Лекции по теоретической грамматике английского языка. Тивьяева И.В. - 63 стр.

UptoLike

Составители:

Рубрика:

To analytic forms of comparison M. Blokh also attributes less/least

combinations. He calls them forms of reverse comparison

. By the way, the forms

less, least are generally used as an argument against the treatment of more and

most as grammatical word-morphemes. So, for instance, B. Ilyish argues that if

less and least are not grammatical word morphemes, more and most are not

grammatical word-morphemes either.

As already pointed out, the third way of forming degrees of comparison is

by the use of suppletive forms: good _ better, best; bad _ worse, worst; far _

farther/further, farthest/furthest; little _ less, least; much/many _ more, most.

In discussing the category of comparison, linguists generally mention such

constructions as a most beautiful girl. This combination is a common means of

expressing elative evaluations

of substance properties. The indefinite article has

nothing to do with comparison; it points to another problem, viz. the lexicalization

of superlative forms: most no longer marks the superlative degree; it has turned

into an adverb of degree whose meaning is the same as that of very.

Cf. also the best suit vs. a best suit; the best seller vs. a best-seller.

5. The Adverb

Semantic features. The adverb is usually defined as a word expressing

either property of an action, or property of another property, or circumstances in

which an action occurs. However, this definition fails to demonstrate the difference

between the adverb and the adjective. To overcome this drawback, we should

define the adverb as a notional word denoting a non-substantive property, that is,

a property of a non-substantive referent. This feature sets the adverb apart from the

adjective which, as already known, denotes a substantive property.

Adverbs are commonly divided into qualitative

, quantitative and

circumstantial

Qualitative

adverbs express immediate, inherently non-graded qualities of

actions and other qualities. The typical adverbs of this kind are qualitative adverbs

in -ly.