More means a greater amount or degree of something; in addition to what already exists; or to a greater extent than before. It functions as a determiner before nouns, an adverb before adjectives and verbs, and a pronoun when it stands alone.
What Does More Mean?
More descends from Old English māra, meaning "greater" or "larger", which is related to Old Norse meiri and Gothic maiza. The Proto-Germanic root *maizô carried the same sense of increase or excess. The word has remained essentially unchanged in meaning since the earliest Old English texts, making it one of the most ancient and stable words in the language.
In modern British English, more performs three distinct grammatical roles. As a determiner, it quantifies a noun: "We need more time." As an adverb, it forms comparatives with multi-syllable adjectives and adverbs: "The second test was more challenging." As a pronoun, it replaces a noun phrase already understood from context: "Would you like some more?"
More is also the comparative form shared by both much (uncountable) and many (countable). This dual role makes it unusually flexible: "more water" (uncountable) and "more questions" (countable) are both correct. Understanding this flexibility is essential for moving beyond A2 level fluency.
Example Sentences by CEFR Level
| Sentence | Level & note |
|---|---|
| Can I have more juice, please? | A2 — determiner with uncountable noun; polite request |
| She needs more practice with listening comprehension. | B1 — determiner in an ESL learning context; collocates with practice |
| The second chapter is more difficult than the first. | B1 — adverb forming a comparative with a two-syllable adjective |
| The government needs to invest considerably more in public transport if it hopes to reduce carbon emissions. | B2 — pronoun intensified by considerably; formal register |
| The more you immerse yourself in a language, the more naturally its patterns become embedded in your long-term memory. | C1 — the more … the more correlative construction; academic register |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| more than enough | There is more than enough food for everyone. |
| more or less | The work is more or less finished — just a few details remain. |
| no more | There is no more bread; shall I buy some? |
| once more | Could you repeat that once more, please? |
| any more | I do not live there any more. |
| much more | The revised draft is much more coherent than the original. |
| far more | Far more students passed this year than last year. |
| even more | After the rain the air smelled even more fresh. |
| more and more | More and more people are choosing to work remotely. |
| the more … the more | The more you read, the more you learn. |
Usage Notes
- Determiner vs. pronoun: When a noun follows, more is a determiner ("more coffee"). When it stands alone, it is a pronoun ("Would you like more?").
- Comparative formation: Use more before adjectives and adverbs of two or more syllables ("more important", "more carefully"). Use the -er suffix for most one-syllable words ("bigger", "faster").
- Anymore vs. any more: In British English the two-word form any more is standard in statements and questions ("She doesn't work here any more"). The one-word form anymore is mainly American English.
- Register: Intensifiers such as considerably more, substantially more, and markedly more are preferred in formal and academic writing over informal a lot more.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
This exercise is more easier than yesterday's.
This exercise is easier than yesterday's. (never combine more with a one-syllable -er comparative)
I don't live there anymore. (British English)
I don't live there any more. (two words is the British English standard)
She has more stronger arguments than her opponent.
She has stronger arguments than her opponent. (double comparative is not used in standard English)