COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES

COMPARATIVES Adjective Comparative Spelling 1 cheap cheaper 1 syllable: + er 1 vowel + 1 consonant : double consonant 2 bigger big 3 easy easier consonant + y: ier more expensive 2 or more syllables : more / less + adjective 4 expensive 5 good bad better worse irregular

Sharon is taller than Mary.

Dogs are more reliable than cats.

San Francisco is smaller than London.

1 Moscow / Paris (big)

2 Casablanca / Warsaw (hot) Casablanca is hotter than Warsaw. Warsaw

3 Tokyo / Helsinki (noisy) Tokyo is noisier than Helsinki. Tokyo Helsinki

4 Chicago / San Francisco (violent) Chicago is more violent than San Francisco. Chicago

5 the traffic in Bangkok / in Venice (bad) The traffic in Bangkok is worse than in Venice. Bangkok

The opposite of more is less. He is less stubborn than his brother.

He’s a lot noisier. He’s much lazier. We use a lot or much before the comparative to say there is a big difference: He’s a lot noisier. He’s much lazier. We use a bit before the comparative to say there’s a small difference: He’s also a bit more patient.

We can also use more with nouns: He has got more money than her. I’ve got more free time than my brother.