Proportional Comparison (The more... the more), Modifiers and Gradable Adjectives
At the Secondary 3 level, comparative grammar extends far beyond elementary '-er' and 'more' structures. This lesson delves into sophisticated proportional comparative clauses ('the + comparative, the + comparative'), subtle degree modifiers (far, substantially, slightly, barely), double comparatives expressing progression ('increasingly', 'hotter and hotter'), and the vital distinction between gradable and ungradable (absolute) adjectives.
1. Proportional Parallel Comparison: « The + comparative ..., the + comparative ... »
This advanced structure expresses how a change in one factor causes a corresponding direct or inverse change in another :
The harder you study, the higher marks you achieve.(كلما اجتهدت أكثر، حصلت على درجات أعلى).The more experience a doctor possesses, the more confident they feel.The less carbon we emit, the cleaner our atmosphere becomes.
2. Degree Modifiers with Comparatives
To indicate whether a difference is large or small, we place specific adverbs before the comparative form :
| Category of Difference | Appropriate Modifiers | Illustrative Example |
|---|---|---|
| Large Difference (فارق كبير) | much, far, considerably, substantially, a great deal | This scientific methodology is far more reliable than the old one. |
| Small Difference (فارق طفيف) | a bit, a little, slightly, marginally | Today's temperature is slightly lower than yesterday's. |
3. Gradable vs Extreme / Ungradable Adjectives
Gradable Adjectives (can vary in degree) : modified by very, extremely, fairly (e.g., cold, hot, tired, clean).
Extreme / Absolute Adjectives (represent maximum limit) : modified by absolutely, totally, completely (e.g., freezing, boiling, exhausted, spotless, essential, miraculous).
Exam Rule : We say absolutely exhausted (NOT: very exhausted).
Applied Comparative Workshop
The more widely you read, the more knowledgeable you become.
absolutely spotless. 'Spotless' is an extreme ungradable adjective meaning completely clean.
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