何卉蓉
比较级就是将两者进行比较产生的词形,是由原级转化而来的,在英语中通常用下列方式表示的词:在形容词或副词前加more或加后缀-er。典型的比较级是指形容词或副词所表示的质、量或关系的增加或减少。英语句子中,将比较两个主体的方法叫做“比较句型”。组成句子的方式是将形容词或副词变化成比较级的形态。
一、注意比较级中的同类比较。
在比较级中作比较的对象必须是同一类别,非同类的事物不能进行比较。如:
误:My cake is bigger than you.
正:My cake is bigger than yours (your cake).
一般说来,相比较的事物为了避免与than后面的比较对象重复,常用that或those来代替。不可数名词和单数名词用that代替,复数名词多用those代替。如:
误:The weather in the south is always hotter than in the north.
正:The weather in the south is always hotter than that in the north.
二、注意than后人称代词的格,在比较级中一般主格与主格相比,宾格与宾格相比。
1. 句中谓语动词是不及物动词时,than后面的动词应省略,后面的代词用主格或宾格其意义并无区别。如:
She runs faster than he (him).
He comes to school earlier than us (we).
2. 句中谓语动词是及物动词时,后面人称代词的主格、宾格不同,意义也不同。如:
I like you more than he.
(=I like you more than he likes you.)
3. 若代词后接all作同位语,代词用宾格。如:
误:Tom draws better than they all.
正:Tom draws better than them all.
三、注意than前后的谓语动词的一致性。
若句中含有be动词、助动词、情态动词,than后的动词与其一致;若句中不含有这些动词,则用do的适当形式,即do,does,did。如:
误:Jim runs faster than Tom is.
正:Jim runs faster than Tom does.
误:Im much taller than he does.
正:Im much taller than he is.
四、当比较的双方在同一范围内,注意要加other一词,将比较的一方从被比较的一方排除在外。否则,就会出现与自身相比较的矛盾现象。
译:英语比其它任何学科更受欢迎。
误:English is more popular than any subject.
正:English is more popular than any other subject.
这种句子在形式上是比较级,但在意义上是最高级。通常,同样的意思会有多种表达方式。
译:他是班上最高的学生。
①Of all the students in his class he is the tallest.
②He is taller than any other student in his class.
③He is taller than any of the other students in his class.
④He is taller than any of others in his class.
⑤He is taller than any one else in his class.
⑥He is taller than the others in his class.
但是,若比较双方不在同一范围内,就不需要用other来加以排除了。如:
Beijing is larger than any city in Africa. (北京不在非洲,故any后不用other。)
五、注意运用as ... as结构。
1. 在原级比较中,否定句可用not so (as) ... as,而肯定句只能用as ... as,这时,形容词或副词不用比较级,只用原级。如:
误:English is so useful as Chinese.
正:English is as useful as Chinese.
2. 使用not so (as) ... as时,如果句子谓语是实义动词,not应与do的相应形式连用,而不能直接用在谓语动词后。如:
误:He gets up not so (as) early as Tom.
正:He doesnt get up so (as) early as Tom.
3. not so (as) ... as可以和less than互换。
译:日语没有英语那样受欢迎。
①Japanese is not as popular as English.
②Japanese is not so popular as English.
③Japanese is less popular than English.
④English is more popular than Japanese.
4. as ... as中后一个as不能受汉语的影响而改为like或than。如:
误:Jim is not as careful like his brother.
正:Jim is not as careful as his brother.
误:This bag is as heavy than that one.
正:This bag is as heavy as that one.
5. as ... as后接人称代词时,正式文体中多用主格,非正式文体中多用宾格。但是,若代词后有动词,则只能用主格。如:
Tom is as old as I/me.
Tom is as old as I am.(不用me)
六、常用much,even,a little,still,a lot等表示程度的副词来修饰比较级,而very,to,so及quite(表示身体健康状况的quite,better除外),不可用来修饰比较级。如:
误:This box is very heavier than that one.
正:This box is much heavier than that one.
但是,当more用来修饰或替代复数名词时表示适度,需用many,a few或数词修饰,不用much,a little修饰。如:
误:I have much more books than you.
正:I have many more books than you.
七、以-ly结尾的副词比较级、最高级一般加more,most构成。
如:more carefully, most carefully, more slowly, most slowly,但early一词中的-ly不是词尾,不可加more,most,而应改y为i,再加-er,-est构成比较级和最高级。如:
误:Tom is always the most early one to get to school.
正:Tom is always the earliest one to get to school.
八、用“比较级+and+比较级”结构表示“越来越……”时,应注意形容词或副词为多音节时用“more and more+原级”,此结构不接than从句。如:
The worlds population is growing faster and faster.
Our country is becoming more and more beautiful.