宋同標(biāo)+王玉峰
請(qǐng)同學(xué)們先看下面教材里的典型句子,注意斜體部分的比較級(jí)用法:
1. It?蒺s no pleasure looking through these any longer because nature is one thing that really must be experienced. (人教課標(biāo)版教材模塊一Unit1 P2)
2. Today,more people speak English as their first, second or a foreign language than ever before.(人教課標(biāo)版教材模塊一Unit2 P9)
3. Finally, in 1991, the sister and their family moved to a safer area and since then they have never looked back. (北師大版教材模塊一Unit2 P26)
通過教材的原句同學(xué)們可以發(fā)現(xiàn)比較級(jí)是一個(gè)非?;钴S的語法項(xiàng)目,既是中學(xué)階段的重點(diǎn)語法,也是各類考試的重要考點(diǎn)。下面我們梳理一下比較級(jí)的重難點(diǎn):
一、比較級(jí)的基本句型
(一)用adj./adv.-er +than...表示“比……”。如:
I am a better swimmer than he(him).
【例】 I think watching TV every evening is a waste of time—there are (much) meaningful things to do.
【答案與解析】 more。本題的watching TV與其他事情比較,屬于兩者比較,用比較級(jí),從a waste of time看出是肯定后者。破折號(hào)后面的句子補(bǔ)全就是:——there are more meaningful things to do than watching TV every evening.
(2)用 as+原級(jí)+as...以及not so(as)+原級(jí)+as…表示同級(jí)比較。如:
Our neighbor has as big a house as ours.我們的鄰居有一棟跟我們家一樣大的房子。
【例1】 It?蒺s generally believed that teaching is much an art as it is a science.
【答案與解析】 as。在“as + adj. + a (an) +單數(shù)名詞+as...” 的比較級(jí)結(jié)構(gòu)中,a或an不可放在形容詞之前,本句意思是“人們普遍認(rèn)為教學(xué)既是一門科學(xué),又是一門藝術(shù)。根據(jù)后面的as和句意確定填as。
【例2】 There are a small number of people involved, possibly as as twenty.
【答案與解析】 few。根據(jù)前面的small number看出不可能填many或much;從twenty看出形容詞修飾的是可數(shù)名詞people。表示數(shù)量少可以用few和little,都表示否定意義,但是前者修飾可數(shù)名詞,后者修飾不可數(shù)名詞。故填few。該結(jié)構(gòu)中前一個(gè)as是副詞,修飾后面的形容詞或副詞原級(jí)形式,后一個(gè)as是連詞。注意so...as僅用于否定句中。句意:牽涉到的人數(shù)不多,僅有20人。
二、比較級(jí)的特殊用法
(一)more and more表示“越來越……”。如:
She felt herself becoming more and more nervous.
他覺得自己變得越來越緊張。
It becomes warmer and warmer when spring comes.
春天來了, 天氣變得越來越暖和了。
(二)“the more...the more...”表示“越來越……”。如:
The more money you make, the more you spend.錢你賺得越多,花得越多。
【例】 The older she grows, the (interest) she becomes in the traditional food in her own country.
【答案與解析】 more interested。本題完整的句型為:the more(形容詞/副詞比較級(jí))+主語+謂語,the more(形容詞/副詞比較級(jí))+主語+謂語。根據(jù)句子的意思和連系動(dòng)詞become可以看出用interest的形容詞形式作表語,再由主語she看出用過去分詞interested形式,再根據(jù)前面The older確定填比較級(jí)形式 more interested。
(三)用形容詞比較級(jí)的否定形式,從反面來表示最高級(jí),通常譯為“沒有比……更……”。如:
No other book has a greater effect on my life.=This book has the greatest effect on my life.
沒有哪一本書比這本書對(duì)我的影響更大的了。
How beautiful she sings! Ive never heard a better voice.= How beautiful she sings! She has the best voice Ive ever heard. 她唱的真美呀,我從來沒有聽過如此動(dòng)聽的聲音。
【例】 — Go for a picnic this weekend, OK?
—I couldn?蒺t agree (much). I love getting close to nature.
【答案與解析】 more。根據(jù)答句“我喜歡接近自然”看出是肯定回應(yīng),從答句couldn?蒺t 看用比較級(jí)的否定形式表示肯定意義。句意:——周末去野炊好嗎?——非常贊同,我喜歡親近自然。
(四)more...than結(jié)構(gòu)或as...as...用于倍數(shù)表達(dá)。具體表達(dá)方式有:
1.A...X times +形容詞或副詞比較級(jí)+than+B。如:
The dictionary is exactly five times more expensive than that one.
這本詞典比那本詞典貴五倍。
This hall is five times bigger than our classroom.這個(gè)大廳比我們的教室大五倍。(是我們教室的六倍)
2. A...X times as+形容詞或副詞原級(jí)+as+B。如:
His father is twice as old as he.他父親的年齡是他年齡的兩倍。
The plane flew ten times as high as the kite.那架飛機(jī)飛行高度是那個(gè)風(fēng)箏的十倍。(高出九倍)
【例】 The house rent is expensive. I?蒺ve got about half the space I had at home and I am paying three times much here.
【答案與解析】 as。從“房租很貴”的提示,結(jié)合根據(jù) about half the space“大約一半的空間看出表示付出“三倍的價(jià)格”,是倍數(shù)表達(dá)句型,much表示原級(jí),所以是X times as...as句型。
(五)表示“一……就……”的句型no sooner...than...
本句型是包含比較級(jí)的一個(gè)特殊句型,意思是“一……就……”,no sooner置于句首通常要用部分倒裝結(jié)構(gòu),即把謂語動(dòng)詞的一部分置于主語之前,主句部分多用過去完成時(shí)態(tài)。
No sooner had the football game started than it began to rain.足球賽剛開始就下起雨來了。
He had no sooner / No sooner had he arrived than he was asked to leave again.他剛到就被支走了。
【例】 —Did Linda see the traffic accident?
—No, no (soon) had she gone than it happened.
【答案與解析】 sooner。根據(jù)否定詞回答知道“琳達(dá)沒有目睹交通事故”,后面補(bǔ)充說明原因,根據(jù)no和than看出用sooner,表示“她剛走就發(fā)生了”。
(六)不表示比較意義的比較結(jié)構(gòu)
有些結(jié)構(gòu)表面上是比較級(jí)形式,但是其實(shí)已經(jīng)有了其他的意義,要結(jié)合語境判斷,否則會(huì)產(chǎn)生歧義。這樣的結(jié)構(gòu)常見的有:as(so) long as“只要……就……”,引導(dǎo)條件狀語從句;as far as...“就……而言……”;as well as“還有...”;as soon as“一……就……”,引導(dǎo)時(shí)間狀語從句。如:
I don?蒺t care, so long as she let me be with her.只要她讓我和她在一起,我才不在乎呢。
As far as I know, he?蒺ll be away for three months.據(jù)我所知,他將外出三個(gè)月。
He as well as I likes being in the sun.他和我都喜歡曬太陽。
As soon as she arrived in the city, she phoned her friend.
她一到這個(gè)城市,就給她的朋友打電話。
【例】 As as I can see, there is only one possible way to keep away from the danger.
【答案與解析】 far。As far as I can see的意思是“依我看”。句意:依我看,只可能有一種方法規(guī)避危險(xiǎn)。
另外還有一些含有比較級(jí)的固定短語,如:sooner or later意思是“遲早”, worse still(what?蒺s worse, to make things/ matters worse)“更糟的是”, what?蒺s more“而且”, more or less“有點(diǎn)兒,或多或少,有幾分”, less than“少于,不到”, no more/not any more“不再(強(qiáng)調(diào)數(shù)量)”, no longer/not any longer“不再(強(qiáng)調(diào)時(shí)間)”。?蕁