Among the exceptions of the degrees of comparison of adjectives in English there is also the word far (distant, distant, distant). It is important to remember that when referring to distance, they use the form farther/the farthest, while when talking about time, they use further/the furthest. Note the use of the forms further - the furthest and to indicate distance.
Let's look at the farther and further forms in more detail in the table with examples and exercises.
Farther [‘fɑːðə] or further [‘fɜːðə]. Degrees of comparison of adjectives.
| far. Farther or further. persistent expressions. | |
|---|---|
| so far so good | so far so good |
| so far | still; Bye; until now |
| by far | clearly, avowedly, unequivocally |
| further inquiry | further study |
| further investigation | further investigation |
| further leg | far leg |
| further to our discussion further to our discussion (our talks) | in addition to our discussion (our discussion) |
| to know farther | learn deeper |
| further proof | additional proof |
| further offenses | committing crimes in the future |
| further to our letter | in addition to our letter |
| further witness | next witness |
| further education | further education |
| far and wide | everywhere, all over |
| As far as I know… | As I know… |
When thinking about which form of the degree of comparison of adjectives to choose - farther or further, remember that the form further is universal. It can be used for both distance and time. However, when listening to audio recordings, podcasts, watching films, TV series or cartoons in English, you can come across the form farther (the farthest), which, as we have already found out, is used to indicate exactly the distance.
You can always return to this article, table and exercises "Farther or further" by bookmarking it with the keyboard shortcut CTRL + D
Exercises on far, farther, the farthest, further, the furthest.
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As soon as the teacher asks to translate into English, for example, the word "give", the student begins to sort through all the "verbs of bestowal" - get, give, take, bring, etc. - wherein...
18 dec.
USED TO VS. AM/ IS/ ARE USED TO
Used to do - used to do something, but now I don't do it.
When Alice was sixteen she used to like karaoke.
Am/ is/ are used to something/ doing - accustomed to something
He is used to the climate of England.
He is used to living in the climate of England.
* Note that these two expressions differ not only in meaning, but also in control. After used to, only the infinitive should go, and after am/ is/ are used to - only a gerund or a noun.
FARTHER-THE FARTHEST VS. FURTHER-THE FURTHEST
Both groups of these degrees of comparison were formed from the adjective far - "distant, distant". Both of these groups denote "more distant" - farther and further; "the farthest" - the farthest and the furthest.
Her new apartment is much farther/ further than she told me.
Moscow is the farthest / furthest city I have ever travelled to.
However, further-the furthest also has another, more common meaning, which farther-the farthest does not have. This meaning is “following, further (about information, information)”. Moreover, in this meaning, further and the furthest are interchangeable.
We will send you further/ the furthest information by e-mail.
ARRIVE IN VS. ARRIVE AT
The expressions arrive in and arrive at are translated in the same way - “arrive, arrive somewhere”.
Arrive in - to come to "large" settlements - cities, countries, continents.
Call me when you arrive in Berlin.
Arrive at - arrive at "small" places: hotels, airports, train stations, houses, etc.
After arriving at a hotel a visitor should check in.
ELDER-THE ELDEST VS. OLDER-THE OLDEST
The comparative and superlative degree from the adjective old can be formed in two ways - Elder-the eldest and older-the oldest. Both of these forms denote "older" and "oldest", respectively. However, in addition to this meaning, elder-the eldest is most often used in the sense of "senior in the family." For example, elder brother, the eldest brother. At the same time, when talking about seniority in the family, it is not recommended to use the older-the oldest form.
GOLD VS. GOLDEN
Gold - made of gold: gold ring (golden ring), gold crown (golden crown).
Golden - similar to gold, "golden": golden autumn (golden autumn), golden color (golden hue).
SILK VS. SILKY
Silk - made of silk, "silk": silk dress (silk dress), silk needle (silk thread).
Silky - feels like silk, "silky": silky hair (silky hair), silky skin (silky skin).
STONE VS. STONY
Stone - made of stone: stonec wall (stone wall), stone age (stone age).
Stony - cold, indifferent as a stone: stony look (stone look), stony behavior (indifferent behavior).
FEATHER VS. FEATHERY
Feather - made of feathers: feather blanket (feather blanket), feather scarf (feather scarf).
Feathery - similar in appearance or feel to a feather, "feathery": feathery clouds (feathery clouds), feathery touch (gentle touch).
In the article we will deal with the word far and expression a long way. They mean about the same thing, but there are a number of nuances that should be considered when using these words.
Far #1
Pronunciation and translation: 
Far / [fa:] - far
Meaning of the word: About something that is at a great distance
Use:
Far is typically used in the following cases:
- With a negative or in a question
For example: This restaurant far (far) from here? how far (far) Is there a train station?
- In statements (that is, not in questions or in negatives), far can be used with some words, for example so(/[c`ou] "so", "so much"), too(/[tu:] "too", "too"), enough([ɪˈnʌf]/[in`af] "enough").
For example: This city so far (so far), we won't be able to get to it on our own! The ball flew away too much far ( too far) and we have been looking for it for a long time. Our cottage is located enough far (far enough) from the city, so the air is clean here.
Example:
We asked for directions and a policeman told us that the airport isn't far.
We asked for directions and the policeman told us that the airport near.
How far do you think the next gas station is?
How much do you think far next gas station?
Far #2
Pronunciation and translation: 
Far / [fa:] - much, much
Meaning of the word: This word is used with comparison to show the intensity of the attribute by which we compare objects.
Use:
For example: This tour much more expensive (far more expensive), than that. your option much it is better (far better) than the one suggested by Tom.
Example:
The second edition of this book is far better than the first one.
Second edition of this book much it is better first.
Tomorrow it will be far hotter than today.
Tomorrow much hotter than today.
a long way
Pronunciation and translation: 
A long way [ə lɒŋ weɪ] / [e l'on way] - far
Meaning of the word: About something that is at a great distance.
Use:
Unlike far, a long way can be used in statements by itself, without any additional words.
For example: This street is far (a long way) from here. Moscow far (a long way) from Vladivostok.
However, in questions and negatives a long way can also be used.
For example: Far Or is there a subway from here? (Is metro a long way from here?) The hotel is located near (isn't a long way) can be reached on foot.
Example:
We're not a long way from my favorite restaurant, would you like to have lunch together?
We near from my favorite restaurant, would you like to have lunch together?
What is the difference?
Far #1- about something at a great distance. Use only in questions and negatives! In statements it is possible only if there is "so, too, enough". For example: How far (how far) Do you need to go to your place of work? Taxi driver dropped me off too far (too far) from the desired house.
Far #2- "much", we use in comparisons. For example: Winter nights much (far) is longer than in summer. Sarah much (far) is taller than his sister.
a long way- about something at a great distance. It can be used in questions, negatives, and affirmations. For example: He spent two years away (a long way) from the house. Our hotel was near (not a long way) from the sea.
Reinforcement task
Translate the following sentences into English. Leave your answers in the comments.
1. The river is far beyond the forest.
2. Was it difficult to live so far away from your family?
3. You look much better with this hairstyle.
4. Follow me, it's not far.
5. Is this apartment far from the subway?
6. My suitcase is much lighter than yours.
What is the difference?
Farther and further are two in the English language. When do you use each one?
Should you say, "It is farther down the aisle"?
Or should you say, "It is further down the aisle"?
Is it "farther away" or "further away" ?
In this lesson, we will learn the differences between farther and further .
Farther
We usually use farther to talk about a physical length or distance. Farther is the of far when talking about physical distance. If you can replace the word farther with a phrase like "more miles" or "more distance", then you are probably using it correctly.
Examples:
- If you walk farther down the road, you will see my house.
(If you walk more miles down the road, you will see my house.)
- The school is farther down Oak Street.
(The school is more miles down Oak Street.)
- How much farther until we get there?
(How many more miles until we get there?)
- Texas is farther south than Oklahoma.
(Texas is more miles south than Oklahoma.)
- Move your chair farther towards the back of the room.
(Move your chair more distance towards the back of the room.)
- The dog ran farther than I thought he would when I let him out of the house.
(The dog ran more distance than I thought he would when I let him out of the house.)
Further
We usually use further to talk about a metaphorical distance, like a distance in time. It refers to a time or amount. Further is the of "far" when you mean "much." Further is another way of saying "additional" or "more time."
Examples:
- His plan needs further study.
(His plan additional needs study.)
- I won't listen to this any further.
(I won't listen to this for any more time.)
- The teacher wants to discuss this further tomorrow.
(The teacher wants to discuss this for more time tomorrow.)
- I plan to further my education.
(I plan to spend more time on my education.)
More tips
Sometimes it can be difficult to decide if you should use farther or further . Sometimes it is hard to tell if you are talking about a physical distance or a metaphorical distance. For example:
- Billy is further/farther along on the exam than Janet.
Billy could be physically farther on the test if he is on page two and Janet is only on page one.
Or it could mean a metaphorical distance or further through the test. Billy has spent more time on the test and has less time to finish than Janet.
If you are not sure which one to use, it is best to use further because it has less restrictions. Some writing style guides and dictionaries say that it doesn't matter which one you use.
Farther and further both mean at a greater distance, and they are used interchangeably in this sense. In the United States, though farther is more often used to refer to physical distances, and further more often refers to figurative and nonphysical distances. For example, we might say that one mountain is farther away than another, while we might say the price of a stock (a nonphysical thing) fell further today than yesterday. This is not a rule, however, and further is often used for physical distances. The distinction does not exist in the U.K. and elsewhere in the (British) Commonwealth of Nations, where further is preferred for all senses of the word and farther is rare.
Further has senses it does not share with farther. It works as an adjective meaning additional—e.g., “I have no further questions.” It works as an adverb meaning additionally—e.g., “He said he did not spend the money, and stated further that he had never even received it.” And it works as a verb meaning advance (something)—e.g., “This website is meant to further understanding of 21st-century English.” Farther is not commonly used these ways.
The physical/nonphysical distinction in the U.S. extends to the superlatives farthest and furthest. Furthermore is an adverbial extension of further and often bears replacement with the shorter word. The rare furthermost is sometimes used to mean farthest or furthest, and it likewise bears replacement with the shorter words.
Examples
in these sentences, farther refers to physical distances:
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Farther south, in Central Otago, there are some even harsher mountains. [telegraph]
Making people park a little farther away will actually increase their exposure to danger, he added. [Red Wing Republican Eagle]
Pyzik said the testing cells would be located farther from the school than initially proposed. [Chicago Tribune]
And in these examples, further refers to figurative and non-physical distances—for example:
The Dollar is extending its gains against the Euro. EUR/USD fell further to 1.3430, hitting a fresh daily low. [NASDAQ]
So the mechanism that was initially meant to be protective can become the source of further damage. [Indy Posted]
Reliable measurements of the Sun's magnetic field are only available from 1900 onwards, so researchers used computer simulations for further back in time. [daily mail]
Many counterexamples could be found, however, and using further in place of farther is never an error.
