Lecture 25

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Lecture 25Comparison andComparative Constructions As has been shown, most adjectives and adverbs are gradable and can be used in comparative clauses. When appearing in comparative constructions, adjectives and adverbs take special grammatical forms which are called “forms of comparison”.25.1 Comparison of adjectives and adverbsWith gradable adjectives and adverbs, there are three degrees of comparison: positive / absolute degree, comparative degree and superlative degree. The positive / absolute degree is just the base form of an adjective or adverb. The comparative degree and superlative degrees may be regular or irregular. Most adjectives and adverbs have regular comparison; only a few of them are irregular.1)Regular comparison of adjectivesComparison in relation to a higher or the highest degree is expressed by the inflected forms in –er or–est, or by their equivalents with more or most; the former is known as the synthetic form and the latter the analytic form.Generally speaking, with mono-syllabic adjectives the comparison and superlative degrees are formed by adding –er and –est to the positive, and with adjectives of more than two syllables by adding more and most.Disyllabic adjectives may have either –er / –est forms or more / most forms except for those ending in –y and –ow which more often than not take the synthetic forms (-er / -est).2)Regular comparison of adverbsComparisons of adverbs is similar to that of adjectives. Adverbs of one syllable form their comparative degree in –er and their superlative in –est. adverbs of more than one syllable usually take more and most forms.3)Irregular comparison of adjectives and adverbsThere are only a small number of adjectives and adverbs whose comparative and superlative degrees take irregular forms. These adjectives and adverbs in clued bad, good / well, old, far, much, badly. 25.2 Comparative constructionsThere are three types of comparative construction:1)“As … as” constructionsThe basic pattern of “as … as” construction is “as + adjective / adverb + as”, eg:She’s as bad-tempered as her mother (is).This can be negated to produce either “She’s not as bad-tempered as her mother” or “She’s not so bad-tempered as her mother”.There are parallels between a negative “as … as” and a “less … than”construction, which in actual usage is not so common as the former.There are cases in which the subjects of the comparative and the main clause are identical but the comparative elements are different, eg:Martin was as impatient as he was stubborn.There are also cases where both the subjects and the comparative elements are different, eg:The swimming pool isn’t twice as wide as that one is long.It should be noticed that there is always something omitted in the comparative clause except that two different qualities are being compared as shown in the two examples cited above.Another pattern of “as … as” construction is “as much / many + noun + as –clause”, in which much and many are determiners.The negative form of this pattern is “not as much / many + noun+ as –clause”, eg:She makes as much money as I do.There are as many students in my class as there are in your class.We haven’t produced as much cotton this year as we did last year.There is, in addition, a variant form of “as … as” construction: “as + adjective + noun phrase + as –clause”, eg:She is as good a cook as her brother.It should be noticed that in this variant pattern the embedded noun phrase is usually “a / an + singular count noun” or “zero + non-count noun”rather than “zero + plural count noun”which is rarely found insuch a construction. It should also be noticed that this variant form is sometimes interchangeable with the pattern “noun phrase + as …as construction” with little or no difference in meaning. The only difference lies in the fact that in the variant pattern nucleus falls on the noun, while in the latter pattern nucleus falls on the adjective, eg:George is efficient a worker as Jack.George is a worker as efficient as Jack.2)“More …than” constructionThe basic pattern of “more …than”construction is comparative degree + than–clause”, eg:Mary is more generous than Penny.This can be negated to produce:Mary is less generous than Penny.Or:Mary is not so / as generous as Penny.The latter is preferred when there is an established pair of antonymous adjectives or adverbs.Another pattern of “more …than”construction is “determiner more / less /fewer +noun + than–clause”. As in the case of “as … as”construction, the noun is always embedded in the comparative structure, eg:A city has more traffic than town.My class has fewer students than your class.A variant form of “more …than”construction is “comparative adjective + noun + than–clause”, eg:John is a more efficient worker than Jack.This sentence can be rephrased as:John is a worker more efficient than Jack.But less frequently as:John is more efficient a worker than Jack.Another variant form of “more …than”construction is “the + comparative adjective / adverb + of–phrase”. In this pattern, the definite article is obligatory with comparative adjectives, but optional with comparative adverbs, eg:John is the brighter of the two.Of the two boys John behaves (the) more politely.A third variant form of “more … than” construction is “more / less of a + noun + than–clause”. Here more and less are used as indefinite pronouns, and the noun that follows is usually a singular gradable noun, eg:He is more / less of a sportsman than his brother.= He is more / less sportsmanlike than his brother.3)“(The) + superlative adjective / adverb + scope of comparison”The superlative construction is used when three or more than threepeople or things are compared. In this construction there is usually a scope of comparison which may be expressed by a prepositional phrase, a relative clause, or a non-finite clause. Sometimes the scope of comparison is understood in the context and need not be expressed. In some set expressions, a scope of comparison is unnecessary at all. Compare: You are the happiest person under the sun.Is it the best grammar book you’ve ever read?What is the most valuable thing you own?The youngest of the family was the most successful.The negative form of the superlative construction is “the least …”which, in practical usage, is usually replaced by the superlative degree of antonymous adjectives or adverbs, eg:When my wife goes shopping, she always looks for the least expensive items.= …, she always looks for the cheapest items.The idea of highest degree can also be expressed by other constructions. In some contexts the positive or comparative degree expresses the same meaning as is usually conveyed by the superlative, eg: George did more work than anyone else.= George did the most work.Nothing in my life shook me so deeply as my first visit to China.= My first visit to China moved me the deepest.25. 3 Contrast between comparative constructionsFour pairs of related patterns may be noted.1)“More … than” vs. quasi-coordinative typeApart from the basic use, “More …than”can also perform a quasi-coordinative function, as in:He is more good than bad.= He is good rather than bad.“Less …than”can perform the same function with a reversed interpretation:He was less hurt than frightened.= He was frightened rather than hurt.2)“Not so … as” vs. “not so much … as”“Not so …as”is the negative form of “as …as”construction, whereas “not so mush … as” is another quasi-coordinative construction similar in meaning to the quasi-coordinative use of “less… than”, eg: It wasn’t so much his appearance I liked as his personality.= I like his personality rather than his appearance.3)“Not more / -er … than” vs. “no more / -er … than”“Not more / -er …than”is the negative form of “more …than”construction, whereas “no more / -er … than” means “not … any more than”. Thus, “A is no wiser than B” means “A is not wise just as B is not wise”, implying both A and B are stupid. Likewise, “A whale is no more afish than a horse is” means “A whale is not a fish just as a horse is not a fish”.In specific contexts, “more than” may have negative implication. As in:My trip to Beijing is more than sightseeing.= My trip to Beijing is not merely for sightseeing.4)“The more … the more” vs. “more and more”“The more …the more” is commonly used to denote two parallel processes on a proportional increase. In this construction, the first part constitutes a subordinate clause, while the second the main clause, eg: The older I get, the happier I am.= When I get older, I become happier.The older we grow, the poorer our memory will become.= if we grow older, the result will be that our memory will becomepoorer.“More and more” is a coordinate adverb phrase commonly used as premodifier in adjective / adverb phrase. In contrast with “the more …the more”, “more and more” is usually used to denote one process that is on a continual increase, eg:His health is getting better and better.I like more you and more every day.Days are getting longer and longer, and we feel lazier and lazier.Lecture 25 补充一.几个不规则变化的形容词(有些也是副词)的正确用法。