The better the joke (is), the louder the laugh(is). The longer Sue stays in Canada, the less likely she will ever go back to England.

It almost seems that the more expensive the wedding, the shorter the marriage!

2) Gradual increase

Gradual increase is indicated by two adjectives in the comparative joined by and:

e. g. My car is getting dirtier and dirtier.

She became more and more famous.

3) Comparison of actions

Comparison of actions is formed in a similar way to the comparison of nouns:

e. g. It is nicer to go to the cinema than (to) stay at home.

Speaking a foreign language is not as easy as speaking one’s own.

MODIFICATION OF COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

1) Premodification

a) The comparatives of adjectives can be premodified:

e. g. far more careful

all the sooner

rather better

a little more polite, etc.

b) The superlatives of adjectives can be premodified only by very, which must be preceded by a determiner:

e. g. the very last

105

my very best.

2) Postmodification

Both the comparatives and the superlatives of adjectives can be postmodified by intensifying phrases:

e. g. cleverer

He is by far.

cleverest

By far is the most common postmodifier.

COMPARISON WITH MORE AND MOST

Any one- or two-syllable adjective can optionally be compared with more and most in order to emphasize the idea expressed by the adjective itself:

e. g. Mr. Brown has recently become more rich (i. e. “that he was not rich before” ).

AS OR THAN FOLLOWED BY A PRONOUN

1) When as or than is followed by a pronoun in the person, the verb is usually repeated:

e. g. We are not as poor as they are.

He speaks English better than his sister does.

2) However, when as or than is followed by a pronoun in the first or second person the verb is usually omitted:

e. g. I am not as tall as you.

He is smaller than I.

3) It is worth noting that in formal English, a first person pronoun is used in the nominative case, whereas in informal language, it is put into the objective case:

e. g. He has more friends than (I/me).

Adjectives used with the pronoun one/ones

1) Adjectives of quality can be followed by the pronoun one (singular) or ones (plural) instead of nouns:

e. g. I like this skirt but I must take a larger one.

106

Although Tom is very fat, he always prefers to eat bigger cakes rather than smaller ones.

2) However, when the adjective is used in the superlative degree, in the comparative degree to denote selection, or when the adjective implies colour, one/ ones can be omitted:

e. g. I bought the biggest (one).

I bought the bigger (one) of the two.

Which will you buy? I’ll buy the red (one).

Elliptical sentences

Occasionally, an adjectives can function as an elliptical sentence:

e. g. Nervous, Mrs. Brown opened the door.

Mrs. Brown, nervous, opened the door.

Mrs. Brown opened the door, nervous.

Adjectives used inexclamations

Adjectives may either form exclamations:

e. g. Good!

Excellent!

or be part of exclamatory adjective sentences:

e. g. How nice!

How kind of you!

ADVERBS

Formation of adverbs

1.The majority of adverbs is formed by the addition of the suffix –ly to an adjective:

e.g. nice – nicely

clever – cleverly

In some cases the addition of –ly results in the following changes:

a)When the adjective ends in –y, there is a change to –i- :

e.g. happy – happily

day – daily

b)When the adjective ends in –e, the final –e is often dropped:

e.g. whole – wholly

true – truly

! but: sole – solely

n

107

ice – nicely

0. When the adjective ends in –ic, -ally is added:

e.g. basic –basically

scientific – scientifically

! The adverb of good is well.

1. When the adjective already ends in –ly (friendly, lovely, lonely, likely, ugly, deadly, cowardly, silly), the adverb is formed by an adverb phrase:

e.g. cowardly – in a cowardly manner

friendly – in a friendly way

2. Many words beginning with a– form adverbs:

e.g. abroad, aboard, etc.

They should be distinguished from adjectives beginning with a- :

e.g. afraid, awake, etc.

This may be checked by the following test:

If an a- word is acceptable after verb of motion, it is an adverb:

e.g. He went abroad. (aboard)

However, if an a- word cannot occur after such verbs, it is an adjective:

e.g. We can’t say *He went afraid, (awake).

3.Some adverbs have the same form as adjectives. (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, early, fast, etc.)

A daily paper is published daily

A fast worker works fast.