441 “比较级＋名词＋关系代词型的than”结构。
He has a better car than（=than the car which）he had before．（than在这里起关系代词的作用）
He has now better cars than（=than those that）belonged to him before．
He wants a more beautiful wife than（=than the wife whom）he married．
442 Than=Than what的情况。
She is older than（=than what）is supposed．
The situation is more serious than is expected．
He is more cunning than we believe（=than what we believe）．
He works harder than I expect．
443 Than引出的从句省略的情况。
Be more careful（than you were）．
I must work harder（than I did）．
The situation has become more serious．
名词前的比较级通常不需要than引出的从句。
The bigger students sometimes bullied the smaller ones．
444 主体词（即形容词后的名词）（如果读者清楚）可以省略或用one或ones代替。
The bigger boys stood and the smaller（boys）were seated．
The more intelligent students are fewer than the less intelligent（students）．
The more fortunate（people）should help the less fortunate（people）．
The stronger（people）oppress the weaker（people）．
The larger apples he gave to John，and the smaller ones he gave to Mary．
He sleeps in a larger room，his sister in a smaller one．
445 “越来越……”可以用下面方式表示：
The situation grew worse and worse．
The situation grew ever worse and worse（or worse and ever worse）．
The situation grew ever（or steadily）worse．
The situation grew worse every day（or each day，day by day，daily）．
The situation got worse constantly（or all the time）．
He ran faster each minute．
It rose higher and yet（or still）higher．
His speech became（ever）more and more eloquent．
She looks more and more beautiful every year．
She looks more beautiful and more intelligent．（代替more and more beautiful and more and more intelligent）
She looks less and less beautiful（越来越不美）．
He became strong and stronger．（书面语）
His reputation sank low and lower．
My heart was beating quick and quicker．
It moved slowly and yet more slowly．
He drew near her，and more near．
Our hope grew faint and more faint．
She pressed closer and more near．
446 “比较级＋than＋can”结构。
He spent more money than he could earn．（=He spent much，but could not earn so much．）
She is prettier than I can imagine，than I could dream of，than I can tell.
He is more honest than（what）can be expected，than（what）I can expect．
He ate more than（what）was good for him．He meant more than（what）was said．
It is more than I can understand，than I can bear．（=I can not understand it，cannot bear it．）
447 “more than＋形容词（或动词）”结构。
He is more than honest（=extremely honest；not only honest，but more than this），more than pleased．
I am more than obliged to you．
He would more than（=would do more than）comfort you，or give you advice．
448 “否定词…much（or still，even）less”结构，表示“更不用说……”。
I do not accuse him of injustice，much less（do I accuse him）of cruelty．（much less后跟一介词短语）
She is not interested in books，much less in mathematics．
He never respects his teachers，still less（does he respect）his friends．（still less后跟一个宾语）
I never criticize anybody，even less my brothers．
John never studied，even less did Mary．（even less后跟助动词及主语）
I cannot go，still less can you．
449 “all（or none）the＋比较级＋for（或as，because，with）” 结构，表示“因……反而更……”。
Mary looks（all）the more beautiful for her simple dress．［=Mary looks（much）more beautiful just because she wears her simple dress．］
Mary looks none the less beautiful for her simple dress．（=Mary still looks beautiful，though she wears her simple dress．）
I love Lilian（all）the more deeply because she is quiet．
I hate Mary none the less（=I do not hate her the less）bitterly because she is beautiful．
He is the happier with his official position lost．（更快乐）
He is none the less happy with his official position lost．（仍然快乐）
He is very sad，and the more so（=and the sadder）because it is raining outside．
He is not happy and the less so（=and the less happy）because it is raining outside．
For this reason，he feels the happier．
As he is her only son，he must be the more obedient．
The durian has a bad smell，but I like it none the less（for its bad smell）．（表示原因的词，如果意思明显，可以省略）
The book has many pictures in it．It should be the more interesting（for so many pictures）．
He chased the chicken，but it ran all the faster（because he chased it）．
The sky is cloudy and therefore the more depressing．
His death would make his family the poorer．
To chase it will frighten it the more．
450 “the＋比较级，the＋比较级”结构，表示“越是……越是”。
The（在这里既作副词又作连词）larger the house is，the（作副词）more expensive it is．（房子越大越贵。）
The hotter the weather is，the more tired we feel．
The longer you know a person，the better you understand him．
The wealthier he became，the less satisfied he felt．
The more he became wealthy，the less he felt satisfied．
451 “（主语＋动词）＋the＋比较级”结构中的主语及动词有时可省略。
The sooner the better．（主语及动词省略）
The more the merrier．
More haste，less speed．（连the也省略掉）
452 “no sooner had...than”表示“一……就……”。
No sooner had he left than it rained．（=As soon as he left，it rained．）
No sooner had she got married than she gave birth to a baby．
It was no sooner said than done．（=It was done as soon as it was said．）
453 某种品质的较高程度可有几种表示方法。下面7个句子意思基本上相同，注意下面最后3句中的pretty这样的原级可用来表示较高程度。
Mary is prettier than Lilian．
Mary is the prettier of the two（=prettier than the other）．（口语中也可说the prettiest of the two=much prettier than the other．Who's prettiest，Mary or Lilian?）
By the side of Lilian，Mary is pretty．
Mary is pretty in comparison（or as compared）with Lilian．
Lilian is not（quite，nearly，half）so pretty as Mary．
Lilian is not as pretty as Mary．
Lilian is less pretty（不是prettier）than Mary．
八、最高等级表达法
A．最高级形容词
454 在3个或更多人或东西中，某种品质的最高程度通常都用最高级表示，可用在名词前面作为限制性形容词，或用在其他位置作为非限制性形容词。
1．限制性用法
455 最高级用在名词前面时，通常前面要加the。
The highest mountain is in China．
He has the prettiest house in this village．
The móst（重读）exquisite watch comes from Switzerland．
The móst（重读）intelligent student in this class comes from the countryside．
456 如果前面不加the，most有特殊意思，变作修饰名词的形容词，表示“次数”，而不是像上面例句中那样作修饰形容词的副词，表示“最”。
Móst exquisite watches（复数）come from Switzerland．
Móst intelligent students in this class come from the countryside．
457 如果前面加a，most表示“非常”“极端”“特别”等意思。这种表示极大程度而不进行“比较”的最高级称为绝对最高级（Absolute Superlative），和它相对，表示最高程度并进行“比较”的称为相对最高级（Relative Superlative）。
He is a most intélligent student．
He has a most éxquisite watch．
It is a most （不用kindest）offer．
He leads a most háppy（不用happiest）life．
458 如果前面不加a，后面跟有一个复数名词或不可数名词，most（不重读）仍然表示“非常”。
They are most intélligent students．
He has most éxquisite watches．
He eats most food．
Most work has been assigned to me．
459 在复数名词及不可数名词前，-est也和most一样，可表示“非常”“极为”这类意思。
It has existed since earliest（=very early）（重读并拉长）days．（复数可数名词）
He received my gift with wármest thanks．
He is a man of gréatest ability．（不可数名词）
I owe you déepest gratitude．
There was clósest intimacy between them．
460 甚至在加the时，最高级有时也可表示“非常”“极为”这类意思。
He spoke to me in the （=very kind）terms．
He has the wórst（=extremely bad）opinion about me．
He made the rúdest remark before her．
461 在指示性形容词后，最高级也可以是绝对的（即表示“非常”“极为”等意思）。
His son is always at hand．
Every trouble will give her a big headache．
Some streets are being built．
No hope is in sight．
462 用在名词前面，具有限制作用的相对最高级，不仅前面要加the，而且常常跟有一个表示比较的范围的成分，它可以是单词（1），短语（2），从句（3）或是一个省略的成分（4）（这时比较的范围很明显）。跟有这类成分的最高级前必须加the。
(1)It is the best book imaginable（or available，conceivable，possible，known）．（形容词）（这时形容词也可放在最高级及名词之间，如the best imaginable book）
He is the most vicious villain alive（or living）．
(2)It's the largest river in the world．（介词短语）
I spoke to the oldest member among us（or of all）．
That is the best game at the tea party．
I like to read Dickens，the greatest English novelist in the 19th century．
It may be the largest bridge ever built by man．（分词）
It is the largest bridge ever crossing the river．
John will be our youngest son to be taken to Paris．（不定式）
Shakespeare will be the most interesting subject for students to study．
(3)I am driving the best car that I can get（or that man can make）．（从句）
He is the most honest man I ever know（or you have ever seen，the earth ever produced there is）．
He is one of the greatest poets that have ever been born．
He is the only one of the greatest poets，that has written on this subject．
(4)This is the best dictionary（that I know）．（表示比较的范围的部分省略掉）
Where is the nearest post office（from here）?
This largest street（in this city）was built years ago．
Let me tell you the happiest news（that we can get）．
463 最高级后面的名词（主体词）有时可省略，这时最高级前的the必须保留。
He read the book from the first page to the last（page）．
The eldest son is twenty，and the youngest（son）is ten．
464 后面of引出的短语中包含同一名词时，前面名词必须省略。
He is the best（member）of all members．
在用“最高级＋but one”时，后面的名词必须省略，以避免重复。
He is the best student but one（student）．（=He is the second best student．）
465 在“the＋最高级＋of＋复数名词”这种结构中，最高级可以是绝对的，也可以是相对的。
She is the wisest（woman）of women（=an extremely wise woman）．（绝对）
She is the wisest（woman）of the women（=a woman wiser than the others）．（相对）
He lives in the quietest（place）of places（=an extremely quiet place）．（绝对）
He lives in the quietest（place）of the places（=a place quieter than the others）．（相对）
He usually eats at the Diamond，the most popular of restaurants，the largest of any restaurant．
It is the dirtiest of money．
He writes the most beautiful of poetry，the most original of novels．
He wishes me the best of health．
He is in the best of company．
I did it with the greatest of care．
466 在上面这类结构中，间或在of后重复前面形容词（用原级），表示强调。
He wrote her the tenderest of tender letters．
This is the strangest of strange cities．
He is the poorest of the poor，the most humble of the humble．
He is the mightiest of the mighty，the wickedest of the wicked．
467 这类“of＋the＋最高级”结构也可用作补语，表示“非常”“极为”等意思。
His dress is of the poorest（very poor）．（绝对）
The street is of the narrowest（=extremely narrow）．
His reign is of the most powerful．
The wound is of the slightest．
468 最高级后的people常可省略，表示某类人。
The most fortunate（people）never care about the most unfortunate（people）．
The strongest oppress the weakest．
The highest and the lowest have all been invited．
469 在个别词组中最高级的主体词常常省略。
We sell only the best（goods）．
The worst（luck）always comes to the poorest．
470 如果主体词为可数名词，也可用one或ones代替。
He keeps the largest fishes and throws away the smallest ones．
All his children go to school except the smallest one（=child）．
471 相对最高级形容词常可和介词构成一个短语，不仅主体词不出现，连the有时也不出现。
At first，he did not believe me，but at last he regretted．
He has at least a million dollars，but spends at most twenty dollars a day．
He is at（the）worst a minister，but at best a secondrate father．
I told him to return next Sunday at（the）latest，but he said he would return next month at（the）earliest．
472 最高级有时表示某人或某物处于“最……”状态，这时可说是一种自我比较。常见的这类用法是“及物动词＋物主代词＋最高级＋（被省略的宾语）＋副词短语（从句）”。
She sang her sweetest（song）last night．（=She sang better last night than she sang at any other time．）
She smiled her pleasantest when she heard the good news．
The noise reached its loudest（now）．（如果意思明显，副词或副词短语也可省略）
The wind blew its fiercest（gale）in the eastern provinces．（=The wind blew more fiercely in the eastern provinces than it blew in any other place．）
I studied the hardest while I was at my country house．
Suddenly questioned，I stared my（very）hardest．
Having heard my remark，she laughed her heartiest．
注：在这种句子中很少用most构成最高级。
473 这种自我比较也常见于“系动词＋at＋物主代词＋最高级＋副词短语或从句”这类句子中。
She is at her most sorrowful today．
He is at his（very）happiest when he sees her．
John was at his most enthusiastic when he was praised．
This artist is at his worst at the party．
Shakespeare is at his greatest in Hamlet．
如果意思明显，状语可以省略。
The hurricane is at its（or the）fiercest．
除了系动词，偶尔还可和其他动词一起用。
The moon shone at its brightest．
474 在这类结构中，主体词有时也可出现。
My fortunes are at their lowest ebb．
The village is now at its（or the）prettiest moment．
The party was at its height．（有最高级意义的名词）
The tide is at its full．
His career was then at its apex（or climax）．
I saw Mary at her gayest．
At his most angry，John will curse．
2．非限制性用法
475 除了用在名词前面，最高级还可用在其他位置。如果前面有the，则是相对最高级，否则就是相对最高级或绝对最高级。
John is the most intelligent（one）．（=John is more intelligent than the others．）（相对）
John is most intelligent．（=John is more intelligent than the others，or，John is very intelligent．）（相对或绝对）
You are most kind．（绝对）
Russian is（the）most difficult．
John is（the）happiest．
This method seems（the）easiest and simplest．
First impressions are（the）deepest．
I find John（the）most intelligent．
Mary left John（the）happiest．
I tried to make the method（the）easiest and simplest．
（The）Most intelligent，John passed the examination with honours．
（The）Easiest and simplest，this method will help increase the production of food．
476 最高级若跟有表示比较范围的成分，前面必须加the。
This method seems the easiest in this area．
This river is the largest of all．
This girl was the most beautiful in her college days．
This is the best I can do．
My wife is the most stubborn that a husband has ever handled．
477 非限制性最高级也可用于自我比较。
She looked prettiest that evening（=prettier that evening than herself at any other time）．
（但：She looked the prettiest that evening=She looked prettier than any other girl that evening．）
Oysters are fattest in winter．
The sun is most beautiful at dawn．
The pagoda looks most impressive against the sun．
The river is deepest here．
间或也需加the，以避免把most理解为“非常”。
This player is the most successful in the tragedy．
I was the most proud when she agreed to marry me．
3．结束语
478 最高程度可有几种表示方法。下面5个句子意思几乎相同：
John is the most intelligent of（or among）all the students．
John is more intelligent than all the other students.（He's one of them．）
John is more intelligent than all the students．（He's not one of them．）
No（other）student is so intelligent as John．
John is as intelligent as any student．
注：more intelligent这样的比较级和as（so）intelligent这样的原级也可用来表示最高程度。
479 下面4句话意思基本上相同：
Richard is one of the best students．
Richard is among（or one of）the best students．
Richard and Mary are among（不是one of）the best students．（among这个词可用在复数主语后面，one of却不能）
Richard is better than most students．
Very few students are so good as Richard．
480 下面句子意思都一样：
This is the longest river but one in this country．
This is the second longest river in this country．
