English grammar - Roger Berry 2012

C4.1 Identifying phrasal comparison
C4 The comparison of adjectives
Section C Exploration

This section explores two problems to do with the comparison of adjectives as described in A4.

C4.1 Identifying phrasal comparison

Section A4 discussed the two ways of making comparative and superlative adjectives: phrasal and inflectional. Identifying inflectional comparison is relatively easy; all you need to do is to see if an adjective has an -er or -est inflection. However, it is not so easy with more and most, because they have a number of different functions. First of all, they can be determiners (more/most people) or pronouns, as well as adverbs (I like him more/most).

There are other cases we need to distinguish where more and most can precede adjectives but are not part of comparatives or superlatives:

□ most as a formal intensifier, especially with a, where it has the idea of ’very’ or ’extremely’: That’s most interesting / That’s a most interesting idea.

□ more and most as determiners when they have an adjective intervening between them and their head noun: more happy people means ’more people who are happy’ (not ’happier people’)

□ cases where two adjectives are being compared (rather than two degrees of the same adjective): He was more happy than sad.

Activity C4.1

Identifying superlatives with most.

Look at the following concordance lines for most and identify when it is part of a superlative.

1. For most mothers, the experience of poverty is one which . . .

2. Airships offer the most rewarding and comfortable way of travelling . . .

3. ... this is what you can get most easily.

4. Calling for his most precious stones . . .

5. And most of those who do will only try it once . . .

6. ... which forms of design and layout were most associated with ’lapses in civilised behaviour’.

7. ... both parents spoke to him in Punjabi for most of the time . . .

8. His entry was most dramatic . . .

9. Certainly this is the single most crucial event . . .

10. Most adults said the story was just a story . . .

11. The most convenient system in which to exploit these effects . . .

12. ... is an express condition in most legal leases . . .

13. ... including one of the most popular of all . . .

14. I’d always made most of my own clothes . . .

15. That’s what I dislike most about you . . .