Analyzing Syntax & Semantics Textbook: A Self-Instructional Approach for Teachers and Clinicians

CHAPTER 17 Comparatives

CHAPTER 17 Comparatives Objectives • Identify in sentences regular and irregular adjectives and adverbs in the comparative and superlative degree • Identify the optionally deleted words in the comparatives in given sentences • Identify adjective and adverbial phrase elaborations with comparatives and specify the phrase as adjectival or adverbial • Identify the NPs that contain comparatives in given sentences • Analyze sentences containing comparative elaborations of adjectives or adverbs • Identify specified complexities in sentenc,~s with comparatives • Identify the elaborations, modality changes, conjoinings, relativizations, and transformations in sentences The ability to use comparatives, both the comparative and superlative degrees, reflects a certain level of cognitive or conceptual maturity. Hargis (1977) commented on the importance of comparative constructions in communicating cognitive processes such as seriation and conservation. An understanding of comparatives is necessary in many mathematical problems, even in beginning arithmetic. Comparatives are used in expressing differences or similarities in quantity, quality, and size, and in comparing people or things as to certain other characteristics. The term comparative, when referring to syntactic complexity, is an inclusive one referring to both degrees, the comparative and the superlative. For review of regular and irregular adjectives and the comparison of adjectives, you may want to go back to chapter 2, pages 21-24. An important difference in the comparative and superlative form is that the comparative degree (with -er or more) is used in comparisons of two things, and the superlative degree (with ·est or most) is used in comparisons involving three or more things. Thus, if only two kites are flying, an appropriate question to ask would be Whose kite is higher? This rule holds regardless of the form that comparative constructions take. Syntactically, comparatives elaborate adjec:tive or adverbial sentence constituents and adjectives in noun phrases. In a noun phrase, comparatives with ·er and -est, more and most + Adj, and other more irregular comparatives (such as better, best, most, 159 160 COMPARATIVES least, worst, northernmost, etc.) may be used in a the . .. of pattern. This pattern contains a prearticle in the NP, for example, the longer of the two boards the smallest of the seven children the more beautiful of the two watches the most interesting of the pictures Each of the noun phrases has an adjective elaboration that is comparative in form. The adjectives long and beautiful are in the comparative degree, and small and interesting are in the superlative degree. Comparatives also may be found in noun phrases as adjective elaborations following a null article, other articles, genitives, or cardinal determiners. Lesley likes daintier figurines. The two tallest boys in our class are on the team. Our more difficult tests are on Saturday. Each of the above sentences has an adjective modifier elaboration and a comparative elaboration. The second sentence also contains a prepositional phrase modifier, and the third, a possessive determiner. Comparative constructions may involve the elaboration of an adjective or adverb in the pattern Adj + comp +than + NP +del. This pattern is used to express differences in size, quality, quantity, characteristics (adjectives); or manner (adverbs). An adjective or adverb is elaborated with a comparative form and a complement clause introduced by the conjunction than. There is a deletion in these structures of the word(s) that would complete the clause. Note the elaborations in the following sentences. Jack is tanner than Mary. (Jack is tanner than Mary is tan) Jack is tanner than Mary is. (Jack is tanner than Mary is tan) The word tan in both sentences is an obligatory deletion; it would not be included in the sentence. The copula is, however, mayor may not be deleted. In the cases where it is deleted, the deletion is optional. The full complement clause would be than Mary is tan. Both of the sentences are the same pattern: NP + VL + Adj. The adjective, which is a sentence constituent, is elaborated with the comparative morpheme -er and a clause with deletion. The propositions underlying the surface structure are Jack is tan, Mary is tan. COMPARATIVES The adjective elaboration may also be a modifier of a NP as shown in the following sentences, all with the same meaning but with varied deletions: Mother has larger feet than Bob. Mother has larger feet than Bob has. Mother has larger feet than Bob does. 161 In each of the three sentences there is a deletion. In the first, the deletion is has large feet; in the second, large feet; and in the third, have large...