A |
Before comparatives you can use:
much a lot far (= a lot) a bit a little slightly (=a little)
- Let's go by car. It's much cheaper. (or a lot cheaper)
- 'How do you feel now?' 'Much better, thanks.'
- Don't go by train. It's a lot more expensive. (or much more expensive)
- Could you speak a bit more slowly? (or a little more slowly)
- This bag is slightly heavier than the other one.
- Her illness was far more serious than we thought at first. (or much more serious / a lot more serious)
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B |
You can use any and no + comparative (any longer / no bigger etc.):
- I've waited long enough. I'm not waiting any longer. (= not even a little longer)
- We expected their apartment to be very big, but it's no bigger than ours. or ... it isn't any bigger than ours. (= not even a little bigger)
- How do you feel now? Do you feel any better?
- This hotel is better than the other one, and it's no more expensive.
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C |
Better and better / more and more etc.
We repeat comparatives (better and better etc.) to say that something changes continuously:
- Your English is improving. It's getting better and better.
- The city has grown fast in recent years. It's got bigger and bigger.
- As I listened to his story, I became more and more convinced that he was lying.
- These days more and more people are learning English.
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D |
The ... the ...
You can say the (sooner/bigger/more etc.) the better:
- 'what time shall we leave?' 'The sooner the better.' (= as soon as possible)
- A: What sort of box do you want? A big one?
B: Yes, the bigger the better. (= as big as possible)
- When you're travelling, the less luggage you have the better.
We also use the ... the ... to say that one thing depends on another thing:
- The warmer the weather, the better I feel. (= if the weather is warmer, I feel better)
- The sooner we leave, the earlier we will arrive.
- The younger you are, the easier it is to learn.
- The more expensive the hotel, the better the service.
- The more electricity you use, the higher your bill will be.
- The more I thought about the plan, the less I liked it.
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E |
Older and elder
The comparative of old is older:
- David looks older than he really is.
You can use elder (or older) when you talk about people in a family. You can say (my/your etc.) elder sister/brother/daughter/son:
- My elder sister is a TV producer. (or My older sister ... )
We say 'my elder sister', but we do not say that 'somebody is elder':
- My sister is older than me. (not elder than me)
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