Bigger, Better, Faster
Two things, one winner: the comparative compares them. Add -er to short words, put more in front of long ones, and never mix the two.
What Is a Comparative?
Two things, one bigger
A comparative compares two things and says one is more than the other: faster, cheaper, better. Short words add -er; long words borrow more; a few famous rebels change completely.
Short words: -er
one syllable: fast → fasterA bike is slower than a car
Long words: more
two or more syllables: more expensiveThis phone is more expensive than that one
Irregular stars
good → better · bad → worseThis movie is better than that one
The connector: than
always compare with thanMy cat is older than yours
⚠️ The formula: comparative + than. Never compare without than.
The Formula
Same skeleton, three shapes
Every comparative follows the same line: subject + be + comparative + than + the other thing. Only the adjective changes shape.
My catisolderthanyours
This phoneismore expensivethanthat one
This movieisbetterthanthat one
Spelling Rules
Three tiny spelling rules
Adding -er is mostly easy — until a word ends in e, or y, or a double consonant. Three rules cover everything.
Just add -er
most words, no change
fast → faster · old → older · tall → taller
Add just -r
words ending in e
nice → nicer · large → larger
Double the consonant
short words ending consonant-vowel-consonant
big → bigger · hot → hotter · thin → thinner
-y becomes -ier
after a consonant + y
happy → happier · easy → easier
⚠️ Irregulars, no rules at all: good → better, bad → worse.
Common Mistakes
Four classic slips
The traps: the double comparison, the missing -er, and the wrong shape for long words. Spot them, fix them, move on.
She is more taller than me.
She is taller than me.
💡 Never more + -er together. Pick one.
My car is fast than yours.
My car is faster than yours.
💡 Short adjectives need their -er.
This book is interestinger than that one.
This book is more interesting than that one.
💡 Long words take more, not -er.
My idea is gooder than yours.
My idea is better than yours.
💡 Good and bad are irregular: better, worse.
Quick Quiz
Test what you just learned
Three minutes, five questions — check what stuck. No essay questions, we promise.
A bike is ___ than a car.
💡 Extra info1 sections
From Simple to Comparative
One step up
The comparative is one step up from the base adjective. Climb the ladder: same word, one new ending.
My car is fast
My car is faster than yours
My car is the fastest here
⚠️ Comparative = two things. Superlative = three or more.