Comparison
of Adverbs
More slowly, faster, the best, as fluently as. Compare how we do things — learn the forms, then practise.
Show rules
Most adverbs use more / most
Adverbs ending in -ly form the comparative and superlative with more and most:
| adverb | comparative | superlative |
|---|---|---|
| clearly | more clearly | most clearly |
| carefully | more carefully | most carefully |
| often | more often | most often |
Short adverbs — same form as the adjective
Some adverbs have the same form as the adjective and take -er / -est:
| adverb | comparative | superlative |
|---|---|---|
| fast | faster | fastest |
| hard | harder | hardest |
| late | later | latest |
| early | earlier | earliest |
| high | higher | highest |
Irregular adverbs
| adverb | comparative | superlative |
|---|---|---|
| well | better | the best |
| badly | worse | the worst |
| much | more | the most |
| little | less | the least |
| far | farther / further | the farthest / the furthest |
as ... as with adverbs
Use the base form of the adverb: She runs as fast as a professional. He doesn't speak French as fluently as he used to.
Fixed phrases: as soon as possible, as hard as I can.
Stronger and weaker comparisons
- much / a lot / far + comparative — much more carefully, far better, a lot faster
- a bit / a little / slightly + comparative — a bit slower, slightly better
Watch out: ❌ very faster — very is not used with comparatives.
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| He runs more fast. | He runs faster. |
| She speaks French gooder. | She speaks French better. |
| He works hardlier. | He works harder. |
| She did more bad in the second test. | She did worse in the second test. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you form the comparative of an adverb?
Adverbs ending in -ly use 'more' and 'most' for comparison: more clearly, most carefully. Short adverbs that look like adjectives — fast, hard, late, early, high — take -er and -est: faster, harder, earlier. Some are irregular: well → better → best, badly → worse → worst, far → farther/further.
Why is 'more fastly' wrong?
There is no word 'fastly'. The adverb of 'fast' is simply 'fast', and the comparative is 'faster'. The same applies to 'hard / harder', 'early / earlier', 'late / later'. These short adverbs take -er and -est, not 'more' and 'most'.
Is it 'better' or 'more well'?
'Better' — the adverb 'well' is irregular: well → better → the best. 'More well' is wrong. Similarly, 'badly' becomes 'worse' (not 'more badly'): 'I slept worse last night.'
How do you use 'as ... as' with adverbs?
Use the base form of the adverb between 'as ... as': 'She runs as fast as her brother', 'He doesn't speak French as fluently as he used to'. Fixed phrases include 'as soon as possible' and 'as hard as you can'.