Modifying comparatives (a bit, much, far)

You already know how to build a comparative — cheaper, more expensive, better. But a comparative on its own doesn't say how big the gap is. This flat is more expensive could mean it's €5 more, or €500 more. To be more precise, English puts a small word or phrase in front of the comparative.

The one rule to remember. With the modifiers in this article, the modifier goes directly before the comparative form, and it never changes the comparative itself: ✅ much cheaper, ✅ a bit more expensive, never ❌ much more cheaper or ❌ a bit expensive more.

Small gap: a bit, a little, slightly

Use these when the difference is small:

• This bag is a bit heavier than mine.
• She arrived a little earlier than usual.
• The second exam was slightly harder than the first.

A bit is the most casual of the three and very common in speech. A little is neutral — fine in speech or writing. Slightly is a touch more formal and common in written or careful English (reports, reviews, instructions).

Big gap: much, a lot, far, a great deal

Use these when the difference is large:

• This laptop is much faster than my old one.
• The new stadium is a lot bigger than the old one.
• Her flight was far cheaper than mine.
• Traffic today is a great deal worse than yesterday.

A lot is the most casual and extremely common in speech; much is neutral and works everywhere. Far is emphatic and common in both speech and writing, especially when the gap feels large (far larger, far more interesting, far better). A great deal is the most formal of the four and sits comfortably in writing.

Whichever one you pick, the comparative underneath still follows its normal rule: ✅ much cheaper, ✅ far more expensive — the comparative already has more or -er built in, so the modifier is never added on top of a second one: never ❌ much more cheaper.

The same modifiers also work in front of less and fewer, for the opposite direction: much less expensive, a bit less crowded, far fewer people, even less likely.

much more / many more before a noun

When more comes before a noun rather than an adjective, the modifier depends on whether the noun is countable or uncountable: much more with an uncountable noun, many more with a plural countable noun.

• We need much more time. (time is uncountable)
• This flat costs much more money than we planned.
• There were many more people at the second concert. (people is countable)
• The new bridge causes many more problems than the old one.

much and far also work with too

Both much and far can strengthen too + adjective as well, a small but very common extra use — note this isn't a comparative structure, just a related pattern with the same modifiers:

• This jacket is much too small.
• That restaurant is far too expensive for a student budget.

no + comparative: "not any better/bigger/etc."

No in front of a comparative means "not any more … than before / than something else" — usually pointing out that an expected improvement didn't happen, often with a note of disappointment:

• The new phone is no better than the old one. (I expected it to be better — it isn't.)
• After the rest, I still felt no better.

It's useful to keep this apart from a plain negative. ✅ It's no better is correct and a little stronger and more evaluative than the plain ✅ It isn't better — both are grammatical, but no better carries that extra sense of "and I expected otherwise."

No isn't the natural choice for a neutral, everyday question — for that, use any (see below): ✅ Is it any better now? You'll still see no in a question when it's checking something with a hint of surprise: Is it no better even after the repair?

any + comparative: mostly in questions and negatives

Any in front of a comparative asks or denies whether there's any difference or improvement at all — mostly in questions, negatives, and after words like if or whether:

• Is this seat any more comfortable than that one?
• The pain isn't any better today.
• Does the new update make the app any faster?
• Let me know if it gets any worse.

Any doesn't normally appear in a plain positive statement here — ✅ Is it any cheaper now? but not ❌ It's any cheaper now. (For a positive statement, use one of the modifiers above instead: It's a bit cheaper now.)

even + comparative: "already, and now more so"

Even says something was already true to some degree, and the comparative pushes it further:

• I thought the first film was good, but the sequel is even better.
• Rent here is high, but rent in the city centre is even higher.

Common mistakes

• ❌ This is much more cheaper. → ✅ This is much cheaper. (cheaper already has -er built in — don't add more as well)
• ❌ She's a bit taller. used where the gap is actually huge → a bigger gap needs a bigger modifier: ✅ She's a lot taller.
• ❌ It's very better than before. → ✅ It's much better than before. (very doesn't modify comparatives — use much/a lot/far instead)
• ❌ There were much more people. → ✅ There were many more people. (people is countable, so it needs many more, not much more)
• ❌ The exam was far hard. → ✅ The exam was far harder. (the modifier needs the comparative form under it, not the plain adjective)

Quick check

You can fill each gap with a suitable modifier (more than one answer may be possible — think about how big the gap should sound):

1. My commute today was ____ longer than usual — just five minutes.
2. This year's exam was ____ harder than last year's — almost everyone struggled.
3. I've rested all weekend, but I still feel ____ better.
4. Is the pain ____ better since you started the new medicine?
5. The book was good, but the film was ____ better.

Key takeaways

• A modifier goes directly before a comparative to show how big the gap is — it never changes the comparative itself: ✅ much cheaper, never ❌ much more cheaper.
• Small gap: a bit, a little, slightly. Big gap: much, a lot, far, a great deal. The same words work before less/fewer too.
• Before a noun, choose by countability: much more time/money, many more people/problems.
• No + comparative means "not any more … than before," often with a note of disappointment: no better.
• Any + comparative mostly lives in questions, negatives, and after if/whether: Is it any better? · It isn't any cheaper.
• Even + comparative means "already true, and now more so": even better.