Grammar: Comparative Adjectives
A2 Lesson 18: Comparing Two Things
How to Compare Two Things
When we want to show how two things are different, we use comparative adjectives. To make a comparison, we almost always use the word than after the adjective.
A tuk-tuk is cheaper than a taxi.
My phone is more modern than his phone.
The Grammar Rules 📖
Forming Comparative Adjectives
The rule for making a comparative adjective depends on its length (how many syllables it has).
Rule 1: For Short Adjectives, add '-er'
For most short adjectives (one syllable), we add -er to the end.
old → older
Angkor Wat is older than Bayon Temple.
tall → taller
That hotel is taller than my house.
- For adjectives ending in Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (like b-i-g), double the last letter: bigger, hotter.
- For two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, change 'y' to 'i' and add '-er': busy → busier, happy → happier.
Rule 2: For Long Adjectives, use 'more'
For longer adjectives (two or more syllables), we do not add '-er'. Instead, we put the word more before the adjective.
beautiful → more beautiful
The sunrise at Angkor Wat is more beautiful than the sunset.
expensive → more expensive
A flight to Europe is more expensive than a flight to Bangkok.
Irregular Comparatives ⚠️
Some very common adjectives are irregular. They do not follow the rules and you must memorize them.
| Adjective | Comparative Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | The food at this restaurant is better than the other one. |
| bad | worse | The traffic today is worse than yesterday. |
| far | further / farther | My village is further from Siem Reap than yours. |
Practice Your Grammar 🎯
Exercise: What is the Comparative Form?
Write the correct comparative form for each adjective.
- fast → ________
→ faster - difficult → ________
→ more difficult - good → ________
→ better - heavy → ________
→ heavier - bad → ________
→ worse - big → ________
→ bigger
Your Grammar Mission ⭐
Make Your Own Comparisons
Write three sentences comparing two things you know. Try to use a short adjective, a long adjective, and an irregular adjective.
Example: A car is faster than a bicycle. English is more difficult than Khmer. The weather today is better than yesterday.
Key Vocabulary
- Compare To see how two things are similar or different.
- Syllable A unit of sound in a word. 'Hot' has one syllable. 'Beautiful' has three.
- Irregular Not following the normal rules.