Grammar reference and practice 6.1

6.1 ■ Comparative adjectives

Spelling rules

• ■For short adjectives, add -er to form the comparative.

  small → smaller

  young → younger

  ■For short adjectives ending in -e, add -r.

  large → larger

  nice → nicer

  ■For short adjectives ending in vowel + consonant (except -w), double the consonant and add -er.

  hot → hotter

  wet → wetter

  ■For adjectives ending in consonant + -y, remove the -y and add -ier.

  early → earlier

  busy → busier

  ■For adjectives of two or more syllables (except adjectives ending in -y), add more before the adjective.

  beautiful → more beautiful

  expensive → more expensive

  ■Some adjectives are irregular, for example:

  good → better

  bad → worse

  far → farther / further

Use

We use comparative adjectives to compare two people or things. Comparative adjectives are often followed by than.

Your trousers are more expensive than mine.

This house is bigger than that house.

1Complete the sentences using the comparative form of the adjectives in brackets. 

You need to use normal letters and capital letters correctly in this task.

• 1My brother goes swimming every day. He's  (fit) than me!

• 2Your house is  (close) to the school than my house.

• 3Grant is  (friendly) than Ben, and he's also  (intelligent).

• 4I'm  (good) at languages than my sister, but  (bad) at sport.

• 5Do you think a good diet is  (important) than a lot of exercise?

• 6The film and the book are both very sad, but I think the film is  (sad) than the book.

• 7Let's study in the library. It's much  (quiet) than it is at home.

• 8My dad is always  (late) than my mum.

2Write sentences using the correct comparative form of the adjectives and than. 

You need to use normal letters and capital letters correctly in this task. You also need to use correct punctuation.

• 1My sister's room / is / tidy / my room.

• 2Jim's dog / is / thin / Hal's dog.

• 3Your house / is / large / our house.

• 4Pete's exam results / are / bad / Jay's exam results.

• 5Today / is / wet / yesterday.

• 6Your dress / is / pretty / my dress.

• 7These jeans / are / cheap / those jeans.

• 8The supermarket / is / convenient / the shops on the high street.

• 9The film / is / exciting / the book.

• 10I think maths / is / easy / geography.

3Choose the correct word. 

• 1It's hotterhoter today than yesterday.

• 2My mum is younggeryounger than my dad.

• 3I get up earlyerearlier than my sister.

• 4My phone is smallersmaler than yours.

• 5This film is bettergooder than the book.

• 6Andy is nicenicer than Robert.

• 7Your bag is expensivermore expensive than mine.

• 8The school is fartherfarer than the cinema.