Modifying comparatives

B2 Upper Intermediate

Modifying comparatives allows speakers to specify the degree of difference between two things, indicating whether a difference is large or small.

Overview

When comparing two items, standard comparative adjectives only show that a difference exists. To provide more detail, modifiers are placed before the comparative form to quantify that difference. These modifiers can indicate a significant difference (e.g., much, far) or a slight difference (e.g., a bit, slightly).

Form

modifier + comparative adjective/adverb

Modifiers are placed immediately before the comparative adjective or adverb. This applies to both short adjectives ending in -er and long adjectives using more.

Degrees of Difference

Note that a lot and a bit are more common in spoken English, while significantly and slightly are preferred in formal or academic writing.

Degree	Common Modifiers	Example
Large	much, far, significantly, a lot	far more expensive
Small	a bit, slightly, a little, marginally	slightly taller
No difference	no, any	no better

Examples

Common mistakes

This car is very faster.
This car is much faster.
The word 'very' cannot modify comparative adjectives; use 'much', 'far', or 'way' instead.
It is more slightly expensive.
It is slightly more expensive.
The modifier must come before the entire comparative phrase.

Practice

The city is ______ (far / very) more crowded than it was ten years ago.
Show answer
far
Answer:far
Why:In English, 'very' cannot modify a comparative like 'more crowded'. 'Far' is used to show a large difference.
This phone is ______ (slightly / much) more expensive, costing only $5 more than the other model.
Show answer
slightly
Answer:slightly
Why:Because the price difference is small ($5), 'slightly' is the appropriate modifier.
Is your new job ______ (any / very) better than your last one?
Show answer
any
Answer:any
Why:We use 'any' in questions and negative sentences to ask about or deny a difference in degree.