Sentence Diagramming: Flashcard 22

There are two types of comparison: equal and unequal. Both are expressed by using relative adverbs and (often elliptical) subordinate clauses. Equal comparisons require the positive (or basic) form of an adjective or adverb preceded by as or so (ordinary adverbs) and followed by as (a relative adverb). Unequal comparisons require the comparative form of an adjective or adverb followed by the relative adverb than.

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The sentence "You are as tall as she" expresses an equal comparison; that is, the two people being compared are equal in height. Every comparison contains a subordinate clause, which is usually expressed elliptically. "You are as tall as she," in its expanded form, is You are as tall as she is tall. The first as of the correlatives as . . . as is a regular adverb; it modifies the adjective tall (the first one). The second as is a relative adverb and modifies the second (or unexpressed) tall. To see why the second as is not an ordinary adverb but a relative adverb, consider this equivalent restatement: You are tall in the degree in which she is tall. The first as is rendered by in the degree, the second by in which. Since this which is a relative pronoun, the second as is called a relative adverb. Here are two more equal comparisons: "Jessica can run as fast as her brother" (expanded sentence: Jessica can run as fast as her brother can run; equivalent sentence: Jessica can run fast in the degree in which her brother can run fast), "They are as honest as they are kind" (equivalent sentence: They are honest in the degree in which they are kind).

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The sentence "You are taller than she" expresses an unequal comparison; that is, the two people being compared are unequal in height. The expanded form of this elliptical sentence is You are taller than she is tall. This is equivalent to You are tall beyond the degree in which she is tall. In this restatement, taller is rendered as tall beyond the degree, and than is expressed as in which, a prepositional phrase containing a relative pronoun; thus, than is called a relative adverb. Here are two unequal comparisons: "Jack was hurt worse than Jill" (expanded sentence: Jack was hurt worse than Jill was hurt badly; equivalent sentence: Jack was hurt badly beyond the degree in which Jill was hurt badly), "I would rather write a report than read one" (expanded sentence: I would rather write a report than I would gladly read one; equivalent sentence: I would write a report gladly beyond the degree in which I would gladly read one).

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You have been introduced to the correlatives as . . . as and so . . . as and have noted that they are used with the positive degree of adjectives and adverbs (in so-called equal comparisons). Another correlative expression, the . . . the, is used with the comparative degree. In the sentence "The bigger they are, the harder they fall," which can be rephrased as They fall harder in the degree in which they are bigger, the in the bigger is a relative adverb, while the in the harder is a regular adverb.

As you make your way through these flashcards, you may wish to refer to a section of my website that deals with terminology, www.german-latin-english.com/diagrammingterms.htm. 
On the right is a diagram of the sentence "When the parents asked their children if they wanted as many Christmas presents this year as they received last year, they replied, 'The more the merrier.'" This most complex sentence consists of two noun clauses and three adverb clauses. One of the adverb clauses uses the correlatives as . . . as to express an equal comparison. The first as is a regular adverb, the second a relative adverb (as many as is equivalent to "many in the degree in which"). The x's represent the words "many presents." Another adverb clause uses the correlatives the . . . the with adjectives in the comparative degree. The elliptical clause is equivalent to "they will be merrier in the degree in which they get more presents. The word the modifying merrier is a regular adverb; the word  the modifying more is a relative adverb. In diagramming, note that the elliptical adverb clauses as they received last year and the more modify their correlative adverbs as and the, respectively. 

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