POSITIVE COMPARATIVE más (de dos)

SUPERLATIVE el más (de tres o más) stout soon old

mean (soez, malo) low young high few (pocos) bright stouter sooner older, elder meaner lower younger higher fewer (menos) brighter stoutest soonest oldest, eldest meanest lowest youngest highest fewest the brightest

Nota: — E1 comparative fewer (menos) siempre debe usarse antes de nombres que expresen algo que

puede numerarse, por ejemplo, 'fewer friends' — menos amigos; 'fewer lawyers' — menos abogados, etc. El superlativo fewest a veces se emplea en frases de construcción irregular para él de habla española, por ejemplo, 'I have the fewest books of all' — (Literal, Yo tengo los menos libros de todos) — Soy yo quien tengo menos libros. Las formas elder y eldest se usan, solamente, con referencia a persona en algunas frases: My elder brother — Mi hermano mayor (de dos que somos); my eldest brother — mi hermano mayor (de tres o más).

b. Los adjetivos cortos que terminan en 'y' (griega) precedida de consonante cambian la 'y' por 'I' (latina) antes de las terminaciones. Los que terminan en una consonante sencilla precedida de una sola vocal doblan esa consonante antes de las terminaciones. Apréndanse los siguientes de memoria:

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POSITIVE COMPARATIVE más . . . (de dos)

SUPERLATIVE (el más de tres o más)

busy dirty easy happy lazy witty big fat thin busier dirtier easier happier lazier wittier bigger fatter thinner busiest dirtiest easiest happiest laziest wittiest biggest fattest thinnest

Alguno que otro adietivo, aunque corto, no admite el cambio; He is more guilty than I — Él es más culpable que yo. You are the most guilty of all — Eres el más culpable de todos. I am more sorry than you think — Lo siento más (estoy más apenado), de lo que crees. He was more afraid than she — Él tenía más miedo (él estaba más atemorizado), que ella.

Cuando la comparación se hace de dos cualidades en la misma persona se emplea 'more' aun con adjetivos cortos y el positivo: He is more lazy than stupid — Él es más perezoso que estúpido. She is more pretty than intelligent — Ella es más bonita que inteligente. I am more happy than I can say — Soy más feliz de lo que pueda decir.

Read ALOUD and Answer ALOUD SEVERAL Times:

1. Is John a brighter boy than Alfred? 2. Who is the brightest in the class? 3. Has your sister fewer books than I? 4. Of you two who has the fewer books? 5. Have I the fewest books of the three? 6. Of those two houses which one is the higher? 7. Is your brother younger than you? 8. Is that man even meaner than you thought? 9. Did you speak to the older of the two? 10. Is that boy your elder brother? 11. Did they finish their work sooner than we? 12. Has the teacher asked you to do the easier of the two lessons? 13. Is he the busiest man in the office? 14. Was it his room or hers the dirtiest in the house? 15. Did you find the lawyer younger than you expected? 16. Is she happier than any other of her sisters? 17. Of your two friends which one is the lazier, the taller or the shorter? 18. Is he the wittiest in the family? 19. Is New York bigger than any other city in the United States? 20. Is London the biggest city in Europe? 21. Which one of those two cities is the bigger? 22. Are you thinner than she? 23. Did you write fewer phrases than he? (Vuelva a hacerse y a contestar estas preguntas y .recuerde que después de 'than', debe usarse pronombre personal, este debe ser: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, es decir, pronombre sujeto).

3. Algunos Adjetivos Se Comparan IRREGULARMENTE. Apréndanse de MEMORIA: a. POSITIVE COMPARATIVE más . . . (de

dos)

SUPERLATIVE el más (de tres o más)

good

many muchos, -as much — mucho, -a bad little (poco) far better more more

worse (uers) — peor worse

less

farther, further

former (el primero o anterior de dos) upper (el más arriba de dos)

best most most

worst (uerst) — el peor worst

least(liist) — el menos farthest, furthest

foremost (el primero de todos) uppermost (el más arriba de todos) Note: LESS — menos, es el comparativo de 'little' — poco y por consiguiente SOLAMENTE debe usarse antes de nombres que expresen cantidad colectiva y NUNCA antes de cosas que puedan enumerarse: less water, less time, less work, etc. Compare 'less' y 'fewer': less misery — menos miseria, less poverty — menos pobreza, es decir, cosas que no se cuentan pero, fewer men, fewer jobs, es decir, cosas que puedan enumerarse. Observe: I have the least time of all — Soy yo quien tengo menos tiempo de todos. He has the most time of all — Es él quien tiene más tiempo de todos. (En menos de. . . —in less than. . . ; por lo menos — at

least).

El comparativo 'farther' — más lejos, debe usarse mayormente indicando distancia: He lives farther than I. 'Further' se emplea generalmente en un sentido figurado con la idea de (adicional): Read further — Siga leyendo o lea más adelante. (Furthermore, you . . . etc. — Además, Ud . . .)

Read ALOUD and Answer ALOUD SEVERAL Times:

1. Is your pen better than mine? 2. Is Peter's the best of the three? 3. Of those two apartments, which one, do you believe, is the better? 4. Did you see there more than two-hundred people waiting for him? 5. Has he written more phrases than she? 6. Who wrote the most phrases in the class? 7. Of your two girl-cousins, which one is the worse in English? 8. Is Mary the worst in the class? 9. (I heard that he was ill); is he worse to -day than he was yesterday? 10. When Alfred and William went by you, did you speak to the former or the latter? 11. Has he less money than any other in the family? 12. Which one has the least money of all? 13. Did he go farther that you? 14. Does she live the farthest of all? 15. Are you still going to read further?

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4. Algunos adjetivos de dos silabas y todos los de tres o más forman el comparativo, generalmente, llevando adelante la palabra 'more' y el superlativo con 'the most' — el más, los más, Apréndanse de Memoria

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE más (de dos) SUPERLATIVE el más (de tres o más) unfortunate refined impressive handsome bashful trying studious sarcastic successful foolish famous dreadful disrespectful respectful charming becoming more unfortunate more refined more impressive more handsome more bashful more trying more studious more sarcastic more successful more foolish more famous more dreadful more disrespectful more respectful more charming more becoming most unfortunate most refined most impressive most handsome most bashful most trying most studious most sarcastic most successful most foolish most famous most dreadful most disrespectful most respectful most charming most becoming

Nota: —Vemos comparativos y superlativos de alguno que otro adjetivo largo construidos en diferentes formas, por

ejemplo, 'pleasanter' o 'more pleasant', 'the handsomest' o 'the most handsome' pero, siguiendo el uso general, debemos emplear preferiblemente 'more' y 'most' antes del positivo de dichos adjetivos.

Read ALOUD and Answer ALOUD SEVERAL Times:

1. Is the white dress more becoming to her than any other? 2. Of these two girls, which one is the more charming, the taller or the shorter? 3. Is it not Ralph the most disrespectful boy in the class? 4. Have you ever seen a more dreadful sight than this? — (Negative). 5. Is he more famous now than he ever was before? 6. Is it not he the most foolish of them all? 7. Have you ever known a more hard - working boy than he? 8. Does she say that Edward is more handsome than his brother? 9. Which one of those two buildings, do you think, is the more handsome, the one nearer the park or the farther? 10. Was the President's speech the most impressive of all? 11. Which one is the more sarcastic of the two, he or she? 12. Would he be more successful in his classes if he were more stu dious? 13. Which one of the boys is the most successful in English? 14. Have you ever had a more trying day in your life?

5. Comparative of Equality — Comparativo de Igualdad.

El 'comparative of equality' se forma como sigue: as + positive + as — tan positivo como. Example: You are as lucky as he — Eres tan dichoso como él. She is as witty as her father — Ella es tan ocurrente como su padre. You talk as much as he — Hablas tanto como él. He has as many books as I — Él tiene tantos libros como yo.

6. Comparative of Inferiority — Comp. de Inferioridad

El 'comparative of inferiority' se forma: less + positive + than — menos + positive + que; también se construye: not so + positive + as — no

Tan + positive + como. Examples: He is less intelligent than any other in the class. He is not so studious as she. He does not brag (no se alaba) so much as you.

7. El Artículo THE es una Frase Correlativa Denotando Comparación:

Estudie cuidadosamente los siguientes ejemplos en que se usa el articulo THE seguido de un 'comparative' al principio de la frase significando 'mientras más' o 'cuanto más' o bien ‘mientras menos' o 'tanto menos' y luego otra vez al final de la frase significando o 'tanto más', o bien ‘menos' o 'tanto menos' Observe que el VERBO en antes frases debe SEGUIR al sujeto. Use las siguientes oraciones, que han de aprenderse de MEMORIA, con otras personas cuando sea posible:

THE more studious you are THE more you shall learn. THE easier a lesson is THE more I like it.

THE less you study THE less you shall know.

THE fewer books you read THE less learned ('lerned', culto) you shall be. THE more modest we are THE more friends we will have.

THE wittier a person is THE more pleasant we find his company. THE less you talk about yourself THE more respect you command.

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8. Absolute Superlative of Past Participles

El 'past participle' usado como 'absolute superlative' debe ir PRECEDIDO de MUCH o VERY MUCH para significar 'muy': He is very much disgusted ('disgósted') — Está muy disgustado o disgustadísimo. I was very much disappointed — Yo estaba muy contrariado o contrariadisimo. She is very much annoyed — Esta muy incómoda o incomodísima. He is very much attached to his mother — Es muy apegado o apegadísimo a su mama ('Very tired' — muy cansado, es correcto puesto que 'tired' es en sí un adjetivo aunque existe el verbo 'to tire').

E X A M E N

Después de haberse hecho un estudio muy cuidadoso escribiéndose y repitiéndose en ALTA VOZ cada parte de esta lección, háganse los siguientes ejercicios:

A. De en INGLES una SOLA Respuesta para Cada Pregunta Según le Parezca:

1. Did the President approve the plan so that the workers could get better wages? 2. Did you expect your father to approve of your action? 3. Does she doubt that he has acknowledged his blame for the quarrel between her and him? 4. Did she say that she had acknowledged receipt of his letter lest he feel Insulted? 5. Were you amazed at the way he spoke of his best friend? 6. Would the policeman have been able to catch up with the thieves if he had chased them? 7. Did your elder brother say that he would chase us away unless we kept quiet? 8. Did you stop to pick up her handkerchief when she dropped it? 9. Do you fed that I ought to have dropped him a few lines about the incident? 10. Why did you prevent him from dropping in when you were going by? 11. Are you going to have your brother drop mathematics? 12. Did she not t ell you several times not to flatter her? 13. Did he say that she would not inherit any money unless she gave up her intention to marry the Russian pianist? 14. Are you wondering how long the conversation between her and me lasted? 15. Where did you place your books as soon as you had reached the house? 16. Are you suggesting that I must have misplaced those letters? 17. Did he complain to the police that somebody had robbed him of all his money? 18. Were you told that they were stopping at the Hotel America? 19. Do you think that the Court could compel that man to support his wife and children? 20. Did he want you to tie the dog to the leg of the table? 21. Did he tell you that she had missed the train? 22. When did she find out that her English - Spanish dictionary was missing? 23. Do you think it was right for you to tell them that you did not trust them? 24. Are you happy to learn that he has built a fine reputation as a lawyer? 25. Did he say that he was going to build up a new business? 26. Did you ask her to set the books in the right place? 27. Why did you set your watch twenty minutes ahead? 28. How long ago did they set him free? 29. Do you think that they will prove that he set fire to his own house? 30. Does that noise set your teeth on edge? 31. Shall you set out at nine unless he decides to put off the trip? 32. Did he make sure to you that he had set his mind on a new business? 33. Did he throw a book at you when you be gan to tease him? 34. Do you not think that he would have some money left if h e had not thrown it away? 35. Did the manager order the doors thrown open when someone cried out "Fire" at the theatre? 36. Did they throw up their hands when the bandit took out his revolver? 37. Did the doctor give you any medicine to prevent your throwing up your food when you were in the boat? 38. Were you able to throw your friend down? 39. Has he got any money with him? 40. Have I got to finish this work before leaving the office this afternoon?

II. Copie las siguientes Oraciones LLENANDO Cada BLANCO con una CONJUNCION Que Encaje Lógicamente para el Sentido Completo:

1. He must have met with an accident – he would be here already. 2. He always knows his lessons — he never studies. 3. They have been living in that house — they arrived in this city. 4. My mother does not ap prove of my brother's running the store — he does not know much about the business. 5. She said that she was coming to-day at three — I must wait for her. 6. He will be able to pass the examination — he attends classes regularly and studies hard. 7. I am glad to lend it to you but I must tell you, —, that you should take good care of it. 8. He insisted that I be there but I did not go, —. 9. She prefers to read poetry, — I choose to read prose. 10. I believe that you feel about that subject — he does.

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III. Translate into English:

1. Me opuse a que mi hermano viniera a este país porque sé que el clima no le prueba. 2. Ellos nos suplicaron que consintiéramos en que ellos usaran la biblioteca entre cuatro y cinco de la tarde. 3. No me explico porque dudaste el que é1 fuera inteligente. 4. Si no hubieses insistido en que te esperara aquí yo hubiera podido conseguir los boletos para la función. 5. Ella habrá aprobado el que su hijo entre en la universidad (college) pero temo que fracasara. 6. ¿Tiene Ud. inconveniente en que yo espere aquí? Por supuesto que no. 7. Si é1 no tuviese conveniente en que yo usara su diccionario yo podría preparar mis lecciones mucho mejor. 8. Tu padre te dijo que él no tenía inconveniente en que ellos bailaran en la casa pero después de medianoche. 9. No volveré a escribirle a menos que el me-acuse recibo de mi carta. 10. Aunque él no admitió su error todos nosotros (we all) convinimos en que él había tenido la culpa. 11. Ella me asombró cuando la oí hablar francés pues no sabía hablarlo hace seis a siete meses. 12. Como el policía no encontró un automóvil a-la mano no pudo perseguir a los bandidos. 13. Ellos estaban molestándome, por esto los 'ahuyente' de mi sala de estudio. 14. ¿Por qué no echaste las cartas en el buzón de (on) la esquina cuando saliste a las once? 15. No quise suspender las -matemáticas por miedo de que mi padre me regañara (should. . .).16. A él se le caería algo, de lo contrario no estaría mirando debajo del piano y del escritorio. 17. Ellos no me han llamado, por lo tanto les escribiré unas líneas hoy sin falta. 18. El más joven de los dos entró -al-pasar y hablamos unos diez minutos. 19. La pobre mujer leyó la noticia acerca de su hijita y entonces cayó muerta. 20. Ella le tiró con el libro pero 'no dió en el blanco'.

21. Ellas perderían el primer discurso pues sali eron de su casa muy tarde. 22. Él me dijo que faltaban tres de sus libros. 23. Este dinero te durará hasta el fin del mes. 24. Su padre le impidió entrar en ese negocio. 25. Él traspapelaría ese documento cuando se detuvo en la oficina el otro día. 26. Ayer supe que cuatro ladrones le habían robado $20,000 al Banco Italiano. 27. Cuando la mayor de las dos hermanas dejo de tocar el piano, la mis joven nos entretuvo con un cuento muy interesante. 28. Mientras más habla un hombre de si menos confió -en él. 29. Su madre quería que él fabricara una casa tan hermosa como la de ella. 30. Él se ha hecho la reputación de ser el abogado más inteligente de la ciudad — (Él se ha hecho una reputación como el abogado 'más inteligente en la ciudad '). 31. Me dijeron que ellos pusieron en libertad al más culpable de los dos.

32. Él me atrasó el reloj veinte minutos y por eso me levante más tarde que los otros. 33. ¿Ella nos dijo que había expuesto el plan más fácil de todos. 34. No tenemos que ponern os en camino tan temprano. 35. Él no malgastó tanto dinero como yo. 36. Si é1 hubiese hecho su deber ellos no lo hubieran (habrían) botado. 37. El profesor dice que mientras menos libros leamos menos sabremos. 38. ¿Cúal (which one) de los dos muchachos tumbaste, el más alto o el más bajo? 39. tú me dijiste que ella era más inteligente que él. 40. Encontré al nenito más bonito de lo que esperaba.

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LESSON XIV