Comparative adjectives and adverbs

Some irregular adjectives (to compare)

Adjectives Comparative
Many More
Bad Worse
Good Better
Able Abler
Handsome Handsomer
Gentle Gentler
Late (time) Later
Late (order) Latter
Far (place) Farther
Far (time) Further
Little (size) Littler
Little (amount) Less
Old (when defining objects) Older
Old (when defining a person) Elder
Strange Stranger
Polite Politer
Few Fewer
Friendly Friendlier
Kind Kinder
Safe Safer
Simple Simpler
Sorry Sorrier
True Truer
Weird Weirder
Dry Drier
Many More

Compare with adjectives:

Normally comparative adjective need to be modified by adding the suffix ‘ER or IER’ to most short adjective.

Ex: Small become Smaller - - - Fast become Faster …

But sometimes we have irregular adjective (see the chart above) than we need to know them.

Also, sometimes we cannot modify them due to the length (usually 3 syllables or more) so we need to use ‘More’ or ‘Less’
in front of the adjective (not both in the same time).

Ex: Beautiful become more or less Beautiful - - - Important become more or less Important …

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Comparative (adjectives): Comparative adjectives are used to compare differences between two objects. They are used in
sentences where two nouns are compared.

Verb BE is the most commune verb to compare things, but another verb can be use.

With verb BE (can be in past/present/future) (am/is/are/was/were/been/being/Be)

Examples: My father was older than my mother. (past)
My father is older than my mother. (present)
My father will be older than my mother. (future)

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Form Affirmative: Subject + BE + comparative adjective + than + object.

Examples:
My mother is younger than my father.
Chinese is more difficult than English.
The cats are younger than the dog.
My house is bigger than yours.
Your grade is worse than mine.
The Pacific Ocean is deeper than the Arctic Ocean.
You are more polite than Joey.
My brother is taller than I am, but he is older too.
A rose is more beautiful than a daisy.
The Earth is larger than the moon.
Jill is faster than Todd.
My brother is clumsier than me.

You might be tall, but I am taller. = I am taller than you.

Form Negative: Subject + BE + not + comparative adjective + than + object.

Examples: Jack is not smaller than Henry.

The cats are not younger than the dog.
The Pacific Ocean is not deeper than the Arctic Ocean.
My brother is not clumsier than me.
Jill is not faster than Todd.
Your grade is not worse than mine.
This assignment is not easier than the last one.
My new car is not quieter than my old one.
This winter was not colder than last winter.

Form Interrogative: BE + subject + comparative adjective + than + object + ?.

Examples: Are the men older than the ladies? – Yes, they are / No, they are not
Am I smarter than the teacher? – Yes, I am / No, I am not
Is my brother smarter than you? – Yes, he is / No, he is not
Is Jill faster than her classmates? – Yes, she is / No, she is not
Is the Ocean Pacific deeper than the Artic Ocean? – Yes, it is / No, it is not

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Compare with adverb: The adverb needs to be preceding by a verb.

Present simple verbs (he / she / it) = verbs + s / es / ies.
Time of the action can be in past/present/future.
Examples: She ran more quickly than her sister. (pass)
She runs more quickly than her sister. (present)
She will run more quickly than her sister. (future).
Normally adverb that end with ‘-ly’ will use more or less before them (not both at the same time):
Examples: He talks more quietly than her.
She talks less quietly than him.
Some adverbs when they are used for comparison have a different form.
We do not use more or less with them.

Some adverbs that get ‘er’ like regular adjective Some irregular adverbs (to compare)
Adverbs Comparative Adverbs Comparative
early earlier badly worse
fast faster far farther/further
hard harder little less
high higher well better
late later much More
long longer
low lower
near nearer
soon sooner

Form Affirmative: Subject + Verb + comparative adverb + than + object.

Examples: Peter jumps higher than anna.

He dances better than her.
She ate her lunch more quickly than Joe.
The company performed better this year than last year.
I made my cough sound worse than it actually was.
Jim works harder than his brother.
Everyone in the race ran faster than him.
He drives less carefully that you.

Form Negative: Subject + Auxiliary + not + verb + comparative adverb + than + object.

Examples: Peter does not jump higher than anna.

John does not work more carefully than Tim.
She does not run faster than him.
The company did not perform better this year than last year.
He did not dance better than her.
Tom does not sing more beautifully than Sam.

Form Interrogative: Auxiliary + subject + verb + comparative adverb + than + object + ?.

Examples: Does Peter jump higher than anna? – Yes, he does / No, he does not
Does he run better than her. – Yes, he does / No, he does not
Does he dance better than her? – Yes, he does / No, he does not
Did they eat more happily than this family? – Yes, they did / No, they did not
Can this animal jump higher than a monkey? – Yes, it can / No, it cannot

Can’t we go any faster?