Comparatives, superlatives and comparison language

Accurate comparison structures for charts and arguments, including twice as many, the same as, and the degree adverbs that qualify them.

All grammar rules

Marking criterion: Grammatical Range and Accuracy and Lexical Resource
Where it pays off: Writing Task 1 · Writing Task 2 · Speaking Part 3

Task 1 is fundamentally a comparison task, and Part 3 questions constantly ask you to compare groups, periods or countries. A handful of structures cover almost every comparison you will need, and the errors are predictable enough to eliminate.

The core structures

Learn each as a full pattern rather than as an isolated word.

Comparative plus than: 'Rail use was higher than bus use.'
As + adjective + as for equality: 'Spending was almost as high as in 2001.'
Not as + adjective + as for inequality: 'Spending was not as high as in 2001.'
The + superlative: 'Germany recorded the steepest decline.'
Multiples: 'twice as many students as', 'three times higher than', 'half as much as'.
The same as, similar to, in line with, in contrast to.
Formal alternatives to 'than' when comparing figures: in comparison with, as compared with, as against, as opposed to. 'Profits reached $404 million, as against $310 million a year earlier.'

Degree adverbs that sharpen comparison

These add precision and range at once, and examiners notice them.

Small differences: slightly, marginally, a little.
Middling differences: moderately, modestly.
Large differences: considerably, significantly, substantially.
Very large differences: far, vastly, dramatically, by a wide margin.
Place them before the comparative: 'considerably higher than', 'marginally lower than'.

Form rules

One and two syllable adjectives behave differently from longer ones.

One syllable: add -er and -est. High, higher, highest.
Two syllables ending in -y: change to -ier and -iest. Easy, easier, easiest.
Three or more syllables: use more and most. Significant, more significant, most significant.
Irregular forms: good, better, best; bad, worse, worst; far, further, furthest.
Never double up: 'more higher' and 'most highest' are wrong.

Comparing like with like

The most common logical error in Task 1 is comparing a figure with a category.

Wrong: 'The figure for France was higher than Germany.'
Right: 'The figure for France was higher than that for Germany.'
Right: 'France recorded a higher figure than Germany.'
Use 'that' for a singular noun and 'those' for a plural one.

Corrected examples

Incorrect: The population of Tokyo is more bigger than the population of Osaka.

Correct: The population of Tokyo is considerably larger than that of Osaka.

No double comparative, and 'that of' keeps the comparison parallel.

Incorrect: Twice more people used the library in 2010 than 2000.

Correct: Twice as many people used the library in 2010 as in 2000.

Multiples take the 'as many as' pattern, not 'more than'.

Incorrect: Spending in the UK was not so high as Spain.

Correct: Spending in the UK was not as high as in Spain.

Use 'as ... as' in the negative comparison and keep both sides parallel.

Quick checklist

Never combine 'more' with an -er ending.
Use 'that of' or 'those of' to compare figures, not places.
Multiples use 'twice as many as', not 'twice more than'.
Add a degree adverb to show the size of the difference.

Apply it to a real response and check the length and structure.

Open the writing checklist

The core structures

Learn each as a full pattern rather than as an isolated word.

Comparative plus than: 'Rail use was higher than bus use.'

As + adjective + as for equality: 'Spending was almost as high as in 2001.'

Not as + adjective + as for inequality: 'Spending was not as high as in 2001.'

The + superlative: 'Germany recorded the steepest decline.'

Multiples: 'twice as many students as', 'three times higher than', 'half as much as'.

The same as, similar to, in line with, in contrast to.

Formal alternatives to 'than' when comparing figures: in comparison with, as compared with, as against, as opposed to. 'Profits reached $404 million, as against $310 million a year earlier.'

Degree adverbs that sharpen comparison

These add precision and range at once, and examiners notice them.

Small differences: slightly, marginally, a little.

Middling differences: moderately, modestly.

Large differences: considerably, significantly, substantially.

Very large differences: far, vastly, dramatically, by a wide margin.

Place them before the comparative: 'considerably higher than', 'marginally lower than'.

Form rules

One and two syllable adjectives behave differently from longer ones.

One syllable: add -er and -est. High, higher, highest.

Two syllables ending in -y: change to -ier and -iest. Easy, easier, easiest.

Three or more syllables: use more and most. Significant, more significant, most significant.

Irregular forms: good, better, best; bad, worse, worst; far, further, furthest.

Never double up: 'more higher' and 'most highest' are wrong.