Comparing Things: Bigger, Better, Best!

1 Anna Needs a New Phone

Anna walks into a phone shop. She wants to buy a new phone. Her old phone is very slow. She looks at three phones.

The first phone is big and expensive. The shop assistant Tom says, ‘This is the newest phone. It is fast and has a long battery life. But it is the most expensive phone in the shop.’

Anna looks at the second phone. It is smaller than the first phone. Tom says, ‘This phone is cheaper than the first one. It is also good. Many people like it. But the camera is not the best.’

The third phone is the smallest phone. Tom says, ‘This is the cheapest phone. It is older than the other phones. But it is easy to use. It is better than your old phone.’

Anna thinks. The biggest phone is too expensive. The smallest phone is too old. She asks, ‘Which phone is better for photos?’

Tom smiles. ‘The second phone is better for photos than the third phone. But the first phone has the best camera. It is also the fastest phone.’

Anna is not happy. The best phone is too expensive. The cheapest phone is too slow. She needs to think. ‘This is more difficult than I thought,’ she says.

Tom says, ‘The second phone is a good choice. It is not the most expensive. It is not the cheapest. But it is better than the cheapest phone. And the camera is good.’

Anna looks at the prices again. The biggest phone costs £800. The second phone costs £500. The smallest phone costs £250. The second phone is £300 cheaper than the biggest phone.

‘OK,’ Anna says. ‘I will buy the second phone. It is not the best phone. But it is better than my old phone. And it is not too expensive.’

Tom is happy. Anna is happier. She has a new phone. It is faster than her old phone. The camera is better. And the battery life is longer. This is a good day!

2 How We Compare Things

We use comparative forms when we compare two things. We use superlative forms when we talk about one thing in a group.

Short words (one sound, like ‘big’, or two sounds ending in -y, like ‘happy’) add -er or -est:

– big → bigger → the biggest
– small → smaller → the smallest
– happy → happier → the happiest

Long words (two sounds or more, like ‘expensive’ or ‘difficult’) use more or most:

– expensive → more expensive → the most expensive
– difficult → more difficult → the most difficult

Some words are different. They change completely:

– good → better → the best
– bad → worse → the worst

3 Practice the Pattern

Look at these examples. They show you the pattern.

Comparing two things:
– My house is bigger than your house.
– This test is easier than the last test.
– Summer is hotter than winter.
– The blue bag is more expensive than the red bag.
– This question is more difficult than that question.
– Your phone is better than my phone.

Describing one thing in a group:
– This is the biggest house in the street.
– This is the easiest test in the book.
– July is the hottest month of the year.
– This is the most expensive bag in the shop.
– This is the most difficult question in the exam.
– This is the best phone in the shop.

More examples from Anna’s story:
– The first phone is newer than the third phone.
– The second phone is cheaper than the first phone.
– The third phone is the oldest phone.
– The first phone is the fastest phone.
– The second phone is better than Anna’s old phone.
– This is the most important decision today.

4 All the Forms You Need

Here are all 25 words in their three forms. Learn these patterns.

Short words with -er and -est:
– big → bigger → the biggest
– small → smaller → the smallest
– old → older → the oldest
– young → younger → the youngest
– new → newer → the newest
– hot → hotter → the hottest
– cold → colder → the coldest
– long → longer → the longest
– short → shorter → the shortest
– fast → faster → the fastest
– slow → slower → the slowest
– cheap → cheaper → the cheapest
– full → fuller → the fullest

Short words ending in -y (change -y to -i):
– happy → happier → the happiest
– sad → sadder → the saddest
– easy → easier → the easiest
– empty → emptier → the emptiest

Long words with more and most:
– difficult → more difficult → the most difficult
– expensive → more expensive → the most expensive
– important → more important → the most important
– different → more different → the most different

Special words that change:
– good → better → the best
– bad → worse → the worst

Words that don’t usually compare:
– right (we can say more right but it is not common)
– wrong (we can say more wrong but it is not common)
– same (this word does not compare – we say ‘the same as’, not ‘samer’)

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many learners make these mistakes. Don’t worry – they are easy to fix!

Mistake 1: Forgetting ‘than’
– ❌ This phone is bigger my old phone.
– ✓ This phone is bigger than my old phone.

Mistake 2: Forgetting ‘the’ with superlatives
– ❌ This is biggest phone.
– ✓ This is the biggest phone.

Mistake 3: Using ‘more’ with short words
– ❌ This phone is more big.
– ✓ This phone is bigger.

Mistake 4: Using -er with long words
– ❌ This test is difficulter.
– ✓ This test is more difficult.

Mistake 5: Saying ‘gooder’ or ‘badder’
– ❌ This phone is gooder than that phone.
– ✓ This phone is better than that phone.
– ❌ Today is badder than yesterday.
– ✓ Today is worse than yesterday.

Mistake 6: Not doubling the last letter
– ❌ This coffee is hoter than tea.
– ✓ This coffee is hotter than tea.

Mistake 7: Not changing -y to -i
– ❌ This test is easyer than the last test.
– ✓ This test is easier than the last test.