What is a comparative adverb?

A comparative adverb compares two actions: more quickly, faster, better. Most -ly adverbs take more, short ones such as fast and hard take -er, and well / badly become better / worse. The Harwich ferry docks more quickly at slack water compares two ways of docking, not two ferries as things.

Is it more quickly or quicker?

After a verb, more quickly is the adverb you want: The ferry docks more quickly. Quicker is a comparative adjective and belongs with a noun: a quicker crossing. Some speakers use quicker as an adverb in casual speech, but more quickly is the form to write and the form this page teaches.

How do you form the comparative of well and badly?

Well becomes better and badly becomes worse. He sight-reads better than he used to. The second batch rose worse in the cold scullery. Do not write more well or more badly for the ordinary comparative; less badly is available when you want a milder degree of a bad action.

What is the difference between harder and more hard?

More hard is not used. Hard is already an adverb, and its comparative is harder: She works harder in the kiln yard. More hardly would also be wrong, because hardly means almost not and is a different word. Keep hard, harder, hardest for effort and force.

Where does a comparative adverb go in the sentence?

It usually sits after the verb, or after the object if there is a short one: She kneads the dough faster. It can also come at the end: He explained the tide table more clearly the second time. Than plus the second action follows when you name the comparison. Do not place more quickly in front of the subject.

English grammar · Intermediate

Comparative Adverbs: More Quickly, Faster, Better, and Irregulars

Written by Eleanor Whitfield, Lead English Curriculum Editor · Reviewed September 2026

A comparative adverb compares how two actions are done: more quickly, faster, better, less carefully. Most -ly adverbs take more (and most for the superlative). A short set of common adverbs take -er and -est instead (faster, harder, earlier). A handful are irregular: well becomes better, badly becomes worse. This page is about adverbs, not about comparative adjectives such as quicker or more careful.

The Harwich ferry docks more quickly in a slack tide.

quickly is an adverb, so the comparative is more quickly

What it is

Adjectives compare things (a quicker crossing, a more careful skipper). Adverbs compare actions (the ferry docks more quickly; she kneads the dough faster). The form follows the shape of the adverb. If the adverb ends in -ly, the comparative is more plus the adverb: more quietly, more carefully, more efficiently. If the adverb is a short word that matches a one-syllable adjective (fast, hard, late, early, long, soon), add -er: faster, harder, later. Do not write more faster, and do not use an adjective where the verb needs an adverb: The ferry docks quicker is the usual learner slip.

Nia finished the etude more accurately than last week. (accurately is an adverb, so more). The metronome ticks faster in the second movement. (fast is a short adverb, so -er).

How to spot it

Find the word that tells you how, when, or to what degree the verb happens, then ask whether you are comparing two performances of that action. If the word ends in -ly, expect more. If it is fast, hard, well, badly, far, little, or much, expect a special form.

The Harwich ferry docks more quickly in a slack tide. (quickly takes more, not quicklier)
She kneads the dough faster than I do. (fast is a short adverb: faster)
He sight-reads better than he used to. (well is irregular: better)
The kiln cooled less evenly this time. (less plus adverb for a lower degree)

Hard is already an adverb (She works hard). Hardly means almost not, and it is not the comparative of hard. The comparative of hard is harder.

Comparative Adverbs Quick Reference

How to form a comparative adverb

Adverb type	Comparative	Superlative
-ly adverb (quickly, carefully)	more quickly, more carefully	most quickly, most carefully
Short adverb (fast, hard, late, early, long, soon)	faster, harder, later, earlier	fastest, hardest, latest, earliest
well	better	best
badly	worse	worst
far	farther / further	farthest / furthest
little / much	less / more	least / most
Lower degree of any adverb	less + adverb	least + adverb

Common Comparative Adverbs Examples in English

Comparative adverbs grouped by the form they take, so you can match the ending to the adverb rather than to the adjective beside it:

More with -ly Adverbs

The Harwich ferry docks more quickly in a slack tide.: quickly: more, not -er
Nia played the etude more accurately after the metronome drill.: accurately: more
The beeswax melted more evenly once we lowered the pan.: evenly: more
He explained the tide table more clearly the second time.: clearly: more

If you can see -ly, reach for more. Quicklier and accuratelier are not English words.

Short Adverbs with -er

She kneads the dough faster than I do.: fast → faster as an adverb
We will have to leave earlier to catch the coble.: early → earlier
The kiln will have to run longer overnight.: long → longer, modifying run
Please knock harder; the porch door sticks.: hard → harder, not more hard

These words do double duty as adjectives and adverbs. After a verb they are adverbs: she drives fast, not she drives fastly.

Irregulars and Less

He sight-reads better than he used to.: well → better
The second batch rose worse in the cold scullery.: badly → worse
The coble drifted further from the harbour wall.: far → further (or farther)
The glaze crazed less badly once we slowed the firing.: less plus adverb for a milder degree

Better and worse are both adjectives and adverbs. After a verb they compare the action: she sings better, not she sings more well.

How Comparative Adverbs Work

Match the comparative to the adverb, put it after the verb (or at the end), and name the second action with than when you need it.

-ly Adverbs Take More, Not -er

The -ly ending already made an adjective into an adverb (quick → quickly, careful → carefully). English does not pile -er onto that ending. The comparative is more quickly, more carefully, more efficiently. The superlative is most quickly. A few writers still use quicker as an adverb in speech (come quicker), but more quickly is the form to learn and to write.

The ferry docks more quickly at slack water than at a spring tide.

more quickly compares two ways of docking

See -ly: use more.

A Short List Takes -er

Fast, hard, late, early, long, soon, and near add -er and -est: faster, harder, later, earlier, longer, sooner, nearer. They never take more in standard English: more faster is a double mark. These words do not add -ly in the base form either: she works hard, she arrived late, we left early.

We should start sooner if we want the last coble.

soon → sooner, after the verb

Fast, hard, late, early, long, soon: add -er.

Than Names the Second Action

When you name what you are comparing with, than follows the comparative adverb, just as it does with adjectives. You can omit the second clause when it is obvious (She kneads faster now). As ... as marks an equal degree: She kneads as fast as her grandmother did. Less marks a lower degree: less evenly, less often.

Nia played more accurately than she had in the audition.

than introduces the second performance

Comparative + than + the other action.

Do Not Swap in an Adjective

After a verb, English wants an adverb. The comparative adjective (quicker, more careful, better as a thing-word) describes a noun. The comparative adverb (more quickly, more carefully, better as a how-word) describes the verb. The test is what is being compared: a thing, or a way of doing something. This kettle is quicker is an adjective. This kettle boils more quickly is an adverb.

This kettle boils more quickly than the old one.

boils is a verb, so the comparative must be an adverb

Comparing a verb: use an adverb.

Common Mistakes with Comparative Adverbs

Incorrect: The ferry docks more quicker at slack water.

Correct: The ferry docks more quickly at slack water.

Quicker is a comparative adjective, and more quicker double-marks it. The verb docks needs an adverb. Quickly takes more, not -er.

Incorrect: She works more hard than the rest of the crew.

Correct: She works harder than the rest of the crew.

Hard is already an adverb, and its comparative is harder. More hard is a double mark. Hardly would change the meaning to almost not.

Incorrect: He sings more well since the lessons.

Correct: He sings better since the lessons.

Well is irregular. Its comparative is better, not more well. The same verb with an adjective would be He is a better singer, which compares the person, not the action.

Incorrect: Please speak more clearer.

Correct: Please speak more clearly.

Clearer is the comparative adjective. After speak you need the adverb clearly, and that adverb forms the comparative with more. Clearer belongs with a noun: a clearer explanation.

Irregular Comparative Adverbs

A short list has to be learned as new words. They are among the most frequent adverbs in English, so the irregulars repay the effort.

Well, badly, far, little, much

Well → better → best. Badly → worse → worst. Far → farther or further → farthest or furthest. Little → less → least. Much → more → most. None of these add -ly or more in the comparative.

She handles the coble better in a crosswind.: well → better
The second sponge rose worse on the cold shelf.: badly → worse
We walked further along the quay than we meant to.: far → further

Farther is often reserved for physical distance; further also covers figurative distance (we need to look further into the firing schedule). Both are acceptable for distance.

The plus comparative adverb

The plus a comparative adverb in paired clauses means as one thing increases, so does the other: The faster the metronome ticks, the more tightly she watches the bar line. This is the same pattern as the plus comparative adjective (the bigger, the better), applied to actions.

The faster you knead, the sooner the dough comes together.: paired the + comparative adverbs
The more carefully we cool the kiln, the less the glaze crawls.: more carefully paired with less

Each clause needs the before the comparative. Faster you knead, sooner the dough comes is missing both articles.

Quick Check: Comparative Adverbs

Write the comparative adverb. Use than where the prompt asks for it.

1. The Harwich ferry docks ___ (quickly) in a slack tide.

Answer: more quickly

-ly adverb: more, not -er

2. She kneads the dough ___ (fast) than I do.

Answer: faster

short adverb: -er

3. He sight-reads ___ (well) than he used to.

Answer: better

well is irregular

4. Please knock ___ (hard); the porch door sticks.

Answer: harder

hard → harder, not more hard

5. The glaze crazed ___ (badly) once we slowed the firing. (lower degree)

Answer: less badly

less plus adverb

Comparative Adverbs FAQs

What is a comparative adverb?: A comparative adverb compares two actions: more quickly, faster, better. Most -ly adverbs take more, short ones such as fast and hard take -er, and well / badly become better / worse. The Harwich ferry docks more quickly at slack water compares two ways of docking, not two ferries as things.
Is it more quickly or quicker?: After a verb, more quickly is the adverb you want: The ferry docks more quickly. Quicker is a comparative adjective and belongs with a noun: a quicker crossing. Some speakers use quicker as an adverb in casual speech, but more quickly is the form to write and the form this page teaches.
How do you form the comparative of well and badly?: Well becomes better and badly becomes worse. He sight-reads better than he used to. The second batch rose worse in the cold scullery. Do not write more well or more badly for the ordinary comparative; less badly is available when you want a milder degree of a bad action.
What is the difference between harder and more hard?: More hard is not used. Hard is already an adverb, and its comparative is harder: She works harder in the kiln yard. More hardly would also be wrong, because hardly means almost not and is a different word. Keep hard, harder, hardest for effort and force.
Where does a comparative adverb go in the sentence?: It usually sits after the verb, or after the object if there is a short one: She kneads the dough faster. It can also come at the end: He explained the tide table more clearly the second time. Than plus the second action follows when you name the comparison. Do not place more quickly in front of the subject.