1.形容词比较等级的构成:
有时候,要判断形容词的比较级和最高级,是用 -er 和 -est ,或是用 more 和 most ,有时候并不太容易。大体说来,有以下规则:
A. 单音节词,以 -y 或-ow 结尾的双音节词用 -er、-est 式。例:
原级 比较级 最高级
happy happier happiest
narrow narrower narrowest
shallow shallower shallowest
B. 多音节词,源于过去分词和现在分词的形容词,用 more、most 式。例:
beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
pleased more pleased most pleased
tiring more tiring most tiring
annoying more annoying most annoying
C. 大多数双音节词既可用 -er、-est 式也可用 more、most 式。例:
simple simpler simplest
more simple most simplest
common commoner commonest
more common most common
D.形容词比较等级的构成还与句式有关,当单音节词与多音节词并列时,应用 more、most 式。例:
Now she is more clever and beautiful than she was .她比过去更聪明,更漂亮了。
在现代英语中,许多原来采用 -er, -est 式的形容词,作表语或宾语补足语并后接 than 引导的比较状语从句时,采用 more、 most 式更自然。例:
He thought the Prime Minister a wise ,honest man who was more fit for his office than anyone else. 他认为首相是个聪明、诚实的人,比任何人都称职。
John is more brave than Bob .约翰比鲍勃勇敢。
No one else here is more strict with the children than Mr. Brown. 这里没有人比布朗先生对孩子要求更严格了。
对同一个人,或同一事物的两种特性进行对比,或者说,对两种说法的正确程度进行对比,只用“ more + 原形 ”,而不用 -er 式。例:
He is more brave than strong . 与其说他强有力,不如说他勇敢。
What you said made us feel more sick than happy . 你所说的话,与其说让我们高兴,不如说让我们讨厌。
“Anne acts quite unfriendly”.“I think she's than un-friendly”.
A) shyer B) shy C) more shy D) most shy
(TOEFL,1972.6,C对) “安不太友好。”“我认为她是害羞,不是不友好。”
形容词的比较级被强调而后置,通常用 more 式。例:
Japanese is a language more easy to read but more hard to speak .日语是一门容易读但难说的语言。
2.副词比较等级的构成:
一般来说,单音节副词用 -er、 -est 式。例:
soon sooner soonest
fast faster fastest
以 -ly 结尾的副词、频度副词用 more、 most 式。例:
easily more easily most easily
carefully more carefully most carefully
rarely more rarely most rarely
seldom more seldom most seldom
often 的比较级通常是 more often,间或也用 oftener 。
3. 程度不同的比较:
最常用的句型是“...比较级+than...”
The French seem far(A) more interested in reading about(B) Africa as(C) about their nearest(D) neighbor .(TOEFL, 1979.10)
C错。应改为 than。法国人关心非洲的事情,似乎胜过对邻国的关心。
Certain programs work better for some for others.
A)and B)than C)as D)but
有些提纲对某些人(与另外的人相比)更合适。(B4,1995.1-50,B对)
There are few electronic appliances to raise fears regarding future employment opportunities than robots.
A)likely B)more likely C)most likely D)much likely
(B4,1998.6-59,B对)没有别的电子装置比机器人更能使人对将来的就业机会产生恐惧了。
由于 than 之后通常是一个省略了某些成分的状语从句,所以要特别注意than 从句中的代词的格和词序。如果该代词与主句的主语相比,应用主格;若主句的某成份与 than 从句的相应成份相比,也要注意两成份在语法形式上的一致。例:
Because George ate(A) faster(B) than me(C) , he was able to(D) leave the cafeteria sooner.(TOEFL 1980.3)
C错。应改为 I 。由于乔治吃得比我快,他就能更早离开自助食堂。
Hot air accompanied by high relative humidity feels warmer than .
A) is it actually B) it actually is
C) actually it is D) is actually it
(TOEFL , 1980.5) B 对。相对湿度高的热空气,人们感觉到要比实际气温更暖和一些。
Swimming is a more strenuous(A) daily exercise(B) than(C) to walk(D). (TOEFL ,1978.2)
D错,应改为 walking 。游泳是一种比步行更为激烈的日常锻炼。
4.程度相同的比较
常用“ as + 原级 + as” 结构,其否定式为 “not as / so + 原级 + as ”。例:
She is as tall as her elder sister. 她和姐姐一样高。
The boy can run as fast as his father. 那男孩跑得和父亲一样快。
Tom is not as / so suitable for the position as I am .汤姆不如我适合干这个位置。
A person's attention is attracted by the intensity of differ-ent signals as by their context, significance and information content.
A) much not so B) not so much
C) so not much D) so much not
(2000年全国大学生英语竞赛初赛题) B对。不同信号发送时的环境、信号本身的意义及内容,比信号的强度更能吸引人达到注意。
The speaker claimed that no other modern nation devotes so small a portion of its wealth to public assistance and health than the United States does.
(1995年考研,第18题 ) C错,应改为as。这是一个否定的同级比较结构,但否定词转移到从句的主语上(no other modern nation)。 演讲者声称:将财富投入公众援助及保健事业,按比例来说,没有哪个现代化国家像美国那样少。
注意无论程度相同的比较,还是程度不同的比较,它们的前面都可能出现状语。例:
My brother is two years younger than I am. (English 900, P.140) 我弟弟比我小两岁。
Birds have muscles very much stronger, in proportion to their size ,than men .若按身体大小比例计算,鸟的肌肉要比人的肌肉有力得多。
This year we'll produce thirty percent more fertilizer than we did last year . 今年我们将比去年多生产30 %的化肥。
The output of cotton in 1998 was five times as much as that of 1988. 1998年棉花产量是1988年的五倍。
“How many more pencils do you want.” “A dozen more,please.” “你还要多少铅笔?”“请再给我一打。”
5. 不可分级的形容词和副词:
有些形容词和副词,由于本身的含义,不可能有比较级和最高级。例:perfect (完美的),round (圆的),unique (独一无二的),weekly (每周),only (仅有的)。
Geoffrey Chaucer occupies a place in English literature.
A) most unique B) unique
C)least unique D)very unique
B对。杰弗里.乔叟在英国文学中占有独一无二的地位。
6. 最高级的应用:
三者以上的比较,要用最高级;这种比较,通常有一个比较的范围,最常见的是介词短语,其它状语或者定语对最高级作出限定。例:
Of all the novels published in recent years this one is the most popular among readers. 近年来出版的小说中,这一本在读者中最受欢迎。
Surfing is the wildest , fastest natural water sport known to man .冲浪运动是人类最激烈、速度最快的天然水上运动项目。
“Our paint section is right here, Sir.” “ the brands , which do you think is the most durable ?”
A) With all of B) Of all C) For all of D) All
(TOEFL,1974.9)B 对。 “先生,我们的油漆部就在这儿。”“你认为各种牌子的油漆中,哪一种最耐用?”
7. 有几个源于拉丁语的形容词,本身就有比较的含义,不能再在它们之前加 more,用于比较时,后接 to 短语而不接 than 短语。它们是:anterior (前面的),posterior (较迟的),inferior (较差的),superior ( 较好的),junior (年少的),prior (较早的)。例:
The horse is far superior to the camel for every kind of work except traveling over a desert. 利用马和骆驼工作,除了穿越沙漠,马远比骆驼优越。
The Assyrians,genius for(A) government was(B) far inferior than(C) their appetite for(D) conquest. ( TOEFL 1975.11 )
C 错。应改为to. Assyrian 人的治国才能远不如他们征服别国的野心大。
8. 比较的逻辑:
不同人或不同事物之间的比较,须在同一特征方面进行比较,这样才符合逻辑;而在汉语里,“四川人口比广东多”是可接受的。注意英语比较级句型中,常用 one ,that , ones , those 等替代词。例:
The population of Sichuan is larger than that of Guangdong.
Everyone aGREes with(A) the music critic's judgement that Beethoven's later(B) symphonies were more highly(C) refined than Mozart(D).
D 错,应改为:those of Mozart。 大家都同意音乐评论家的看法:贝多芬后期的交响乐较莫扎特更胜一筹。
在A 和 B 的比较时,要注意 B 不能包含 A ,不能说:Tom was more interested in books than in anything.( anything 包含了 books ),该说:Tom was more interested in books than in anything else. 汤姆对书的兴趣,要比对其它东西的兴趣更浓。
As a home entertainment, television rapidly became more popular than any other form. 看电视作为家庭娱乐形式,很快就比其它形式更受欢迎。
9. “the more...the more” “越是……就越……”
Supposing there is a water container. The taller the container, at the bottom.
A) GREater will the water pressure be
B) the water pressure will be GREater
C) the GREater will be the water pressure
D) GREater the water pressure will be
(2000年全国大学生英语竞赛初赛题) C对。现在假设有一只水箱,这水箱越高,底部的压力就越大。
Using different colored pieces of cloth, he found that the darker the color of the material, the GREater the amount of heat it would absorb. 他把不同颜色的布片放到阳光下,发现布的颜色越深,吸收的热量就越大。
It is now thought that the more work we give our brains, the more work they are able to do. 现在人们认为:越是让大脑工作,大脑就越能工作。
The more scientists find out, the more questions they are unable to answer. 科学家们发现的东西越多,无法回答的问题就越多。
Mary is used to wearing her hair long . The longer it is , the better she likes it. 玛丽习惯了留长发,头发越长,她越喜欢。
10. little可作形容词或副词用,其比较等级是less和least。例:
The quick adoption of the scheme may have indicated less about the state lawmaker's respect for working people than about a fear of risking their anger. 采纳这个方案可能更大程度上表明了国家法律制定者害怕激起工人阶级的愤怒,并非体现了对工人阶级的尊重。
