Small Doubt about Superlative and Comparative

Status
Not open for further replies.

GuilhermeRM

Junior Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Brazilian Portuguese
Home Country
Brazil
Current Location
Brazil
Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov stand
side by sideas two of America’s greatest
science fiction writers, but the latter,
having written more than 500 books, is by far the most prolific.
The correction is ''The more prolific'' or just '' Far more prolific''?
Does the word ''Latter'' indicate Ray Bradbuty?
 

tom3m

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Czech
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Last edited:

riquecohen

VIP Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
Brazil
Asimov is "the more prolific" of the two, but he is "the most prolific" of "America's greatest science fiction writers."
 

GuilhermeRM

Junior Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Brazilian Portuguese
Home Country
Brazil
Current Location
Brazil
Thank you riquecohen; I was confused about using ''the'' before comparative adjectives. Latter = the last, recent one between the two, thank you tom3m.
 

charliedeut

VIP Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Spanish
Home Country
Spain
Current Location
Spain
Hi,

Had the writer been speaking of Ray Bradbury, s/he would have said "the former" (as you probably already know; but just in case...)

charliedeut
 

charliedeut

VIP Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Spanish
Home Country
Spain
Current Location
Spain
Asimov is "the more prolific" of the two, but he is "the most prolific" of "America's greatest science fiction writers."

I partly disagree with "the most" here. There might be one or more, among the other "greatest science fiction writers" who are/were more prolific than Isaac Asimov. From the excerpt we just know that Asimov is more prolific than Bradbury.

charliedeut

PS: Isaac Asimov - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; Ray Bradbury - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, I would say both "were", not "are" (or "is", if individualized). But maybe that's just being too picky ;-).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top