> most faithful of friends ! a noun is defined by a number of superlatives the definite noun may be repeated only in case of emphasis ;: He is
the cleverest, sweetest and most affectionate of children. He is
the cleverest, sweetest and the most affectionate of children.the use of superlative degree with an indefinite article is explained by stating that it is just an adjective used to express a high degree of the quality possessed by the noun. This probably is not the case in the following examples:
Yesterday I have read a most interesting book, I have seen a most interesting filmthis case it is just an absolute superlative (a very interesting book or film), in each example we have an adjective defining a noun belonging to a class of object possessing a superlative quality, one of the class (a most interesting book, belonging to the class the most interesting books). When a noun is preceded by most, the zero articles are usually used. The meaning of most in many cases is most, but not all of them, the majority of.: Most leaves are green.finds most pleasure in reading.
Most of his mistakes are made through carelessness.case the second element of comparison is omitted, the definite article may be dropped: The book is most interesting ; is < b> happiest when everybody is at home.intensifiers, including double superlative, are used for the sake of intensification or to produce a stylistic effect, or both, belong to colloquial or dialectal style. Thus, such forms as most noblest was accepted in Shakespeares times, but now it is not acceptable in the literary language. But other intensifying elements are found quite often: I hope you will have the finest weather possible.
Sper ca ve-ti avea cel mai minunat timp posibil.
In Romanian we have the same division of the superlative degree as in English: relative-superlative of superiority and that of inferiority, and absolute superlative.
Examples: El este cel mai sirguincios dintre toti studentii.
El este cel mai putin activ dintre toti studentii.absolute superlative in Romanian, as in English, expresses the highest quality without being compared with other objects of the same quality. A number of lexical units are used in this case:
Foarte, tare, adinc, prea, profund, amarnic, mult prea, grozav de, nemaipomenit de, strasnic de, minunat de, ingrozitor de, teribil de, dureros de, neobisnuit de, nespus de, peste seama de, infinit de, etc.
Example : O prea frumoasa fata . (M. Eminescu)
A most beautiful girl .we should stress the fact again that the superlative forms, especially those with intensifiers, are emphatic and thus belong to a stylistic category as well.
2.4 Degrees of comparison in certain contextual examples
Talking about the degrees of comparison in general, I can not pass on without mentioning the certain contextual examples when we may use them or omit them. Each form is used in its ways, as everyone shows particular cases and situations.the book Great expectations by Charles Dickens, the author have used the right rules of the English Grammar and demonstrated the necessity of the comparisons in all day speech. We have compared the English variant of the book with the Romanian one, which was translated by Popescu Bogdan under the name of Marile Sperantea percentage of using of each form of comparison in the book named before, I can say that in different cases when the comparisons are used, different percentage are.
Nr.Degree of comparisonNr.% 1Null comparative6212.402Positive degree125253Comparative degree6312.604Superlative degree85175Intensifiers9218.406Irregular forms7314.607Total500100
A) Null comparative are adjectives that does not admit comparative degree. For example complete is one of those adjectives that does not admit of comparative degrees. Other adjectives that are included in this list are as follows :: had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible. (p.32) s? cread? c? foarte pu? ine lucruri sunt cu adev? rat imposibile. (P.33) this example we can see that the author uses a comparative in which the starting point for comparison is not started. We do not know what things are compared with. We may presuppose that the protagonist is a persevering person, only those persons think and belief that very few things are really impossible.adjective itself can not have degrees of comparison. We can not say that there are things more or less impossible .: This woman must seem incredibly intelligent to that man (p.32) femeie parea incred...
