In this lesson, we will explore how to form comparative adjectives, learn when to use them, and practice some examples together. We will also look at some irregular forms, like 'good' and 'bad', which don’t follow the regular rules.
1. Introduction to Adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns (like "beautiful", "tall", "interesting"). When we compare two or more things, we use specific forms of adjectives to show the difference in their qualities.
2. Types of Comparisons
There are two main types of comparisons we use with adjectives:
- Comparative: Used to compare two items .
- Superlative: Used to compare more than two items , showing the highest or lowest degree.
3. Forming Comparatives
To compare two items, we use the comparative form of the adjective. There are general rules for forming comparatives:
Rule 1: Adding -er (for short adjectives)
For most one-syllable adjectives, we add -er to the adjective:
- Tall → Taller
- Small → Smaller
- Fast → Faster
- Cold → Colder
Example Sentences:
- John is taller than Rami .
- This book is smaller than the other one .
Rule 2: Using "more" (for longer adjectives)
Long adjectives are those that contains two syllables (except those ending in -y) , three or more syllables, we use "more" before the adjective:
- Beautiful → More beautiful
- Interesting → More interesting
- Comfortable → More comfortable
- Expensive → More expensive
Example Sentences:
- His explanation seems more interesting than hers.
Rule 3: Adjectives ending in -y
If the adjective ends in -y, we change the -y to -ier:
- Happy → Happier
- Busy → Busier
- Easy → Easier
Example Sentences:
- Sarah is happier today than she was yesterday .
- This route is easier than the other one .
4. Irregular Comparatives:
Some adjectives are irregular, meaning they do not follow the standard rules for comparison. These need to be memorized.
Common Irregular Comparatives
| Adjective |
Comparative |
|---|---|
| good |
Better |
| Bad |
Worse |
| far |
Farther / further |
| little |
Less |
| Much / many |
More |
Example Sentences:
- This movie is better than the one we saw last week.
- She feels worse than she did yesterday.
- My house is further from school than your house.
5 . Double Comparisons
Sometimes we use double comparatives, which indicate that something is becoming more extreme over time. This structure is created with "more" or "er" + "and" + adjective.
- More and more difficult
- Colder and colder
- Stronger and stronger
Example Sentences:
- The weather is getting colder and colder each day.
- His explanation is becoming more and more complicated.
6. Special Uses and Exceptions
- As...as: To show that two things are equal in quality, we use the structure as + adjective + as.
- Example: She is as tall as her brother.
- Example: This book is as interesting as the one I read last week.
- Less : When you want to show that something has a lower degree of a quality, you use less for comparatives .
- Example : This science lesson is less difficult than that one .
Tasks
Task 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct comparative form of the adjective:
- Your house is _____ (big) than Noah’s house.
- This movie is _____ (interesting) than the one we saw last week.
- She is _____ (happy) than she was yesterday.
- The red car is _____ (fast) than the blue one.
- This lamp is _____(bright) than the one in the living room.
- Learning French is _______ (easy ) than learning Chinese.
- Alice is ______ ( intelligent )than her brother.
Correction of task 1:
1) Bigger.
2) More interesting .
3) Happier .
4) Faster .
5) Brighter .
6) Easier .
7) More intelligent .
Task 2: Choose the correct comparative adjective .
1. I think this cake is (tastier / more tastier) than the other one.
2. He is (more tall / taller) than his brother.
3. This city is (more expensive / expensiver) than the other one.
4. This car is (more fast / faster) than mine.
Correction of task 2:
1) I think this cake is tastier than the other one.
2) He is taller than his brother.
3) This city is more expensive than the other one.
4) This car is faster than mine.
Task 3: Compare the following pairs of things using comparative adjectives.
1. This car / my car (expensive)
2. The blue dress / the red dress (pretty)
3. John / David (smart)
4. A bike / a car (fast)
5. The chocolate cake / the vanilla cake (sweet)
Correction of task 3
- This Mercedes car is more expensive than my car.
- The blue dress you are wearing is prettier than the red dress.
- Alexander is smarter than David .
- A bike is faster than a car .
- The chocolate cake is sweeter than the vanilla cake.:
Recapitulation of the lesson
Thank you for your hard work today, and I’m looking forward to seeing you apply these new skills in your next conversations and writing! Have a great day!
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