Adverbs: comparison and constructions with comparisons
Adverbs just like adjectives have both regular and irregular comparison as well as a certain number of constructions with comparison. There are many similarities between comparisons of adjectives and adverbs so I will occasionally draw your attention to them while writing about the comparison of adverbs.
REGULAR COMPARISON
1) Single-syllable adverbs (just like single-syllable adjectives) and early form comparative and superlative by adding -er and -est:
- hard, harder, hardest
- near, nearer, nearest
- early, earlier, earliest (y has changed to i)
- long, longer, longest
- deep, deeper, deepest
- high, higher, highest
- fast, faster, fastest
- low, lower, lowest
2) Adverbs of two or more syllables form comparatives and superlatives with more and most put before them:
*This is also true of adjectives, however, two-syllable adjectives ending in - er, -y or -ly normally add -er and -est like single-syllable adjectives (clever, cleverer, cleverest; silly, sillier, silliest).
- generously, more generously, most generously
- slowly, more slowly, most slowly
- quickly, more quickly, most quickly
- carefully, more carefully, most carefully
- fortunately, more fortunately, most fortunately
- snugly, more snugly, most snugly
- apologetically, more apologetically, most apologetically
IRREGULAR COMPARISON
There is a great similarity between irregular comparisons of adjectives and adverbs. There is only one adjective with irregular comparison which does not have a corresponding adverb - old, older, oldest (elder, eldest). All the other adjectives and their correspoding adverbs have comparatives and superlatives of the same form:
adjective adverb comparative superlative
- bad - badly - worse - worst
- good - well - better - best
- far - far - farther/further - farthest/furthest
- little - little - less - least
- many/ much - much - more - most
- old - older/elder - oldest/eldest
*farther/ farthest - of distance only
further/ furthest - of distance and in abstract sense
CONSTRUCTIONS WITH COMPARISONS
a) as.... as construction
This is a construction that is used both with adjectives and adverbs in the positive form. If the verb is affirmative then we use as...as construction, while with negative verbs we use as /so....as construction:
- He spoke as slowly as he could.
- Stay as long as you like.
- She didn't run as fast as I did.
- They didn't go as far as the others.
b) comparative + than
Again, this construction is possible with both adjectives and adverbs.
- I have run faster than she did.
- He spoke slower than I. (He spoke more slowly than I.) *both comparatives possible
- They went farther than we.
* than I/you/we or than me/you/us is both possible and neither too formal nor informal, while than he/she is more useful with an auxiliary after the pronoun (e. g. than she did) to avoid sounding too formal (with subject pronoun -he/she) or too informal (with object pronoun - him/her).
c) the comparative ..... the comparative
This construction too is possible with both adjectives and adverbs and it is used to describe a parallel increase in something:
- The earlier we start the sooner we will finish.
- The harder you work the better you will live.
d) comparative and comparative
- Is time passing faster and faster as we grow older?
- He could feel his heart beating slower and slower.
Another construction used with adjectives too which describes the gradual increase or decrease in something.
e) superlative + of + noun
- He explored the area most thoroughly of the scientists.
- He went (the) furthest of the explorers.
Adjectives can be used in such constructions too, or superlative + in + noun:
- He is the youngest of the family.
- That is the tallest building in London.
However, the construction comparative (of the adverb) + than is more common.
f) There is also superlative + of all construction. Here of all refers to other actions performed by the same subject so it can be often omitted:
- He likes tennis best of all. (or He likes tennis best.)
g) comparisons with like and as
Yes, you are right! This construction too can be used with both adjectives and adverbs. However, this construction is actually used with adjective and adverb expressions:
- He swims like a fish. (like + noun; this adverb expression describes how he swims)
- He looks like a ghost. (like + noun; this adjective expression describes the appearance)
* Like is primarily a preposition (comes before nouns/pronouns/gerunds) and we use it to make comparisons. However, in colloquial English it can be used as a conjuction too:
- Why don't you run as we do?
- Why don't you run like we do?
* On the other hand, as is used as a conjunction in formal English (i. e. it normally comes before a clause) but it can also be used as a preposition too. Mind though, there is an important difference in meaning between like and as used as prepositions:
He worked like a slave. (= he worked hard)
He worked as a slave. (= he was a slave)
***
I hope that you won't find this post too overwhelming. The main reason why I have compared the comparison of adjectives and adverbs is the significant overlapping between the two which can create confusion when they are not learnt simultaneously. However, I will evenutally write about adjectives only (which I find easier to learn), i.e without these comparisons. Feel free to ask me for any clarification or to further elaborate whatever I have missed to say. I look forward to learning from you. :)
*All said here you can find in Thomson-Martinet's grammar and the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
REGULAR COMPARISON
1) Single-syllable adverbs (just like single-syllable adjectives) and early form comparative and superlative by adding -er and -est:
- hard, harder, hardest
- near, nearer, nearest
- early, earlier, earliest (y has changed to i)
- long, longer, longest
- deep, deeper, deepest
- high, higher, highest
- fast, faster, fastest
- low, lower, lowest
2) Adverbs of two or more syllables form comparatives and superlatives with more and most put before them:
*This is also true of adjectives, however, two-syllable adjectives ending in - er, -y or -ly normally add -er and -est like single-syllable adjectives (clever, cleverer, cleverest; silly, sillier, silliest).
- generously, more generously, most generously
- slowly, more slowly, most slowly
- quickly, more quickly, most quickly
- carefully, more carefully, most carefully
- fortunately, more fortunately, most fortunately
- snugly, more snugly, most snugly
- apologetically, more apologetically, most apologetically
IRREGULAR COMPARISON
There is a great similarity between irregular comparisons of adjectives and adverbs. There is only one adjective with irregular comparison which does not have a corresponding adverb - old, older, oldest (elder, eldest). All the other adjectives and their correspoding adverbs have comparatives and superlatives of the same form:
adjective adverb comparative superlative
- bad - badly - worse - worst
- good - well - better - best
- far - far - farther/further - farthest/furthest
- little - little - less - least
- many/ much - much - more - most
- old - older/elder - oldest/eldest
*farther/ farthest - of distance only
further/ furthest - of distance and in abstract sense
CONSTRUCTIONS WITH COMPARISONS
a) as.... as construction
This is a construction that is used both with adjectives and adverbs in the positive form. If the verb is affirmative then we use as...as construction, while with negative verbs we use as /so....as construction:
- He spoke as slowly as he could.
- Stay as long as you like.
- She didn't run as fast as I did.
- They didn't go as far as the others.
b) comparative + than
Again, this construction is possible with both adjectives and adverbs.
- I have run faster than she did.
- He spoke slower than I. (He spoke more slowly than I.) *both comparatives possible
- They went farther than we.
* than I/you/we or than me/you/us is both possible and neither too formal nor informal, while than he/she is more useful with an auxiliary after the pronoun (e. g. than she did) to avoid sounding too formal (with subject pronoun -he/she) or too informal (with object pronoun - him/her).
c) the comparative ..... the comparative
This construction too is possible with both adjectives and adverbs and it is used to describe a parallel increase in something:
- The earlier we start the sooner we will finish.
- The harder you work the better you will live.
d) comparative and comparative
- Is time passing faster and faster as we grow older?
- He could feel his heart beating slower and slower.
Another construction used with adjectives too which describes the gradual increase or decrease in something.
e) superlative + of + noun
- He explored the area most thoroughly of the scientists.
- He went (the) furthest of the explorers.
Adjectives can be used in such constructions too, or superlative + in + noun:
- He is the youngest of the family.
- That is the tallest building in London.
However, the construction comparative (of the adverb) + than is more common.
f) There is also superlative + of all construction. Here of all refers to other actions performed by the same subject so it can be often omitted:
- He likes tennis best of all. (or He likes tennis best.)
g) comparisons with like and as
Yes, you are right! This construction too can be used with both adjectives and adverbs. However, this construction is actually used with adjective and adverb expressions:
- He swims like a fish. (like + noun; this adverb expression describes how he swims)
- He looks like a ghost. (like + noun; this adjective expression describes the appearance)
* Like is primarily a preposition (comes before nouns/pronouns/gerunds) and we use it to make comparisons. However, in colloquial English it can be used as a conjuction too:
- Why don't you run as we do?
- Why don't you run like we do?
* On the other hand, as is used as a conjunction in formal English (i. e. it normally comes before a clause) but it can also be used as a preposition too. Mind though, there is an important difference in meaning between like and as used as prepositions:
He worked like a slave. (= he worked hard)
He worked as a slave. (= he was a slave)
***
I hope that you won't find this post too overwhelming. The main reason why I have compared the comparison of adjectives and adverbs is the significant overlapping between the two which can create confusion when they are not learnt simultaneously. However, I will evenutally write about adjectives only (which I find easier to learn), i.e without these comparisons. Feel free to ask me for any clarification or to further elaborate whatever I have missed to say. I look forward to learning from you. :)
*All said here you can find in Thomson-Martinet's grammar and the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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