Comparative Adjectives: older than, more expensive

Leo: Hey Mia, do you want to take the bus or the train to London?

Mia: I think the train is better. It is faster than the bus.

Leo: But the train is more expensive than the bus.

Mia: That’s true, but the bus is slower. Also, the train seats are bigger and more comfortable.

Leo: Okay, the train is more relaxing. But we have to wake up earlier.

Mia: I know. The station is further from my house. But I don’t mind.

Leo: Agreed. The train is a good idea.

When we want to compare two things, we use comparative adjectives. In English, we use than to connect the two things we are comparing. The rule we use depends on how long the adjective is.

1. Short Adjectives (Add -er)

For short adjectives (one syllable), we add -er.

• old → older: I am older than my brother.
• fast → faster: A car is faster than a bike.

Spelling rules for short adjectives:

• If the adjective ends in -e, just add -r (nice → nicer).
• If it ends in a consonant-vowel-consonant, double the last letter (big → bigger, hot → hotter).
• If it ends in -y, change the y to -ier (happy → happier, easy → easier).

2. Long Adjectives (Use more)

For long adjectives (two or more syllables not ending in -y), we do not add -er. Instead, we put more before the adjective.

• expensive → more expensive: Gold is more expensive than silver.
• interesting → more interesting: This book is more interesting than the movie.
• beautiful → more beautiful: She is more beautiful than ever.

3. Irregular Adjectives

You must memorize these because they completely change their spelling.

• good → better: Pizza is better than broccoli.
• bad → worse: The weather today is worse than yesterday.
• far → further (or farther): The station is further than I thought.

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