進階 · Unit 44
比較 — less 比較級
less + 原級 + than 是表示「比更不…」的劣等比較句型，和 more + 原級 + than 是相反方向的說法。重點在於形容詞、副詞維持原級不變，只在前面加上 less，不改成 -er 或 more。
概念說明
less + 原級 + than 是表示「比~更不…」的劣等比較句型，和 more + 原級 + than 是相反方向的說法。重點在於形容詞、副詞維持原級不變，只在前面加上 less，不改成 -er 或 more。
A. 形態 — less + 原級 + than
less + 原級 + than 是比較兩個對象，表示前者的程度比後者來得低。形容詞、副詞用原級就好，不加 -er 也不放 more，這就是形態上的重點。公式是 less + 原級 + than = 比~更不…。
| 形態 | 例句 |
|---|---|
| less + 形容詞原級 + than | This is less expensive than that. |
| less + 副詞原級 + than | She runs less quickly than him. |
| less + 短形容詞 + than | Today is less cold than yesterday. |
| less + 長形容詞 + than | This is less difficult than the last test. |
- The blue shirt is less popular than the red one. (藍色襯衫沒有紅色的那麼受歡迎。)
- He studies less hard than his classmates. (他念書沒有同班同學那麼認真。)
- This bag is less heavy than mine. (這個包包沒有我的那麼重。)
B. 和 more 對照 — 方向相反的比較
如果說 more + 原級 + than 是「比更…」，那麼 less + 原級 + than 表示的就是完全相反方向的「比更不…」。這兩個句子只要把主詞和比較對象的位置對調，意思就完全一樣。
| 方向 | 形態 | 例句 |
|---|---|---|
| 更… | more + 原級 + than | A is more expensive than B. |
| 更不… | less + 原級 + than | B is less expensive than A. |
- The movie is more exciting than the book. (那部電影比書更有趣。)
- The book is less exciting than the movie. (那本書沒有電影那麼有趣。)
- This bag is more expensive than that one. (這個包包比那個貴。)
- That bag is less expensive than this one. (那個包包沒有這個貴。)
C. 常用的 less 說法 — 日常會話的語感
less 常和 important、common、useful、difficult 這類長形容詞一起使用，很自然地表達程度較低。至於短形容詞(cold, cheap, big 等)，母語人士比較偏好用 not as ~ as 句型，不過 less + 原級在文法上也是正確的。
| 常用的組合 | 意思 |
|---|---|
| less important than | 比~更不重要 |
| less common than | 比~更不常見 |
| less useful than | 比~更不實用 |
| less difficult than | 比~更不困難 |
| less expensive than | 比~更不貴 |
- Meeting deadlines is less important than doing quality work. (遵守截止日期沒有做出高品質的成果那麼重要。)
- This word is less common than that one. (這個單字沒有那個單字那麼常見。)
- Grammar is less difficult than I thought. (文法沒有我想的那麼難。)
- The new app is less useful than the old one. (新的應用程式沒有舊的那麼實用。)
重點整理
- 1在 less + 原級 + than 句型裡，形容詞、副詞不改成 -er，維持原級就好。(X: This is less cheaper than that → O: This is less cheap than that.)
- 2less 常和長形容詞(important, common, useful, difficult)一起使用，短形容詞在會話中用 not as ~ as 句型比較自然。(例: less important than)
- 3A is less + 原級 + than B 和 B is more + 原級 + than A 把位置對調後意思相同。(例: This is less expensive than that = That is more expensive than this.)
- 4中文的「比較不~ / 不如~」在英語裡可以直接換成 less + 原級 + than。
- 5than 後面只放比較對象，句子形式和 more 比較級完全一樣。(例: less quickly than him, less expensive than the other one)
例句
This book is less interesting than that one.
這本書沒有那本書那麼有趣。
Today is less cold than yesterday.
今天沒有昨天那麼冷。
The new phone is less expensive than I expected.
這支新手機沒有我預期的那麼貴。
He works less hard than his brother.
他工作沒有他哥哥那麼拚。
This route is less crowded than the main road.
這條路沒有大馬路那麼擁擠。
這個單元還有更多例句。註冊後可以看完整內容並聆聽發音。
容易犯的錯誤
This book is less interesting than that one.
This is less expensive than that.
He works less hard than his brother.
Today is less cold than yesterday.
This is less difficult than that.