Qualifiers after comparatives
a) noun groups
Charlie was more honest than his predecessor (than me, him, her )
Janis was shorter than he.
b) Adjuncts(приложение, дополнение)
…worse than in any of the previous 12 years
c) clauses:
I would have done a better job than you did
Position of comparatives
1) after the whole noun group
Willie owned a larger collection of books than anyone else I have ever met.
2) immediately after a noun.
We’ve got a rat bigger than a cat living in our roof.
More and More than
a) more in front of a whole noun group – to indicate that something has more of the qualities of one thing than another.
Music is more a way of life than an interest
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b) more than before adjectives is an emphatic adverb of degree
… they are more than satisfied.
Qualifying structures with superlatives.
If we need to refer to the point of the comparison we use a qualifying phrase or clause which consist of
a) prepositional phrase normally beginning with ‘in’ or ‘of ’
Henry was the biggest of them.
If the superlative is a modifier in front of a noun, the prepositional phrase comes after the noun.
… the best bargain for his money.
… the worst business in the world.
b) a relative clause
The visiting room was the worst I had seen.
A superlative is sometimes accompanied by another adjective ending in –able or -ible. This second adjective can be placed:
a)between the superlative and the noun group
The narrow imaginable range of interest
b)or after the noun group
the most beautiful scenery imaginable
c)used with ordinal numbers
…the second biggest industrial company
As…as
a) We use as…as with an adjective in between to say that something or someone is like something or someone else, that one situation is like another:
Was the film as funny as his last one?
Andrew came round to my flat as fast as he could
Negative forms of sentences like this can use either not asornot so. In formal speech and writing it is more common to use less then:
The gap between the sides is as wide as it was.(or…is less wide than it was)
The bees are plentiful, but not so common as last summer.(or …but less common than last summer.)
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We use not so in a number of common expressions. For example: I’m not so sure; It’s (=the situation is)not so bad; Not so loud!(=be more quiet); He is not so good (=not very well).
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b)If you put a countable noun between the adjectives and the second as, you should use a/an in front of the noun (if the noun is singular):
Despite his disability, he tried to lead as normal life as possible.
He was as patient a teacher as anyone could have had.
The negative form of sentences like this can use either not as or sometimes not such:
He’s not as good a player as he used to be.
He’s not such a good player as he used to be.(Notice the different word order.)
They are not such terrible children as we’d expected.(we don’t use not as with plural nouns.)
We can use how, so and too followed by an adjective in a similar way/;
How significant a role did he play in your life?
It’s not quiet so straightforward a problem as it might at first seem.
‘Conspiracy’ is perhaps too strong a word.
How big a piece do you want?
c)as…as is also used in sentences with much and many to talk about quantities.
She earns at least as much as Mark, and probably more.
London has twice as many banks as the rest of south-east England.
We also use as much/many as or as little/few as to say that a quantity or amount is larger or smaller than expected. Many and few are used before numbers; much and little are used with amounts such as $5 and 20%, and distance such as 3 meters:
There is a small number involved, possibly as few as a hundred.(not…as little as…)
Prices have increased by as much as 300 per cent.
d) Submodifiers “just, quiet, nearly, almost” can be used in front of the comparative structures.
Sunburn can be just as severe as a heat burn.
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It was like a dream
‘Like’ can have the comparative “more like” and “less like” and the superlative “most like” and “least like”
Submodifiers can be used in front of “like”
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He looks just like a baby.
Note: if the noun group after ‘as’ or ‘like’ in any of these structures is a pronoun, you can use an object pronoun or possessive pronoun.
His car as the same as mine.
Same as
The same as can be followed by a noun group, a pronoun, an adjunct or a clause.
If two things are exactly like each other, we can say that they are the same
They are exactly the same.
Before “the same as” and “the same” we can use some submodifiers: exactly, just, more or less, much, nearly, virtually.
We can put a noun such as “size, length or colour” after the same.
They were almost the same height.
When two things are like each other we can use adjectives “alike, comparable, equivalent, identical and similar”.
Adjectives + preposition
Adjectives which are followed by “TO”
(un)accustomed allergic proportional similar
close devoted related subject
injurious integral resistant
“OF”
aware capable characteristic desirous
illustrative incapable reminiscent representative
nervous
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compatible consonant filled pleased
Other prepositions
Descended from, inherent in, lacking in
“Two prepositions”
answerable for (to); connected to (with); dependent on (upon); parallel to (with)
Adjectives + that –clause or to-infinitive
When an adjective follows a linking verb with a personal subject we can put a number of things after the adjective, including:
| adjective + | examples |
| that-clause ( to talk about someone’s feelings or opinion, or about how sure we are of something) He became worried (that) she might leap out from behind a door. She left certain (that) she’d seen him before. | afraid, alarmed, amazed, angry, annoyed, ashamed, astonished, aware, concerned, delighted, disappointed, glad, (un) happy, pleased, shocked, sorry, upset, worried; certain, confident, positive, sure (with the exception of aware and confident these can also be followed by a to-infinitive) |
| to-infinitive You are free at any time you want. They are easy to please She was ready to admit (that) I was right.. | (un)able, careful, crazy, curious, difficult, easy. free, good, hard, impossible, inclined, nice, prepared, ready, welcome, willing (the underlined adjectives we can use adjective+ to-infinitive+ that-clause) |
| -ing form He was busy doing his homework | busy, worth (these can’t be followed by a that-clause or to-infinitive) |
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OTHER EXAMPLES OF COMPARISON
1) Parallel increase
Parallel increase is indicated by
the + comparative …the + comparative:
e. g. The sooner you visit Aunt Martha, the better for you.
The more friends she has, the happier she is.
The better the joke (is), the louder the laugh(is).
The longer Sue stays in Canada, the less likely she will ever go back to England.
It almost seems that the more expensive the wedding, the shorter the marriage!
2) Gradual increase
Gradual increase is indicated by two adjectives in the comparative joined by and:
e. g. My car is getting dirtier and dirtier.
She became more and more famous.
3) Comparison of actions
Comparison of actions is formed in a similar way to the comparison of nouns:
e. g. It is nicer to go to the cinema than (to) stay at home.
Speaking a foreign language is not as easy as speaking one’s own.
MODIFICATION OF COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES
1) Premodification
a) The comparatives of adjectives can be premodified:
e. g. far more careful
all the sooner
rather better
a little more polite, etc.
b) The superlatives of adjectives can be premodified only by very, which must be preceded by a determiner:
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e. g. the very last
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2) Postmodification
Both the comparatives and the superlatives of adjectives can be postmodified by intensifying phrases:
e. g. cleverer
He is by far.
cleverest
By far is the most common postmodifier.
COMPARISON WITH MORE AND MOST
Any one- or two-syllable adjective can optionally be compared with more and most in order to emphasize the idea expressed by the adjective itself:
e. g. Mr. Brown has recently become more rich (i. e. “that he was not rich before” ).
AS OR THAN FOLLOWED BY A PRONOUN
1) When as or than is followed by a pronoun in the person, the verb is usually repeated:
e. g. We are not as poor as they are.
He speaks English better than his sister does.
2) However, when as or than is followed by a pronoun in the first or second person the verb is usually omitted:
e. g. I am not as tall as you.
He is smaller than I.
3) It is worth noting that in formal English, a first person pronoun is used in the nominative case, whereas in informal language, it is put into the objective case:
e. g. He has more friends than (I/me).
Adjectives used with the pronoun one/ones
1) Adjectives of quality can be followed by the pronoun one (singular) or ones (plural) instead of nouns:
e. g. I like this skirt but I must take a larger one.
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2) However, when the adjective is used in the superlative degree, in the comparative degree to denote selection, or when the adjective implies colour, one/ ones can be omitted:
e. g. I bought the biggest (one).
I bought the bigger (one) of the two.
Which will you buy? I’ll buy the red (one).
Elliptical sentences
Occasionally, an adjectives can function as an elliptical sentence:
e. g. Nervous, Mrs. Brown opened the door.
Mrs. Brown, nervous, opened the door.
Mrs. Brown opened the door, nervous.
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