30.

The Comparison of Adjectives.

The Comparative is formed by placing mais (more) or menos (less) before the Positive, as:

bello, beautiful, mais bello, more beautiful.

Obs. Than following the Comparative is rendered by que, como, or: tão como, as as; não tão como, not as; before the article que the word do is often pre

SO

fixed, as:

he mais prudente do que parece,

he is wiser than it appears.

The Superlative is formed

1. by placing the article before the Comparative, as:

o mais douto, the most learned

o mais bello, the most beautiful;

2. by adding to the Positive issimo (masc.) and issima (fem.), bello, beautiful, bellissimo, bellissima.

3. by placing muito before the positive:

as:

Este jardim é muito grande, this garden is very large.

Obs. The Positive and Comparative can be strengthened by placing before them:

muito, very-assaz, enough-demasiado, too, too much.

33.

Examples.

A Asia he mais grande que a Europa. A Africa he menos povoado1) que a Europa. A rosa he mais bella que a viola.*) A viola he menos bella que a rosa. Pedro he mais feliz do que João. O filho não he tão liberal como seu pai. A historia he tão util como agradavel. O dia he mais agradavel que a noite.3) O seu amante he mais bello, mais moço1) e mais rico que ella. Eu acho o agora menos lindo3) do que quando o comprei.) O meu livro he tão barato7) como o Vosso. Elle he muito mais grande. Ella he pouco mais grande. Caesar he muito mais estimado) que Pompeo. Pompeo foi muito menos feliz que Caesar. Elle he o mais douto) dos homens. Elle he o menos douto dos homens. Ella he a mais bella das mulheres. Ella he muito amavel. Estas cadeiras 1o) são feitas") de optima madeira.12) Esta mulher he boa, o marido he melhor e o filho he o optimo. Elle he o felicissimo dos mortaes. O clima he saluberrimo. He homem valentissimo. O filho he rico, o pai he riquissimo. O neto 13) he máo, o primo 1) he ainda peior e o tio he o pessimo. Na margem do rio ha optimos pastos. 15)

1) populated. 2) violet. 3) night. 4) young. 5) pretty. 6) to buy. 7) cheap. 8) esteemed. 9) learned. 10) chair. 11) made. 12) wood. 13) grandson. 14) cousin. 15) pasture.

34.

Exercises.

Mariana is more industrious1) than her sister.2) Europe is not so large as America. The wife is handsomer than her husband.) This horse is very beautiful, more beautiful than yours. The most fertile fields. His cousin is very rich, his uncle is still richer, and his father is the richest. The man is very bad,4) the woman is worse, and the son is the worst. This wine is good, but that one is better. She is much taller than her friend.5) The tulip) is not so beautiful as the rose. The son is little, but the daughter is very little indeed (pequenissimo). Our house is not so large as yours. Amelia is

1) diligente. 2) irmãa. 3) marido. 4) máo. 5) amiga. 6) tulipa

smaller than her brother. The best ship.") The worst man. The bravest knight. The simplest) man in the world.") This1o) man is very wise, and that") one is the wisest of all. The climate of Siberia is very cold. The summer 12) is in that country hotter and the winter 13) more rigid. A great part 15) and the greater part. The turf 16) is very green,17) but the trees 18) are still greener. I do not write so well as he. This man speaks 19) as well as Cicero.20) The English") horses are better than the French. Arabia has the best horses. It is commendable 22) to recommend virtue," but it is better to practise 24) it.

7) navio. 8) simples. 9) no mundo. 10) este. 11) aquelle. 12) verão. 13) inverno. 14) rigoroso. 15) parte. 16) relva. 17) verde. 18) arvore. 19) fallar. 20) um Cicero. 21) inglez. 22) louvavel. 23) virtuide. 24) praticar.

35.

The Numbers (Vos Numeral).

1. The Cardinal Numbers (Numerales cardinaes).

as:

Obs. Before a noun cem is used, before a number cento, cem soldados, hundred soldiers; cento e um, a hundred and one. The Portuguese use the Cardinal Numbers to express the date, as: chegou a quatro de Maio, he arrived on the fourth of May. Esta carta é datado de quatro de Maio do mil oitocentos e setenta, this letter is dated the 4. May 1870.