Higher Lessons in English Part 66

(Up), upper, upmost _or_ uppermost.

Top, ----, topmost.

[Footnote *: The words inclosed in curves are adverbs--the adjectives following having no positive form.]

[Footnote +: For the comparative and the superlative of _little_, in the sense of small in size, _smaller_ and _smallest_ are subst.i.tuted; as, _little_ boy, _smaller_ boy, _smallest_ boy.]

Adverbs Irregularly Compared.

_Pos. Comp. Superlative._

Badly,| worse, worst.

Ill, | Far, farther, farthest, Forth, further, furthest.

Little, less, least, Much, more, most.

Well, better, best.

TO THE TEACHER.--We give below a model for writing the parsing of adjectives. A similar form may be used for adverbs.

Exercises for the parsing of adjectives and adverbs may be selected from Lessons 12, 14, 29, 30, 31, 44, 46, 47, 48, 60, 63, 64, 65.

Model for Written Parsing.--_All the dewy glades are still_.

CLa.s.sIFICATION. | MODIFICATION. |SYNTAX -------------------|---------------|---------------------------------- Adjectives.| Kind. | Deg. of Comp. | All | Def. | ------ | Modifier of _glades_.

the | " | ------ | " " "

dewy | Des. | Pos. | " " "

still | " | " | Completes _are_ and modifies _glades_.

LESSON 128.

CONSTRUCTION OF COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES.

+Caution+.--In stating a comparison avoid comparing a thing with itself.

[Footnote: A thing may, of course, be compared with itself as existing under different conditions; as, The _star_ is _brighter to-night_; The _gra.s.s_ is _greener to-day_.]

+Remark+.--The comparative degree refers to two things (or sets of things) as distinct from each other, and implies that one has more of the quality than the other. The comparative degree is generally followed by _than_.

[Footnote: The comparative is generally used with reference to two things only, but it may be used to compare one thing with a number of things taken separately or together as, _He_ is no _better_ than _other men_; _It_ contains _more_ than _all_ the _others_ combined.]

+Direction+.--_Study the Caution and the Remark, and correct these errors:_--

1. London is larger than any city in Europe.

+Correction+.--The second term of comparison, _any city in Europe_, includes London, and so London is represented as being larger than itself.

It should be, _London_ is _larger_ _than any other city in Europe_, or, _London_ is the _largest city in Europe_.

2. China has a greater population than any nation on the globe.

3. I like this book better than any book I have seen.

4. There is no metal so useful as iron.

(A comparison is here stated, although no degree form is employed.)

5. All the metals are less useful than iron.

6. Time ought, above all kinds of property, to be free from invasion.

+Caution+.--In using the superlative degree be careful to make the latter term of the comparison, or the term introduced by _of_, include the former.

+Remarks+.--The superlative degree refers to one thing (or set of things) as belonging to a group or cla.s.s, and as having more of the quality than any of the rest. The superlative is generally followed by _of_.

Good writers sometimes use the superlative in comparing two things; as, This is the _best of the two_. But in such cases usage largely favors the comparative; as, This is the _better of the two_.

+Direction+.--_Study the Caution and the Remarks, and correct these errors:_--

1. Solomon was the wisest of all the other Hebrew kings.

+Correction+.--_Of_ (= _belonging to_) represents Solomon as belonging to a group of kings, and _other_ excludes him from this group--a contradiction in terms. It should be, _Solomon_ was the _wisest of Hebrew kings_, or _Solomon_ was _wiser_ than _any other Hebrew king_.

2. Of all the other books I have examined, this is the most satisfactory.

3. Profane swearing is, of all other vices, the most inexcusable.

4. He was the most active of all his companions.

(He was not one of his own companions.)

5. This was the most satisfactory of any preceding effort.

6. John is the oldest of any boy in his cla.s.s.

+Caution+.--Avoid double comparatives and double superlatives, and the comparison of adjectives whose meaning will not admit of different degrees.[Footnote: Many words which grammarians have considered incapable of comparison are used in a sense short of their literal meaning, and are compared by good writers; as, My _chiefest_ entertainment.--_Sheridan_. The _chiefest_ prize.--_Byron_. _Divinest_ Melan- choly.--_Milton_. _Extremest_ h.e.l.l.--_Whittier_. _Most perfect_ harmony--_Longfellow_. _Less perfect_ imitations.--_Macaulay_. The extension of these exceptional forms should not be encouraged.]

+Direction+.--_Correct these errors:_--

1. A more beautifuler location cannot be found.

2. He took the longest, but the most pleasantest, route.

3. Draw that line more perpendicular.

+Correction+.--Draw that line _perpendicular_, or more nearly _perpendicular_.

4. The opinion is becoming more universal.

5. A worser evil awaits us.

6. The most princ.i.p.al point was entirely overlooked.

7. That form of expression is more preferable.

+Caution+.--When an adjective denoting one, or an adjective denoting more than one, is joined to a noun, the adjective and the noun must agree in number.

+Remark+.--A numeral denoting more than one may be prefixed to a singular noun to form a compound adjective; as, a _ten-foot_ pole (not a _ten-feet_ pole), a _three-cent_ stamp.

+Direction+.--_Study the Caution and the Remark, and correct these errors:_--

1. These kind of people will never be satisfied.

2. The room is fifteen foot square; I measured it with a two-feet rule.