Comparatives : a few notes.

These are of equality:

[as adj./many/much/few/little noun / adv.... as...]

superiority:

[more adj./noun/adv. than...]

negation of equality:

[not as adj./many/much/few/little ... as...]

inferiority:

([less adj. than...]

compared progression (note obligatory [the... the]:

[the more/less... the more/less...]

All of these may involve (un)countable things (nouns), qualities (adjectives), actions (adverbs). Comparisons of superiority with adjectives may be analytic ([er]) or synthetic ([more adj. than...]) depending on whether the basic adjective has one syllable or more than two. Two-syllable adjectives may be used “analytically” when the accent falls on the first syllable.

The superlative is merely another sort of binary comparison (inferiority or superiority), of one with many; the syllable rule is similar to comparatives proper:

[the -est noun], [the most adj. noun] ([of all])

Note the various maximizing, minimizing and other emphatic expressions that can be inserted: [somewhat / nearly / far / just as].

See the following exercises with correction-keys for examples.

Re-write the following comparisons from “the other point of view”, keeping all the same terms. The truth-value of your sentence must be the same as that of the original.

1. He is not as sharp-eyed as she is.

2. Is your sister’s cold worse than yours?

3. He is much less blood-thirsty on the rink than his brother.

4. Our waists are almost as flabby as they were before we joined this gym!

5. What you do for exercise is not quite as important as what you eat.

6. Learning French is at least as much trouble as learning to juggle.

7. We get along well because she is even more patient than I am irritable.

8. Our family’s farm disgusts me as much as my sister.

9. My brother and his dumb friends took a special test on which they got three times more points than he did.

10. Nobody loves this course as much as I do!

11. My cousin is not quite as intellectual as Mitsou.

12. Bernie Brennenegger is a bit less muscular than he used to be.

13. Unfortunately, he is at least twice as stingy as his wife is generous.

14. He’s happier now than he ever has been.

15. The more time he spends sitting in front of the TV, the less he thinks of his wife.

Suggested corrections.

1. He is not as sharp-eyed as she is. SHE IS MORE SHARP-EYED THAN HE IS/HIM

2. Is your sister’s cold worse than yours? IS YOUR COLD NOT AS BAD AS YOUR SISTER’S? / ISN’T YOUR COLD AS BAD AS YOUR SISTER’S?

3. He is much less blood-thirsty on the rink than his brother. HIS BROTHER IS MUCH MORE/FAR MORE BLOOD-THIRSTY/FAR BLOOD-THIRSTIER ON THE RINK THAN HE IS/ THAN HIM

4. Our waists are almost as flabby as they were before we joined this gym! OUR WAISTS WERE ONLY A BIT LESS / ONLY SLIGHTLY LESS / JUST SLIGHTLY LESS FLABBY BEFORE WE JOINED THIS GYM

5. What you do for exercise is not quite as important as what you eat. WHAT YOU EAT IS SOMEWHAT MORE / JUST SLIGHTLY MORE / A BIT MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU DO FOR EXERCISE

6. Learning French is at least as much trouble as learning to juggle. LEARNING TO JUGGLE IS AS MUCH TROUBLE OR LESS THAN LEARNING FRENCH (MANY OTHER FORMULATIONS)

7. We get along well because she is even more patient than I am irritable. WE GET ALONG WELL BECAUSE I AM JUST A BIT LESS IRRITABLE THAN SHE IS PATIENT (MORE IDIOMATICALLY) AS IRRITABLE AS I AM, MY IRRITABILITY IS STILL NOT AS GREAT AS HER PATIENCE

8. Our family’s farm disgusts me as much as my sister. (MULTIPLY AMBIGUOUS SENTENCE) MY SISTER DISGUSTS ME AS MUCH AS THE FARM; THE FARM DISGUSTS MY SISTER AS MUCH (AS IT DISGUSTS) ME

9. My brother and his dumb friends took a special test on which they got three times more points than he did. MY BROTHER AND HIS DUMB FRIENDS TOOK A TEST ON WHICH HE GOT THREE TIMES FEWER POINTS THAN THEY DID

10. Nobody loves this course as much as I do! I LOVE THIS COURSE MORE THAN ANYBODY (ELSE)!

11. My cousin is not quite as intellectual as Mitsou. MITSOU IS SOMEWHAT MORE / A BIT MORE / SLIGHTLY MORE / JUST SLIGHTLY MORE INTELLECTUAL THAN MY COUSIN.

12. Bernie Brennenegger is a bit less muscular than he used to be. BERNIE USED TO BE A BIT MORE / SOMEWHAT MORE / A SHADE MORE MUSCULAR THAN HE IS NOW.

13. Unfortunately, he is at least twice as stingy as his wife is generous.

(‘UNFORTUNATELY’ FORCES THE CHOICE OF POINT OF VIEW’)

14. He’s happier now than he ever has been. (‘(N)EVER’ FORCES THE USE OF THE ‘NEGATION OF EQUALITY’ FORMULATION) HE HAS NEVER BEEN AS HAPPY AS HE IS NOW.

15. The more time he spends sitting in front of the TV, the less he thinks of his wife. (REVERSING THE ‘COMPARED PROGRESSION’ OFTEN CAUSES ODD MEANING SHIFTS) The less he thinks of his wife, the more time he spends sitting in front of the TV.

Reverse the comparatives, carefully preserving the original meaning.

He has made Spiced Tofu Soufflé quite a few times more this month than Shrunken Head Salad à la mode.

Herbie’s mother made two or three more Lizard Curries last month than I have this month.

She has far more elephant bone trophies in her collection than he has in his.

His fancy salads aren’t quite as successful at parties as her special hors d’oeuvres.

Suggested corrections.

He has made Spiced Tofu Soufflé quite a few times more this month than Shrunken Head Salad à la mode.

HE HAS MADE SHRUNKEN HEAD SALA À LA GUYANAISE FAR LESS OFTEN THIS MONTH THAN SPICED TOFU SOUFFLÉ.

She has far more elephant bone trophies in her collection that he has in his.

HE HAS FAR FEWER ELEPHANT BONE TROPHIES IN HIS COLLECTION THAN SHE HAS IN HERS.

His fancy salads aren’t quite as successful at parties as her special hors d’oeuvres.

HER SPECIAL HORS-D’OEUVRES ARE SOMEWHAT MORE SUCCESSFUL AT PARTIES THAN HIS FANCY SALADS.
Reverse the comparisons.

Building a ship in a bottle is much more fun than taxidermy.

Taxidermists are not quite as photogenic as most dentists.

Dentist jokes are funnier by far than head-hunter jokes.

SUGGESTED CORRECTIONS

Building a ship in a bottle is much more fun than taxidermy.

TAXIDERMY IS MUCH LESS FUN THAN BUILDING A SHIP IN A BOTTLE

Taxidermists are not quite as photogenic as most dentists.

MOST DENTISTS ARE A BIT/SOMEWHAT MORE PHOTOGENIC THAN TAXIDERMISTS

Dentist jokes are funnier by far than head-hunter jokes.

HEAD-HUNTER JOKES ARE MUCH/FAR LESS FUNNY THAN DENTIST JOKES

Re-write the following comparatives from the “other point of view”.

The ocarina is not as famous an instrument as the fiddle.

Packaged sandwich meat is more toxic than fruitcake.

I have more mosquito bites than you do.

My mosquito bites are bigger than yours.

My nephew was happier before his concert than after.

Suggested corrections.

The ocarina is not as famous an instrument as the fiddle.

THE FIDDLE IS A MORE FAMOUS INSTRUMENT THAN THE OCARINA

Packaged sandwich meat is more toxic than fruitcake.

FRUITCAKE IS LESS TOXIC THAN PACKAGED SANDWICH MEAT

I have more mosquito bites than you do.

YOU DON’T HAVE AS MANY MOSQUITO BITES AS I DO

My mosquito bites are bigger than yours.

YOUR MOSQUITO BITES AREN’T AS BIG AS MINE

My nephew was happier before his concert than after.

MY NEPHEW WASN’T AS HAPPY AFTER HIS CONCERT AS BEFORE
Reverse the underlined comparatives, keeping the same adjective:

"Boss, I have finally found the right person to send to the special training seminar. We should send Marc, because he can read so fast. The others can't read as fast as him. He also has other qualities. For example, Marc's colleagues are more impatient than him. For this seminar, a patient person will be more useful than a hot-head, and I think it would be a waste to send one. Besides, the seminar is about body-building, and Marc is a specialist! The rest of us in this office are computer scientists. The seminar will be more interesting for a body-builder than for a computer scientist, which is the main reason why I don't think Marc's colleagues should waste their time. Also, they really should let him go because he can express himself more clearly than they can, and he is friendlier than they are."

Use the cues in the following to write comparative sentences. Note the occasional similarity of compared progression, positive, negative, or mixed, with conditionals of generalisation, of warning or prediction (“The more you eat, the more you ***”, “The more you complain, the less sympathy I will feel”) and with past narrative generalisations (“The harder I hit him, the louder he screamed/would scream”).

(long) I waited, (anxious) I became

you spend (+), (big+) the deficit will get

she talked about her mother (+), I felt like taking her back home (+)

Strangely enough, money her husband spent on root beer and hot-dogs (+), happily married (+) they seemed to be

Ed is not exactly stupid, but he certainly is motivated (-) person that I know.

I am (eager+) to see Sid Vicious (as? than?) my brother.

I am reading this question (fast+) (as? than?) my neighbour.

This class excites me (=) It bores you

The monster got close (+) we ran quickly (+)

We ran (far (+) We became certain that we would survive (-)

He is fed up (=) You are fed up
Reverse the comparatives:

There are far more movies about Dracula than tornadoes in Arkansas.

Movies offer a lot more fun and entertainment than tornadoes!

Dracula is much funnier than Howard Stern.

There are more popular radio stars in the States than here.

Next to Groucho Marx, there is almost nothing to say about Howard Stern.

Write the comparative or the superlative form of the adjectives or adverbs. Make other changes as necessary.

1. I suppose Manuel Escobar is (RICHER THAN) Manuel Noriega.

2. Who do you think is the (SEXIEST OF) these famous men: Salvador Dali, Pee-Wee Herman, or Saddam Hussein?

3. Your mid-term result was (BETTER THAN) mine.

4. I bet your dad's mind is (NARROWER THAN) my dad's.

5. Yeah, well I bet my dad's fist is (BIGGER AND MORE SOLID THAN) your dad's.

Re-write the following to make the meaning unequivocal.

"I didn't dislike the house nearly as much as my sister."

Now take your new comparative sentence, and re-write it from the "other point of view".

Make up a highly emphatic comparative sentences.

"Calculus requires brains and concentration. Neither fashion-modelling nor making graffiti-stickers does."

"Civil servants used to have cushy jobs. They don't anymore."

Make up a comparative sentence emphasizing similarity.

"My cousin sincerely loves poetry. Klaudia Skipper, too!"

Reformulate from the “opposite point of view”, either to make the comparison more diplomatic or to remove the ambiguity.

"The results on the I.Q. test that you did this year weren’t nearly as good!"

"The results on the I.Q. test that you did last year were a lot better!"

"Sorry, you're just too damned short to be a Mountie."

"Nobody loves you as much as he does."

"Nobody loves you as much as him."

"Why is it that you can write faster than you read?"

"She isn't as fluent in Lithuanian as you told me."

‘Everybody loves his wife.’

‘This house disgusts me even more than my damned sister.’