Comparative adjectives and adverbs are used to compare two things or people. They help us express differences in degree between two items. For example, we can say someone is taller than another person, or one car is faster than another car. These comparisons are essential in everyday English communication.
There are three main patterns for forming comparative adjectives. First, we add '-er' to short adjectives with one syllable, like 'big' becomes 'bigger'. Second, we use 'more' before longer adjectives with two or more syllables, such as 'beautiful' becomes 'more beautiful'. Third, there are irregular forms that must be memorized, like 'good' becomes 'better'. Understanding these patterns helps you form comparatives correctly.
For one-syllable adjectives, we follow specific spelling rules when adding '-er'. First, for most adjectives, we simply add '-er', like 'tall' becomes 'taller'. Second, when an adjective ends with a single consonant after a single vowel, we double the final consonant before adding '-er', so 'big' becomes 'bigger'. Third, when an adjective ends in 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add '-er', making 'happy' become 'happier'.
For adjectives with two or more syllables, we use 'more' plus the adjective to form comparatives. We don't add '-er' to these longer words because it would be difficult to pronounce. Examples include 'more expensive', 'more intelligent', and 'more comfortable'. However, some two-syllable adjectives can use either form, like 'clever' which can become either 'cleverer' or 'more clever'. Both forms are correct and commonly used.
Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms that must be memorized. 'Good' becomes 'better', 'bad' becomes 'worse', and 'far' can become either 'farther' or 'further'. When using comparatives in sentences, we typically use 'than' to show the comparison. For example, 'She is taller than her brother' or 'Today is better than yesterday'. These irregular forms are very common in everyday English, so it's important to learn them well.