[NEW] Comparative or Comparison. Grau comparativo em inglês | comparative – NATAVIGUIDES

Grammatical constructions for comparative / Construção gramatical para o comparativo

There are three forms for comparative in English: Positive, Comparative and Superlative. We use comparative adjectives and adverbs to compare people or things, and the superlative adjectives and adverbs to show that one person or a thing has more quality than the others of the group or from another group. / Existem três formas de comparativo em inglês: positivo, comparativo e superlativo. Usamos os adjetivos e advérbios comparativos para comparar pessoas ou coisas e o superlativo para mostrar que uma pessoa ou coisa possui mais qualidades do que outra do mesmo grupo ou de outro grupo.

Positive / Afirmativo (Igualdade)

In English the structure to form the positive comparison includes: ‘as…as’, ‘the same as’ and ‘like’. / Em inglês a estrutura para formar o comparativo de igualdade inclui: ‘como…como’, ‘tanto…quanto’, ‘tão…quanto’, ‘o mesmo…que’ e ‘como’.

When we want to say that people or things are similar in some way we use ‘as…as’: as + adjective or adverb + as + noun phrase clause. / Quando queremos dizer que uma pessoa ou coisa é similar em algo usamos ‘tão… quanto’: tão + adjetivo ou advérbio + quanto + substantivo ou pronome/restante da frase.

You’re your brother at soccer. / Você é tão bom quanto seu irmão no futebol.
She isme at Math. / Ela é tão ruim como eu em matemática.

You can make a negative comparison using ‘not as…as’, like in the examples: / Você pode fazer uma comparação negativa usando ‘não tanto…quanto’, como nos exemplos:

This season is good the last one. / Esta temporada não é tão boa quanto a última.
​This dress was pretty it appears to be. / Esse vestido não é tão lindo quanto parecia.

We also use the comparative to talk about people and thing that has even less or more qualities than the other group or thing, like in the examples following: / Também podemos usar o comparativo para falar de pessoas ou coisas que possuem menores qualidades do que outras de outro grupo ou do mesmo, como nos exemplos seguintes:

She’s less capable than he. / Ela é menos capaz do que ele.

They have got fewer books than me. / Eles possuem menos livros do que eu.

You’re less tall then he. / Você é menor que ele.

Inferiority Comparative / Comparativo de inferioridade

We use it to show people or things weakness. / Usamos para mostrar algumas fraquezas de pessoas ou de coisas.

Structure: + adjective/adverb + Estrutura: menos + adjetivo/advérbio + que.

Example: I have less cell phone cases than you. / Eu tenho menos capinhas de celular que você.

Comparative and Superlative with -er, -est / Comparativo e Superlativo com -er, -est (sufixos usados para definir o grau de comparação na língua inglesa).

You add -er for the comparative form and -est for the superlative form. If the word ends with -e you add -r or -st. / Você adiciona -er para a forma comparativa e -est para a forma superlativa. Se a palavra terminar em -e você adiciona -r ou -st.

Cheap – Cheape– Cheapebarato – mais barato – o mais barato (baratíssimo)

Late – Late – Late/ tarde – mais tarde – mais tarde ainda (super tarde)

There are right ways to use the comparative form with adjectives, we use – er/ est with the following adjectives: / Existem formas corretas de usar os adjetivos comparativos, usamos -er, -est com os seguintes adjetivos:

1- One syllable adjectives / Adjetivos que não separam sílabas

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

Close

Clos

(The) Clos

Large

Larg

(The) Larg

Nice

Nic

(The) Nic

 

Afirmativo: perto, largo, legal
Comparativo: mais perto, mais largo, mais legal
Superlativo: o mais perto, o mais largo, o mais legal

 

2-

Two syllables adjectives

/ Adjetivos que separam sílabas

We use some adjectives as a group to describe one thing when that group have a single idea and came before the noun, in this case, they are put together (connected by hyphens or no) to make their meaning clear. The comparative form will depend of the adjectives ends, so let’s check which is the correct form for each ending: / Usamos alguns adjetivos como um grupo para descrever uma coisa quando esse grupo possui a mesma ideia e vem antes de um substantivo, nesse caso, esse grupo de palavras, em inglês, torna-se apenas um adjetivo (ligado ou não por hífen) para deixar claro seu sentido.

a) Ending in – y: / Terminado em -y:

With two syllables adjectives and adverbs ending in a consonant and -y, you change the -y to -i and add -er and -est. Adjetivos/advérbios que não são monossílabos e que terminam com consoante e -y muda-se o -y por -i e adiciona -er e -est.

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

Heav

Heaver

(The) Heavest

Luck

Lucker

(The) Luckest

Lovel

Loveler

(The) Lovelest

Bus

Buser

(The) Buses

 

Afirmativo: pesado, sortudo, amável, ocupado
Comparativo: mais pesado, mais sortudo, mais amável, mais ocupado
Superlativo: o mais pesado, o mais sortudo, o mais amável, o mais ocupado

 

b) Ending in – er: / Terminado em -er:

With two syllables adjectives and adverbs ending with – er you add -er and est. / Quando terminados em -er adiciona-se -er e -est.

Positive

Não pare agora… Tem mais depois da publicidade 😉

Comparative

Superlative

Clev

Clever

(The) Clever

 

Afirmativo: Esperto
Comparativo: Mais esperto
Superlativo: O mais esperto

 

c) Ending in – le: /

Terminado em -le:

With two syllables adjectives and adverbs ending in -le you add -r and -st.

/ Quando terminados em -le adiciona-se -r e -st.

 

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

Simp

Simple

(The) Simple

 

Afirmativo: Simples
Comparativo: Mais simples
Superlativo: O mais simples

 

3- Using comparative form in short adjectives: / Usando a forma comparativa em adjetivos curtos:

When the adjective is short you have to double the consonant after short vowel, and although has a consonant before – y, here – y is not changed to -i. / Quando os adjetivos são curtos e terminam em vogal consoante, dobra-se a última consoante e mesmo que possua uma consoante antes da letra -y, nesse caso o -y não muda para -i.

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

g

Bigg

(The) Bigg

Sd

Sadd

(The) Sadd

Sh

Shy

(The) Shy

 

Afirmativo: Grande, Triste, Tímido
Comparativo: Maior, Mais triste, Mais tímido
Superlativo: O maior, O mais triste, O mais tímido

4- The use of ‘more’ and ‘most’: / *O uso de ‘mais’ e ‘mais’:

We use ‘more’’for the comparative and ‘most’ for the superlative of most two-syllable adjectives. / Usamos ‘more’ mais no comparativo e ‘most’ mais no superlativo para adjetivos com mais de uma sílaba.

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

Brilliant

More brilliant

(The) Most Brilliant

More Comfortable

(The) Most comfortable

More Powerful

(The) Most powerful

Stupendous

More stupendous

(The) Most stupndous

 

Afirmativo: Brilhante, Confortável, Poderoso, Estupendo
Comparativo: Mais Brilhante, Mais Confortável, Mais Poderoso, Mais Estupendo Superlativo: O mais Brilhante, O mais Confortável, O mais Poderoso, O mais Estupendo

5- Some irregular adjectives: / Alguns adjetivos irregulares:

Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms. / Alguns adjetivos e advérbios possuem uma forma irregular quando usados no comparativo e no superlativo.

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

Good / Well

(The)

(The)

(The)

Old

(The)

 

Afirmativo: Bom, Mal, Longe, Velho
Comparativo: Melhor, Pior, Longínquo, Mais velho
Superlativo: O melhor, O pior, O mais longínquo, O mais velho.

*Em português a tradução para ‘more’ e ‘most’ é a mesma: mais. Todavia, em inglês usa-se ‘more’ para comparações: Eu sou mais amável que você! I am more amiable than you. Enquanto usa-se ‘most’ no superlativo, para se referir a algo que seja único, o mais, o melhor: Esta é a pessoa mais amável do mundo. / This is the most amiable person in the world.

Por Janaína Mourão
Graduada em Letras – Inglês

What is a Comparative Advantage?

In economics, a comparative advantage occurs when a country can produce a good or service at a lower opportunity costOpportunity CostOpportunity cost is one of the key concepts in the study of economics and is prevalent throughout various decision-making processes. The than another country. The theory of comparative advantage is attributed to political economist David Ricardo, who wrote the book Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1817).

 

 

Ricardo used the theory of comparative advantage to argue against Great Britain’s protectionist Corn Laws, which restricted the import of wheat from 1815 to 1846. In arguing for free tradeGlobalizationGlobalization is the unification and interaction of the world’s individuals, governments, companies, and countries. It has been accomplished through the, the political economist stated that countries were better off specializing in what they enjoy a comparative advantage in and importing the goods in which they lack a comparative advantage.

 

What is an Opportunity Cost?

To understand the theory behind a comparative advantage, it is crucial to understand the idea of an opportunity cost. An opportunity cost is the foregone benefits from choosing one alternative over others.

For example, a laborer can use one hour of work to produce either 1 cloth or 3 wines. We can think of opportunity cost as follows: What is the forgone benefit from choosing to produce one cloth or one wine?

Therefore:

• By producing one cloth, the opportunity cost is 3 wines.
• By producing one wine, the opportunity cost is ⅓ cloth.

 

Comparative Advantage and Free Trade

Comparative advantage is a key principle in international trade and forms the basis of why free trade is beneficial to countries. The theory of comparative advantage shows that even if a country enjoys an absolute advantage in the production of goodsNormal GoodsNormal goods are a type of goods whose demand shows a direct relationship with a consumer’s income. It means that the demand for normal goods, trade can still be beneficial to both trading partners.

 

Practical Example: Comparative Advantage

Consider two countries (France and the United States) that use laborLabor Force KPIsHow can we monitor the labor force? Governments and economists usually refer to three main key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the strength of a nation’s labor force as an input to produce two goods: wine and cloth.

• In France, one hour of a worker’s labor can produce either 5 cloths or 10 wines.
• In the US, one hour of a worker’s labor can produce either 20 cloths or 20 wines.

 

The information provided is illustrated as follows:

 

 

It is important to note that the United States enjoys an absolute advantage in the production of cloth and wine. With one labor hour, a worker can produce either 20 cloths or 20 wines in the United States compared to France’s 5 cloths or 10 wines.

• The United States enjoys an absolute advantage in the production of cloth and wine.

 

To determine the comparative advantages of France and the United States, we must first determine the opportunity cost for each output:

France:

Opportunity cost of 1 cloth = 2 wine

Opportunity cost of 1 wine = ½ cloth

 

The United States:

Opportunity cost of 1 cloth = 1 wine

Opportunity cost of 1 wine = 1 cloth

 

When comparing the opportunity cost of 1 cloth for both France and the United States, we can see that the opportunity cost of cloth is lower in the United States. Therefore, the United States enjoys a comparative advantage in the production of cloth.

Additionally, when comparing the opportunity cost of 1 wine for France and the United States, we can see that the opportunity cost of wine is lower in France. Therefore, France enjoys a comparative advantage in the production of wine.

 

Comparative Advantage and its Benefits in Free Trade

How does identifying each country’s comparative advantage aid in understanding its benefits in free trade?

First, let’s assume that the maximum amount of labor hours is 100 hours.

In France:

• If all labor hours went into wine, 1,000 barrels of wine could be produced.
• If all labor hours went into cloth, 500 pieces of cloth could be produced.

 

In the United States:

• If all labor hours went into wine, 2,000 barrels of wine could be produced.
• If all labor hours went into cloth, 2,000 pieces of cloth could be produced.

 

Following Ricardo’s theory of comparative advantage in free trade, if each country specializes in what they enjoy a comparative advantage in and imports the other good, they will be better off. Recall that:

• France enjoys a comparative advantage in wine.
• The United States enjoys a comparative advantage in cloth.

 

In France, the country specializes in wine and produces 1,000 barrels. Recall that the opportunity cost of 1 barrel of wine in the United States is 1 piece of cloth. Therefore, the United States would be open to accepting a trade of 1 wine for up to 1 piece of cloth.

 

The potential gains from trade for Europe by specializing in wine is represented by the arrow:

 

 

In the United States, the country specializes in cloth and produces 2,000 pieces. Recall that the opportunity cost of 1 piece of cloth in France is 2 barrels of wine. Therefore, France would be open to accepting a trade of 1 cloth for up to 2 barrels of wine.

The potential gains from trade for the United States by specializing in cloth is represented by the arrow:

 

 

Therefore, using the theory of comparative advantage, a country that specializes in their comparative advantage in free trade is able to realize higher output gains by exporting the good in which they enjoy a comparative advantage and importing the good in which they suffer a comparative disadvantage.

 

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