More' and 'most' in comparisons of relative quantity
More is used with countables and uncountables [> 5.2n.3]:
More food is wasted than is eaten in this canteen More also combines with numbers [> 5.6.1]:
How many more stamps do you want? - Four moreplease Most can mean 'the largest number of, 'the greatest amount of:
Most doctors don't smoke Most wineis imported (Not *the most*) Compare the most in the superlative:
Which country in the world produces the most wine?
6.27-5 Modification of comparatives[> 7.41-46]
We can use intensifiers and adverbs of degree like very, too and quite to modify adjectives: very tall, too cold quite hot, etc. However, we cannot use these intensifiers with the comparative. We must use a bit (informal), (very) much, far, even, hardly any. a lot lots, a little no. rather, somewhat (formal), etc.:
It's much/far/a lot/a little coldertoday than it was yesterday Houses are much/far/a lot more expensivethese days There have been many more/many fewerburglaries this year Even and all the can often be used interchangeably for emphasis in front of more, especially with -ed/-ing adjectival participles: This term his behaviour has become even more annoyingWhen I told her the news, she became all the more depressed
6 Adjectives
The use of the superlative form of adjectives
We use the superlative when we are comparing one person or thing with more than one other in the same group. The definite article the is used before a superlative in a phrase or sentence:
This is the cleanest/tidiestroom in the house
This is the best/worstroom in the hotel
Who is the tallestJohn, Mary or Sue? - Sue is the tallest
First class is the most expensiveway to travel
Informally, we sometimes use the superlative instead of a comparative when we are comparing two people or things:
Who's the most reliable,Frank or Alan? Similarly, the is sometimes dropped, especially after Which?:
Which is best?The red one or the green one? and when the superlative is in front of a to-infinitive:
/ think it's safest to overtakenow
| 6.28.1 |