A2 · 初级 章节 3

Making Comparisons

6 总规则
68 例句
6 分钟
本章规则 快速练习

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of comparison to express your preferences and observations with precision.

  • Use comparative adjectives to contrast two items.
  • Apply superlative forms to identify the extreme of a group.
  • Handle irregular forms like better, worse, and best.
Compare everything with confidence and ease.

你将学到什么

Ever wanted to say if one thing is bigger than another, or what's the best snack? This chapter is your guide! Soon you'll confidently compare anything, from prices to places, making your English even more useful.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Compare two products using correct comparative adjectives.

章节指南

Overview

Learning to compare things is a huge step in making your English more expressive and useful in everyday life. Think about it: every day we compare prices at the store, decide which movie is more interesting, or talk about which friend is taller. This chapter, Making Comparisons, is your essential guide to mastering these common situations.
By the end, you'll be confidently describing if something is bigger than something else, or identifying the best option from a group.
For A2 English grammar learners, understanding how to make comparisons is key to moving beyond simple sentences. It allows you to elaborate on your thoughts, share preferences, and engage in more dynamic conversations on familiar topics. Whether you're discussing your favorite foods, describing your city, or simply choosing the fastest way to get to work, the grammar patterns we'll explore here are fundamental.
You’ll learn about adding -er or more to adjectives, using than to connect ideas, and even special forms like better or the best. This skill will unlock a whole new level of practical communication in English.

How This Grammar Works

At its heart, making comparisons in English is about showing how two or more things relate in terms of a quality. We use different patterns depending on whether we're comparing just two things, or identifying an extreme within a larger group, or even stating that two things are equal.
Let’s start with comparing two items:
When you want to say one thing has *more* of a quality than another, you use comparative adjectives. For short adjectives (usually one syllable), we add -er to the end. For example,
My coffee is hotter than yours.
For longer adjectives (two or more syllables), we use more before the adjective.
For instance,
This book is more interesting than that one.
Notice that both patterns use the word than to link the two things being compared.
Sometimes, adjectives don't follow these regular rules. These are called irregular comparatives. The most common ones are: good becomes better, bad becomes worse, and far becomes farther or further.
So, you’d say, "Today's weather is better than yesterday, not gooder."
But what if two things are exactly the same? We use the as...as pattern to show equality. You can use it with any adjective or adverb.
For example,
My car is as fast as your car,
or
The red apple is as sweet as the green one.
This pattern highlights that there's no difference in that particular quality between the two items.
Finally, when you want to identify the absolute extreme in a group of three or more items, you use superlative adjectives. For short adjectives, we add -est and always put the before it.
This is the biggest building in the city.
For longer adjectives, we use the most before the adjective.
She is the most talented singer in the class.
Just like comparatives, some superlatives are irregular. Good becomes the best, bad becomes the worst, and far becomes the farthest or the furthest. These forms are essential for expressing extremes clearly and correctly.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1Using 'more' with -er adjectives.
✗ My new phone is more bigger than my old one.
✓ My new phone is bigger than my old one.
*Explanation: For short adjectives, you only add -er. Don't use 'more' with them.*
  1. 1Forgetting 'than' in comparative sentences.
✗ This movie is better the last one.
✓ This movie is better than the last one.
*Explanation: 'Than' is crucial to connect the two things you are comparing.*
  1. 1Missing 'the' before superlative adjectives.
✗ Everest is highest mountain in the world.
✓ Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
*Explanation: Always use 'the' before a superlative adjective to show it's the absolute extreme.*

Real Conversations

A

A

Hi Leo! How was your trip to the beach?
B

B

It was great! The water was warmer than I expected, and the sand was softer than the sand at our local lake.
A

A

Oh, sounds lovely! Which beach did you go to?
B

B

Brighton Beach. It’s the biggest one near my town, and I think it’s also the most beautiful.
A

A

I’m trying to decide what to order. This pasta dish looks good.
B

B

Yes, but the pizza here is usually better than the pasta. And it’s as cheap as the pasta, too!
A

A

Really? I thought the pasta was the most popular dish.
B

B

It's popular, but I think the pizza is the best choice on the menu!

Quick FAQ

Q

When should I use '-er' versus 'more' for comparative adjectives?

You generally use -er for one-syllable adjectives (taller, smaller) and some two-syllable adjectives ending in -y (happier, easier). You use more for most other two-syllable adjectives and all adjectives with three or more syllables (more interesting, more expensive).

Q

Can I use 'as...as' to compare more than two things?

No, the as...as pattern is typically used to compare *two* things or people as equals. For example,

My car is as fast as your car.
If you're talking about more than two, you're usually looking for a superlative (e.g.,
This car is the fastest of all.
).

Q

What's the main difference between 'better' and 'the best'?

Better is a comparative adjective, used when comparing *two* things (

This book is better than that one
). The best is a superlative adjective, used when comparing *three or more* things and identifying the top one (
This is the best book I’ve ever read
).

Q

Do all adjectives have an '-est' or 'most' form for superlatives?

Almost all. Similar to comparatives, short adjectives usually take -est (tallest, smartest), and longer ones use most (most delicious, most important). Remember the irregular ones like best, worst, farthest/furthest!

Cultural Context

Native English speakers use comparisons constantly in daily conversation, often shortening sentences for speed. For instance, instead of
This is better than that one,
they might just say
This is better
if the context is clear. The as...as pattern can also be used humorously or sarcastically, like "He's as quiet as a rock," implying he's very quiet.
While the grammar rules are fairly consistent, pronunciation and stress on the comparative or superlative word can add emphasis.

关键例句 (8)

1

My new smartphone is much faster than my old one.

Mi nuevo smartphone es mucho más rápido que el viejo.

比较事物（更大，更贵）
2

This assignment is easier than I expected, thankfully!

Esta tarea es más fácil de lo que esperaba, ¡afortunadamente!

比较事物（更大，更贵）
3

My new phone is `faster` than my old one.

我的新手机比旧的快。

比较级: -er 和 more
4

This movie is `more interesting` than the book.

这部电影比那本书更有趣。

比较级: -er 和 more
5

This new phone is much **better** than my old one.

这台新手机比我旧的那台好多了。

不规则比较级：better, worse, more
6

The weather today is **worse** than it was yesterday; it's raining.

今天的天气比昨天更糟，一直在下雨。

不规则比较级：better, worse, more
7

My new phone is as light as a feather.

我的新手机轻如羽毛。

同级比较 (as...as)
8

The Netflix sequel isn't as good as the first season.

Netflix 的续集没有第一季好看。

同级比较 (as...as)

技巧与窍门 (4)

💡

The Syllable Clap

If you aren't sure if a word is 'short' or 'long', clap the beats. 1 clap = -er. 3 claps = more. 2 claps? Check if it ends in 'y'!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 比较事物（更大，更贵）
💡

数数音节！

音节数量是你的好帮手！一个音节的词，加 “-er”。两个或更多音节的词（不以 -y 结尾），用 “more”。这是最主要的判断方法！比如：
This book is shorter than that one.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 比较级: -er 和 more
💡

在日常短语中多练习

试着在聊天中加入 better than 或 more than，越用越顺口。比如：
My coffee is better than yours!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 不规则比较级：better, worse, more
⚠️

比较级陷阱

在 as...as 中间永远用原形，别说 as smarter as，要说 as smart as。
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 同级比较 (as...as)

核心词汇 (6)

Expensive costing a lot of money Cheap low in price Better more good Worse more bad Best the highest quality Tall high in height

Real-World Preview

shopping-cart

Shopping for a Gift

Review Summary

  • A + verb + adjective-er + than + B
  • More + long adjective + than
  • Good -> Better, Bad -> Worse
  • As + adj + as
  • The + adjective-est
  • Good -> Best, Bad -> Worst

常见错误

Short adjectives take the -er suffix, not 'more'. 'More' is only for long adjectives.

Wrong: He is more tall than me.
正确: He is taller than me.

Best is already superlative; do not add 'most'.

Wrong: This is the most best cake.
正确: This is the best cake.

Use the base form of the adjective between 'as...as', not the comparative form.

Wrong: It is as better as that.
正确: It is as good as that.

Next Steps

You have mastered comparisons! Keep practicing by comparing objects in your daily life. See you in the next chapter!

Compare items in your room aloud

Continue to: The Past: States and Regular Actions

快速练习 (9)

找出并改正句子中的错误。

Find and fix the mistake:

Learning Spanish is more harder than learning French.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Learning Spanish is harder than learning French.
'Hard' 是一个音节的形容词，所以它的比较级形式是 'harder'。我们不能和 'more' 一起使用。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 比较级: -er 和 more

Fill in the correct comparative form of the adjective in brackets.

My house is ___ (big) than yours.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: bigger
Big is a one-syllable CVC word, so we double the 'g' and add '-er'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 比较事物（更大，更贵）

Which adjective is irregular?

Pick the irregular comparative.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Far
Far becomes 'further' or 'farther', which is an irregular change.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 比较事物（更大，更贵）

Choose the correct sentence.

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She is more intelligent than her brother.
'Intelligent' has 4 syllables, so it needs 'more'. We must use 'than' for comparison.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 比较事物（更大，更贵）

Use 'more' or '-er'.

This book is ___ (interesting) than the movie.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: more interesting
Interesting is a long word (4 syllables), so it uses 'more'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 比较事物（更大，更贵）

哪个句子正确使用了比较级形容词？

选择正确的句子：

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: This book is more interesting than that movie.
'Interesting' 有三个音节，所以我们要在它前面加 'more' 来构成比较级。加 '-er' 或同时使用 'more' 和 '-er' 都是错误的。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 比较级: -er 和 more

选择正确的比较级形式来完成句子。

My new apartment is ___ than my old one.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: bigger
形容词 'big' 是一个音节，所以我们双写 'g' 再加 '-er'。'More big' 是错误的，'biggest' 是最高级。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 比较级: -er 和 more

Complete the sentence with the correct word.

I am taller ___ my father.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: than
'Than' is the specific word used for comparisons in English.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 比较事物（更大，更贵）

Find the mistake in the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

This coffee is more better than the one I had yesterday.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Remove 'more'
Better is already a comparative. You should not use 'more' with irregular comparatives.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 比较事物（更大，更贵）

Score: /9

常见问题 (6)

Double the last letter for one-syllable words that end in a single vowel + single consonant (like big -> bigger, hot -> hotter). Do not double it if there are two vowels (like cheap -> cheaper).
Both are correct! In American English, farther is usually for physical distance and further is for metaphorical distance (like 'further information'). In British English, further is common for both.
它们主要用来比较两件事物、人物或动作，说明哪个在某个特质上更突出，或动作程度更高。比如，你想说“这辆车比那辆快”，你就会用比较级：
This car is faster than that one.
通常，一个音节的形容词和副词会加 “-er”（例如：tall → taller, fast → faster）。另外，以 “-y” 结尾的两个音节形容词也用 “-er”（例如：happy → happier）。
意思是这些词的比较级不遵守加 -er 或 more 的常规。单词会彻底改变，比如 good 变成 better。
It is better today.
因为 good 是个不规则形容词。在英语演变过程中它形成了独特的比较级。
This one is better.
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