Easy Word | Luyện ngữ pháp


Luyện ngữ pháp - English Grammar in Use - Intermediate (Unit 105: Comparison 1)


Comparison 1

A

Study these examples:

How shall we travel? Shall we drive or go by train?

Let's drive. it's cheaper.
Don't go by train. It's more expensive.

Cheaper and more expensive are comparative forms.

 

After comparatives you can use than (see Unit 107):
  • It's cheaper to drive than go by train.
  • Going by train is more expensive than driving.
B

The comparative form is -er or more ... .

We use -er for short words (one syllable):
  • cheap → cheaper
  • fast → faster
  • large → larger
  • thin → thinner
 We use more ... for longer words (two syllables or more):
  • more serious
  • more often
  • more expensive
  • more comfortable
We also use -er for two-syllable words that end in -y ( -y → ier):
  • lucky → luckier
  • early → earlier
  • easy → easier
  • pretty → prettier
 We also use more ... for adverbs that end in -ly:
  • more slowly
  • more seriously
  • more easily
  • more quietly

Compare these examples:

  • You're older than me.
  • The exam was quite easy - easier than I expected.
  • Can you walk a bit faster?
  • I'd like to have a bigger car.
  • Last night I went to bed earlier than usual.
  • You 're more patient than me.
  • The exam was quite difficult - more difficult than I expected.
  • Can you walk a bit more slowly?
  • I'd like to have a more reliable car.
  • I don't play tennis much these days. I used to play more often.

 

You can use -er or more ... with some two-syllable adjectives, especially:

clever     narrow       quiet         shallow        simple


  • It's too noisy here. Can we go somewhere quieter / more quiet?
C

A few adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative forms:

good/well → better

  • The garden looks better since you tidied it up.
  • I know him well - probably better than anybody else knows him.

 

bad/badly → worse

  • 'How's your headache? Better?'  'No, it's worse.'
  • He did very badly in the exam - worse than expected .

 

far → further (or farther)

  • It's a long walk from here to the park - further than I thought. (or farther than)

 

Further (but not farther) can also mean 'more' or 'additional':

  • Let me know if you hear any further news. (= any more news)
Exercises - 105.1


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