Old/new': things

an old/new handbag, an old/new house New is used for a person who is a 'newcomer a-new boss, a new secretary

11.12 'Large/big/great': people or things Large and big generally refer to size a large/big man or woman, a large/big box Great generally refers to importance a great man, a great cathedral, a great idea

11.13 'Small/little'

Small is the opposite of large/big, small is gradable and is attributive/predicative a small boy, a small house (attributive) My house is very small (predicative) Little is usually attributive and can replace small in many contexts (a little boy, a little house), it is also a quantifier (a little sugar = a small amount of) Little is used particularly to express love, pity, etc your sweet little baby

Appendix 12 [> 6.24,6.29]

Comparatives/superlatives confused and misused e g

12.1 'Bett er/w or s e '

Better is the comparative of welt, worse is the comparative of /// when referring to health

How's Liz?-She's (much) better/nearly well How's Bob?' - He's still III - much worse

12.2 'Little'

We use the comparative/superlative of small a small/little boy, a smaller/the smallest boy The forms littler, the littlest are typical of children's speech and refer to size and age Don't hit him He's littler than you are I'm 7 Susie's 6, and Jimmy's the littlest He's 4

12.3 'Elder/eldest'; 'older/oldest'
Elder and eldest are used (attributive only)
with reference to people in a family, elder is
therefore never followed by than

my elder brother/son, the eldest child The noun is often deleted after the eldest/ youngest

I'm the eldest and Pam's the youngest The elder is possible in e g I'm the elder

12.4 'Old/older/oldest'

These are used attributively and predicatively

with reference to people and things

my older brother, my oldest son/oldest child

My brother is older than I am Tim is the

oldest in our family an older tree/book the oldest tree/book

This oak tree is older than that yew tree

This book is older than that one It's the

oldest book I have in my library

Appendix 13 [>6.30.1]]

Expressions with 'as' + adjective + 'as':

as blind as a bat, as bold as brass, as bright as a button (= intelligent) as cheap as dirt, as clear as a bell, as cool as a cucumber, as deaf as a post, as dry as dust (= boring) as easy as pie as fat as a pig, as free as a bird, as hard as nails, as keen as mustard as large as life, as mad as a hatter as pleased as Punch, as pretty as a picture, as quick as lightning, as right as rain, as safe as houses

Appendix 14 - 16

Appendix 14 [> 6.6,7.3.2,7.5,7.13]