Double-click on any word and see its definition from Cambridge Dictionaries Online.

Practise with a grammar game

Adjectives of just one syllable form the comparative by adding "-er":

			Bright … brighter
			Clear … clearer
			Fast … faster

If a one syllable adjective ends in "e", simply add "r":

			Nice … nicer
			Fine … finer
			Ripe … riper

For some adjectives, it is necessary to double the last letter before adding "-er". (For spelling: doubling letters, see next week's grammar question).

			Big … bigger
			Slim … slimmer
			Flat … flatter

All adjectives of three or more syllables form the comparative with "more ".

			Beautiful …more beautiful
			Comfortable … more comfortable
			Typical … more typical

Adjectives of two syllables are more complicated. To see which is the usual form you should see your dictionary. Most adjectives of two syllables form the comparative with "more":

			Famous …more famous
			Thankful … more thankful
			Boring …more boring
			Faithless … more faithless

However, some adjectives of two syllables form the comparative with "-er":

Those that end in "y", change the "y" to "i" and add "-er":

			Happy … happier
			Funny … funnier
			Easy …easier

Those ending in a vowel-sound that is not stressed:

			Yellow …yellower
			Simple …simpler
			Tender …tenderer

In addition, there are some (common) irregular comparative adjectives:

			Good …better
			Bad …worse
			Far …farther or further
			Little (quantity) …less
			Much … more
			Ill …worse
			Old …older or elder

http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/ADJECTIVES6.cfm

For more information on comparative adjectives see the following web sites:

http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/ADJECTIVES5.cfm

For a quiz on comparative adjectives, see:

http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/quizzes/vm/compsup.html