Regular Comparative and Superlative Adverbs — More/Most
Practice forming comparative and superlative adverbs that end in -ly with more/most: more clearly, more carefully, the most quickly.
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He explained the problem ___ than the teacher did.
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more clearly
Adverbs ending in -ly take 'more' for the comparative — 'more clearly'.
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He answered ___ than the other candidates.
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more intelligently
Adverbs ending in -ly take 'more' for the comparative — 'more intelligently'.
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He drives much ___ than he used to.
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more carefully
After 'much' you need a comparative form — 'much more carefully'.
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I exercise ___ now than I did last year.
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more often
'Often' takes 'more' for the comparative — 'more often'.
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She speaks French much ___ than her brother does.
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more fluently
After 'much' you need a comparative form — 'much more fluently'.
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She explained the procedure ___ than her colleague did.
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more patiently
Adverbs ending in -ly take 'more' for the comparative — 'more patiently'.
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Learning to drive
Learning to drive was much harder than I expected. In the first month I really struggled. My instructor told me I needed to brake {1}, indicate {2}, and check my mirrors {3} than I was doing. At first, I drove much {4} than the cars around me — about 30 km/h, while everyone else flew past at 50. That made other drivers impatient, which made me even more nervous. After a few months of practice, things improved. I now handle roundabouts {5} than I did at the start, and I get the children to school {6} too — I haven't been late once this term. My instructor says I drive {7} on quiet roads than on busy ones, which is normal at my stage. The day of the test, I drove {8} I've ever driven, and I passed first time.
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1. more smoothly — Adverbs ending in -ly take 'more' for the comparative — 'brake more smoothly'.
2. earlier — Short-form comparative of 'early' — 'indicate earlier' (= sooner before the turn).
3. more often — 'Often' takes 'more' — 'check mirrors more often'.
4. more slowly — 'Slowly' takes 'more' — 'drove much more slowly'.
5. better — Irregular comparative of 'well' — 'handle roundabouts better'.
6. faster — Short-form comparative of 'fast' — 'get to school faster' (= more quickly).
7. more confidently — Adverbs ending in -ly take 'more' — 'drive more confidently on quiet roads'.
8. the best — Irregular superlative of 'well' — 'I drove the best I've ever driven' (= better than ever).
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Learning a language
A: How's your Italian going these days?
B: Quite well, actually. I'm speaking much {1} now than I was six months ago.
A: That's great. Do you study every day?
B: Yes, although I read {2} than I speak. Speaking is still the hardest part.
A: What helped you most?
B: Watching Italian films. I watch them {3} now than I did at the start — almost every evening.
A: Does that help with vocabulary?
B: Definitely. I remember new words {4} when I see them in context.
A: Have you been to Italy?
B: Not yet. I think I'd progress {5} if I spent a few weeks there.
A: Yeah, immersion always helps.
B: My partner speaks French {6} than I speak Italian, and she only learned at school.
A: She's used to languages. You'll catch up — just keep going as {7} as you can.Show answer
1. more fluently — Adverbs ending in -ly take 'more' for the comparative — 'speaking more fluently'.
2. more easily — 'Easily' takes 'more' for the comparative — 'I read more easily than I speak'.
3. more often — 'Often' takes 'more' for the comparative — 'watch films more often'.
4. better — Irregular comparative of 'well' — 'remember words better in context'.
5. faster — Short-form comparative of 'fast' — 'progress faster' if living there.
6. more confidently — Adverbs ending in -ly take 'more' — 'she speaks French more confidently'.
7. hard — Between 'as ... as' use the base form of the adverb — 'as hard as you can'.
Regular Adverbs: More and Most
Most English adverbs are built by adding -ly to an adjective ('careful' → 'carefully', 'clear' → 'clearly'), and this entire group forms its comparative with more and its superlative with the most — never with -er/-est. This matches the rule for long adjectives, since most -ly adverbs derive from adjectives that already require more/most.
Of all the students, she works most carefully.
She finished her exam the most quickly of all the candidates.
A frequent error is treating -ly adverbs like short adjectives and adding -er/-est directly — 'clearlier', 'carefullest' — neither of which exists in standard English. Because the adverb is already a derived form (adjective + -ly), adding a second suffix produces an unpronounceable, non-existent word; 'more'/'most' is the only option.
Combining With Modifiers
Regular comparative adverbs combine naturally with 'much' and 'a bit': 'much more carefully', 'a bit more slowly'. 'Very' is never used to modify a comparative form.
Common Mistakes
✗ She performed beautifullier. → ✓ most beautifully.
Last updated: · Satori Editorial