[Grammar] comparative structures

[Kondorosi]

He can run as fast as an ostrich.

What are the comparative elements in this sentence? What do you comare to what? Show me those two words(?), phrases(?), or clauses(?) in the sentence, please.

Thanks.

 

[bhaisahab]

He can run as fast as an ostrich.

What are the comparative elements in this sentence? What do you comare to what? Show me those two words(?), phrases(?), or clauses(?) in the sentence, please.

Thanks.

He can run as fast as an ostrich (can run). This is comparing "He" with "an ostrich".

 

[Kondorosi]

What about this:

He can run as fast as an ostrich can run fast.

 

[bhaisahab]

What about this:

He can run as fast as an ostrich can run fast.

I can't imagine ever using that, it's a very awkward sentence. If you wrote: "He can run fast, as an ostrich can run fast" there is no real comparison, you are just stating that both "he" and "an ostrich" are capable of running fast.

 

[mxreader]

What about this:

He can run as fast as an ostrich can run fast.

Now that's a mouthful

 

[Kondorosi]

"He can run fast, as an ostrich can run fast" there is no real comparison, you are just stating that both "he" and "an ostrich" are capable of running fast.

But I did not write that. ;-)

He can run as fast as an ostrich can run fast. Isn't 'as ... as' a correlative conjunction like 'both ... and'?

 

[Kondorosi]

Now that's a mouthful

What is compared then, IYO?

 

[bhaisahab]

But I did not write that. ;-)

He can run as fast as an ostrich can run fast. Isn't 'as ... as' a correlative conjunction like 'both ... and'?

He can run as fast as an ostrich can run fast. The main point I am trying to make is; I doubt very much that a native English speaker would say or write this, so analysing it is pretty pointless.

 

[Kondorosi]

I have to analyze to understand. I am not one native who has intrinsical feelers, you know. What is the function of as .. as? Which two phrases or clauses does it bring into a mutual relationship?

 

[mxreader]

What is compared then, IYO?

His running is being described (compared?) as being as fast as an ostrich.

 

[Kondorosi]

His running is being described (compared?) as being as fast as an ostrich.

And syntactically? as ... as is a correlative conjunction. Is it? It links parts of a sentence. What parts?

 

[mxreader]

And syntactically? as ... as is a correlative conjunction. Is it? It links parts of a sentence. What parts?

He can run (SCopV)
as fast as an ostrich (Complement: Adj. Phrase)

 

[Kondorosi]

He can run (SCopV)
as fast as an ostrich (Complement: Adj. Phrase)

CopV? No. 'fast (=adverb)' describes the verb, not the subject. It does not say 'He is fast'. It say 'He ... runs.fast".

Let us focus on what you call an adj phrase.

as [fast] as [an ostrich]. IT is a comparative structure. GRammatically, how can you compare an adjective to a noun phrase?

 

[mxreader]

CopV? No. 'fast (=adverb)' describes the verb, not the subject. It does not say 'He is fast'. It say 'He ... runs.fast".

The complement names the context of the subject's act.