Comparatives and superlatives
Compare figures and ideas accurately — the backbone of Task 1.
Why it matters
Task 1 explicitly asks you to 'make comparisons where relevant'. A report without accurate comparison language struggles to reach Band 6 for Task Achievement, however accurate its numbers are.
The rules
Short adjectives: -er / -est. Longer adjectives: more / most.
higher, the highest; more popular, the most popular
Irregular: good–better–best, bad–worse–worst, far–further–furthest.
Results were worse in 2020.
Modify comparatives: slightly, considerably, significantly, far, much.
Rail travel was considerably cheaper.
Other patterns: twice as … as, the same as, not as … as, by far the.
Spending was twice as high as in 2000.
Model sentences
- Coal was by far the largest source of electricity, accounting for 48% of the total.
- Women were almost twice as likely as men to use public libraries.
- The fewer hours students worked, the higher their grades tended to be.
Common mistakes
Incorrect: more higher
Correct: higher / much higher
Never double the comparative.
Incorrect: It was the most cheapest option.
Correct: It was the cheapest option.
Don't double the superlative.
Incorrect: two times higher than
Correct: twice as high as
Use 'twice as … as'; 'three times as … as' for larger multiples.
Band tip
Check yourself
Sales in Asia (40m) vs Europe (20m): 'Asia's sales were ___ Europe's.'
twice as high as / double
Correct: 'It was the more expensive of the three.'
It was the most expensive of the three.
Complete: 'The ___ (old) the population, the ___ (high) healthcare costs become.'
older … higher