Comparatifs Irréguliers : better, worse, more
better, worse, more pour parler naturellement et éviter les erreurs courantes.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Forget '-er'! Some common words like 'good' and 'bad' change completely when comparing two things.
- 'Good' never becomes 'gooder'; it always becomes 'better' (e.g., This pizza is better).
- 'Bad' never becomes 'badder'; it always becomes 'worse' (e.g., The weather is worse today).
- 'Much' and 'many' both turn into 'more' to show a larger amount (e.g., I need more water).
Overview
-er (par exemple, tall devient taller) ou en les faisant précéder de more (par exemple, beautiful devient more beautiful). Cependant, un ensemble crucial de mots très fréquents déroge à ces règles standard.better, worse, et more — est fondamentale. Ces formes remplacent les constructions comparatives régulières attendues pour good, bad, et much/many/a lot of. Comprendre leur usage correct est vital pour une communication claire et naturelle.better au lieu de gooder, et worse au lieu de badder.good se transforme en better lorsque l'on compare deux choses. Par exemple, vous pourriez dire : This essay is good, but your previous one was better. Ici, better indique un plus haut degré de qualité dans l'essai précédent. De même, pour les qualités négatives, l'adjectif bad devient worse.The internet connection is bad today, but yesterday it was even worse, vous indiquez une détérioration de la qualité.much (pour les noms indénombrables), many (pour les noms dénombrables) et a lot of (pour les deux) expriment tous une quantité. Au degré comparatif, tous trois se consolident en une seule forme irrégulière : more. Par exemple, si vous avez many questions, vous pourriez dire : I have more questions for you today si votre nombre de questions dépasse un montant précédent ou celui de quelqu'un d'autre.much experience, vous pourriez déclarer : She has more experience than I do. Ces formes irrégulières remplacent directement leurs homologues positifs sans suivre les règles typiques d'ajout de -er ou more. Ce comportement unique des mots à haute fréquence est une caractéristique de l'évolution linguistique.-er ni more à la base good, bad, much, many, ou a lot of ; vous utilisez plutôt better, worse, ou more comme substituts complets. Après la forme comparative, le mot than introduit généralement le second élément ou groupe auquel vous comparez.good | positive quality | better | This coffee tastes better with cream. |bad | negative quality | worse | My cold feels worse this morning. |much | large quantity (uncountable) | more | I have more time than you do today. |many | large quantity (countable) | more | She has more friends now than before. |a lot of | large quantity (both) | more | We need more effort to finish this project. |My laptop is better than yours. ou I have more books than my sister. Il est crucial de se rappeler que than est utilisé uniquement lorsqu'une comparaison explicite est faite entre deux entités ou quantités distinctes. Si vous demandez simplement une quantité plus grande ou accrue sans un second objet de comparaison direct, than est souvent omis.Could I have more water, please? implique ici plus d'eau que vous n'en avez actuellement, et non plus d'eau qu'une alternative spécifique.better, worse, et more de manière extensive pour articuler des préférences, fournir des évaluations et spécifier des montants dans divers contextes.better (Comparatif de good):better lorsqu'un élément, une personne ou une situation en surpasse une autre en matière d'attribut positif. Il signifie une amélioration ou un état plus favorable.- Pour indiquer une qualité ou une performance supérieure : Lors de l'évaluation de deux options, dont l'une est de meilleure qualité.
The service at this new restaurant is better than the old one.(Comparaison de la qualité du service)Your presentation was better than mine yesterday.(Mise en évidence d'une performance supérieure)- Pour suggérer une amélioration ou une condition plus favorable : Souvent utilisé dans des contextes liés à la santé, à l'humeur ou aux perspectives d'avenir.
I feel much better after that long walk.(Référence à une meilleure santé)The weather forecast predicts better conditions for tomorrow.(Description d'une prévision plus favorable)
worse (Comparatif de bad):Worse indique qu'un élément, une personne ou une situation est inférieur ou moins désirable qu'un autre. Il signifie un déclin ou un état moins favorable.- Pour indiquer une qualité ou une performance inférieure : Lors de la comparaison de deux choses, dont l'une est de moindre qualité.
The traffic was worse on the highway this morning.(Comparaison de la gravité du trafic)His writing skills are worse now than a year ago.(Indication d'un déclin de compétence)- Pour suggérer un déclin ou une condition moins favorable : Souvent utilisé dans des évaluations négatives ou des descriptions d'états qui se détériorent.
The economic outlook has become worse recently.(Référence à une situation qui se détériore)Making a hasty decision can lead to worse outcomes.(Suggestion d'un résultat moins avantageux)
more (Comparatif de much/many/a lot of):More est utilisé pour exprimer une plus grande quantité ou un plus grand volume. Il s'applique universellement aux noms dénombrables et indénombrables, remplaçant much, many, et a lot of dans les énoncés comparatifs.- Pour exprimer une plus grande quantité avec des noms indénombrables :
Could I have more coffee, please?(Demande d'une plus grande quantité decoffee, un nom indénombrable)He needs more patience to deal with difficult clients.(Comparaison des quantités depatienceindénombrable)- Pour exprimer une plus grande quantité avec des noms dénombrables :
There were more people at the concert this year.(Comparaison du nombre depeople, un nom dénombrable)I bought more books than I intended to.(Indication d'une plus grande quantité debooksdénombrables)- Pour indiquer un degré ou une étendue accrus (souvent dans des contextes abstraits) :
We need to put more effort into this presentation.(Signification d'un degré accru d'effort abstrait)She showed more courage than anyone expected in that situation.(Mise en évidence d'une étendue accrue de courage)
-er ou more) à ces mots exceptionnels. Reconnaître ces pièges courants et comprendre leurs causes sous-jacentes améliorera considérablement votre précision.-er à good ou bad :tall devient taller, good devrait devenir gooder, et bad devrait devenir badder.- Incorrect :
My new phone is gooder than my old one. - Correct :
My new phone is better than my old one.
- Incorrect :
The situation became badder after the news. - Correct :
The situation became worse after the news.
Gooder et badder ne sont pas des mots anglais standard. La langue anglaise utilise les formes distinctes, historiquement dérivées, better et worse pour ces comparaisons.more avec good ou bad :more avec good ou bad, de la même manière que vous formeriez les comparatifs pour des adjectifs plus longs comme more interesting ou more difficult. Bien que good et bad soient des mots d'une seule syllabe, ils ne suivent pas le schéma more + adjectif car ils possèdent leurs propres formes irrégulières.- Incorrect :
This movie is more good than the book. - Correct :
This movie is better than the book.
- Incorrect :
The experience was more bad than I expected. - Correct :
The experience was worse than I expected.
better et worse sont des substitutions lexicales complètes pour good et bad dans des contextes comparatifs. Il n'existe aucune circonstance en anglais standard où more good ou more bad serait grammaticalement correct.more comme comparatif irrégulier (pour la quantité) et more comme marqueur comparatif régulier (pour les adjectifs longs) :more lui-même peut prêter à confusion car il remplit deux fonctions grammaticales distinctes. Il agit comme le comparatif irrégulier de much/many/a lot of pour indiquer une plus grande quantité. Cependant, il fonctionne également comme un marqueur comparatif régulier lors de la formation du comparatif d'adjectifs longs (par exemple, expensive -> more expensive).More | Base Word It Compares | Example | Rule Type |much, many, a lot of | I need more sleep. (greater quantity of sleep) | Irregular |This puzzle is more difficult than that one. | Regular |more sleep), more remplace complètement l'idée de much sleep dans un sens comparatif. Dans le second cas (more difficult), more se *combine* avec l'adjectif difficult pour former son comparatif selon la règle régulière pour les adjectifs de plusieurs syllabes. La clé est de comprendre ce que more modifie.much/many/a lot of, il est irrégulier. S'il précède un adjectif long, il fait partie de la formation comparative régulière de cet adjectif.bon -> meilleur, mauvais -> pire, et pour la quantité, nous utilisons plus de.better | good | more beautiful | beautiful | This film is better. | This film is more beautiful. |worse | bad | more expensive | expensive | The traffic is worse. | The traffic is more expensive. |more (quantité) | much/many | more interesting | interesting | I have more time. | This book is more interesting. |- Qualité :
bondevientmeilleur(comparatif irrégulier), tandis quebeaudevientplus beau(comparatif régulier avecplus). L'anglais utilisebetterpourgoodetmore beautifulpourbeautiful. - Quantité :
beaucoupdevientplus(comparatif irrégulier), que ce soit pour des choses dénombrables ou indénombrables. En anglais,much/many/a lot ofdeviennentmore.
good et bad au comparatif (better, worse), alors qu'en français, nous utilisons plus devant l'adjectif (plus bon, bien que meilleur soit plus courant et correct, ou plus mauvais, bien que pire soit plus courant et correct). L'anglais est donc plusIrregular Comparative Forms
| Adjective/Adverb | Comparative Form | Opposite Comparative | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Good / Well
|
Better
|
Worse
|
This is better.
|
|
Bad / Badly
|
Worse
|
Better
|
It's getting worse.
|
|
Many (Countable)
|
More
|
Fewer
|
More apples.
|
|
Much (Uncountable)
|
More
|
Less
|
More water.
|
|
Far (Distance)
|
Farther / Further
|
Nearer
|
It's farther away.
|
Meanings
Irregular comparatives are special forms of adjectives and adverbs used to compare two people, things, or actions that do not follow the standard rule of adding '-er' or using 'more' before the word.
Quality Comparison
Using 'better' or 'worse' to describe the standard or level of something compared to another.
“This movie is better than the last one.”
“My headache is worse than it was this morning.”
Quantity Comparison
Using 'more' to indicate a larger number or amount of something.
“I have more books than my brother.”
“We need more time to finish the project.”
Health and Well-being
Using 'better' or 'worse' specifically to describe physical or emotional health.
“I feel much better after taking the medicine.”
“The patient is worse today, unfortunately.”
Reference Table
| Forme de base | Forme comparative | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
|
good
|
better
|
This coffee is better.
|
|
bad
|
worse
|
My headache is worse.
|
|
much (uncountable)
|
more
|
I need more water.
|
|
many (countable)
|
more
|
She has more friends.
|
|
a lot of (both)
|
more
|
We have more time.
|
Spectre de formalité
The current iteration is superior to the previous one. (Product review)
This version is better than the last one. (Product review)
This one's way better. (Product review)
This one's a total upgrade. (Product review)
Comparatifs irréguliers : les mots rebelles
Good
- good Forme positive
- better Forme comparative
Bad
- bad Forme positive
- worse Forme comparative
Quantité
- much / many / a lot of Forme positive
- more Forme comparative
Comparatifs réguliers vs. irréguliers
Choisir le bon comparatif
Le mot est-il 'good', 'bad', 'much', 'many' ou 'a lot' ?
L'adjectif est-il court (1-2 syllabes, ex. 'tall', 'big') ?
L'adjectif est-il long (3+ syllabes, ex. 'beautiful', 'difficult') ?
Cas d'utilisation des comparatifs irréguliers
Qualité/Sentiment
- • This coffee is better.
- • I feel worse today.
Quantité
- • I need more sleep.
- • She has more friends.
Performance
- • My team played better.
- • The internet got worse.
Préférences
- • I like this song better.
- • This option is worse.
Exemples par niveau
This tea is better.
This tea is better.
I want more water.
I want more water.
The weather is worse.
The weather is worse.
Is it better?
Is it better?
My new job is better than my old job.
My new job is better than my old job.
There are more students in this class.
There are more students in this class.
The traffic is worse on Mondays.
The traffic is worse on Mondays.
Do you have more pens?
Do you have more pens?
I feel much better than I did yesterday.
I feel much better than I did yesterday.
The situation is getting worse and worse.
The situation is getting worse and worse.
We need more information before we decide.
We need more information before we decide.
Is this laptop really better for gaming?
Is this laptop really better for gaming?
The results were even worse than we feared.
The results were even worse than we feared.
There is more to this story than meets the eye.
There is more to this story than meets the eye.
He performs better under pressure.
He performs better under pressure.
Could you provide more detailed instructions?
Could you provide more detailed instructions?
The economy is in a far worse state than predicted.
The economy is in a far worse state than predicted.
You are better off staying here tonight.
You are better off staying here tonight.
Nothing could be more important than this.
Nothing could be more important than this.
The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know.
The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know.
The situation has taken a turn for the worse.
The situation has taken a turn for the worse.
He sought to better his circumstances through education.
He sought to better his circumstances through education.
The play was, for better or worse, a unique experience.
The play was, for better or worse, a unique experience.
There were no more than fifty people present.
There were no more than fifty people present.
Facile à confondre
Learners often use 'worse' (comparing 2) when they mean 'worst' (the #1 bad thing).
Similar to worse/worst, learners mix up the comparative and superlative.
Learners sometimes use 'more' when they just want to emphasize an adjective.
Erreurs courantes
This is gooder.
This is better.
I am badder at tennis.
I am worse at tennis.
I have much apples.
I have more apples.
It is more better.
It is better.
The weather is more bad today.
The weather is worse today.
He is better that me.
He is better than me.
I feel more well.
I feel better.
This is the worse movie.
This is the worst movie.
I have more small problems.
I have smaller problems.
He is better as his brother.
He is better than his brother.
Structures de phrases
I think ___ is better than ___.
I need more ___ to ___.
The ___ is worse today because ___.
Is ___ better for ___ or ___?
Real World Usage
I'm feeling much better today! Want to hang out?
I believe my skills are better suited for this role than my previous one.
Can I have more napkins, please?
The sequel was way worse than the original movie. 0/10.
The pain is worse when I try to sit down.
Is it better to take the bus or the train to the airport?
Pratique avec des phrases courantes
My coffee is better than yours!
Évite 'gooder' et 'badder'
Pense 'quantité' pour 'more'
I need more money.Cela t'aide à le distinguer du 'more' utilisé avec les adjectifs longs (comme 'more beautiful').
Compliments et Plaintes
Your presentation was better than last time!) et 'worse' pour les petites plaintes (
The service was a bit worse today.).
Écoute attentivement
Listen to native speakers!
Smart Tips
Use 'much' or 'far' instead of 'more'.
Remember that 'better' is also the comparative of 'well'.
If you don't mention the second thing, you don't need 'than'.
Use 'more' for everything—it's the easiest irregular rule!
Prononciation
The 'tt' in Better
In American English, the 'tt' in 'better' sounds like a quick 'd' (flap T).
The 'r' in Worse
The 'r' is silent in British English (non-rhotic) but pronounced in American English.
Comparison Stress
This one is BETTER than that one.
Stress the comparative word to emphasize the difference.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Better is Best's little brother (from Good), Worse is Worst's little brother (from Bad).
Association visuelle
Imagine a 'Thumbs Up' icon growing larger for 'Better', a 'Thumbs Down' icon cracking for 'Worse', and a pile of gold coins growing taller for 'More'.
Rhyme
Good is better, bad is worse; learn these now or feel the curse!
Story
A chef made a 'good' soup, but added salt to make it 'better'. Then he added sugar by mistake and it became 'worse'. Finally, he added 'more' water to fix it.
Word Web
Défi
Look around your room. Find two similar objects and say one sentence comparing them using 'better', 'worse', or 'more'. (e.g., 'This pen is better than that pen.')
Notes culturelles
Using 'badder' is common in some dialects of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and slang to mean 'cool' or 'tough', but it is incorrect in standard academic or professional English.
British speakers often use 'further' more frequently than 'farther' for physical distance, whereas American speakers often distinguish between the two.
In professional settings, people often avoid 'worse' and use 'more challenging' or 'less favorable' to sound more positive/diplomatic.
These words come from Old English and are 'suppletive', meaning the comparative forms were originally from different roots than the base adjectives.
Amorces de conversation
Which do you think is better: working from home or working in an office?
Is the weather in your country better or worse in the summer?
What is a movie that is better than the book it is based on?
Do you need more coffee or more sleep right now?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
This restaurant's food is much ___ than the cafe next door.
Find and fix the mistake:
The traffic was badder today than yesterday.
Choisis la phrase correcte :
Traduis en anglais : 'Mi inglés es mejor que el año pasado.'
Answer starts with: ["M...
Score: /4
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesThis pizza is ___ than the one we had yesterday.
Find and fix the mistake:
The traffic is more worse today because of the rain.
I have many books, but my teacher has ___ books than me.
than / My / is / better / car / yours / .
Good, Bad, Many
A: How is your cold? B: It's ___, I have a fever now.
Check the correct sentence.
Este libro es mejor que ese.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesMy phone's battery life is ___ now after the update.
I think this movie is more bad than the last one.
Choisis la phrase correcte :
Traduis en anglais : 'Necesito más tiempo para terminar este informe.'
Remets ces mots dans l'ordre pour former une phrase :
Associe les mots :
I'm sure the next season of the show will be even ___!
We need much more effort if we want to win.
Quelle phrase est correcte ?
Traduis en anglais : 'La situación está empeorando rápidamente.'
Remets les mots dans l'ordre :
After my vacation, I feel so much ___.
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
No, 'more better' is always grammatically incorrect. To emphasize, use `much better`, `far better`, or `a lot better`.
Use `worse` to compare two things (This is worse than that). Use `worst` for three or more (This is the worst movie ever).
In standard English, no. In some very casual slang, it can mean 'cool', but you should avoid it in exams or at work.
Yes! You can say `more people` (countable) and `more sugar` (uncountable).
The comparative of 'well' is also `better`. For example: 'I feel well' ➡️ 'I feel better'.
It's a historical accident! English merged two different words from Old English into one family. We call this 'suppletion'.
Yes, but it's more advanced. To `better` something means to improve it. Example: 'He wants to better his life.'
For physical distance, both are okay. For metaphorical distance (like 'further information'), only `further` is correct.
Scaffolded Practice
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2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
mejor / peor
English requires 'than' while Spanish uses 'que'.
meilleur / pire
French adjectives must agree in gender and number, English ones do not.
besser / schlechter
German uses 'als' for 'than'.
motto ii / motto warui
Japanese doesn't change the base word 'ii' (good) to a new root.
afdal / aswa'
Arabic comparatives are derived from a 3-letter root pattern.
gèng hǎo / gèng chà
Chinese has no inflection or word-changing for comparison.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
Vidéos associées
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Comparatifs et superlatifs irréguliers | grammaire anglaise | Les bases
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