Formation of Comparative Adjectives

There are two ways to make or form a comparative adjective:

• short adjectives: add "-er"
  
• long adjectives: use "more"
  

Short adjectives
1-syllable adjectives	old, fast
2-syllable adjectives ending in -y	happy, easy
Normal rule: add "-er"	old → older
Variation: if the adjective ends in -e, just add -r	late → later
Variation: if the adjective ends in consonant, vowel, consonant, double the last consonant	big → bigger
Variation: if the adjective ends in -y, change the y to i	happy → happier
Long adjectives
2-syllable adjectives not ending in -y	modern, pleasant
all adjectives of 3 or more syllables	expensive, intellectual
Normal rule: use "more"	modern → more modern expensive → more expensive

With some 2-syllable adjectives, we can use '-er' or 'more':

• quiet → quieter/more quiet
  
• clever → cleverer/more clever
  
• narrow → narrower/more narrow
  
• simple → simpler/more simple
  

Exception
The following adjectives have irregular forms:

• good → better
  
• well (healthy) → better
  
• bad → worse
  
• far → farther/further