Comparatives and Superlatives
Very often when we compare different objects or events. As we tend to be as colorful as possible, using only comparative or superlative form of adjectives is not always enough.
Because of this, we begin to add adverbs or special constructions such as far, by far, much, a lot, a little etc.
The knowledge of the rules how to use the intensifiers of comparison usually indicates an advanced student.
Comparative and superlative
Comparative vs superlative: comparative compares two things (taller than); superlative picks the extreme from three or more (the tallest). If there are only two options, never use the superlative — the taller of the two, not the tallest of the two.
Comparatives use -er or more; superlatives use -est or most. Short adjectives take suffixes; longer ones take more/most. A small irregular set (good/better/best) follows no pattern.
Diagnostic: how many items are being compared? Two → comparative. Three+ → superlative. Also: never double up (more better is always wrong).
Adjective
Adjective vs adverb: both describe things, but adjectives attach to nouns while adverbs attach to verbs. A quick answer (adjective → noun) vs answered quickly (adverb → verb).
An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun — telling you what kind, which one, or how many: a red car, something useful, three heavy boxes.
Diagnostic test: if the word describes a thing or person, use the adjective form. If it describes an action, you need the adverb (-ly) form instead.
Adverb
Adverb vs adjective: adjectives describe things; adverbs describe actions, qualities, or degrees. The mix-up usually happens after action verbs — she sings beautiful (wrong) vs she sings beautifully (right).
An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb: incredibly fast, she spoke softly, we go often.
Diagnostic: ask what word is this describing? If it's a verb (an action) → adverb. If it's a noun (a thing) → adjective. Exception: linking verbs (be, seem, taste) take adjectives, not adverbs.
Modifier
Modifier vs complement: modifiers are optional — remove them and the sentence still works (He walked is fine without slowly). Complements are required — remove them and the sentence breaks (She is ___). This determines whether something is extra detail or essential structure.
A modifier adds optional information to another element: adjectives for nouns, adverbs for verbs/adjectives/clauses.
Diagnostic: can you remove it without making the sentence ungrammatical? Yes → modifier. No → complement. Is it next to the word it modifies? If not → dangling/misplaced modifier error.
Morphology
Morphology vs vocabulary: vocabulary is about knowing whole words; morphology is about understanding how words are built. If you know that -tion makes nouns and un- means "not," you can guess the meaning of words you've never seen before. Morphology multiplies your vocabulary without extra memorisation.
Morphology studies word-building: roots, prefixes, and suffixes. English mixes Germanic and Latin morphology, giving it unusually many building blocks.
Diagnostic: can you break the word into meaningful pieces? Yes → use morphology to decode it. Is it a single unanalysable chunk (dog, run)? → simple root, no morphology needed.
B2 | Upper Intermediate
B2 vs C1: B2 means effective communication on complex topics with some effort. C1 means effortless fluency with precise register control. If you can argue a point but still reach for words and make structural slips under pressure, you're B2.
B2 is the upper-intermediate CEFR level: mixed conditionals, complex passives, reported speech with backshift, participle clauses, and sustained written argument.
Diagnostic: does your writing read as "competent non-native" or "could be native"? The former → B2. The latter → C1.
Hard
Hard vs Medium: Medium tests one rule with realistic distractors. Hard tests interacting rules, edge cases, or context-dependent answers where multiple options seem correct until you think deeply. If you're scoring 80%+ on Medium, try Hard to find your real gaps.
The Hard tag filters for B2+ challenges with layered difficulty: rule interactions, subtle distractors, and contexts that demand genuine grammatical reasoning.
Diagnostic: if Hard questions feel impossible, drop to Medium and master the individual rules first. Hard assumes you already know each rule — it tests whether you can apply them together.