Page 222 - English Grammar in Use

Unit
105 Comparative 1 (cheaper, more expensive etc.)

A Look at these examples:
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How shall we travel? Shall we drive or go by train?
Let’s drive. It’s cheaper.
Don’t go by train. It’s more expensive.
Cheaper and more expensive are comparative forms.
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After comparatives you can use than (see Unit 107):

It’s cheaper to drive than go by train.
Going by train is more expensive than driving.

B The comparative form is -er or more … .

We use -er for short words (one syllable): We use more … for longer words (two
syllables or more):
cheap → cheaper fast → faster more serious more expensive

large → larger thin → thinner more often more comfortable
We also use -er for two-syllable words that We also use more … for adverbs that end
end in -y (-y → -ier): in -ly:
lucky → luckier early → earlier more slowly more seriously
more easily more quietly
easy → easier pretty → prettier
For spelling, see Appendix 6.

Compare these examples:

You’re older than me. You’re more patient than me.
The exam was quite easy – easier than The exam was quite difficult – more

I expected. diff icult than I expected.
Can you walk a bit faster? Can you walk a bit more slowly?
I’d like to have a bigger car. I’d like to have a more reliable car.
Last night I went to bed earlier than I don’t play tennis much these days.

usual. I used to play more often.
We use both -er or more … with some two-syllable adjectives, especially:
clever narrow quiet shallow simple
It’s too noisy here. Can we go somewhere quieter? or … somewhere more quiet?

C A few 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 knows him.
bad/badly → worse
‘How’s 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 park – further than I thought. (or farther than)
Note that further (but not farther) also means ‘more’ or ‘additional’:
Let me know if you hear any further news. (= any more news)

210 Comparative 2–3 ➜ Units 106–107 Superlative (cheapest / most expensive etc.) ➜ Unit 108