Comparative adjectives

When you put two things side by side — two phones, two cities, two cups of coffee — you need a comparative adjective: taller, cheaper, more expensive. English builds these in two ways, and which one you use depends almost entirely on how long the adjective is.

The one rule to remember. Short adjective → add -er (old → older). Long adjective → put more in front (more useful). You almost never use both — ❌ more older is the single most common mistake.

The word that joins the two things is than: Anna is taller than Ben.

Short adjectives: add -er

For most one-syllable adjectives, add -er to the end:

• cheap → cheaper — This phone is cheaper than that one.
• old → older — My brother is older than me.
• fast → faster — The train is faster than the bus.

There are four small spelling patterns:

The -y → -ier pattern also catches many two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, so busy → busier, friendly → friendlier, pretty → prettier all take -er even though they have two syllables.

Long adjectives: use more

For adjectives with two or more syllables (apart from the -y ones above), don't change the ending — put more in front:

• expensive → more expensive — This restaurant is more expensive than the café.
• careful → more careful — She's more careful than I am.
• interesting → more interesting — The second book was more interesting than the first.
• beautiful → more beautiful — This view is more beautiful than the one from the hotel.

Notice the adjective itself stays exactly the same — ✅ more expensive, never ❌ more expensiver.

than joins the two things

than comes between the two things you're comparing:

thing A + comparative + than + thing B

• Today is warmer than yesterday.
• Tea is cheaper than coffee here.
• He's more relaxed than his sister.

Don't confuse than with then. They look and sound almost the same but do completely different jobs. than is for comparing (bigger than, better than). then is about time or sequence — "next / after that" (We had dinner, then we watched a film). If you're comparing two things, it's always ❌ then → ✅ than.

In careful, written English you'll see than I am / than she does. But in everyday speech most people say than me, than her, than him — She's taller than me sounds completely natural. Either is fine at this level.

If there's no second thing to mention, you can just drop than: Could you speak more slowly? · I'd like a bigger one, please.

Irregular comparatives

A few very common adjectives don't follow either rule — you simply have to learn them:

• This coffee is better than the one at home.
• My headache is worse today.
• The station is farther than I thought.

(Far is unusual — it has two comparative forms. For distance, farther and further are interchangeable: ten miles farther / further. Only further also means "more / additional" (further information), so if you remember just one form, make it further.)

A bit / much + comparative

To say how big the difference is, put a word like much, a lot, or a bit in front of the comparative:

• This one is much cheaper. (a big difference)
• She's a bit taller than me. (a small difference)
• The new flat is a lot more expensive.

Note you still don't double up: ✅ much more expensive and ✅ much cheaper — but never ❌ much more cheaper.

Comparing more than two — and saying things are equal

This lesson is about comparing two things. When you pick out the top one of a whole group — the tallest, the most expensive — that's the superlative, a separate lesson of its own. And to say two things are the same (as tall as), you'll meet the as … as structure later.

Common mistakes

• ❌ She is more older than me. → ✅ She is older than me. (never more + -er together)
• ❌ This bag is more cheap. → ✅ This bag is cheaper. (short adjective takes -er)
• ❌ Berlin is more big than Bonn. → ✅ Berlin is bigger than Bonn. (and double the g)
• ❌ He runs faster that me. → ✅ He runs faster than me. (it's than, not that)
• ❌ She's taller then me. → ✅ She's taller than me. (than compares; then = "next / after that")
• ❌ My day was gooder. → ✅ My day was better. (good is irregular)
• ❌ This test was more easy. → ✅ This test was easier. (-y → -ier)

Quick check

Write the comparative form and add than where it fits:

1. My new phone is ____ (good) ____ my old one.
2. This box is ____ (heavy) ____ that one.
3. Flying is ____ (expensive) ____ taking the train.
4. Today the weather is ____ (bad) ____ yesterday.
5. Can you drive a bit ____ (slow)?

Key takeaways

• A comparative compares two things, and than joins them: A is bigger than B.
• Short adjective → add -er (cheaper, older); long adjective → use more (more expensive). Never both.
• Watch the spelling: nice → nicer, big → bigger, happy → happier (and -y words like busy → busier take -er even with two syllables).
• Learn the irregulars: good → better, bad → worse, far → farther / further.
• Put much / a bit before a comparative to show how big the difference is: much cheaper, a bit taller.