Comparison of adjectives and adverbs

a. The comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs is formed in the same way, i.e., by placing plus, more, moins, less, aussi, as, before the adjective or adverb.1 Note that que means either as or than.2

Elle est plus grande que sa mère. She is taller than her mother. Il marche aussi vite que Marie. He walks as quickly as Mary.

b. The relative superlative degree is formed by placing the appropriate definite article before the plus or moins of the adjective, or the invariable le before the plus or moins of the adverb.3

Elle est la plus vieille des filles. She is the oldest of the girls.

Le plus souvent il emmène son Most often he takes his brother frère. along.

c. Do not confuse the adjective better with the adverb of the same form. The adjective form is variable, but the adverb is invariable.

bon, meilleur, le meilleur (adj.) good, better, best

bien, mieux, le mieux (adv.) well, better, best

Ces pommes-ci sont meilleures. These apples are better.

Ça va mieux maintenant. That goes better now.

1 In a negation, si generally replaces aussi :

Elle n'est pas si grande que Jean. She is not so tall as John.

2 De is used instead of que before numerals :

J'ai plus de trois livres. / have more than three books.

3 Notice that the French do not use a special comparative form to indicate a comparison between two things or persons :

Jean est le plus grand des deux John is the taller {tallest) of the (trois) garçons. two {three) boys.

Io8 GRAMMAR REVIEW

Note. The disjunctive pronoun is used in the second membeï of comparisons when the verb is omitted.1 Il est plus vieux que moi. He is older than I.

14. Common uses of the definite article. — In a large majority of cases the use of the definite article is the same in French and English. However, in the following instances it occurs in French contrary to English usage :

a. With nouns used in a general sense.

Les pommes sont chères cet Apples are dear this winter.

hiver. s

Les Américains parlent anglais. Americans speak English.

b. With the name of a language, except after parler (unless an adverb immediately follows), and before the name of a language preceded by en.

Elle étudie l'italien. She is studying Italian.

Ce journal-ci est en français. This newspaper is in French.

Ma mère parle allemand. My mother speaks German.

Il parle bien l'anglais. He speaks English well..

c. With the days of the week to indicate a regular recurrence ; before the names of the seasons, unless preceded by en.

Elle lave le lundi. She washes (on) Monday(s).

Il était malade samedi. He was sick (on) Saturday.

Le printemps est beau cette an- Spring is beautiful this year.

née.

Il ne travaille pas en hiver. He does not work in winter.

d. With titles preceding proper nouns, and before a modified

proper noun, except in direct address.

Le général Pershing a parlé ici. General Pershing spoke here.

La petite Marie essuie la vais- Little Mary is wiping the dishes.

selle.

Bonjour, docteur.2 Good morning, Doctor.

1 See Section 30 for complete list of disjunctive pronouns.

2 If it is desired to indicate greater courtesy, the forms Monsieur, Madame, etc., are used with the definite article, even in direct address. Bonjour, Monsieur le professeur. Good morning, Professor.

15. Orthographical peculiarities of verbs with stem-vowel e. — Verbs of the first conjugation with stem-vowel e (mute e) require the sound of è (grave e) regularly whenever the next syllable contains a mute e. This change is indicated in two ways : 1

a. By changing e to è, as in mener, to drive, take, lead:

Present Indicative

Future

Conditional ]

Imperative

mène

mènerai

mènerais

mènes

mèneras

mènerais

mène

mènera

mènerait

menons '

mènerons

mènerions

menons

menez

mènerez

mèneriez

menez

mènent

mèneront

mèneraient

b. By doubling the following consonant, as in appeler, to call:

Present Indicative

Future

Conditional

Imperative

appelle

appellerai

appellerais

appelles

appelleras

appellerais

appelle

appellera

appellerait

appelons

appellerons

appellerions

appelons

appelez

appellerez

appelleriez

appelez

appellent

appelleront

appelleraient

Like mener :

acheter, to buy

emmener, to lead away, take along

achever, to com

plete, finish

espérer, to hop

e {for), expect

amener, to take,

bring (not by

carry- lever, to raise,

lift

ing)

peser, to weigh

crever, to burst

semer, to sow

élever, to raise, bring up

1 Verbs with the stem-vowel é (acute e) regularly undergo the same changes, except in the future and conditional. Here the é (acute e) is always retained in spelling, but the pronunciation in regularly è (grave e).

Like appeler :

atteler, to harness épeler, to spell (letters) jeter, to throw

EXERCISE

(a) i. That little boy is leading his grandfather away by the hand. 2. Good morning, Judge. 3. They bring the children to our school. 4. There are more than twenty automobiles before the house. 5. Little Mary is very happy when she is spelling the words of the lesson. 6. General Joffre won a great victory. 7. Does the meat weigh two pounds ? 8. He will drive the horses to the stable. 9. The wind will raise the dust again in the street. 10. We shall soon complete our plans for the trip.

(b) n. He is sowing the best seed in his garden. 12. John will take his sister to church to-morrow. 13. He is calling his mother to the open window. 14. I am taking John along with the family. 15. Mary is buying more than ten pencils at the store. 16. My aunt is bringing up the youngest children in the country. 17. Officers lead the soldiers against the enemy. 18. They will harness those horses this morning. 19. He will take the children to church Sunday. 20. The largest boy raised the stick against that little dog.

(c) 21. She speaks French when she is here. 22. He throws all the flowers on the table. 23. John is the best doctor in the city.1 24. Henry used to speak German well when he was young. 25. I should take the children to the store. 26. Eggs are very dear in autumn. 27. This general leads a large army in the battle. 28. The teacher will soon raise his pencil. 29. Sugar was very dear during the World War. 30. He studies his lessons on Sunday.

1 After a superlative, in, denoting place, is de.

(d) 31. He certainly will burst that bag. 32. He takes his sister to the most beautiful church in the city. 33. The grandmother is bringing up the two larger children. 34. He bought more than fifteen pears at the store. 35. My father called this boy because he is stronger than I. 36. I shall study French next year. 37. Why is John spelling his name for that man ? 38. This meat will weigh more than five pounds. 39. Most often he takes his family along to the seashore in summer. 40. This road leads to the largest city in the state.