Unit 86: old/older expensive/more expensive
Master comparative adjectives
A. older / heavier / more expensive
I’m 92. → I’m 93! → older
40 kg → 50 kg → heavier
£70 → £80 → more expensive
older / heavier / more expensive are comparative forms.
The comparative is -er (older) or more ... (more expensive).
B. -er (older/heavier etc.)
Short words (1 syllable) → -er
• slow → slower
• cheap → cheaper
• old → older
• nice → nicer
• big → bigger
• hot → hotter
• thin → thinner
• slow → slower
• cheap → cheaper
• old → older
• nice → nicer
• big → bigger
• hot → hotter
• thin → thinner
Spelling (→ Appendix 5): big → bigger, easy → easier, heavy → heavier, early → earlier
• Rome is old but Athens is older. (not 'more old')
• Is it cheaper to go by car or by train? (not 'more cheap')
• Helen wants a bigger car.
• His coat is OK but I think the other one is nicer.
• Don't write a letter. It's easier to phone. (not 'more easy')
• Is it cheaper to go by car or by train? (not 'more cheap')
• Helen wants a bigger car.
• His coat is OK but I think the other one is nicer.
• Don't write a letter. It's easier to phone. (not 'more easy')
far → further
• 'How far is it to the station? A mile?' 'No, it's further. About two miles.'
C. more ... (more careful / more expensive etc.)
Long words (2/3/4 syllables) → more ...
• careful → more careful
• polite → more polite
• expensive → more expensive
• interesting → more interesting
• careful → more careful
• polite → more polite
• expensive → more expensive
• interesting → more interesting
• You must be more careful.
• I don't like my job. I want to do something more interesting.
• Is it more expensive to go by car or by train?
• I don't like my job. I want to do something more interesting.
• Is it more expensive to go by car or by train?
D. good/well → better | bad → worse
• The weather wasn't very good yesterday but it's better today.
• 'Do you feel better today?' 'No, I feel worse.'
• Which is worse — a headache or a toothache?
• 'Do you feel better today?' 'No, I feel worse.'
• Which is worse — a headache or a toothache?
-er comparatives
old → older
cheap → cheaper
big → bigger
hot → hotter
cheap → cheaper
big → bigger
hot → hotter
more ... comparatives
careful → more careful
expensive → more expensive
interesting → more interesting
expensive → more expensive
interesting → more interesting
Irregular forms
good → better
bad → worse
far → further
bad → worse
far → further
86.1 Look at the pictures and write the comparative (older / more interesting etc.)
1
2
3
4
5
6
- heavier
- .
- .
- .
- .
- .
86.2 Write the comparative.
- old older
- strong
- happy
- modern
- important
- good
- large
- serious
- pretty
- crowded
86.3 Write the opposite.
- younger older
- colder
- cheaper
- better
- nearer
- easier
86.4 Complete the sentences. Use a comparative.
- Helen's car isn't very big. She wants a bigger one.
- My job isn't very interesting. I want to do something .
- You're not very tall. Your brother is .
- David doesn't work very hard. I work .
- My chair isn't very comfortable. Yours is .
- Your plan isn't very good. My plan is .
- These flowers aren't very nice. The blue ones are .
- My bag isn't very heavy. Your bag is .
- I'm not very interested in art. I'm in history.
- It isn't very warm today. It was yesterday.
- These tomatoes don't taste very good. The other ones tasted .
- Britain isn't very big. France is .
- London isn't very beautiful. Paris is .
- This knife isn't very sharp. Have you got a one?
- People today aren't very polite. In the past they were .