Look at these examples:
How shall we travel? By car or by train? (not by a car or by a train)
Let's go by car. It's cheaper.
Don't go by train. It's more expensive.
Cheaper and more expensive are comparative forms.
After comparatives you can use than:
* It's cheaper to go by car than by train.
* Going by train is more expensive than going by car.
The comparative form is ~er or more ...
We use ~er for short words (one syllable):
cheap -> cheaper, fast-> faster, large -> larger, thin -> thinner
We also use ~er for two-syllable words that end in -y (-y -> -ier):
lucky -> luckier, early -> earlier, easy -> easier, pretty -> prettier
Compare these examples:
* You're older than me.
* The exam was quite easy - easier than we expected.
* Can you walk a bit faster?
* I'd like to have a bigger car.
* Last night I went to bed earlier than usual.
We use more... for longer words (two syllables or more):
more modern, more serious, more expensive, more comfortable
We use more... for adverbs that end in -1y:
more slowly, more seriously, more quietly, more carefully
Also: more often but: earlier (not 'more early')
* You're more patient than me.
* The exam was quite difficult - more difficult than we expected.
* Can you walk a bit more slowly?
* I'd like to have a more reliable car.
* 1 don't play tennis much these days. I used to play more often.
You can use ~er or more... with some two-syllable adjectives, especially:
quiet, clever, narrow, shallow, simple
* It's too noisy here. Can we go somewhere quieter/more quiet?
These adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative forms:
good/well -> better:
* The garden looks better since you tidied it up.
* I know him well - probably better than anybody else.
bad/badly -> worse:
* 'Is your headache better?' 'No, it's worse.'
* He did very badly in the exam - worse than expected.
far --> further (or farther):
* It's a long walk from here to the station - further than I thought. (or ...farther than...) Further
(but not 'farther') can also mean 'more' or 'additional':
* Let me know if you hear any further news. (= any more news)
EXERCISES
104.1 Complete the sentences using a comparative form (older/more important etc.).
1. It's too noisy here. Can we go somewhere _quieter?_
2. This coffee is very weak. I like it a bit ---.
3. The hotel was surprisingly big. I expected it to be ---.
4. The hotel was surprisingly cheap. I expected it to be ---.
5. The weather is too cold in this country. I'd like to live somewhere ---.
6. My job is a bit boring sometimes. I'd like to do something ---.
7. 1 was surprised how easy it was to use the computer. I thought it would be ---.
8. Your work isn't very good. I'm sure you can do ---.
9. Don't worry. The situation isn't so bad. It could be ---.
10. 1 was surprised we got here so quickly. I expected the journey to take ---.
11. You're talking very loudly. Can you speak a bit ---.
12. You hardly ever phone me. Why don't you phone me ---.
13. You're standing too near the camera. Can you move a bit --- away?
14. You were a bit depressed yesterday but you look --- today.
104.2 Complete the sentences. Each time use the comparative form of one of the words in the list. Use than where necessary.
big crowded early easily high important interested peaceful reliable serious simple thin
1. I was feeling tired last night, so I went to bed _earlier than_ usual.
2. I'd like to have a _more reliable_ car. The one I've got keeps breaking down.
3. Unfortunately her illness was --- we thought at first.
4. You look --- Have you lost weight?
5. I want a --- flat. We don't have enough space here.
6. He doesn't study very hard. He's --- in having a good time.
7. Health and happiness are --- money.
8. The instructions were very complicated. They could have been ---.
9. There were a lot of people on the bus. It was --- usual.
10. I like living in the countryside. It's --- living in a town.
11. You'll find your way around the town --- if you have a good map.
12. In some parts of the country, prices are --- in others.
104.3 Read the situations and complete the sentences. Use a comparative form (~er or more ...).
1. Yesterday the temperature was nine degrees. Today it's only six degrees.
It's colder today than it was yesterday._
2. The journey takes four hours by car and five hours by train.
It takes ---.
3. Dave and I went for a run. I ran ten kilometres. Dave stopped after eight kilometres.
I ran ---.
4. Chris and Joe both did badly in the exam. Chris got 20 % but Joe only got 15 %.
Joe did ---.
5. I expected my friends to arrive at about 4 o'clock. In fact they arrived at 2.30.
My friends ---.
6. You can go by bus or by train. The buses run every 30 minutes. The trains run every hour.
The buses ---.
7. We were very busy at work today. We're not usually as busy as that.
We ---.
104.1
2 stronger 3 smaller
4 more expensive
5 warmer
6 more interesting
7 more difficult
8 better 9 worse
10 longer
11 more quietly
12 more often
13 further
14 happier/more cheerful
104.2
3 more serious than
4 thinner 5 bigger
6 more interested
7 more important than
8 simpler/more simple
9 more crowded than
10 more peaceful than
11 more easily
12 higher than
104.3
2 It takes longer by train than by car.
3 I ran further than Dave.
4 Joe did worse than Chris.
5 My friends arrived earlier than I expected.
6 The buses run more often than the trains. or ... run more frequently than the trains. or The buses are more frequent than the trains.
7 We were busier than usual at work today. or We were busier at work today than usual.
