Course on Comparatives - TOEIC® Preparation
The comparative is used to compare two elements by specifying that a characteristic is more, less, or as pronounced in one than in the other. Its formation varies according to the length and nature of the adjective used.
1. Comparing 2 things with short adjectives
An adjective is considered short when it consists of:
- one syllable (small, big, tall).
- two syllables ending in -y (happy, easy, funny).
To form the comparative with short adjectives, here is the rule:
A. If the adjective is one syllable
In the comparative of superiority, simply add "er" followed by "than".
| Type of adjective | Comparative of superiority | Comparative of inferiority | Comparative of equality |
|---|---|---|---|
| tall | taller than Tom is taller than his brother. | less tall than Tom is less tall than Mike. | as tall as Tom is as tall as his father. |
| fast | faster than The new car is faster than the old one. | less fast than This bike is less fast than my car. | as fast as This train is as fast as the other one. |
| short | shorter than This road is shorter than the other one. | less short than This book is less short than the previous one. | as short as This speech is as short as the last one. |
B. If the adjective is one syllable and ends with a consonant
In the comparative of superiority, for short adjectives of one syllable, when the word ends with a consonant + vowel + consonant structure, double the last consonant before adding "er".
| Short adjective | Comparative of superiority | Comparative of inferiority | Comparative of equality |
|---|---|---|---|
| big | bigger than This sofa is bigger than the one in the other room. | less big than This apartment is less big than my house. | as big as This dog is as big as a wolf. |
| hot | hotter than Today is hotter than yesterday. | less hot than This summer is less hot than last year. | as hot as The tea is as hot as coffee. |
| thin | thinner than She looks thinner than last year. | less thin than This paper is less thin than the one before. | as thin as This model is as thin as her colleague. |
C. If the adjective has two syllables and ends in -y
In the comparative of superiority, for adjectives of two syllables ending in "-y", replace the "y" with "i", then add "er" and "than".
- happy → happier than
- She looks happier than yesterday.
- easy → easier than
- This exercise is easier than the previous one.
- funny → funnier than
- This comedian is funnier than the one we saw last week.
| Short adjective (-y) | Comparative of superiority | Comparative of inferiority | Comparative of equality |
|---|---|---|---|
| happy | happier than She looks happier than yesterday. | less happy than He is less happy than before. | as happy as She is as happy as her sister. |
| easy | easier than This exercise is easier than the previous one. | less easy than This test is less easy than the last one. | as easy as The exam was as easy as I expected. |
| funny | funnier than This comedian is funnier than the one we saw last week. | less funny than The movie was less funny than I thought. | as funny as This show is as funny as the last one. |
2. Comparing two things with long adjectives
An adjective is considered "long" when it has two syllables or more and does not end in "-y" (e.g., important, expensive, comfortable).
| Long adjective | Comparative of superiority | Comparative of inferiority | Comparative of equality |
|---|---|---|---|
| expensive | more expensive than This car is more expensive than that one. | less expensive than This phone is less expensive than the latest model. | as expensive as This hotel is as expensive as the one in Paris. |
| beautiful | more beautiful than This painting is more beautiful than the one in the hallway. | less beautiful than This dress is less beautiful than the red one. | as beautiful as This garden is as beautiful as the one in Versailles. |
| comfortable | more comfortable than This sofa is more comfortable than the chair. | less comfortable than This bed is less comfortable than mine. | as comfortable as This hotel room is as comfortable as my bedroom. |
3. Irregular adjectives in the comparative
Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms that do not follow the previous rules. Here are the most common:
| Adjective | Comparative of superiority | Comparative of inferiority | Comparative of equality |
|---|---|---|---|
| good | better than This book is better than the one I read last week. | less good than This restaurant is less good than the one we went to last time. | as good as This movie is as good as the original. |
| bad | worse than Her result is worse than mine. | less bad than This option is less bad than the other one. | as bad as His cooking is as bad as mine. |
| far | farther than (for physical distance) Paris is farther than Lyon from here. further than (for abstract concepts) The situation requires further explanation. | less far than New York is less far than Los Angeles from here. | as far as She can run as far as her brother. |
| little | less than I have less time than before. | / | as little as He speaks as little as his sister. |
| many/much | more than She has more friends than me. This job requires more effort than the previous one. | less than I drink less water than I should. | as many as (for countable nouns) He has as many books as his sister. as much as (for uncountable nouns) She earns as much money as her colleague. |
4. Different types of comparative
A. Comparative of inferiority: « less ... than »
To form the comparative of inferiority, use the structure less + adjective + than. This rule applies to all adjectives, regardless of their length.
- This chair is less comfortable than the armchair.
- He is less patient than his brother.
B. Comparative of equality: « as … as » / « as much … as »
The comparative of equality indicates that a characteristic is identical between two elements.
- With a noun: the same + noun + as
- She bought the same dress as me.
- With an adjective: as + adjective + as
- The task is as difficult as I thought.
Variations
There are some variations to express the comparative of equality:
- In the negative form: not as ... as (≃ less ... than)
- It is not as effective as we expected
- Almost as ... as: almost / nearly as + adjective + as
- The project is nearly as complex as the last one.
- Just as ... as: just as + adjective + as
- This solution is just as practical as the first one.
- Twice as ... / half as ... (as ...): twice / half as … (as …)
- This apartment is twice as big as my old one.
- N times as expensive (as ...): N times as expensive (as …)
- This watch is five times as expensive as mine.
Comparing quantities
To compare quantities, use "as much as" with uncountable nouns and "as many as" with countable nouns.
- "As much as" is used with uncountable nouns:
- She earns as much money as her colleague.
- This recipe requires as much sugar as the other one.
- "As many as" is used with countable nouns:
- He has as many responsibilities as his manager.
- There were as many guests at the party as last year.
C. "Less and less..." and "more and more..."
To express a progression or a decrease over time, use the structure "comparative + and + comparative".
- It is getting colder and colder outside.
- The city is becoming more and more crowded.
- He is getting less and less interested in his job.
D. "The more you…, the more you…" and "The more you…, the less you…"
To express a cause and effect relationship between two elements, use the structure "the + comparative, the + comparative".
- The healthier you eat, the better you feel.
- The more experience you have, the easier it gets.
- The faster you run, the more exhausted you get.
E. Nuancing a comparison
To express a comparison with more precision, certain adverbs can be placed before the comparative, such as slightly, a bit, somewhat, much, far, a great deal.
- This jacket is slightly more expensive than the other one.
- The problem is far more complex than expected.
- This laptop is a bit faster than my old one.
With "even" for emphasis
- The situation is even worse than we thought.
With "any" or "no" to emphasize a lack of difference
- The new version is no better than the previous one.
- We can't wait any longer for an answer.
F. Comparing quantities (countable and uncountable nouns)
To compare quantities and amounts, use more, less, fewer, not as much as, not as many as, etc.
- For countable nouns (fewer, more, many)
- We need to hire more employees this year.
- There are fewer opportunities in this industry than before.
- She doesn't have as many tasks as her colleague.
- For uncountable nouns (less, more, much)
- He has more patience than I do.
- We should consume less sugar.
- We didn't gain as much profit as last year.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the comparative in English allows you to compare two elements in different ways:
- The comparative of inferiority (less ... than) to express "less than"
- The comparative of equality (as ... as) to express "as ... as"
- Variations like "almost as" (almost/nearly as), "just as" (just as)
- Expressions of quantity with "as much as" (uncountable) and "as many as" (countable)
- Progressions with "more and more" (more and more) and "less and less" (less and less)
- Cause and effect relationships with "the... the" (the... the)