Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
A comparative adjective compares two things. Add -er to short adjectives (older, bigger) or use more before longer ones (more careful), and put than before the second thing: She is taller than me.
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Level: A2. A comparative adjective is how English says that one thing has more of a quality than another — taller, cheaper, more useful. You build it in one of two ways depending on the length of the adjective, and you join the two things with the word than.
The rule
An adjective describes a noun (tall, cheap, useful). A comparative is the form you use to compare exactly two things: A is taller than B. English has two ways to build it, and the choice depends on how many syllables the adjective has.
1. Short adjectives: add -er. For one-syllable adjectives (and most two-syllable adjectives ending in -y), add -er to the end:
- old → older
- cheap → cheaper
- happy → happier
2. Longer adjectives: use more. For adjectives of two or more syllables (most of them), keep the adjective unchanged and put more in front:
- careful → more careful
- expensive → more expensive
- interesting → more interesting
3. Join the two things with than. The second thing in the comparison comes after than: This book is cheaper than that one. My bag is more expensive than yours. You can leave than out when the second thing is already obvious (I was younger then; now I’m older), but whenever you name both things, use than.
A syllable is a beat in a word: big has one, hap-py has two, ex-pen-sive has three. Counting syllables tells you which of the two ways to use.
Spelling and forms
| Adjective type | How to form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One syllable | add -er | cheap → cheaper |
| One syllable, ends consonant + e | add -r only | nice → nicer |
| One syllable, single vowel + consonant | double the consonant, add -er | big → bigger, hot → hotter |
| Two syllables ending in -y | change y → i, add -er | happy → happier, easy → easier |
| Two or more syllables | put more in front | more modern, more careful |
| Irregular | learn by heart | good → better, bad → worse, far → further/farther |
Example sentences
- My brother is taller than me.One-syllable adjective: tall → taller.
- This phone is cheaper than that one.cheap → cheaper, with 'than'.
- Today is hotter than yesterday.Single vowel + consonant: hot → hotter.
- She is happier now than last year.-y word: happy → happier.
- The red bag is bigger than the blue one.Double the consonant: big → bigger.
- A train is faster than a bus.fast → faster.
- My new flat is nicer than the old one.Ends in -e: nice → nicer.
- This test was easier than the last one.easy → easier.
- His car is more expensive than mine.Long adjective: more expensive.
- The film was more interesting than the book.more interesting.
- You should be more careful than that.more careful.
- Spanish is more useful to me than Latin.more useful.
- This chair is more comfortable than the sofa.more comfortable.
- My results are better than last term.Irregular: good → better.
- The weather is worse than yesterday.Irregular: bad → worse.
- The shop is further than I thought.Irregular: far → further.
- Winter days are shorter than summer days.short → shorter.
- She speaks more slowly than her teacher.A longer adverb-like form still takes 'more'.
- This question is more difficult than the first.more difficult.
- A lion is stronger than a dog.strong → stronger.
Common mistakes
- ❌ more bigger → ✅ bigger. Never use more and -er together; one marker is enough.
- ❌ more taller than → ✅ taller than. Same rule: tall is short, so just add -er.
- ❌ gooder → ✅ better. Good is irregular; its comparative is better, not gooder.
- ❌ My car is expensiver. → ✅ My car is more expensive. Long adjectives take more, not -er.
- ❌ She is taller that me. → ✅ She is taller than me. The joining word is than, not that.
- ❌ This is more cheap. → ✅ This is cheaper. Cheap is one syllable, so it takes -er.
A short conversation
A: Which laptop should I buy? B: This one is cheaper, but that one is faster and more reliable. A: Is it much more expensive? B: A little. But it will last longer than the cheap one, so it’s better value.
Usage notes
- Much, a lot, a bit. To say how big the difference is, put much, a lot, far or a bit before the comparative: much cheaper, a lot bigger, a bit older. Do not use very here — very bigger is wrong.
- Than me or than I? In everyday English, than me / than her / than him is normal and correct. Than I / than she is very formal and usually followed by a verb (than I do). Either is accepted; most learners should use the object form.
- Two-syllable words that go both ways. A handful accept either form: cleverer / more clever, quieter / more quiet, simpler / more simple. Both are correct; pick one.
- And … and for change. To show something keeps changing, repeat the comparative with and: It’s getting colder and colder. Prices are getting more and more expensive.
Compared with…
- Superlatives. The comparative compares two things (taller than); the superlative picks one out of three or more (the tallest of all). Same spelling rules, but with the … -est or the most. See Superlative Adjectives.
- As … as. To say two things are equal, you don’t use a comparative at all — you use as + adjective + as: She is as tall as me (the same height), versus She is taller than me (more). See Comparisons with as … as.
Quick recap before you practise.
Practice
Comparatives practice
Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.
Hint: -y becomes -ier
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easier — Two-syllable -y adjectives change y to i and add -er: easier.
Hint: long adjective
Show answer
more — Expensive has three syllables, so use more + adjective: more expensive.
4 Put the words in order.
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Today is worse than yesterday — Bad is irregular (worse), and than joins the two days.
5 Match each adjective to its comparative.
- good
- far
- hot
- careful
Show answer
- good → better
- far → further
- hot → hotter
- careful → more careful
Good and far are irregular; hot doubles the t; careful is long, so it takes more.
Quiz
Comparatives quiz
12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.
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exactly two — The comparative compares two things; three or more needs the superlative.
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cheaper — Cheap is one syllable, so add -er: cheaper.
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more comfortable — Comfortable is a long adjective, so use more.
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better — Good is irregular: its comparative is better.
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worse — Bad is irregular: its comparative is worse.
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She is taller than me. — Tall is short, so just add -er: taller than.
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hotter — A single vowel + consonant doubles the consonant: hotter.
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happier — Change y to i, then add -er: happier.
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than — Use than before the second thing: taller than me.
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more — Interesting is a long adjective, so use more.
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more bigger than — 'More bigger' doubles the marker; use just 'bigger'.
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much — Use much (or a lot / far / a bit), not very: much cheaper.
Recap cheat-sheet
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| Short word + -er | cheap → cheaper |
| Double consonant | big → bigger |
| -y → -ier | happy → happier |
| Long word: more | more expensive |
| Irregular | good → better, bad → worse |
| Join with than | taller than me |
Next
- Next topic: Superlative Adjectives
- Review first: Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
- Back to the English grammar section
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A1 30 topics · 30 ready
- 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
- 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
- 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
- 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
- 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
- 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
- 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
- 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
- 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
- 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
- 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
- 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
- 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession
- 14 Can and Can't for Ability
- 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
- 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
- 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
- 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
- 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
- 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
- 21 How Much vs How Many
- 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
- 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
- 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
- 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
- 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)
- 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
- 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
- 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
- 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
- 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
- 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
- 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
- 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive) You are here
- 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
- 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
- 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
- 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
- 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)
- 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
- 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
- 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
- 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice
- 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
- 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
- 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
- 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
- 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
- 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
- 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
- 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
- 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers
- 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)
- 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
- 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
- 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
- 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
- 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
- 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
- 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
- 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
- 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
- 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
- 64 Reported Questions
- 65 Reported Commands and Requests
- 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
- 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
- 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
- 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
- 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
- 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
- 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
- 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
- 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
- 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
- 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
- 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
- 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
- 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
- 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
- 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
- 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
- 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
- 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
- 85 Mixed Conditionals
- 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
- 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
- 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
- 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
- 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
- 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
- 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
- 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
- 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
- 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
- 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
- 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
- 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
- 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
- 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
- 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
- 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
- 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition
- 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
- 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
- 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
- 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
- 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
- 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
- 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
- 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
- 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
- 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
- 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
- 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
- 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
- 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
- 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
- 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would)
- 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
- 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
- 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
- 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
- 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
- 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)