Everything you need to know about comparatives
Last updated: 21 April 2026.
Comparatives let you compare two people, things, or situations (This room is bigger than that one). On donehome.work, the Comparative Adjectives activity gives learners multiple-choice practice with instant feedback—ideal for homework alongside the rules below.
The three core rules
1. Short adjectives: add -er
For most one-syllable adjectives and many two-syllable adjectives that end in -y, English uses -er + than.
- fast → faster than
- tall → taller than
- happy → happier than (change -y to -i- before -er)
Spelling: one vowel + one consonant at the end often doubles the consonant: big → bigger, thin → thinner, hot → hotter.
2. Long adjectives: use more
For most adjectives with two or more syllables (when they do not use the -y pattern above), use more + adjective + than.
- interesting → more interesting than
- expensive → more expensive than
- comfortable → more comfortable than
Do not add -er to long forms: not *interestinger.
3. Irregular forms: learn them by heart
These do not follow rules 1 or 2:
| Adjective | Comparative |
|---|---|
| good | better |
| bad | worse |
| far | farther or further (distance vs abstract—often overlap) |
| little (amount) | less |
| much / many | more |
Fun is tricky: funnier is standard for the adjective; more fun is common in informal English—exams may prefer funnier in formal grammar tasks.
Edge cases and finer points
- Less vs fewer: fewer goes with countable plural nouns (fewer mistakes); less with uncountable nouns (less time). In comparatives: less expensive is fine; *fewer expensive is wrong.
- Equality: as … as is not a comparative, but it sits in the same topic (as tall as). Contrast: not as … as / not so … as.
- Double marking: Never combine more with -er — not *more better, *more taller.
- Adverbs: Many adverbs of manner use more (more quickly), though some short ones take -er (faster, harder, sooner).
Practise on donehome.work
Open the activities catalogue and choose Comparative Adjectives—students pick the correct form (bigger, more interesting, better, etc.) to complete each sentence. Register as a teacher to assign it and see progress in your classroom.
Pair with other activities
Short mixed homework usually beats one long drill:
- Much / Many — quantity and countability pair naturally with comparison language in class.
- Sentence reorder — reinforces word order when comparatives and than-clauses get longer.
- Open cloze — recycles grammar in context after focused comparative practice.
- -ing / -ed adjectives — extends adjective work without repeating the same task type.
Assign two or three items at the same target CEFR level so students meet the same ideas in different formats.
Further reading on our blog
For another grammar patterns guide with exam-friendly examples, see 10 Verb Preposition Collocations Every B2 Student Should Know—fixed verb + preposition combinations are another area where accuracy lifts writing and speaking scores.
Recap: Master -er for short adjectives, more for longer ones, and irregulars; watch spelling, less/fewer, and no double comparatives. Use Comparative Adjectives on donehome.work for repeated, levelled practice.