Lesson 38 · Stage 3: Plans, requests & comparing
Comparatives
BeginnerForm & use
-er than / more … than — comparing two things
1.Form
Use the comparative to compare two people, things or places. Short adjectives add -er; long adjectives take more in front. Then comes than + the thing you are comparing with.
| Adjective | How to form it | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| one syllable | + -er | cheap → cheaper, old → older, fast → faster |
| two syllables, ending in -y | y → -ier | easy → easier, busy → busier, happy → happier |
| most other two-syllable adjectives, and all longer ones | more + adj | more modern, more careful, more expensive, more interesting |
| some two-syllable adjectives: either way | -er / more | quieter / more quiet, simpler / more simple, narrower / more narrow |
| good, bad, far | irregular | good / well → better, bad / badly → worse, far → farther / further |
Ho Chi Minh City is bigger than Hue.
Taxis are more expensive than buses.
This year's exam was easier than last year's.
Use -er or more, not both: cheaper, more expensive (not more cheaper). And the comparing word is always than — not that or then, which look and sound similar.
2.Spelling and pronunciation
| Adjective ends in | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -e | add -r only | nice → nicer, large → larger, safe → safer |
| one vowel + one consonant (one syllable) | double the last consonant | big → bigger, hot → hotter, thin → thinner, wet → wetter |
| consonant + y | y → -ier | easy → easier, heavy → heavier, dry → drier |
| vowel + w | no doubling, just add -er | new → newer, slow → slower, low → lower |
Adjectives ending in -ed usually take more, even with one syllable: more tired, more bored, more worried. Far has two forms: farther and further both work for distance (further is more common in British English); for the meaning “extra”, only further works: further information.
In speech, than is usually weak — /ðən/ — and joins the word before it; the stress falls on the adjective: She's TALLer than me. Don't drop the -er ending.
3.When to use it
1. Comparing two people, things or places
My sister is taller than me.
Hanoi is colder than Ho Chi Minh City in January.
2. Comparing something with itself at another time — than before, than usual, than I expected
The traffic is worse than usual today.
The film was longer than I expected.
3. Comparing how people do things (adverbs) — -ly adverbs take more: more slowly, more carefully. But fast, hard, early and late add -er; well → better, badly → worse.
Could you speak more slowly, please?
My mum gets up earlier than my dad.
Lan cooks better than I do.
4. More and less: more / less / fewer — more + noun (more money, more friends); less + uncountable noun (less traffic); fewer + plural noun (fewer cars). In everyday speech many people use less with plurals too, but fewer is the standard choice, especially in writing. Less + adjective is the opposite of more + adjective.
My cousin earns more money than me.
There's less traffic in Hanoi during Tet.
The bus is less expensive than the train.
= cheaper than
4.Than me or than I am? How much more?
After than you have two choices: an object pronoun (than me, than him) — very natural in speech; or subject + helper verb (than I am, than he does) — fine in any style. Just “than I” on its own sounds quite formal.
My brother is taller than me. = My brother is taller than I am.
She speaks English better than her husband does.
To give the exact difference, put the number right before the comparative. To say a lot more or a little more (much, a bit, far…), see the lesson “Comparative + much / a bit / far”.
My sister is three years older than me.
This shirt is 50,000 dong cheaper online.
The amount of difference goes before the comparative: three years older than me — not older than me three years.
5.Common mistakes
This bag is more cheaper than that one.This bag is cheaper than that one.
It already has -er, so no more.
This road is more long than the old one.This road is longer than the old one.
One-syllable adjectives add -er.
My sister is taller as me.My sister is taller than me.
Comparatives go with than.
My English is gooder than last year.My English is better than last year.
good → better (irregular).
He is older than me two years.He is two years older than me.
The number goes before the comparative.
My cousin is five years elder than me.My cousin is five years older than me.
Elder isn't used with than; use older.
Examples
- My brother is taller than me.
- Ho Chi Minh City is bigger than Hue.
- This year's exam was easier than last year's.
- Today is hotter than yesterday — it's 38 degrees!
