先看两道高考试题:1.Boris has brains.In fact,I doubt whether anyone in the class has ____ IQ.(NMET2002)
A.a high B.a higher C.the higher D.the highest
该题用了两个句子来表达。前句作为提示,是为后句作准备的。意思就是告诉我们,Boris是有头脑的,所以“我”怀疑班上有什么人会有“一个(比他)更高”的智商。故答案为B。
2.How beautifully she sings!I have never heard ____.(NMET1996)
A.the better voice B.a good voice
C.the best voice D.a better voice
此题也用了两个句子来表达。用前句的“称赞”来说明“我”从来没有听到过“一个(比她)更好的”嗓音了。故答案为D。
由以上两个考题可知道,形容词比较级的用法也并不是那么简单。下面就“零冠词+比较级”、“a+比较级”、“the +比较级”、“no+比较级”来谈谈形容词比较级的用法。
一、零冠词+比较级
它基本上有四种情况:
1.无相比项,也就是说,比较级的后面不出现than...结构。这只能从上下文意思来体会。如:
Are you feeling better now?你现在感觉好点儿了吗?
I'll try and be more careful in future.我以后会试着更小心一些。
2.有相比项,包括个别与个别、个别与几个或几个与几个、个别与所有其他的相比。形容词比较级在句中作表语也可以作定语。如:
Prevention is better than cure.预防胜于治疗。
There are fewer boys than girls in our class.我们班男生比女生少。
He is cleverer than any other studentin our class.他比我们班任何其他同学都聪明。
3.形容词比较级的前面会出现程度副词(词组)或其它词。如:
This text is a little more difficult than the other one.这篇课文比那篇课文稍难一点儿。
Our room is much bigger than theirs.我们的房间比他们的大得多。
You are an inch taller than him.你比他高一英寸。
Out put of steel was 11 percent GREater than that of the same period of last year.钢产量比去年同期增长百分之十一。
[考题]—How did you find your visit to the museum?
—I thoroughly enjoyed it.It was ____ than I expected.(MET1991)
A.far more interesting
B.even much interesting
C.so more interesting
D.a lot much interesting
[考题]—How's the young man?
— ____ .(MET1993)
A.He's twenty B.He's a doctor
C.He's much better D.He's David
4.比较级+and+比较级。这种结构常用作表语,表示“越来越……”。如:
Mary is growing fast.She's getting taller and taller.玛丽长得很快,她个子越来越高了。
Computers are becoming more and more popular.电脑正变得越来越受欢迎了。
二、a+比较级
a+比较级的后面常出现所修饰的名词,有时有相比项,有时没有相比项。a+比较级也常出现在以never构成的完成时态的动词后面,作其宾语。如:
The jacket is too small.I need a larger size.这件上衣太小了,我要大一点儿的。
I have never seen a better film than this one.我从未看过比这更好的影片了。
He had never spent a more worrying day.他从未有过更加令人焦急的一天了。
三、the +比较级
1.the+比较级常用于两者之间的比较,表“两者中……的”,常出现在“of the two...”结构中。如:
Alice is the taller of the two girls.艾丽丝是两个女孩子中个子较高的那一个。
Ofthe two compositions,the firstone was the better.两篇作文中,第一篇较好。
This is not the dictionary I have referred to.I want the thicker one.这不是我所指的那本词典,我要的是较厚的那本。
2.the+比较级,the +比较级,表“越……,就越……”,组成一个主从复合句。前句为从句,后句为主句。如:
The higher the plane goes,the smaller it becomes.飞机飞得越高,它就变得越小。
The more we read,the more we know.我们读得越多,知道得就越多。
The lighter its colour is,the easier it is to pour the liquid.液体的颜色越淡,它就越容易倒出来。
四、no+比较级
no+比较级的后面常出现相比项,其意思是“不比……更、与……一样不”,常在句中作表语。如:
He is no more able to do it than Iam.他和我一样,都不能做那件事。
Don't be proud so early.You are no better than me.你别骄傲得这么早,你并不比我好。