Kinds of Comparisons

Transcription

1 Kinds of Comparisons Adjectives and adverbs are inflected to show different degrees of comparison: positive e.g., quick, comparative e.g., quicker, and superlative e.g., the quickest degrees. Here are the basic patterns: Monosyllabic adjectives inflect with er and the est to show degrees of comparison: 1 tall taller than the tallest 2 slim slimmer than the slimmest 3 flat flatter than the flattest 4 clean cleaner than the cleanest 5 blithe blither than the blithest Some adjectives and adverbs are irregular: 6 good better than the best 7 bad worse than the worst 8 few fewer than (countable) the fewest less than (non-countable) the least 9 far farther than (measureable) the farthest further than (non-measureable) the furthest

2 Di-syllabic (two-syllable) adjectives in NAE (North American English) ending in ow, -le, -y, -er e.g., narrow, gentle, happy, clever typically follow this pattern as well: 10 narrow, yellow narrower than, yellower than the narrowest, the yellowest 11 able, noble abler than, nobler than the ablest, the noblest 12 greedy, nasty. greedier than, nastier than the greediest, the nastiest 13 clever, bitter cleverer than, bitter than the cleverest, the bitterest Polysyllabic adjectives and adverbs typically inflect with more than and the most 14 awkward more awkward than the most awkward 15 religious more religious than the most religious 16 tiring more tiring than the most tiring 17 believable more believable than the most believable 18 constructive more constructive than the most constructive 19 popular more popular than the most popular 20 deplorable more deplorable than the most deplorable 21 corrupt more corrupt than the most corrupt 22 delicious more delicious than the most delicious 23 gossipy more gossipy than the most gossipy Some adjectives do not logically show degrees of comparison: 24 atomic, correct, pregnant, precise, square, full, right, empty, wrong, molecular, still, just, exact

3 Equative comparisons evaluate similarity and dissimilarity. 25 Mei Sun is as healthy as an ox. Jay is as sharp as a tack. Harinder is as good as gold. 26 Germaine is not as (so) swift as we had anticipated. 27 Karen is less helpful than she ought to be. Proportional comparisons are predictable variations that are direct: (up up, down down) Inverse: (up down, down up): 28 The more I think about it, the more plausible it becomes. 29 The less you spend, the more you save. 30 The fewer tech-savvy friends you have, the greater the chance of redundancy. 31 The livelier the music, the merrier the party. 32 The more you complain, the less I listen.

4 Show degrees of comparison for the following monosyllabic adjectives. Pay attention to spelling. Positive Comparative Superlative 1 Although Mary s house is big, Eric s house is but Simon s house is 2 Although the old clown is sad, the young clown is but the unemployed clown is 3 Although John is tall, Kenneth is but Gilberto is 4 Although the Math text is slim, the Chemistry text is but the English text is 5 Although burner #16 is hot, burner #27 is burner #52 6 Although Manitoba is pretty flat, Alberta is but Saskatchewan is 7 Although the Boston Marathon is fast, the 100-metre dash is but the Tour de France is 8 Although the road ahead is rough, The footpath over there is but that hill is 9 Although cycling is slow, taking the bus is but walking is 10 Although Hannah is rich, her brother is but their sister is 11 Although The Black Sea is wide, the Atlantic is but the Pacific Ocean is 12 Although a rabbit is swift, a mouse is but a cat is 13 Although this banana is ripe, that pear is but those peaches are 14 Although your baby is undoubtedly cute, their baby is but my baby is 15 Although the polo shirt is rather pale, her blouse is but those t-shirts are 16 Although Lake Superior is deep, the Caspian Sea is but Lake Baikal is 17 Although these ties in the catalogue are cheap, the ties in the window are but the ties online are

5 Positive Comparative Superlative 18 Although late spring is cool in the midwest, Autumn is but Indian Summer is 19 Although the ground beef on sale is lean, the ground beef under the counter is but the ground beef in plastic 20 Although Classical music can be loud, Pop music can be but Heavy Metal music is 21 Although those hills are steep, that mountain is but those cliffs are 22 Although Shanghai is near, Shenzhen is but Beijing is 23 Although this belt is too tight, that previous belt is but the belt over there is 24 Although cadets stand straight, soldiers stand but Officers stand 25 Although Rolando s mark was low, Raúl s mark was but Briceida s mark was 26 Although carpets can be quite soft, rugs are but pillows are 27 Although teachers are strict, parents are but wardens are 28 Although this temple is old, that mosque is but the shrine is 29 Although horizons seem smooth, rinks seem but floors are 30 Although many books are quite thick, dictionaries are but an encyclopedia is 31 Although this kerchief is loose, your scarf is but this belt is 32 Although today s temperature is quite high, yesterday s was but the weekend s was 33 Although her aunt is young, her uncle is but her mother is 34 Although this material is poor, that fabric is but the cloth is 35 Although this way is short, that path is but this shortcut is 36 Although the scissors are sharp, the pliers are but the box-cutter is

6 Positive Comparative Superlative 37 Although February is the wet season here, March is but April May is 38 Although your parties are wild, his parties are but her parties are 39 Although these oranges are sour, those cherries are but those lemons are 40 Although most bread is moist, muffins are but cake is 41 Although Phil s pencil is dull, Elena s marker is but Harry s crayons are 42 Although shortbread is sweet, dark chocolate is but milk chocolate is 43 Although the stairway is clean, the outside steps are but the landing is 44 Although joggers are fit, runners are but swimmers are 45 Although the Yellow River is long, the Amazon is but the Nile is 46 Although English is tough, Math is but Chemistry is 47 Although a tweet is good, an autograph is but a picture is 48 Although that meadow is dry, the valley is but the desert is 49 Although late afternoon gets dark, early evening is but midnight is 50 Although late morning is fresh, mid-morning is but early morning is