Comparative & Superlative
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It might have become a cliché, but the word “network” was the most frequently used term to describe the new era that began with another millennium in the year 2000. The concept of a network, represented by the internet, has allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of many social and natural phenomena by interpreting them as network phenomena.
The concept of a network also appears in “Avatar (2009),” produced in December 2009. In this movie, the Na’vi are connected to other natural beings through a network, exchanging data and communicating.
Nowadays, when we think of a network, we envision communication that allows bidirectional or greater interaction, where each party can influence the other. However, until not so long ago, networks were very closed worlds of their own. This is because a “network” referred to a broadcasting network, a term used to describe a system where broadcast stations scattered across different regions were connected like a net to deliver the same broadcast nationwide.
The 1976 film “Network,” which swept the Academy Awards, deals with such a network. In this network, we have no choice, only the choice of channel selection. Hence, the protagonist Howard Beale (Peter Finch) exclaims as follows:
Howard Beale: “Well, I’m not gonna leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don’t want you to protest. I don’t want you to riot. I don’t want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn’t know what to tell you to write.
I don’t know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you’ve got to get mad. [shouting] You’ve got to say, ‘I’m a HUMAN BEING, Goddamnit! My life has VALUE!’ So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window.
Open it, and stick your head out, and yell, [shouting] ‘I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!’”
Using the comparative form in English is simple. It follows the structure: <comparative adjective or adverb> + “than”, which conveys the idea of “more than”. For instance, in the movie “Gunga Din” (1939), the character Cutter, played by Cary Grant, uses this form when he says to Gunga Din:
CUTTER: You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din. <GUNGA DIN, 1939>
This sentence exemplifies how the comparative form is utilized to compare qualities between two subjects. “You’re a better man than I am” can be simplified to “You’re better than me.” However, to emphasize a particular aspect, a noun can be added after the comparative adjective to make it more specific.
Alec: Nor art, nor nature ever created a lovelier thing than you. <Tess (1979)>
If the comparison is clear, the word ‘than’, which means ‘more than’, can be omitted.
EVELYN COUCH: Face it girls, I’m older and I have more insurance. <FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, Universal, 1991>
Even without a comparison, nouns can still be modified as seen in Gladiator, where the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius states he will pass his power not to his son but to Maximus, the protagonist.
Marcus Aurelius: You will not be emperor.
Commodus: Which wiser, older man is to take my place?
Marcus Aurelius: My powers will pass to Maximus, to hold in trust until the Senate is ready to rule once more. Rome is to be a republic again. <Gladiator>
The same applies to the following example.
Matt Hooper: You’re gonna need a bigger boat. <JAWS (1975)>
Alongside the comparative, there is the superlative form, which is used to express that something is the highest in comparison to others. This is done by adding ~est to the end of an adjective or adverb, or by placing the most before the word.
TERRY McKay: Oh, it was nobody’s fault but my own. I was looking up. It was the nearest thing to heaven. You were there. <AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, 1957>
QUEEN: Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all? <SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, Disney, 1937>
BREE DANIELS: And for an hour, for an hour — I’m the best actress in the world…<KLUTE, 1971>
The reason for using the definite article before the superlative form is to denote the selection of the best among many. However, in expressions used as general adjectives like the following dialogue, the definite article is not needed.
Billie: But I’ve been thinking a lot lately about something my dad used to say: “Without knowledge, you’re less than everybody.” And I don’t want to be less. I mean, I don’t want to be better than anybody neither, and I don’t want to go above myself. I just want- I want to not be less.
Paul: Well, I’m afraid it’s too late for that… because you’re already more than most people. <Born Yesterday (1993)>
The use of comparatives and superlatives, as shown above, is simple. If there is a minor issue, it’s that adjectives and adverbs need to be turned into their comparative or superlative forms, but this is mostly done through regular changes, so remembering key irregular words suffices.
Generally, longer words of three syllables or more and two-syllable words ending in ful, ble, less, ive, ing, etc., simply add more or most in front to form the comparative and superlative forms, like <expensive – more expensive – most expensive>. Think of three syllables as three characters in our language.
For shorter, simpler adjectives and adverbs of fewer than three syllables, [~er] and [~est] are added to form the comparative and superlative forms. However, exceptions are made when such a process causes pronunciation issues. For instance, words ending in -e don’t need an additional e, and those ending in -y change the y to i before adding ~er or ~est. For example, simple – simpler – simplest, easy – easier – easiest, mighty-mightier-mightiest (powerful, strong).
Ellie: Well, I proved once and for all that the limb is mightier than the thumb.
Peter: Why didn’t you take off all your clothes? You could have stopped forty cars. <It Happened One Night (1934)>
Let’s remember a few irregularly changing important words. good (adjective), well (adverb) – better – best/ many, much – more – most/ bad, ill – worse – worst/ far -farther, further – farthest, furthest. Among these, the adjective far means “distant,” and the adverb far has a similar meaning to much. Farther, farthest refer to the comparative and superlative forms of “distant,” whereas further, furthest indicate the comparative and superlative forms of “more” or “to the greatest extent.”
The application of comparative expressions like “The more, the more” can be very useful for expressing “The more you do something, the more something else happens.” The following is what Audrey Hepburn says to her ex-husband, who loves wild animals.
Holly Golightly: You must not give your heart to a wild thing. The more you do, the stronger they get until they’re strong enough to run into the woods or fly into a tree. And then to a higher tree and then to the sky. <Breakfast at Tiffany’s>
“The more you do, the stronger they get” can be rewritten as “As you give more heart to a wild thing, the wild thing will get stronger.” Although we’ll discuss this in the clause later, “The more, the more” can be considered a shortened expression of the comparative form used to express “The more you do something, the more something else happens.”
Conversely, expressions like ‘as + adjective/adverb + as’ can be used to compare as in “as much as.” Here’s what Red says in <The Shawshank Redemption>, expressing his anticipation about the Pacific.
Red: I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope. <The Shawshank Redemption>
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