This ESL grammar lesson reviews comparative adjectives. Students practice writing either “more adjective than / adjective -er than” or “as adjective as” or “not as adjective as” to complete various sentences.
ESL Grammar: Comparative Adjectives with “Adjective + -er”
Structure:
- Noun 1 + Verb + Adjective + -er + than + Noun 2
Usage:
- This form is used with short adjectives (typically one syllable) or adjectives ending in -y. It shows that one thing has more of a quality than another.
Examples:
- Tall→ Taller: The giraffe is tallerthan the horse.
- Fast→ Faster: The car is fasterthan the bike.
- Happy→ Happier: She is happierthan she was last week.
ESL Grammar: Comparative Adjectives with “More + Adjective”
Structure:
- Noun 1 + Verb + More + Adjective + than + Noun 2
Usage:
- This form is used with longer adjectives (typically two syllables or more) and helps to indicate that one thing has a greater degree of a quality compared to another.
Examples:
- Beautiful→ More beautiful: The sunset is more beautifulthan the sunrise.
- Interesting→ More interesting: The movie is more interestingthan the book.
- Expensive→ More expensive: The hotel is more expensivethan the hostel.
ESL Grammar: Comparative Adjectives with “As + Adjective + As”
Structure:
- Noun 1 + Verb + as + Adjective + as + Noun 2
Usage:
- This structure is used to compare two things that are equal in a particular quality. It shows that both things share the same degree of a quality.
Examples:
- Tall→ As tall as: The tree is as tall asthe building.
- Smart→ As smart as: She is as smart asher friend.
- Bright→ As bright as: The lamp is as bright asthe sun.
ESL Grammar: Comparative Adjectives with “Not as + Adjective + as”
Structure:
- Noun 1 + Verb + not as + Adjective + as + Noun 2
Usage:
- This form is used to show that one thing has less of a quality compared to another. It indicates that one noun is not as much of a certain quality as the other noun.
Examples:
- Tall→ Not as tall as: The hill is not as tall asthe mountain.
- Good→ Not as good as: This restaurant is not as good asthe cafe.
- Clean→ Not as clean as: This room is not as clean asthe kitchen.
The English grammar lesson below reviews the comparative adjective structures taught thus far in a clear and simple manner that is easy for beginner or intermediate English learners to understand. Our series of ESL grammar lessons on subjects and verbs introduce these concepts and reinforce them through helpful and instructive exercises.
This lesson is available for free download, and you can download many more English grammar lessons focusing on all different parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and lots more!) in our comprehensive, beginner-level ESL grammar textbook Great, Great Grammar! (Book 1: Parts of Speech) .
