📘 Comparatives:
Adjectives with One Syllable and Two Syllables Ending in Y
🦒 🦒 🦒 🦒 🦒 🦒
A self-guided lesson • Recognition → understanding → reproduction → practice → real communication
🎯 Learning goals
Recognize comparative adjectives in sentences.
Form comparatives of most one-syllable adjectives and two-syllable adjectives ending in y.
Use spelling rules for -er, final -e, consonant doubling, and consonant + y.
Compare two people, animals, places, or objects using than.
Use comparisons to express your own ideas.
🧭 How to study: Work through the stages in order. Try each task before checking the answer key. Say examples aloud. If you are studying on paper, cover the answer key until you finish.
1. 🔎 Discover the pattern
Look at each pair of sentences. Choose the sentence that sounds correct.
🦒🦒 Look at the two giraffes. The giraffe on the left is ____ than the giraffe on the right.
A. The giraffe on the left is tall than the giraffe on the right.
B. The giraffe on the left is taller than the giraffe on the right.
🐭🐭 Look at the two mice. The mouse on the left is ____ than the mouse on the right.
A. The mouse on the left is more small than the mouse on the right.
B. The mouse on the left is smaller than the mouse on the right.
🐱🐱 The cat on the left is ____ than the cat on the right.
A. The cat on the left is fater than the cat on the right.
B. The cat on the left is fatter than the cat on the right.
💡 What do you notice?
Complete: tall → ______ ; small → ______ ; fat → ______
Basic pattern: adjective + -er + than
Example: The giraffe on the left is taller than the giraffe on the right.
2. 🧩 Learn the spelling rules
🟢 + ER
Rule 1 — For most one-syllable adjectives, add -er.
tall → taller • short → shorter • fast → faster • cold → colder
🔵 + R
Rule 2 — If the adjective already ends in -e, add only -r.
nice → nicer • large → larger • wide → wider • safe → safer
🟠 DOUBLE
Rule 3 — Double the final consonant when the adjective has a short “sandwich vowel”: one vowel between two consonants, with the final consonant at the end of the word.
big → bigger • hot → hotter • thin → thinner • sad → sadder • wet → wetter
The vowel is “sandwiched” between consonants: b-i-g, h-o-t, th-i-n. The final consonant is doubled before -er.
⚠️ Helpful contrast: fast → faster (the word ends in two consonants, st, so do not double the t). cool → cooler (two vowels together, oo). new → newer (do not double w).
🟣 Y → i
Rule 4 — If the adjective ends in consonant + y, usually change y to i and add -er.
dry → drier • easy → easier • heavy → heavier
Exception to remember: shy → shyer.
🧠 Spelling reminder: this is a useful general pattern, not a rule to apply blindly to every word. Some words have special forms.
3. 🎯 Recognition practice
Choose the correct comparative spelling. Write A, B, or C beside each number.
1. tall
A. taller B. tallerer C. more tall
2. nice
A. niceer B. nicer C. niccer
3. big
A. biger B. bigger C. biggger
4. hot
A. hoter B. hotter C. hotier
5. dry
A. dryer B. drier C. dryier
6. fast
A. fastter B. faster C. fastier
7. thin
A. thiner B. thinner C. thinnier
8. wide
A. wider B. wideer C. widder
✏️ My score: ____ / 8
4. 💡 Understand the meaning
A comparative tells us that one person or thing has a quality to a greater degree than another.
🐘🐭 The elephant is bigger than the mouse. (The elephant has a greater size.)
🐕🐕 The dog on the left is faster than the dog on the right. (It can run at a higher speed.)
☕🥃 The drink on the left is hotter than the drink on the right. (Its temperature is higher.)
Choose or write the best answer:
1. A is shorter than B, then B is bigger/taller than A.
A. A is taller than B. B is ____ than A.
2. Today is colder than yesterday. Yesterday was ____ than today.
3. My old phone is heavier than my new phone. My new phone is ____ than my old phone.
A. light. B. less light. C. lighter
4. Complete:
This book is better ____ that book.
5. 🗣️ Reproduce the pattern
Say each sentence aloud. Read it slowly once, then repeat it at a natural speed. Pay attention to the comparative ending and to than.
🚆 A train is faster than a bicycle.
🏠 This room is bigger than my bedroom.
🌞 Today is hotter than yesterday.
👟 My new shoes are nicer than my old shoes.
🛣️ This road is wider than that road.
🧺 The towel on the left is drier than the towel on the right.
🎒 The bag on the left is lighter than the bag on the right.
🙂 My brother is thinner than he was last year.
🎧 Listen–pause–repeat: listen to each sentence. Pause and repeat it without looking at the text. Then cover the examples and reproduce them from memory.
🔊 Pronunciation note: taller, bigger, hotter, and nicer each have two syllables in the comparative. Doubling a consonant changes the spelling, not the number of syllables.
6. ✍️ Controlled production
Complete each sentence with the comparative form of the adjective in parentheses. Write the whole word.
A cheetah is ______ than a horse. (fast)
An elephant is ______ than a dog. (big)
Ice is ______ than boiling water. (cold)
This knife is ______ than that one. (sharp)
The road on the left is ______ than the road on the right. (wide)
This exercise is ______ than the last one. (easy)
Summer is usually ______ than winter here. (hot)
This box is ______ than that one. (heavy)
The blue shirt is ______ than the red shirt. (nice)
Today I feel ______ than yesterday. (well)
✏️ My score: ____ / 10
⚠️ Special forms: well → better; good → better; bad → worse. These are irregular comparatives, so learn them as special forms.
7. 🎲 Guided communication
Choose two items from each pair. Make your own sentence using one or more adjectives. Say each sentence aloud, then write it down.
🚲 🏍️ A bicycle and a motorcycle. Use: fast, loud, heavy, cheap.
Example: A motorcycle is faster than a bicycle.
🏠 🏡 Two houses. Use: big, small, old, new, wide.
Example: The house on the left is smaller than the house on the right.
🎒 🎒 Two backpacks. Use: light, heavy, big, small, nice.
Example: The green backpack is lighter than the black backpack.
✏️ Your turn
1. Compare two animals using big: ______________________________________________
2. Compare two places using hot: _______________________________________________
3. Compare two objects using heavy: ____________________________________________
8. 🌎 Real communication
Choose one activity. Speak for 30–60 seconds. If you are studying alone, record yourself and listen to your recording. Try to use at least four comparative adjectives.
☕ A. Your everyday life
Compare two mornings, two meals, two rooms, or two ways of travelling.
Possible opening: “For me, working in the morning is harder than working in the afternoon because…”
🧳 B. Make a recommendation
A friend is choosing between two hotels, phones, or holiday destinations. Explain which one you recommend and why.
Possible opening: “Hotel A is cheaper than Hotel B, but Hotel B is closer to the beach…”
💬 C. Defend an opinion
Which is better for you: city life or country life? Which is more relaxing, safer, or more convenient?
Possible opening: “Country life is quieter than city life, but city life is more convenient for me because…”
9. ✅ Self-assessment
☐ I can recognize the correct comparative spelling.
☐ I can explain when to add -er and when to double the final consonant.
☐ I remember that adjectives ending in -e take only -r.
☐ I can form comparatives without a word bank.
☐ I can use than correctly in a sentence.
☐ I can compare real things and explain my reasons without reading a model.
📌 Final reference card
Pattern
Examples
🟢 Most adjectives: + -er
tall → taller • fast → faster
🔵 Final -e: + -r
nice → nicer • wide → wider
🟠 Vowel sandwich: double final consonant
big → bigger • hot → hotter
🟣 Consonant + y: y → i + -er
dry → drier • easy → easier
⭐ Irregular forms
good → better • well → better • bad → worse
A + be + comparative adjective + than + B
Example: The bag on the left is lighter than the bag on the right.
🔑 Answer key
Step 1 — 🔎 Discover the pattern
B
B
B
Complete: tall → taller; small → smaller; fat → fatter.
Step 3 — 🎯 Recognition practice
A (taller)
B (nicer)
B (bigger)
B (hotter)
B (drier)
B (faster)
B (thinner)
A (wider)
Step 4 — 💡 Understand the meaning
B (A is not as tall as B).
C (lower in temperature).
A (less heavy).
A (introduces the thing being compared).
Additional practice — 💬 Choose or write the best answer
1. A is shorter than B. Then B is bigger/taller than A.
A. A is taller than B.
B. B is ____ than A.
Answer: B is shorter than A.
2. Today is colder than yesterday. Yesterday was ____ than today.
Answer: warmer.
3. My old phone is heavier than my new phone. My new phone is ____ than my old phone.
A. light
B. less light
C. lighter
Answer: C. lighter.
4. Complete:
This book is better ____ that book.
Answer: than.
Step 6 — ✍️ Controlled production
faster
bigger
colder
sharper
wider
easier
hotter
heavier
nicer
better
Note: Good and well have the comparative better. In some contexts, well describes health or how someone feels, as in “I feel better today.”
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