Welcome to our simple lesson on English Comparatives! If you are just starting to learn English, especially at the A1 level, you’ve come to the right place. Comparatives are super useful when you want to compare things in English. Don’t worry, it’s easier than you might think! We’ll break it down step-by-step so you can start using comparatives in your spoken English right away. This is a key part of basic English grammar and will really help you improve your English vocabulary and speak more naturally.

What are Comparatives?

Imagine you want to say that one thing is different from another. Maybe it’s bigger, smaller, faster, or slower. That’s where comparatives come in! Comparatives are words we use to compare two things. We use them to show the difference between two nouns. Think of it like this: you have two apples. One apple is big, and the other apple is even bigger. You can use a comparative to say the second apple is bigger than the first one.

In English, we often use comparatives when we are talking about:

• Size: bigger, smaller, larger
• Speed: faster, slower
• Age: older, younger
• Price: cheaper, more expensive
• And many more!

Learning English comparatives for beginners is a fantastic way to make your English more descriptive and interesting. It’s also essential for everyday conversations.

How to Form Comparatives: Easy Rules

Forming comparatives is quite straightforward. There are two main ways, depending on the adjective (describing word) you want to use. Let’s look at the rules for forming simple comparatives:

1. Short Adjectives (Usually one or two syllables)

For most short adjectives, we simply add “-er” to the end of the word and use “than” to make the comparison.
Rule: Short Adjective + -er + than
Here are some examples:

• Tall becomes taller than.
  Example: “My brother is taller than me.”
• Small becomes smaller than.
  Example: “A mouse is smaller than a cat.”
• Fast becomes faster than.
  Example: “A car is faster than a bicycle.”
• Slow becomes slower than.
  Example: “A snail is slower than a rabbit.”
• Old becomes older than.
  Example: “My grandmother is older than my mother.”
• Young becomes younger than.
  Example: “My younger sister is younger than me.”
• Big becomes bigger than.
  Example: “An elephant is bigger than a dog.” (Notice we double the ‘g’ in ‘big’ because of the consonant-vowel-consonant pattern!)
• Hot becomes hotter than.
  Example: “Summer is hotter than winter.” (Double ‘t’ again!)
• Cold becomes colder than.
  Example: “Winter is colder than summer.”
• Cheap becomes cheaper than.
  Example: “This pen is cheaper than that book.”

2. Long Adjectives (Usually two or more syllables – but think about how it sounds)

For longer adjectives, we use “more” before the adjective and “than” to make the comparison. We do not add “-er” to long adjectives.
Rule: more + Long Adjective + than
Let’s see some examples:

• Expensive becomes more expensive than.
  Example: “A car is more expensive than a bicycle.”
• Interesting becomes more interesting than.
  Example: “This book is more interesting than that TV show.”
• Beautiful becomes more beautiful than.
  Example: “A rose is more beautiful than a stone.”
• Difficult becomes more difficult than.
  Example: “Math is more difficult than English for me.”
• Popular becomes more popular than.
  Example: “Football is more popular than basketball in my country.”

Quick Tip: How do you know if an adjective is short or long? Try saying the word. If it feels short and you can easily add “-er”, it’s probably a short adjective. If it sounds longer and adding “-er” sounds strange, it’s likely a long adjective and needs “more”. When in doubt, listen to how native English speakers use them, or check a dictionary!

Using Comparatives in Sentences: Practical Examples

Now, let’s put it all together and see how to use comparatives in sentences. The basic sentence structure is:
Subject + Verb + Comparative Adjective + than + Object

Here are some example sentences to help you understand comparative usage:

1. Example 1 (Short Adjective):
   • Subject: My house
   • Verb: is
   • Comparative Adjective: bigger than
   • Object: your house

   Sentence: “My house is bigger than your house.”

2. Example 2 (Long Adjective):
   • Subject: This phone
   • Verb: is
   • Comparative Adjective: more modern than
   • Object: that phone

   Sentence: “This phone is more modern than that phone.”

3. Example 3 (Using in a Question):
   Questions are also easy! You can ask questions using comparatives:
   Question: “Is your car faster than my car?”
4. Example 4 (Using in everyday talk):
   Imagine you are choosing between two shirts in a shop:
   You: “This blue shirt is nice, but I think the red shirt is cheaper than the blue one.”

See? It’s not so hard! With a little practice, you’ll be using comparatives in spoken English like a pro. Remember, practice makes perfect! Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; it’s all part of learning.

Let’s Practice!

Okay, are you ready to practice using English comparatives? Let’s do some simple exercises. Fill in the blanks with the correct comparative form of the adjective in parentheses. Remember to use “than” where needed!

1. A lion is ________ (strong) a cat.
2. English is ________ (easy) Math for me.
3. My new shoes are ________ (comfortable) my old shoes.
4. Summer days are ________ (long) winter days.
5. This book is ________ (interesting) the one I read last week.
6. A bicycle is ________ (slow) a motorbike.
7. My coffee is ________ (hot) yours. Be careful!
8. Learning English is ________ (important) watching TV all day.
9. Elephants are ________ (heavy) dogs.
10. This exercise is ________ (simple) the last one.

Answers:

1. stronger than
2. easier than
3. more comfortable than
4. longer than
5. more interesting than
6. slower than
7. hotter than
8. more important than
9. heavier than
10. simpler than

How did you do? Great job! Keep practicing, and you will become more confident using comparatives. This is a really important step in your journey to learn English grammar easily and improve your spoken English practice.

Continue Your English Learning Journey with Lingofrnd

Want to practice using comparatives and many other English grammar topics in real conversations? Lingofrnd is your AI spoken English teacher! It’s designed to help you improve your speaking confidence and fluency, especially if you are an English speaking learner. You can practice using comparatives in different scenarios and get instant feedback.

Visit our website to learn more:
Lingofrnd.com

Ready to start speaking English more confidently? Download the Lingofrnd app today and begin your journey to fluency!
Download App

Keep learning and keep practicing! You’re doing great!