Proper application of adjectives and comparative adjectives

Proper application of comparative adjectives and adjectives

I recall an incident several years back in Kakamega in which a well-dressed young man, a complete stranger, approached me and politely asked whether I knew of the best hotel he could stay in for a couple of days.

While doing a quick appraisal of him, it was easy to see he exuded confidence, the know-it-all type and probably had money to spend.

At the time, Golf Hotel was the best I could think of and because the young man looked like he wanted such a place, I did not hesitate to recommend it. But merely recommending Golf Hotel was not enough, for he wanted to know the actual cost per night.

When I told him, he baulked but sought to know if I could recommend another hotel besides Golf. Unthinkingly, I asked him if he wanted a cheaper hotel, and it was then that the fellow exploded. “Did I say I wanted a cheap hotel? Do I look like one of those cheap guys to you?”

I was surprised by his venom, but after he noticed my consternation, he lowered his voice and said “You did not have to use that word. I have company”. That is when I noticed the lady standing patiently at a distance.

COMPARISON

Apparently, the cause of the misunderstanding between us was the word ‘cheaper’.  To my new friend, ‘cheap’ and ‘cheaper’ meant the same thing; low quality, and that raised his hackles.

He was out to leave an impression in some quarters, and talk of ‘cheap’ was anathema. ‘Cheaper’ is a comparative adjective. It is used for comparison, denoting a lesser value in relation to another. One cannot simply say that “Services at company ‘A’ are cheaper” without making reference to another company whose services are more expensive. 

If, say, Golf Hotel charged Sh4000 per night, but having deemed the amount to be on the higher side, I was going to recommend a hotel that charged Sh2000 per night, that would be cheaper, but not cheap. Of course, at the time there were the seedy joints that charged Sh200, which was cheap. The adjective ‘cheap’ means of low quality.

In terms of value, ‘cheapest’ means the lowest value. The word ‘cheap’ also features in some idiomatic expressions; “cheap at twice the price”, meaning exceedingly cheap, and ‘on the cheap’, also meaning affordable or economical. For example, “Using the SGR train service is to travel on the cheap”.

By the same yardstick, ‘young’ (adjective) and ‘younger’ (comparative adjective) mean different things.

As obvious as it is, an 86 year old man is younger than a 90 year old man, but that does not mean the former is young. To be young is to have lived for a short period of time. Note that comparative adjectives like ‘younger’, ‘cheaper’, ‘lighter’ and ‘bigger’ are primarily used in comparing two nouns.

CONJUNCTION

The last sentence in the first paragraph begins with the word ‘but’, a crime that our primary school English teachers warned us against. To use conjunction at the start of sentences was frowned upon. Of course, a class two pupil needs to be guided carefully without offloading too much on him or her, lest they get thoroughly confused.

The rule that forbids the use of ‘and’ or ‘but’ at the beginning of a sentence is meant to stop one from writing things that would not be understood, as so easily happens sometimes.

To begin an essay or report with the word ‘and’ or ‘but’ is bad form. However, if you have been building an argument, to begin a subsequent clause with ‘and’ -used to denote ‘to add to’ - if it is in support of the previous sentence is considered okay. Nonetheless, it is unwise to introduce a new clause completely unrelated to the preceding one by starting the sentence with the word ‘and’.

The same goes for ‘but’ (used to negate something or warn). For instance; “John has the ability to breathe deeply, hold his breath and dive below the water surface and stay there for five minutes. But, remember, it requires practice”.

If one was to simply write “But, remember, it requires practice”, he or she will not be communicating anything because the question would then follow; “practice what?”  Sentences should be constructed in such a way that they are not left hanging; they must express a complete thought.