Comparison (1)

UNIT 97 Comparison (1) cheaper, more, expensive, etc.

A.  Study these examples:

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 we use than:

• It's cheaper to go by car than to go by train.

B.   We use -er for the comparative of short adjectives and adverbs:

cheap/cheaper      hard harder        large/larger        thin/thinner

• This jacket is too small. I need a larger size.

• Ann works harder than most of her friends.

we prefer -er with some two-syllable adjectives, especially adjectives ending in -y. For example:                      
lucky/luckier funny/funnier        easy/easier         pretty/prettier

and also: quiet/quieter      narrow/narrower       simple/simpler

• The examination was easier than we expected.

• It's too noisy here. Can we go somewhere quieter?

C.   We use more (not -er) for other two-syllable adjectives and longer adjectives:

more modern       more serious      more expensive      more comfortable

• More expensive hotels are usually more comfortable than cheaper ones.

• Her illness was more serious than we first thought.

We also use more . . . for adverbs that end in -ly:

more slowly      more seriously        more quietly            more carefully

• Could you speak more slowly, please?

We also say more often:

• I don't play tennis much now. I used to play more often.

But we say earlier (not more early):

• You're always tired in the mornings. You should go to bed earlier.

D.   Before the comparative of adjectives and adverbs you can use:

a (little) bit      a little     much       a lot        far (= a lot)

• Let's go by car. It's much (or a lot) cheaper

• Don't go by train. It's much (or a lot) more expensive.

• Ann works a lot (or much) harder than most of her friends.

• Could you speak (a little) bit (or a little) more slowly?

• Her illness was far more serious than we first thought.