COMPARATIVECOMPARATIVESS&&

SUPERLATIVESUPERLATIVESS

Types of comparisonsComparisons are of different types, depending on whether the things being compared are seen as different or similar on the dimension on which they are being compared. The two main types of comparisons: inequality comparisons equality comparisons

Inequality comparisons: • It presents two things being

compared as a different points on a scale related to the dimension on which they are being compared.

John is taller than Bill is. (Bill and John are compared in the

respect of height, which has different degrees on a scale represented by the adjective tall.)

• In the example the second clause of comparison is a reduced version of preceding clause, with omission of content that is like the content in the first clause. Thus we can write the sentence in different ways:

John is taller than Bill is tall. John is taller than Bill is. John is taller than Bill.

Inequality comparisons may express:superiority relationship: • It has the meaning “x is greater than y”. It

is expressed by more or –er on certain adjectives and adverbs and with than introducing a second clause.

• The element on which things are

compared can be one that is expressed by an adjective, an adverb, a noun or a verb.

• Adjectives used in comparisons need to be gradable adjectives.

Examples: Fred is smarter than Alice. adjective (with –

er)

George is more considerate than Alan is. adjective (with

more)

She tries harder than Susan does. adverb (with –er)

She speaks more frequently than he does. adverb

(with more)

John has more problems than I do. noun

He talks a lot more than she does. verb

• Although generally expressed with comparative sentences, superiority relationships can also be expressed by certain verbs, such as surpass, prefer (to) and favor (over) and certain combination of be + adjective + to.

I prefer opera to the ballet. His entry was superior to hers. The solution he suggested is preferable to

the one you just made.

Inferiority relationships:• It has the meaning “x is less than y”.• It is expressed by less- or with count nouns, fewer -

followed by than introducing the second clause.

The first estimate was less expensive adjective

than the second. He drives less cautiously than I do. adverb She has much less money than you do. noncount noun (with

less) Alice has fewer friends than Susan does. count noun (with

fewer) She contributes much less to the discussion than her husband does. verb

• Although the rule for less and fewer is that less is used with noncount nouns and fewer with count nouns; in spoken English, less is used sometimes instead of fewer.

On the midterm exam, he made fewer mistake than the other students.

On the midterm exam, he made less mistake than the other students.

Equality comparisons:

• When we present two things as being equal in some respect, we make equality comparisons.

• It say that in some respect “x is equal to y”.

• Equality comparisons are expressed through as…..as, which links the two clauses.

The hat was as expensive as adjective

the sweater. This course covers the material adverb

as thoroughly as that other course. He has as much/little money as she does. noncount noun (with

much/little)

They have as many/few friends as we do. count noun (with

many/few)

He contributed as much/little to the discussion as Susan did. verb

• Equality comparisons can be made in a number of ways. For example, with be or a similar verb followed by the same + noun + as, similar to or equal / identical to or (just) like.

Susan’s car is the same color as the car we saw in front of Steve’s house.

His views on that matter are similar to those of the other speaker.

His raincoat is identical to mine.He is just like his sister.

• By inserting not , we can change the sentence expressing inequality comparisons.

The hat was not as/so expensive as the sweater.

This course doesn’t cover the material as thoroughly as that other course.

He doesn’t have as much money as she does.

They don’t have as many friends as we do.He didn't contribute as much as to the

discussion as Susan did.

Exercises: Indicate whether each sentence conveys

an inequality relationship, an equality relationship or just a difference.

1.Her opinion on that matter is definitely different from that of the editorial board.

Answer: just a difference

2.Bill is less judgment than Alan is. Answer: an inequality relationship.

3.Sally is definitely more ambitious than Marcia is.

Answer: an inequality relationship

4.He isn’t really like his brother at all. Answer: just a difference

5.A snowshoe hare is just as fast as a lynx. They escape them about 50 percent of the time

Answer: an equality relationship

6.NASA’s successful landing of robot explorer on Mars does not really surpass some of its previous accomplishment, such as landing a lunar module.

Answer: an inequality relationship

COMPARATIVE FORMS of COMPARATIVE FORMS of ADJECTIVES and ADVERBSADJECTIVES and ADVERBS

Single-Syllable Adjectives• Several single-syllable adjectives have special

comparative forms

ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE

good better

bad worse

far farther/further

old older/elder

little less

much/many more

•For the remaining single- syllable adjectives, -er is preferred.

ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE

tall tallerMost adjectives: + -er

old older

cheap cheaper

late later Adjectives ending in -e: + -rnice nicer

fat fatter One vowel+one consonant: double consonant

big bigger

thin thinner

• Some adjectives do commonly occur with either –er or more.

quick quicker more quick

fierce fiercer more fierce

Two-Syllable Adjectives:

• With two-syllable adjectives, some must form the comparative with more whereas others tend to form it with –er.

• An –er is preferred with adjectives that are stressed on the first syllable and end in -y, -ly, -le, or –ow.

ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE

-y

angry Angrier

dirty Dirtier

Easy easier

-ly

friendly Friendlier

lovely Lovelier

costly costlier

-le

simple Simpler

ample Ampler

gentle gentler

-ow

narrow Narrower

Shallow Shallower

mellow mellower

•More is required for most other two-syllable adjectives, including those that are stressed on the first syllable and end in –ful, -ish, -al, -ic, -ous.

ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE

-fulcareful more careful

harmful more harmful

-ishfoolish more foolish

fiendish more fiendish

-alvital more vital

normal more normal

-icmagic more magic

chronic more chronic

-ouscautious more cautious

famous more famous

• Stress placement and the ending of the base form are not always solid predictors of what the comparative form will be.

As the following examples show, adjectives with the same stress pattern (stress first syllable) and the same endings (-id, -on, -er, -ed, -ant) in some cases take either –er or more and in others must take more.

ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE

-idplacid more placid

stupid stupider / more stupid

-onwanton more wanton

common commoner / more common

-ereager more eager

clever cleverer / more clever

-edrugged more rugged

wicked more wicked/ wickeder

-antmordant more mordant

pleasant more pleasant/ pleasanter

Adjectives with More Than Two Syllables:• If an adjective has more than two

syllables, the comparative form will be made with more, for example:

suspicious more suspicious important more importantbeautiful more beautiful intelligent more intelligent

• There are very few exception to this, being three syllable adjectives that were formed by adding the prefix un- to a two-syllable adjective that forms its comparative in –er. For example:

un + happy (unhappy) unhappier

un + tidy (untidy) untidier

• Some compound adjectives like good-looking or well-known have two possible comparatives.

Good-looking better-looking OR more good-

looking

well-known better-known OR more well-

known

Participial Adjectives:

• Many adjectives are formed from present or past participles. Participle adjectives have only comparative forms with more.

When she heard that the plane was overdue, she became even more worried.

The game turned out to be more exciting than we had anticipated.

Double comparatives

• More and a following –er comparative form of the adjective are sometimes heard in conversation, even though this is not considered acceptable in educated English. For example:

This way it is more easier to see. It’s much more warmer in there.She’s a bit more nicer than Mrs. Jones.

• The adverbs well, badly, and far have the same comparative forms as the adjectives good, bad, and far.

well betterbadly worse far farter/further

• The comparative forms of single-syllable adverbs are made by adding –er.

fast fasterhard harderlate laterlong longer

• The vast majority of adverbs are derived by adding –ly to adjectives. These adverbs form their comparatives with more and less.

quickly more quickly regularly more regularlyquietly more quietly lively less lively likely less likelyeasily less easily

Exercises:Indicate whether the cooperative form is each sentence is acceptable. If not, explain why.

1.The problem was not more easier than I thought.

Answer: un acceptable (more is unnecessary.)

2.The Art Institute of Chicago has a more complete collection of Impressionist paintings than the museum in Minneapolis has.

Answer: acceptable

3.He was supposed to arrive at two o’clock, but he didn’t. At 2:30 he still hadn’t come, and we were getting anxiouser and anxiouser.

Answer: unacceptable (two syllable adjectives that have a stress first syllable and end in –ous form the comparative with more)

4.It is simpler and more efficient to learn the rules and abide by them than to ignore them.

Answer: acceptable

5.Today it is actually more warmer outside the house than inside.

Answer: unacceptable (more is unnecessary; this is a double comparative)

6.That lecture turned out to be boring than I had expected.

Answer: unacceptable (participial adjectives form the comparative with more)

7.She was even more strong than I thought. She could lift her own weight.

Answer: unacceptable (two-syllable adjectives ending in –y form the comparative with –er)

8.Mr. Cruise’s performance in his latest film is less risky than his performance is Risky Business.

Answer: acceptable (adjective of two or more syllables are usually formed with less)

9.Many movie stars are less impressive in person than they are when you see them on the big screen.

Answer: acceptable

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