Preface We will divide this chapter into two parts. In the first part, we will discuss the measure of a certain quality possessed. We can divide this measure into three categories: a. The existence of a quality, e.g. ‘John is elegant’ b. The possession of a great amount of a certain quality, e.g. ‘John is very elegant’ c. The notion that someone possesses the quality in its greatest amount (superlative form), e.g. ‘John is the most elegant’ In the second part, we will discuss the comparison of the existence of a certain quality. Here too, we shall discuss three categories: a. The equivalence in the possession of a specific quality, e.g. ‘B is as elegant as A’ b. One possessing more of a quality than another, e.g. ‘B is more elegant than A’ c. One possessing less of a quality than another, e.g. ‘B is less elegant than A’   The Grammatical Structure for Qualitative Measures and Comparisons Part One: The Measure of a Certain Quality   a. The possession of the quality: Juan is thin Juan es delgado b. The possession of a great amount of the quality: Juan is very thin Juan es muy delgado We can also use the suffix: -ísimo/a/os/as: Muy delgado = delgadísimo Juan es delgadísimo     c. The possession of the greatest amount of the quality: The structure for the superlative form of a specific quality:   Definite Article   most/least       of       +   + Quality +   + Group Lo/el/la/los/las   más/menos       de         1. Juan is the most elegant of all Juan es el más elegante de todos 2. She is the least elegant in the class Ella es la menos elegante de la clase We use the neutral definite article ‘lo’ when the sentence doesn’t contain the subject, e.g. ‘It’s the most beautiful’ Es lo más lindo, ‘It’s the cheapest’ Es lo más barato.   Part Two: The Comparison of the Existence of a Certain Quality   a. The equivalence in the possession of a specific quality: Pedro is as elegant as Juan Pedro es tan elegante como Juan   TAN + (QUALITY) + COMO   b. The possession of a specific quality in a greater measure than another: Pedro is more elegant than Juan Pedro es más elegante que Juan   MÁS + (QUALITY) + QUE   c. The possession of a specific quality in a lesser measure than another: Pedro is less elegant than Juan Pedro es menos elegante que Juan   MENOS + (QUALITY) + QUE   Exceptions Abbreviated Table of Exceptions In the grammatical structures shown in section 2, the following words are exceptions:   The Quality Instead of... We Use Bueno/a/os/as Good Más bueno/a/os/as* Mejor/es Malo/a/os/as Bad Más malo/a/os/as* Peor/es Grande/s Big Más grande/s* Mayor/es Pequeño/a/os/as Small Más pequeño/a/os/as* Menor/es * These forms are also grammatically correct. ‘Más pequeño/grande’ usually refers to size, e.g. Mi casa es más grande que la tuya (My house is bigger than yours). ‘Mayor/menor’ usually refers to age, e.g. Juan es mayor que María (Juan is older than Maria.)   Unabbreviated Table of Exceptions   The Quality   Greater   Greatest Spanish English   Spanish English   Spanish English Bueno Good   Mejor Better   El mejor the best Malo Bad   Peor Worse   El peor the worst Grande Big   Mayor Más grande Older Bigger   El mayor the oldest the biggest Pequeño Small   Menor Más pequeño Younger Smaller   El menor   the youngest the smallest

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