44 形容词的比较级 Track38
具体句型可以归纳为以下几类:
(1)than的比较级句型的用法
1)在than前面必须有形容词或副词比较级形式;
2)被比较的两个对象应该是同类事物,即事物具有可比性。
常见的句型是:A+比较级+than+B。A和B一般是两个同类的、彼此独立的人或事物。例如:
This question is less difficult than that question.
这个问题没那个那么难。
也可以是某一事物自身相比。此时句子结构为:A+比较级+情形1+than+情形2。例如:
a. He did much better in the finals this term than last term.
这个学期期末考他考得比上个学期好多了。
b. Since it has been repaired, the machine works more eff iciently than it did before. 修过以后,那个机器工作效率比以前高多了。
若被比较的对象不是彼此独立的人或事物,而是具有一事物包含另一事物这样的所属关系,此时我们要用 other,else 将其与整体区别开来,以免造成逻辑上的矛盾。例如:
a. Iron is more useful than any other metal.
铁比任何其他金属都有用。
b. She works harder than any other student in her class.
若说“She works harder than any student in her class.”显然矛盾,因为“she”属于her class中的一员,而any student in her class则包括“她自己”。
(2)比较级前面一般不须加定冠词the,但在有介词短语“of the two”出现在比较级句中的时候,比较级前面必须加定冠词the。
I think this painting is the more interesting of the two. (定冠词不能省去)
比较:I think this painting is more interesting than that one.
(3)“more and more”双重比较来表示事物持续不断的变化。相当于汉语中的“越来越……”。
a. That female singer is getting fatter and fatter.
这个女歌手越来越胖了。
b. The city is becoming more and more beautiful.
这个城市越来越漂亮了。
c. As summer approaches, the days seem longer and longer.
夏日将近,白天似乎一天比一天长了。
用法特点:
more and more不可用在单音节词前,如不能说:more and more fat*。在more and more结构中不能重复使用形容词或副词,如不能说:more beautiful and more beautiful*。
(4)可以修饰比较级的词
形容词的比较级前可以用以下词进行修饰:
a bit a little bit a little a lot a great deal any
even far by far much very much no
rather still slightly
a. Are you feeling any better?
b. Things are no better than before. 情况并没有比以前改善。
c. He makes far fewer mistakes in spellings than before.
他的拼写错误比以前少多了。
注意这些词一般不用来修饰比较级:very,many,quite,fairly等。
不能说:My girlfriend is very older than me.*
(5)否定意义的词+比较级
在英文中,我们可以用“否定意义的词+比较级”这种句式来表达一个最高级的意思,这样的词有few, nothing, never, not等。
a. —How have you been?
—It couldn't be worse. 糟透了。
b. Few are better qualif ied for the job than he is.
再没有谁比他更适合做这项工作的了。
另外,never与比较级连用,是在对这个比较级词进行强调,意思也相当于这个词的最高级。例如:
c. I have never heard a better song. 我从来没有听过像这样的好歌。言外之意:This is the best song that I have ever heard.