Question 1

What are the most common irregular comparatives in English?

Accepted Answer

The five irregular comparatives you must know are: "good" → "better" (not "gooder" or "more good"), "bad" → "worse" (not "badder" or "more bad"), "far" → "further" or "farther" (not "farer"), "much" and "many" → "more" (not "mucher"), and "little" → "less" (not "littler" when describing amount). Their superlative forms are also irregular: "best," "worst," "furthest," "most," and "least." These five adjectives are among the most common words in English, so you will use their comparative forms every day. They appear in examinations at every level, from A2 to C1.

Question 2

What is the difference between further and farther?

Accepted Answer

Both "further" and "farther" can describe physical distance: "London is further/farther than Birmingham." In British English, "further" is more common for distance and is also used for abstract meanings: "further information" (additional information), "further study" (more study), "I need to think about this further" (think about it more). "Farther" is only used for physical distance and is more common in American English. In Cambridge examinations, "further" is always accepted. A helpful rule: if you can replace the word with "additional" or "more," use "further." If it is purely about distance, either word works.

Question 3

Is more good ever correct in English?

Accepted Answer

"More good" is always wrong as a comparative — you must say "better": "This book is better than that one" (never "more good than"). However, "more good" can appear in a different structure where "more" modifies "good" as a noun: "We need to do more good in the world" — here "good" means "positive actions," not an adjective. This is rare and advanced. For everyday comparisons, always use "better." The same applies to the other irregular forms: say "worse" (not "more bad"), "further" (not "more far"), "more" (not "mucher"), and "less" (not "more little"). These forms never change.

Irregular Comparatives Exercises

All 20 questions

Grammar review

Quick Rule

Continue Practising

Comparatives and Superlatives Error Correction

Comparatives vs Superlatives

As...As Structures

-ed vs -ing Adjectives

Conditionals

Present Perfect