Comparatives in English
Grammar

Comparative adjectives are adjectives used to compare two people or things.

Chicago is smaller than New York.

-er

We generally form the comparative by adding er to the adjective.

small - smaller

-r

If the adjective ends in the letter e, we simply add the letter r to form the comparative.

large - larger

y → ier

If the word ends with a consonant followed by the letter y, we change the y to i and then add er.

easy - easier

Double Consonant

If a word ends with a consonant, a vowel, and then another consonant, and the stressed syllable is the last one, double the last letter before adding er.

big - bigger

"More" with Long Words

If the word has two syllables or more (a long word) and does not end in y, we use the word more instead of er.

expensive - more expensive

Irregular Comparatives

There are comparatives that do not follow any of the above rules. These are irregular forms.

good - better
bad - worse
far - farther

Exercise - Comparatives

Change the words to their comparative form.

example
tall

Exercise - Comparative Sentences

Use the given words to write comparative sentences. Make sure you use the correct capitalization and include a period at the end of each sentence.

example
Bob/tall/Richard

Find the Mistake

Instructions
Identify the error in the following sentences and write the corrected version.

example
He are a teacher. → He is a teacher.

Writing

Write a comparative sentence.

Example:
Salad is healthier than pizza.

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