Comparisons

1. Comparisons Lección 5 Segunda Parte

2. tan + adjective (adverb) + como • El Libro es tan bueno comola película. • The book is as good as the movie. • El chico es tan alto comola chica. • The boy is as tall as the girl. • Carlos se declaró tan suavemente comoun poeta. • Carlos asked her out as smoothly as a poet.

3. tanto(-a,-os,-as) + noun + como • Juan tiene tanto dinero como María. • Juan has as muchmoney as María. • Tienetantoslibroscomoella. • You have as many books as she. • Tiene tantas plumas como ella. • He has as manypens as she. • Mi padre tiene tantapacienciacomo tu padre. • My father has as muchpatience as yourfather. • Mi tía da tantos consejos comomi madre. • My auntgives as muchadvice as my mother.

4. Choose the form of tantoto agree with the noun it modifies. • tantodinero • tanta paciencia • tantos libros • tantas plumas

5. When actions (not things) are being compared, and there is no adjective, use the following formula:verb +tanto+ como + subject of second verb (implied)(as much as) • Sus estudiantes aprenden tantocomo mis estudiantes. • Rosario cocina tantocomo Josefina. • Las naranjas cuestan tantocomo las manzanas. • Mis amigos hispanos se dan la mano tanto como nosotros.

6. When actions (not things) are being compared, and there is an adjective, use the following formula:verb + tan + adjective + como • Aquí se trabaja tan duro comoahí. • El niño juega tan poco comola niña. • Ellos duermen tan poco comoella

7. Comparisons of inequality • If two things are not equal, they are unequal. • We are not the same height. • You are taller than I. • The two items do not cost the same. • The camera is more expensive than the television.

8. In Spanish, inequality is expressed by using one of the following formulae: • más (menos) + adjective + que • más (menos) + adverb + que • más (menos) + noun + que • verb + más(menos) + que

9. Examples • Yo sufro más que tú. • I suffer more thanyou. • México es másgrandeque el Perú. • Mexicoisbigerthan Perú. • Tú eres másaltoque yo. • You are taller than I. • Mónica habla máslentamente que Carmen. • Monicaspeaks more slowlythan Carmen. • TengomenoslibrosqueArsenio. • I have fewer books than Arsenio.

10. If the comparative is followed by a number, use “de” rather than “que.” • Hay menos de veinte alumnos en la clase. • There are less than twenty students in the class. • Él tiene más de noventa años. • He is more than ninety years old.LITERALLY: He has more than ninety years.

11. Note that when the sentence is negative, “que” is used even with numbers, to convey themeaning “only.” • Tengo más de cinco dólares. • I have more than five dollars. But • No tengo más que cinco dólares. • I only have five dollars. • Hay más de veinte estudiantes en la clase. • There are more than twenty students in the class. but • No hay más que veinte estudiantes en la clase. • There are only twenty students in the class.

12. Superlatives • There are two types of superlative: relative and absolute. • Relative: • John is the smartest boy in the class. • Absolute: • John is very smart.

13. The relative superlative describes a noun within the context of some larger group. • John is the smartest boy in the class. • Mary is the youngest person in the room. • Of the three, Moe is the meanest.

14. The absolute superlative does not describe the noun in the context of a larger group. • John is very smart. • The book is extremely expensive.

15. In English, the relative superlative is formed by using the word “most” or the ending “-est.” • John is the most intelligent boy in the class. • Mary is the smartest girl in the class.

16. In Spanish, the relative superlative construction is similar to the comparative.definite article + noun + más (menos) + adjective + de

17. Examples • Juan es el chico más inteligente de la clase. • John is the smartest boy in the class. • Bill Gates es el hombre más rico de los EEUU. • Bill Gates is the richest man in the U.S. • Luisito es el más grosero de la clase. • Luisito is the most vulgar one in the class.

18. The absolute superlative for adjectives has three possible forms. • muy + adjective • sumamente + adjective • adjective + ísimo (-a, -os, -as)

19. The following translations are somewhat arbitrary. Each superlative statement is a littlestronger than the one that precedes it. • muy guapo • very handsome • sumamente guapo • extremely handsome • guapísimo • indescribably handsome

20. Note that in some adjectives there are spelling changes before adding the suffix. • c → qu •  franco → franquísimo • g → gu • largo  → larguísimo • z→ c • feliz → felicísimo REMINDER: Adjectives in comparative and superlative degree still must agree with the noun or pronoun the modify.

21. Some Spanish adjectives have both regular and irregular comparative forms.

22. Bueno, malo viejo have irregular forms when used in comparisons of INEQUALITY. • Esa computadora es peor que ésta. • Mi prima es menor que yo.

23. They are also irregular when used in the superlative degree: Rosa es la mayor de las hermanas. Yo soy el menor de mi familia.

24. Mayor and menor are used to compare only in terms of age. For differences in sizes, use más grande, más pequeño. • La mesa es más pequeña que el escritorio. • Y esa mesa allí es la más grande de todas.

25. The following adverbs are irregular when used in comparisons of inequality. Rita escribe mejor que Jorge. Hugo cocina pero que yo.