Comparatives

Comparative Adjectives – Free Time Activities (A2 Level)

1. What is a comparative?

We use *comparative adjectives* to compare **two** people, things, or activities.

- I think reading is **more interesting than** watching TV.

- Football is **better than** golf.

We often use:  

**… + adjective + -er + than …**  

or  

**… more + adjective + than …**

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2. One-syllable adjectives: **-er + than**

For short adjectives (usually 1 syllable), add **-er** + **than**.

| Adjective | Comparative | Example |

| fast | faster than | 

Running is **faster than** walking. |

| slow | slower than | 

Yoga is **slower than** dancing. |

| long | longer than | 

Watching a film is **longer than** watching a TV show. |

| short | shorter than| 

A YouTube video is **shorter than** a movie. |

| funny      | funnier than* | 

Her second joke was even *funnier than* the first.|

**Spelling rules**

1. **Adjective + -er**

   - tall → taller than  

   - clean → cleaner than  

2. If it ends in **-e**, just add **-r**:

   - nice → nicer than  

   - late → later than  

3. If it’s consonant–vowel–consonant, double the last consonant:

   - big → **bigger than**  

   - hot → **hotter than**  

4. If it ends in -y, change -y to -i and add -er:

heavy → *heavier than*

pretty → *prettier than*

**Free time examples**

- Football is **more tiring than** table tennis.  

- Swimming is **healthier than** playing computer games.  

- Cycling is **cheaper than** going to the gym.

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3. Longer adjectives: **more + adjective + than**

For long adjectives (2+ syllables, e.g. “interesting,” “expensive”), use **more … than**.

| Adjective | Comparative | Example

| interesting| more interesting than | 

Reading is **more interesting than** watching TV. |

| exciting | more exciting than | 

Playing football is **more exciting than** walking. |

| relaxing | more relaxing than | 

Listening to music is **more relaxing than** studying. |

| dangerous | more dangerous than | 

Climbing is **more dangerous than** swimming. |

| expensive | more expensive than | 

Going to the cinema is **more expensive than** reading at home. |

**Free time examples**

- Playing video games is **more exciting than** doing puzzles.  

- Gardening is **more relaxing than** running.  

- A gym membership is **more expensive than** jogging in the park.

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4. Irregular comparatives

Some adjectives are **irregular**.

| Adjective | Comparative | Example |

| good | better than | 

Tennis is **better than** golf. |

| bad | worse than | 

Watching too much TV is **worse than** playing outside. |

| far | farther/further than | 

The park is **further than** the cinema. |

**Free time examples**

- Playing sport is **better than** sitting at home all day.  

- Going out every night is **worse than** relaxing at home sometimes.

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5. Using “than”

We almost always use **than** after a comparative.

Structure:

> **A + be + comparative + than + B**

- Reading **is more interesting than** watching TV.  

- Playing football **is better than** running.  

- Board games **are cheaper than** going to the cinema.  

- Swimming **is more relaxing than** going to the gym.

You can also compare people:

- My brother **is more active than** me.  

- My friends **are sportier than** my parents.

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6. Practice – Complete the sentences

1. Watching TV is ______ (boring) than playing games.  

2. Running is ______ (fast) than walking.  

3. Going to the cinema is ______ (expensive) than reading a book at home.  

4. Playing football is ______ (good) than doing homework.  

5. Listening to music is ______ (relaxing) than watching the news.  

6. Video games are ______ (exciting) than board games.  

**Possible answers**

1. more boring than  

2. faster than  

3. more expensive than  

4. better than  

5. more relaxing than  

6. more exciting than  

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7. Practice – Make your own sentences

Use these ideas and make comparative sentences:

Adjectives:  

- fun, interesting, relaxing, cheap, expensive, good, bad

Activities:  

- reading  

- watching TV  

- playing video games  

- going to the cinema  

- playing football  

- listening to music  

- going for a walk  

Example:

- Playing video games is **more fun than** watching TV.  

- Going for a walk is **cheaper than** going to the cinema.