Making comparisons in English is very simple. This lesson will help you to learn some rule in an easy want to understand how to make comparisons.
| 1. Which sofa should we buy? | This one is larger, but it is also more expensive. |
| 2. I need a new watch. | The Classie is nicer than the Timebox. That one is less affordable though. |
| 3. Which runner are you cheering for? | Sammy. He’s the fastest. But Timmy is the most handsome. |
| 4. I like the blue sweater. | I think the red one is better. but the green one is the best. |
| 5. How much sugar should I add? | Only a little. That’s too much! |
Learn the rules how to make comparisons in English
We add -er after the adjective with one syllable
- fast – faster
- large – larger
- cheap – cheaper
- This car is fast. But that car is faster.
- Your room is larger than mine.
- The red dress is cheaper than the black one.
When the adjective has two syllables or more, but ends in -y, it will be changed to -ier.
- happy – happier
- dirty – dirtier
- lucky – luckier
- She has a happier life with her second husband.
- That table is much dirtier.
- He is not lucky this time. Last time, he is luckier.
When the adjectives have more than two syllables, we will use “more” before the adjectives.
- difficult – more difficult
- attractive – more attractive
- clever – more clever
- The test was more difficult than I thought.
- She is more attractive tonight.
- The monkey is more clever than the cow.
We use “than” to compare two things together.’
- This printer is better than that one.
- He’s stronger at swimming than I am.
- It’s much colder this year than it was last year.
Some adjectives are irregular, they change their form when making comparisons.
- good – better
- much/many – more
- bad – worse
- little – less
- I have more work to do than him. He doesn’t has much to do.
- I learn English better with learnenglish.vn. The lessons are good.
- This movie is worse than the other one. The other movie is very bad.
- She worked less when she was pregnant. She does a little job.
How to use qualifying expressions
When you compare two things, and you want to vary on the strength of comparison, you can use some different words such as “a lot”, “much”, “a little”, “slightly” and “far” before “more / less than”:
“He’s a lot more attractive than my husband.”
“This table is much newer than mine.”
“They are much less rich than they used to be.”
“She’s a little shorter than his brother.”
“He’s slightly less interested in fashion than her.
“She is far more involved in work than he is.”