다음 예문을 살펴 보겠습니다.
Should I drive or take the train?
You should drive. It's cheaper.
Don't take the train. It's more expensive.
cheaper와 more expensive는 비교급 형입니다.
비교급 뒤에는 than을 사용할 수 있습니다.(see also unit 103):
It's cheaper to drive than to take the train.
Taking the train is more expensive than driving.
비교급 형은 -er 또는 more ... 입니다:
-er은 단 음절(one syllable) 단어에 사용합니다:
cheap -> cheaper fast -> faster
large -> larger thin -> thinner
-er은 또한 -y (-y -> -ier) 로 끝나는 두 음절 단어에도 사용합니다:
lucky -> luckier early -> earlier
easy -> easier pretty -> prettier
You're older than me.
The exam was easy - easier than we expected.
Can you walk a little faster?
I'd like to have a bigger car.
Last night I went to bed earlier than usual.
more ... 두 음절 이상 단어에 사용합니다:
more serious more often
more expensive more comfortable
more ... 는 -ly로 끝나는 부사에 사용합니다:
more slowly more seriously
more quietly more carefully
You're more patient than me.
The exam was difficult - more difficult than we expected.
Can you walk a little more slowly?
I'd like to have a more reliable car.
I don't play tennis much these days. I used to play more often.
일부 두 음절 형용사들은 -er과 more ... 모두 사용할 수 있습니다:
quiet clever narrow shallow simple
It's too noisy here. Can we go somewhere quieter / more quiet?
다음 형용사와 부사들은 불규칙 비교급 형을 가지고 있습니다:
good/well -> better:
The yard looks better since you cleaned it up.
I know him well - probably better than anybody else does.
bad/badly -> worse:
"Is your headache better?" "No, it's worse."
He did very badly on the exam - worse than expected.
far -> farther or further:
It's a long walk from here to the station - farther than I thought. (or further than ...)