taller than me

This song is more better.

She is taller than me

This song is better

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Vocabulary

Adjectives commonly used in comparisons describe size, speed, price, quality, and quantity. Learning these useful words helps you talk naturally about differences.

	English Word(s)	English Translation(s)
	taller	taller
	cheaper	cheaper
	faster	faster
	bigger	bigger

Fill in the BlankThat car is(fast) than the old one.

Complete the sentence: 'That car is ___ (fast) than the old one.'

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Summary

Use -er for short adjectives, more for long adjectives, and memorize irregular forms. Always compare with than and avoid double comparatives. Practicing these patterns makes descriptions clear and precise.

Comparative Adjectives

Form

Short Adjectives

Long Adjectives

Irregular

Usage

Double Comparatives

Vocabulary

Summary

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