Mastering Comparative Adjectives: A2 English Grammar Guide

Raúl Maguiña

Fondateur de Langcom | Examinateur pour les examens de Cambridge et du SIELE

juillet 22, 2026

A2✏️ Grammaire⏱️ 4 min read
Comparative adjectives help us compare two things or people, showing how they are different. We use them to say one thing has more of a quality or less of a quality than another. For example, you might say A lion is stronger than a cat, or This book is more interesting than that movie. To form comparative adjectives, we usually add -er to short adjectives like old (making it older). For longer adjectives, we put more before the adjective, such as more beautiful. It’s important to always use the word than after the comparative adjective to clearly state what you are comparing it to. Mastering comparatives is key for clear descriptions in English.

What are Comparative Adjectives?

Comparative adjectives are special words. They help us show differences between two nouns (people, places, things, or ideas).

We use them when we want to say that one thing has a certain quality more ou less than another.

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How Do We Form Comparative Adjectives?

The way we form comparative adjectives depends on the original adjective’s length.

  • For most short adjectives (one syllable):

    We add -er to the end.

  • For adjectives ending in -e (one syllable):

    We add -r to the end.

  • For adjectives ending in a consonant + vowel + consonant (one syllable):

    We double the last consonant and add -er.

  • For adjectives ending in -y (two syllables):

    We change -y to -i and add -er.

  • For most longer adjectives (two or more syllables):

    We put the word more before the adjective.

Don’t Forget ‘Than’!

After the comparative adjective, we almost always use the word than. This word connects the two things you are comparing.

For example, you say My house is bigger than your house.

Irregular Comparative Adjectives

Some adjectives do not follow the normal rules. You need to learn these special forms.

  • good becomes better
  • bad becomes worse
  • far becomes farther ou further
Summary of Comparative Adjective Rules
Adjective Type Rule Example
One-syllable Add -er old > older
One-syllable, ends in -e Add -r large > larger
One-syllable, CVC Double last consonant + -er big > bigger
Two syllables, ends in -y Change -y to -i + -er happy > happier
Two or more syllables Use ‘more’ before the adjective beautiful > more beautiful
Irregular Special forms good > better, bad > worse

Exemples

  • My new phone is faster than my old one.
  • This city is bigger than my hometown.
  • Learning English is more interesting than watching TV.
  • She is happier today than yesterday.
  • The red car is more expensive than the blue car.
  • Summer is hotter than winter.
  • My brother is taller than me.
  • This exercise is more difficult than the last one.

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Erreurs courantes chez les hispanophones

Many Spanish speakers make these common mistakes:

  • Using more with short adjectives:

    Incorrect : This book is more short than that one.
    Correct : This book is shorter than that one.

  • Forgetting than:

    Incorrect : My car is faster your car.
    Correct : My car is faster than your car.

  • Incorrect irregular forms:

    Incorrect : This food is more good.
    Correct : This food is better.

Questions fréquemment posées

When do I use comparative adjectives?

You use comparative adjectives when you want to compare two specific things, people, or ideas and show how one is different from the other. For example, My coffee is hotter than your tea.

What is the difference between ‘farther’ and ‘further’?

Both farther et further are comparative forms of far. Farther usually refers to physical distance (e.g., The store is farther away.). Further can refer to physical distance but also to abstract ideas or additional information (e.g., I need further details.).

Can I use ‘less’ instead of ‘more’?

Yes, you can use less with adjectives to show that something has a smaller amount of a quality. For example, This task is less difficult than the last one. We use less with all adjectives, regardless of length, and it is always followed by than.

À propos de l'auteur : Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña est le directeur de l'Asociación Educativa Langcom, un centre agréé de préparation à l'examen Cambridge English situé à ÉTATS-UNIS. Fort de plus d'une décennie d'expérience dans l'enseignement des langues et les certifications internationales, il a aidé des milliers d'étudiants, d'enseignants et d'établissements d'enseignement dans 25 pays à obtenir les certifications d'anglais Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL et Michigan.

En savoir plus sur le Langcom →

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