com par is ions

8/3/2019 Com Par is Ions

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8.4 Comparisons and superlatives

ANTE TODO Spanish and English use comparisons to indicate which of

two people or things has a lesser, equal, or greater degreeof a quality.

Both languages also use superlatives to express thehighest or lowest degree of a quality.


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COMPARISONS

menos interesante ms grande tan sabroso comoless interesting bigger as delicious as

SUPERLATIVES

la / el mejor la / el peor la ms altathe best the worst the tallest


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Comparisons of inequality are formed by placingms (more) or menos (less) before adjectives,adverbs, and nouns and que (than) after them.

adjective

ms/menos + adverb + quenoun

Comparisons of inequality


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ADJECTIVES

Los bistecs son ms caros que el pollo.Steaks are more expensive than chicken.

Estas uvas son menos sabrosas que esa pera.

These grapes are less tasty than that pear.



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ADVERBS

Me acuesto ms tarde que t.I go to bed later than you (do).

Mi hermano se despierta menos temprano que yo.

My brother wakes up less early than I (do).



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NOUNS

Juan prepara ms platos que Jos.Juan prepares more dishes than Jos (does).

Susana come menos carne que Enrique.

Susan eats less meat than Enrique (does).



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ATENCIN!

Note that while English has a comparative form for shortadjectives and adverbs (taller, later), such forms do notexist in Spanish (ms alto, ms tarde).

When the comparison involves a numerical expression,de is used before the number instead of que.

Hay ms de cincuenta naranjas.

Llego en menos de diez minutos.


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With verbs, the following construction is used to makecomparisons of inequality:

[ verb] + ms/menos que

Mis hermanos comen ms que yo.

My brothers eat more than I (do).

Arturo duerme menos que su padre.Arturo sleeps less than his father (does).



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The following constructions are used to makecomparisons of equality.

tan + adjective + comoadverb

tanto/a (s) + singular noun + comoplural noun

Comparisons of equality


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Este plato es tan delicioso como aqul.This dish is as delicious as that one (is).

Ustedes probaron tantos platos como ellos.You tried as many dishes as they did.



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ATENCIN! Note that tanto acts as an adjective and therefore agrees in number

and gender with the noun it modifies: tantas cosas.

Tan and tanto can also be used for emphasis, rather than tocompare, with these meanings: tan so, tanto so much, tantos/asso many.

Tu almuerzo es tan grande!Your lunch issobig!

Comes tanto!You eatso much!

Comes tantas manzanas!You eatso manyapples!


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Comparisons of equality with verbs are formed byplacing tanto como after the verb.

Note that in this construction tanto does not change innumber or gender.

[ verb]+ tanto como

No duermo tanto como mi ta.I dont sleep as much as my aunt (does).

Estudiamos tanto como ustedes.

We study as much as you (do).



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The following construction is used to form superlatives. Notethat the noun is always preceded by a definite article and

that de is equivalent to the English inor of.

el / la / los / las+[ noun]+ ms / menos +[ adjective]+ de

Es el caf ms rico del pas.Its the most delicious coffee in the country.

Es el men menos caro de todos stos.It is the least expensive menu of all of these.

Superlatives


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ATENCIN!

While ms alone means more, after a noun or a definitearticle, it means most.

Superlatives


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The noun in a superlative construction can be omitted ifthe person, place, or thing referred to is clear.

El restaurante El Crter? Es el ms elegante de la ciudad.The El Crterrestaurant? Its the most elegant (one) in the city.

Recomiendo el pollo asado. Es el ms sabroso del men.I recommend the roast chicken. Its the most delicious (thing) on the

menu.

Superlatives


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Irregular comparisons and superlatives

Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form

bueno/a good mejor better el/la mejor (the) best

malo/a bad peor worse el/la peor (the) worst

grande/a big mayor bigger el/la mayor (the) biggest

pequeo/a small menor smaller el/la menor (the) smallest

joven young menor younger el/la menor (the) youngest

viejo/a old mayor older el/la mayor (the) eldest


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When grande and pequeo/a refer to age, the irregular comparativeand superlative forms, mayor and menor, are used.

However, when these adjectives refer to size, the regular forms, msgrande and ms pequeo/a, are used.

Isabel es la mayor de su familia.Isabel is the eldest in her family.

Tu ensalada es ms grande que sa.Your salad is bigger than that one.

Yo soy menor que t.Im younger than you.

Ped el plato ms pequeo del men.

I ordered the smallest dish on the menu.

Irregular comparatives and superlatives


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The adverbs bien and mal have the same irregularcomparative forms as the adjectives bueno/a and malo/a.

Julio nada mejor que los otros chicos.Julio swims better than the other boys.

Ellas cantan peor que las otras chicas.They sing worse than the other girls.

Irregular comparatives and superlatives


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To form the absolute superlative of most adjectives and adverbs,drop the final vowel, if there is one, and add -simo/a(s).

malo mal- malsimo mucho much- muchsimoEl bistec est malsimo! Comes muchsimo.The steak is very bad! You eat a lot (very, very much).

difcil + -simo dificilsimo fcil + -simo facilsimo

Esta prueba es dificilsima. Los exmenes son facilsimos.This quiz is exceptionally difficult. The tests are extremely easy.

Absolute superlatives


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Adjectives and adverbs whose stem ends in c, g, or zchange spelling to qu, gu, and c in the absolute superlative.

rico riqusimolargo largusimofeliz felicsimo



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Adjectives that end inn orr normally form the absolutesuperlative by adding -csimo.

joven + -csimo jovencsimo

trabajador + -csimo trabajadorcsimo



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INTNTALO!Escribe el equivalente de las palabras en ingls.Superlativos

1. (the most intelligent) Marisa es _____ de todas.2. (the least boring) Ricardo y Toms son _____ de la fiesta.3. (the worst) Miguel y Antonio son _____ estudiantes de la clase.4. (the eldest) Mi profesor de biologa es _____ de la universidad.5. (extremely delicious) El pollo de este supermercado es _____ .6. (the youngest) Carlos es _____ de mis hermanos.

7. (the best) Este plato es _____ del restaurante.8. (extremely tall) Sara es _____ .

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