Tonight’s song has almost no words: a robot voice repeats short commands and four comparatives, again and again.
Learn from Songs · Unit 5: Comparatives and superlatives · A2–B1
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
A robot song made almost only of comparatives: harder, better, faster, stronger, spelling rules (big → bigger, easy → easier), the more…, the better…, and getting faster and faster, with Marcos, and an engineer of Alexandria who built real machines.
SOPHIA
MARCOS
I know it! It sounds like a factory.
DEMETRIA
Can you learn English from a robot?
SOPHIA
You can learn four comparatives. And the rules for all the others.
Before you listen: the song
Paris, 2001
Daft Punk were two French musicians, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, who always appeared in public wearing robot helmets. They were among the most influential electronic musicians in the world.
This song comes from their 2001 album Discovery. It’s built around a sample from a 1979 funk song, and a robotic voice that repeats short instructions to work, make, do and make it better, faster, stronger. The video is a Japanese animated film, made with the famous manga artist Leiji Matsumoto. In 2007, the rapper Kanye West used it in his hit “Stronger”.
The song sounds like a machine, or like a factory, or like a gym: the same commands, over and over, a little faster each time.
The harder you work, the better it gets.
Listen: the commands
PHILO
Listen once. The voice says pairs of short verbs, then four comparatives. Write down all the verbs you can hear.
SOPHIA
Then listen: does the speed change? Answer Section A.
⚙️ Listen to the song: “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” (Daft Punk, 2001).Watch the official video →
📜 Read the words while you listen: “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”, Daft Punk.Read the lyrics →
Comparatives: the spelling rules
DEMETRIA
hard → harder, fast → faster, strong → stronger… and good → better!
SOPHIA
Short adjectives: + -er (harder). One vowel + one consonant: double it (big → bigger, hot → hotter). -y → -ier (easy → easier, heavy → heavier). Long adjectives: more (more difficult). Irregular: good → better, bad → worse, far → further.
The more…, the better…
MARCOS
The harder you work, the better it gets!
SOPHIA
the + comparative…, the + comparative… shows that two things change together: The more you read, the more you learn. The sooner, the better.
Faster and faster
PHILO
The song gets faster and faster. My English is getting better and better.
SOPHIA
comparative + and + comparative shows continuous change: It’s getting colder and colder. She ran faster and faster. With long adjectives: more and more (more and more difficult).
Sophia’s comparison: the machines of Alexandria
SOPHIA
Our city is famous for machines. Ctesibius, long ago, made a water clock and a pump; and a little later Hero will build doors that open by themselves and a ball that spins with steam.
MARCOS
A robot in Alexandria?
SOPHIA
Almost. Hero described a whole theatre of wooden figures that moved by themselves. Daft Punk would have loved it.
Sophia’s summary
| Words and forms | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -er; double consonant; -y → -ier | spelling short comparatives | hard → harder, big → bigger, easy → easier |
| more + long adjective | long comparatives | more difficult |
| good → better, bad → worse, far → further | irregular comparatives | better and better |
| the + comparative, the + comparative | two things changing together | The harder you work, the better it gets. |
| comparative + and + comparative | continuous change | faster and faster |
Practice
Listen to the song for Section A, then do the rest. Press “Check my answers” at the end. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Listen: the song
Listen to the song and choose the best answer.
1. How many words does the song have?
2. What does the voice sound like?
3. Which four comparatives are in the title?
4. What did Daft Punk wear in public?
5. What is the video?
6. Which rapper used the song in 2007?
B · Grammar and vocabulary
Write the missing word or words.
7. This box is than that one. (heavy)
8. My bag is than yours. (big)
9. The you practise, the better you get.
10. It’s getting colder and .
11. This exercise is difficult than the last one.
12. My English is getting and better.
C · Right or wrong?
Is the sentence correct English?
13. “My house is more big than yours.”
14. “The sooner, the better.”
15. “It’s getting more hot and more hot.”
16. “This test is easier than the last one.”
Talk and write
Discussion and writing
Robot commands. In pairs, give each other commands with comparatives: Speak louder! Walk slower! Write neater! (Careful: some of these are informal; in correct English we’d say more slowly, more neatly.)
Discuss. 1. Is it always good to be faster and stronger? 2. Do you think machines will do most work in the future? 3. Why do you think Daft Punk hid their faces?
Write (60–80 words). The more…, the better… Write five sentences of advice for a new student: The more you read, the more words you learn…
Now play the gamebook: Marcos in the workshop of Hero the engineer.Play the gamebook →