ESL Grammar: COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES (4) – Review of “-er + than”

In this ESL grammar lesson, students practice writing sentences with the pattern “adjective + -er + than” to compare nouns.

ESL Grammar: What is a Comparative Adjective?

A comparative adjective is used to compare two nouns, highlighting how one differs from the other in terms of a particular quality. In English, we form the comparative of many adjectives by adding the suffix -er to the adjective.

Structure:

• Adjective + -er + than

Examples:

• Tall → Taller: John is taller than Mike.
• Fast → Faster: The car is faster than the bike.

ESL Grammar: How to Use Comparative Adjectives

1. Identify the Adjective: Choose the adjective that describes the quality you want to compare (e.g., tall, fast, small).
2. Add -er to the Adjective: Modify the adjective by adding -er.
   • Tall → Taller
   • Small → Smaller
3. Use “than” for Comparison: Connect the two nouns being compared with “than.”

Sentence Structure:

• Noun 1 + Verb + Adjective + -er + than + Noun 2

Examples:

• My cat is smarter than my dog.
• This book is easier to read than that book.

The beginner-level grammar lesson below introduces the concept of comparative adjectives (adjective + “er”) in a clear and simple manner to help young ESL learners to understand this concept. 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).