何卉蓉
比較級就是將兩者進行比較產(chǎn)生的詞形,是由原級轉(zhuǎn)化而來的,在英語中通常用下列方式表示的詞:在形容詞或副詞前加more或加后綴-er。典型的比較級是指形容詞或副詞所表示的質(zhì)、量或關(guān)系的增加或減少。英語句子中,將比較兩個主體的方法叫做“比較句型”。組成句子的方式是將形容詞或副詞變化成比較級的形態(tài)。
一、注意比較級中的同類比較。
在比較級中作比較的對象必須是同一類別,非同類的事物不能進行比較。如:
誤:My cake is bigger than you.
正:My cake is bigger than yours (your cake).
一般說來,相比較的事物為了避免與than后面的比較對象重復(fù),常用that或those來代替。不可數(shù)名詞和單數(shù)名詞用that代替,復(fù)數(shù)名詞多用those代替。如:
誤: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后人稱代詞的格,在比較級中一般主格與主格相比,賓格與賓格相比。
1. 句中謂語動詞是不及物動詞時,than后面的動詞應(yīng)省略,后面的代詞用主格或賓格其意義并無區(qū)別。如:
She runs faster than he (him).
He comes to school earlier than us (we).
2. 句中謂語動詞是及物動詞時,后面人稱代詞的主格、賓格不同,意義也不同。如:
I like you more than he.
(=I like you more than he likes you.)
3. 若代詞后接all作同位語,代詞用賓格。如:
誤:Tom draws better than they all.
正:Tom draws better than them all.
三、注意than前后的謂語動詞的一致性。
若句中含有be動詞、助動詞、情態(tài)動詞,than后的動詞與其一致;若句中不含有這些動詞,則用do的適當(dāng)形式,即do,does,did。如:
誤:Jim runs faster than Tom is.
正:Jim runs faster than Tom does.
誤:Im much taller than he does.
正:Im much taller than he is.
四、當(dāng)比較的雙方在同一范圍內(nèi),注意要加other一詞,將比較的一方從被比較的一方排除在外。否則,就會出現(xiàn)與自身相比較的矛盾現(xiàn)象。
譯:英語比其它任何學(xué)科更受歡迎。
誤:English is more popular than any subject.
正:English is more popular than any other subject.
這種句子在形式上是比較級,但在意義上是最高級。通常,同樣的意思會有多種表達(dá)方式。
譯:他是班上最高的學(xué)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,若比較雙方不在同一范圍內(nèi),就不需要用other來加以排除了。如:
Beijing is larger than any city in Africa. (北京不在非洲,故any后不用other。)
五、注意運用as ... as結(jié)構(gòu)。
1. 在原級比較中,否定句可用not so (as) ... as,而肯定句只能用as ... as,這時,形容詞或副詞不用比較級,只用原級。如:
誤:English is so useful as Chinese.
正:English is as useful as Chinese.
2. 使用not so (as) ... as時,如果句子謂語是實義動詞,not應(yīng)與do的相應(yīng)形式連用,而不能直接用在謂語動詞后。如:
誤: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互換。
譯:日語沒有英語那樣受歡迎。
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中后一個as不能受漢語的影響而改為like或than。如:
誤:Jim is not as careful like his brother.
正:Jim is not as careful as his brother.
誤:This bag is as heavy than that one.
正:This bag is as heavy as that one.
5. as ... as后接人稱代詞時,正式文體中多用主格,非正式文體中多用賓格。但是,若代詞后有動詞,則只能用主格。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等表示程度的副詞來修飾比較級,而very,to,so及quite(表示身體健康狀況的quite,better除外),不可用來修飾比較級。如:
誤:This box is very heavier than that one.
正:This box is much heavier than that one.
但是,當(dāng)more用來修飾或替代復(fù)數(shù)名詞時表示適度,需用many,a few或數(shù)詞修飾,不用much,a little修飾。如:
誤:I have much more books than you.
正:I have many more books than you.
七、以-ly結(jié)尾的副詞比較級、最高級一般加more,most構(gòu)成。
如:more carefully, most carefully, more slowly, most slowly,但early一詞中的-ly不是詞尾,不可加more,most,而應(yīng)改y為i,再加-er,-est構(gòu)成比較級和最高級。如:
誤:Tom is always the most early one to get to school.
正:Tom is always the earliest one to get to school.
八、用“比較級+and+比較級”結(jié)構(gòu)表示“越來越……”時,應(yīng)注意形容詞或副詞為多音節(jié)時用“more and more+原級”,此結(jié)構(gòu)不接than從句。如:
The worlds population is growing faster and faster.
Our country is becoming more and more beautiful.