Plain English Part 54

DESCENDING COMPARISON

+271.+ The change in form of adjectives in the positive, comparative and superlative shows that one object has more of a quality than others with which it is compared. But we also wish at times to express the fact that one object has less of the quality than is possessed by others with which it is compared; so we have what we may call the descending comparison, by means of phrases formed by using _less_ and _least_ instead of _more_ and _most_. Using _less_ with the positive degree means a degree less than the positive, while using _least_ expresses the lowest degree. For example:

Descending Comparison

_Positive_ _Comparative_ _Superlative_

beautiful less beautiful least beautiful intelligent less intelligent least intelligent sensitive less sensitive least sensitive thankful less thankful least thankful

PARTICIPLES AS ADJECTIVES

+272.+ You remember, when we studied the participle, that we found it was called a participle because it partook of the nature of two or more parts of speech. For example; in the sentence, _The singing of the birds greeted us_; _singing_ is a participle derived from the verb _sing_, and is used as a noun, the subject of the verb _greeted_.

But participles are used not only as nouns; they may also be used as adjectives. For example; we may say, _The singing birds greeted us_.

Here the participle _singing_ describes the birds, telling what kind of birds greeted us, and is used as an adjective modifying the noun _birds_.

You will recall that we found there were two forms of the participle, the present participle and the past participle. The present participle is formed by adding _ing_ to the root form of the verb; and the past participle in regular verbs is formed by adding _d_ or _ed_ to the root form, and in irregular verbs by a change in the verb form itself. These two simple forms of participles are often used as adjectives.

+273.+ The present participle is almost always active; that is, it refers to the actor. As, for example; _Vessels, carrying soldiers, are constantly arriving_. Here the present participle _carrying_ describes the noun _vessels_, and yet retains its function as a verb and has an object, _soldiers_. So it partakes of two parts of speech, the verb and the adjective.

+274.+ The past participle, when used alone, is almost always pa.s.sive, for it refers not to the actor, but to what is acted upon, thus:

The army, beaten but not conquered, prepared for a siege.

In this sentence _beaten_ is the past participle of the irregular verb _beat_, and _conquered_ is the past participle of the regular verb _conquer_, and both modify the noun _army_, but refer to it, not as the actor, but as the receiver of the action. Hence, the past participle is also the _pa.s.sive_ participle.

Note in the following sentences the use of the present and past participle as adjectives:

A _refreshing_ breeze came from the hills.

They escaped from the _burning_ building.

_Toiling_, _rejoicing_, _sorrowing_, onward through life he goes.

The man, _defeated_ in his purpose, gave up in despair.

The child, _driven_ in its youth to work, is robbed of the joy of childhood.

The army, _forced_ to retreat, destroyed all in its path.

The children, _neglected_ by society, grow up without their rightful opportunities.

Exercise 1

The adjectives and participles used as adjectives in the following sentences are printed in _italics_. Determine which adjectives are capable of comparison, and whether they are compared by adding _er_ or _est_, or by the use of _more_ and _most_.

In _a_ community _regulated_ by laws of demand and supply, but _protected_ from _open_ violence, _the_ persons who become _rich_ are, generally _speaking_, _industrious_, _resolute_, _proud_, _covetous_, _prompt_, _methodical_, _sensible_, _unimaginative_, _insensitive_ and _ignorant_. _The_ persons who remain _poor_ are _the_ entirely _foolish_, _the_ entirely _wise_, _the idle_, _the reckless_, _the humble_, _the thoughtful_, _the dull_, _the imaginative_, _the sensitive_, _the well-informed_, _the improvident_, _the_ irregularly and impulsively _wicked_, _the clumsy_ knave, _the open_ thief, and _the_ entirely _merciful_, _just_ and _G.o.dly_ persons.--_Ruskin_.

PARTICIPLE PHRASES

+275.+ If you will refer now to Lesson 9 you will find that we studied in that lesson concerning participle phrases; that is, several words used as a participle. We found that these participle phrases may also be used as nouns; as, for example:

His having joined the union caused him to lose his position.

_Having joined_ is here a participle phrase used as a noun, subject of the verb _caused_. Participle phrases may also be used as adjectives.

You remember that we had four participle phrases, as follows:

+Present perfect+, _active_, having called.

+Present perfect+, _pa.s.sive_, having been called.

+Progressive+, _active_, having been calling.

+Progressive+, _pa.s.sive_, being called.

These participle phrases are used as adjectives to describe and modify nouns, thus:

The soldier, _having joined_ his comrades, fought in the trenches.

The nurse, _having been watching_ for days, was nearly exhausted.

The pa.s.sive phrases also are used as adjectives, thus:

The woman, _having been hired_ by the manager, went to work.

The man, _being attacked_, fought bravely.

Here the participle phrases _having been hired_ and _being attacked_ are used as adjectives to modify the nouns _woman_ and _man_.

Use the participles and participle phrases of the verbs _see_ and _obey_ in sentences of your own.

USES OF ADJECTIVES

+276.+ In our use of adjectives, we find it convenient to use them in several different ways. The most common use is closely connected with the noun as a modifying word, seeming in a sense almost a part of the noun; as in the sentence, _These brave men have bequeathed to us splendid victories_. In this sentence _these_ and _brave_ are easily discovered to be adjectives, being used in such close connection with the noun.

But sometimes we find the adjectives a little farther away from the noun which it describes, and then it becomes a little more difficult to find.

You will recall, in our study of the copulative verb _be_, that we found it was simply a connecting word, connecting that which followed the verb with its subject. So we often find an adjective used in the predicate with a copulative verb showing what is a.s.serted of the subject. When an adjective is used in this way, it modifies the subject just as much as if it were directly connected by being placed immediately before the noun. For example:

The lesson was long and difficult.

_Long_ and _difficult_ are used in the predicate after the copulative verb _was_, but are used to modify the subject _lesson_ just as much as though we said instead, _It was a long and difficult lesson_. So watch carefully for adjectives used with the copulative verb _be_ in all its forms, _am_, _is_, _are_, _was_, _were_; and the phrases, _has been_, _will be_, _must be_, etc.

+277.+ You may find adjectives also used following the noun. As, for example: _The man, cool and resolute, awaited the attack_. _Cool_ and _resolute_ are adjectives modifying the noun _man_, but they follow the noun, instead of being placed before it.

COMMON ERRORS

+278.+ There are a number of common errors which we make in comparison, which we should be careful to avoid.

1. A number of adjectives cannot be compared for they in themselves express the highest degree of quality, so they have no shades of meaning and will not admit of comparison. For example: _full_, _empty_, _level_, _round_, _square_. If a thing is full or empty or level or round or square, it cannot be more full, or more empty, or more level, or more round, or more square. So do not compare adjectives that already express the highest degree of a quality. Also such words as _supreme_, _eternal_, and _infallible_, cannot be compared for they also express the highest degree of quality.

2. Do not use _more_ with the comparative form made by using _er_, or _most_ with the superlative form, made by using _est_. For example: do not say, _They cannot be more happier than they are_. Say, _They cannot be happier_; or _They cannot be more happy_. Use either form but never both. Do not say, _That is the most wisest plan_. Say either, _That is the wisest plan_; or _That is the most wise plan_, but never use both forms. Never use _most_ with a superlative form.

3. Do not use the superlative form in comparing _two_ objects. The superlative form is used only when more than two are compared. For example; do not say, _He is the smallest of the two_. Say, _He is the smaller of the two_. _Which is the largest end?_ is incorrect. _Which is the larger end?_ is correct. _Which is the oldest, John or Henry?_ is also incorrect. This should be, _Which is the older, John or Henry?_ Use the _comparative_ form always when comparing _two_ objects.