Comparative Adjectives

Suitable for Elementary CEFR A2+

Use #comparatives to compare two things. For example, Sarah is older than Tom, but younger than Peter. Here we are comparing two people - Sarah and Tom.

Comparatives: One-Syllable Adjectives

Add –er

Adjective	Comparative
Old	Older
Young	Younger
Long	Longer
Short	Shorter
Fast	Faster
Slow	Slower

e.g. My new car is faster than my old car.

       She’s older than her brother.

       Walking to school takes longer than driving.

Activity 1

Look up the meaning of each of these adjectives in a dictionary and make a sentence using the comparative form.

If the adjective ends in –e, just add –r

Adjec	Comparative
Late	Later
Wise	Wiser
Strang	Stranger
Simple	Simpler

e.g. The train is later than it was yesterday.

       He is wiser than the other men.

       Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction.

Activity 2

Look up the meaning of each of these adjectives in a dictionary and make a sentence using the comparative form.

Comparatives:

Adjectives That End in a Vowel + Consonant

Double the last letter and add –er

Adjective	Comparative
Big	Bigger
Thin	Thinner
Fat	Fatter
Hot	Hotter
Sad	Sadder

e.g. A whale is bigger than a shark.

       She’s thinner than me.

       Spain is hotter than the UK.

Activity 3

Look up the meaning of each of these adjectives in a dictionary and make a sentence using the comparative form.

Comparatives:

Adjectives That End in Y

Remove -y and add –ier

Adjective	Comparative
Happy	Happier
Easy	Easier
Busy	Busier
Dirty	Dirtier
Heavy	Heavier

e.g. I’m happier than I was when I woke up this morning.

      Maybe it’s easier than you think.

      The town is busier than it was yesterday.

Activity 4

Look up the meaning of each of these adjectives in a dictionary and make a sentence using the comparative form.

Comparatives:

Adjectives With 2+ Syllables

Add more before the adjective

Adjective	Comparative
Interesting	More interesting
Expensive	More expensive
Popular	More popular
Nervous	More nervous

e.g. Watching a movie is more interesting than studying.

       A house is more expensive than a car.

       In the UK football is more popular than basketball.

Activity 5

Look up the meaning of each of these adjectives in a dictionary and make a sentence using the comparative form.

Comparatives: Irregular

Adjective	Comparative
Good	Better
Bad	Worse
Far	Farther

e.g. Action movies are better than romantic comedies.

       The weather is worse than it was yesterday.

       The post office is farther than the supermarket.

Activity 6

Look up the meaning of each of these adjectives in a dictionary and make a sentence using the comparative form.

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