Making Comparisons in English: Similarities, Dissimilarities, Degrees


Book Description

This Book Covers The Following Topics: Structure (1a) ---- Comparison of Actions - I Structure (1b) ---- Comparison of Actions - II Structure (2a) ---- Comparison of Qualities - I Structure (2b) ---- Comparison of Qualities - II Structure (3a) ---- Specific Similarity – Quality Adjectives Structure (3b) ---- Specific Similarity – Quality Nouns Structure (4) ---- Comparison of Number/Quantity Structure (5a) ---- As + Much/Many, etc. + Word/Words + As Structure (5b) ---- Comparative Estimates – Multiple Numbers Structure (6) ---- Parallel Increase or Decrease / Gradual Increase Structure (7) ---- Illogical Comparatives Structure (8) ---- General Similarity and Difference Structure (9) ---- Using Word ‘Compare’ or ‘Comparison’ Structure (10) ---- Comparison Degrees 10a. Regular and Irregular Forms of Adjectives 10b. Interchange of Positive and Comparative Degrees 10c. Interchange of Positive and Superlative Degrees 10d. Interchange of Comparative and Superlative Degrees 10e. Interchange of Positive, Comparative and Superlative Degrees EXERCISE – 1 EXERCISE – 2 Sample This: Structure (1a) ---- Comparison of Actions - I PATTERN 1: AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCE -ING form of Verb + Verb ‘Be’ + As + Adjective + As + -ING form of Verb Or It + Verb ‘Be’ + As + Adjective + To + Ordinary Verb + As + Ordinary Verb Writing is as easy as thinking. Jogging is as easy as exercising. Closing is as easy as opening. Designing is as easy as publishing. It is as easy to write as think. It is as easy to jog as exercise. It is as easy to close as open. It is as easy to design as publish. PATTERN 2: NEGATIVE SENTENCE -ING form of Verb + Verb ‘To Be’ + Not + As + Adjective + As + -ING form of Verb Or It + Verb ‘To Be’ + Not + As + Adjective + To + Ordinary Verb + As + Ordinary Verb Studying is not as easy as playing. Swimming is not as easy as running. Singing is not as easy as talking. Reading is not as easy as listening. It is not as easy to study as play. It is not as easy to swim as run. It is not as easy to sing as talk. It is not as easy to read as listen. Structure (1b) ---- Comparison of Actions - II PATTERN (A). Prefer/Would Prefer + -ING form of Verb + To + -ING form of Verb, OR (B). Prefer/Would Prefer + To + Ordinary Verb + Rather Than + Ordinary Verb, OR (C). Had Better/Had Rather/Had Sooner/Would Rather/Would Sooner + Ordinary Verb + Than + Ordinary Verb Example 1: I prefer studying to playing. I would prefer studying to playing. I prefer to study rather than play. I would prefer to study rather than play. I had better study than play. I had rather study than play. I had sooner study than play. I would rather study than play. I would sooner study than play. Example 2: You prefer writing to talking. You would prefer writing to talking. You prefer to write rather than talk. You would prefer to write rather than talk. You had better write than talk. You had rather write than talk. You had sooner write than talk. You would rather write than talk. You would sooner write than talk.







English Adjective Comparison


Book Description

The present work contributes to a better understanding of the English system of degree by means of a study of a number of aspects in the evolution of adjective comparison that have so far either been considered controversial or not been accounted for at all. As will be shown, the diachronic aspects analysed will also have synchronic implications. Furthermore, unlike previous synchronic as well as diachronic accounts of adjective comparison, this monograph does not concentrate only on the ‘standard’ comparative strategies (i.e. inflectional and periphrastic forms), but also deals with double periphrastic comparatives, thus providing an analysis of the whole range of comparative structures in English.




English Adjectives of Comparison


Book Description

The book is concerned with a hitherto underresearched grammaticalization process: the development from quality-attributing adjective to determiner in the English noun phrase. It takes a bottom-up approach, based on extensive synchronic and diachronic corpus studies of six English adjectives of comparison: other, different, same, identical, similar and comparable. Their functional diversity in current English is proposed to constitute a case of layering, representing the original descriptive use, which expresses how like/unlike each other entities are, and a range of grammaticalized referential uses, which contribute to the identification and/or quantification of the entities denoted by the NP. Diachronic and comparative data material is invoked to verify and further develop the grammaticalization hypothesis. The development of adjectives of comparison involves several key concepts identified in the literature. Crucially, it is described as a case of textual intersubjectification driven by the optimalization of recipient-design. The actual grammaticalization paths are diverse and are characterized by lexical as well as structural persistence, i.e. the same lexical meaning develops into different grammatical functions in different syntagmatic configurations. In order to define the NP as a locus of diachronic change, this study offers a new angle on the description of adjectives and the modelling of NP structure. It advocates the abandonment of the traditional class-based model in favour of a radically functional one, in which functions are defined in terms of prototypicality so as to allow for gradience between and within them. The described grammaticalization processes involve developments from prototypical lexical to grammatical reference-related use within the adjectival category, which can be the starting point of further gradual change to determiners. The traditional relation between classes and positions is envisaged as a correspondence between functional and syntactic zones. The change in form concomitant with grammaticalization in the NP is argued to consist of the reconfiguration of structural combinatorics and progressive leftward movement. The book is of interest to linguistic researchers and graduate students in linguistics who focus their attention on grammaticalization and subjectification, the functional description of adjectives, questions of deixis and theoretical issues relating to nominal reference.







Tagalog Reference Grammar


Book Description







Encyclopaedia Britannica; Or, A Dictionary Of Arts, Sciences, And Miscellaneous Literature; Constructed on a Plan, By Which The Different Sciences And Arts Are Digested Into the Form of Distinct Treatises Or Systems, Comprehending The History, Theory, and Practice, of Each, According to the Latest Discoveries and Improvements; And Full Explanations Given Of The Various Detached Parts of Knowledge, Whether Relating To Natural and Artificial Objects, Or to Matters Ecclesiastical, Civil, Military, Commercial, [et]c. Including Elucidations of the Most Important Topics Relative to Religion, Morals, Manners, and the Oeconomy Of Life: Together With A Description of All the Countries, Cities, Principal Mountains, Seas, Rivers, [et]c. Throughout the World; A General History, Ancient and Modern, of the Different Empires, Kingdoms, and States; And An Account of the Lives of the Most Eminent Persons in Every Nation, from the Earliest Ages Down to the Present Times


Book Description




Interactions of Degree and Quantification


Book Description

Interactions of Degree and Quantification examines connections and semantic parallels between individual and degree quantifiers in the expression of quantity and measurement in human language.




A World Of Difference? Comparing Learners Across Europe


Book Description

This fascinating volume compares the experience of young learners in England, France and Denmark in order to examine the relationship between national educational cultures, individual biographies and classroom practices in creating the context for learning. It explores how secondary schools in three very different education systems work to develop the aptitudes and attitudes conducive to lifelong learning in conditions of complexity, uncertainty and multiple change.