COMPARATIVES

INGLÉS 1
 WHAT IS THE
FUNCTION OF
COMPARATIVES
• We use Comparatives in order to compare the differences
between people, nouns, things, places, etcetera according to
certain characteristics.
• In sentences, we begin with a subject and finish with other one.
• We have to pay attention to the number of syllables or endings
to conjugate correctly the adjective.
• The ending –ER THAN and MORE – THAN mean: MÁS –
QUE.
 RULE 1: ADJECTIVES
WITH ONE SYLLABLE
• If the adjective has one syllable, we add –ER THAN at the end
of the adjective:
tall – taller than slow – slower than

I’m taller than Sam. A snail is slower than a turtle.

• If the adjective ends in –e, just add –R THAN:

nice – nicer than safe – safer than

Roses are nicer than daisies.

Traveling by car is safer than traveling by bike.
 RULE 1: ADJECTIVES
WITH ONE SYLLABLE
• If the adjective has the pattern Consonant + Vowel +
Consonant (C+V+C), double the last consonant and add –ER
THAN:

fat – fatter than big – bigger than slim – slimmer than

Tom is fatter than Ralph.

A truck is bigger than a bicycle.
Melanie and Lilly are slimmer than Patricia.
 RULE 2: ADJECTIVES
WITH 2 SYLLABLES
• If the adjective has two syllables and ends in Consonant + -y,
change the –y for –i and add –ER THAN:

lazy – lazier than pretty – prettier than

lovely – lovelier than

Charles is lazier than his friends.

Katie and Rose are prettier than your neighbors.
Teddy bears are lovelier than dolls.
 RULE 3: ADJECTIVES
WITH 2 OR MORE
SYLLABLES
• If the adjective has two or more syllables, we use MORE –
THAN

polite – more polite than

Megan is more polite than her relatives.

interesting – more interesting than

Astronomy is more interesting than T.V.
 IRREGULAR
ADJECTIVES
• We do not apply the previous rules to the following adjectives;
you have to memorize them:

 Good / well – better than

 Bad – worse than
 Far – farther than, further than

Richard plays the piano better than Randy.

Mark and I write worse than you.