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Transitive and intransitive verbs

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

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