A2 · ElementaryEnglish

Comparative Adjectives vs Comparative Adverbs

By the flumi team About 3 min read 27 vocabulary wordsPractice exercises

1. What Are Comparative Adjectives and Adverbs?

We use comparatives to compare two things.
Before, we learned:

Comparative adjectives → compare things (big → bigger)

Now we also learn:

Comparative adverbs → compare actions (fast → faster)

So:

Adjectives describe nouns (people/things): size, age, speed, etc.
Adverbs describe verbs (how/when/how often), or they can modify an adjective/adverb (e.g., 'much faster').

Examples:

This is a faster car than that one. (comparative adjective → describes a car)
She runs faster than me. (comparative adverb → describes 'runs')

2. Comparative Adjectives (Review)

We use these to compare nouns (things/people).

Structure

adjective + -er + than
more + adjective + than

Spelling notes: happy → happier; big → bigger.
Irregular: good → better; bad → worse; far → farther/further.

Examples

small → smaller
fast → faster
expensive → more expensive

Sentences

This house is bigger than that house.
He is taller than his brother.
This phone is more expensive than mine.

3. Comparative Adverbs

We use these to compare actions (verbs).

Structure

adverb + -er + than
more + adverb + than

Examples

fast → faster
hard → harder
carefully → more carefully

Sentences

She runs faster than me.
He works harder than his colleague.
She drives more carefully than him.

4. Key Difference (Very Important)

Comparative adjectives → describe a thing
Comparative adverbs → describe an action

Examples

He is faster than me. (comparative adjective after 'be' → describes the person)
He runs faster than me. (comparative adverb → describes 'runs')
This is a very important difference.

5. Common Adverbs

Some common words:

Some words can be both adjective and adverb: fast, hard, late, early.
- Adjective: 'a fast car' / Adverb: 'drive fast'
- Comparatives: 'a faster car' / 'drive faster'

Some common adverbs:

fast → faster
hard → harder
early → earlier
late → later
carefully → more carefully

Examples

She arrived earlier than me.
He speaks more clearly than before.

6. Word Order (Very Important)

Comparative adjective: Subject + be + comparative adjective + than + noun/pronoun. (This test is easier than the last one.)

Comparative adverb: Subject + verb + comparative adverb + than + noun/pronoun. (She speaks faster than her teacher.)

7. Easy Tip to Remember

Quick test: If it describes a noun (after 'be' or before a noun) → comparative adjective. If it describes a verb/action → comparative adverb.

He is faster... (adjective)
He runs faster... (adverb)

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Comparative Adjectives vs Comparative Adverbs

27 words

Last updated July 14, 2026