1.形容词比较级和最高级的构成规则有两种:一是由原级加词尾er和est,二是在原级前加more和most。不规则形式最常见的如下:
原级 比较级 最高级
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原级 比较级 最高级
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good
well
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better
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best
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bad
ill
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worse
|
worst
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many
much
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more
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most
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few
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fewer
less
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fewest
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little
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less
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least
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old
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older
elder
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oldest
eldest
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late
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later
latter
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latest
last
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far
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farther
further
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farthest
furthest
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有些形容词有两种比较级和最高级形式,其意义和用法有一定的区别。
a. 在口语中,less 可作为 few 的比较级,修饰复数可数名词,如:
I've made less mistakes than last
time.
b. older 和oldest说明人的年纪或事物年代的年长或久远,elder和eldest 说明家庭成员的长幼关系,如:
My elder son is two years older
than you.
c. later 和latest表示时间,而latter 和last 表示顺序,如:
I shall be back by two o'clock at the latest.
He was the last one to come.
d. 表示方式、距离时,farther, farthest与further, furthest可通用,但further 还有"进一步的"等意思,不是far
的比较级,如:
Don't make any changes till further
notice.
2. 形容词级的用法
a. 同级比较用"as + adj. + as "及"not as/so + adj. +as"的句型,如:
This stick is as (not as/so) long as
that one.
b. 比较级是指两者间的比较,用"形容词的比较级+than"句型,如:
Two heads are better than one.
比较级前可有表示程度的词或短语修饰,如:much, still,(by)far, ever, a bit, a little,
a lot, twice,threetimes,somewhat等,如:
He is much taller than Mary.
比较级常用"the+比较级+the+比较级"(越…就越…)和"比较级+ and +比较级"(越来越…)等结构,
如:
The longer
(is) the wire, the larger
(is) the resistance. (导线愈长,电阻愈大。)
Our life is getting better and better.
借自拉丁语的一些形容词,如:superior, inferior, senior, junior等,表示比较时用介词to,不用than,如:
John is superior to Tom in ability.
3.最高级是指三者或三者以上进行比较,其后往往有一个由介词of, among, in等构成的短语或有一个从句表示范围,如:
She is the tallest girl in the
class.
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