Step 22: Bigger and Better

📖 Read — Two Cities, Two Phones

Emma lives in New York, and her cousin Sophia lives in Austin. “New York is bigger than Austin,” Emma says, “and it is more exciting. But Austin is cheaper, and the weather is warmer!”

Today the girls are shopping for phones. “This phone is faster than my old one,” says Sophia, “and the camera is better. But that one is more expensive.” Emma smiles. “Your old phone is slower, but it is good. A new phone is not always better!”

🔊 Listen to the text

🧩 Grammar — Comparatives — Comparing Two Things

To compare two things: short adjectives take -er + than (big → bigger than). Long adjectives use more + adjective + than (more expensive than). Remember the irregular ones: good → better, bad → worse. Never use -er and more together: ✗ more bigger.

• New York is bigger than Austin.
• This phone is more expensive than that one.
• The camera is better than before.
• Austin is cheaper than New York.

🏗️ Key structures

• ___ is bigger than ___ — Chicago is bigger than Austin.
• ___ is more ___ than ___ — This book is more interesting than that book.
• ___ is better / worse than ___ — My new bike is better than my old bike.

⭐ Idiom & natural phrases

🔤 New words

🎧 Say it with me

New York is bigger than Austin, but Austin is cheaper, and the weather is warmer.

🔊 Listen & repeat

🎤 Your turn to speak

Compare two things you know: two cities, two phones, or two foods. Say 3 sentences with -er than and more … than.

Say it out loud three times. Even better: record it on your phone and listen — your ear is your best teacher.

✍️ Your turn to write

Write 4 sentences comparing your town with a big American city. Use bigger, cheaper, more…, and better.

Self-check: capital letters? Full stops? Did you use the grammar of this step?

📝 Quick check