一、no more than 与 not more than
1. no more than 的意思是“仅仅”“只有”“最多不超过”，强调少。如：
This test takes no more than thirty minutes. 这个测验只要30分钟。
The pub was no more than half full. 该酒吧的上座率最多不超过五成。
For thirty years， he had done no more than he （had） needed to. 30年来，他只干了他需要干的工作。
2. not more than 为 more than （多于）的否定式，其意为“不多于”“不超过”。如：
Not more than 10 guests came to her birthday party. 来参加她的生日宴会的客人不超过十人。
比较：She has no more than three hats. 她只有3顶帽子。（太少了）
She has not more than three hats. 她至多有3顶帽子。（也许不到3顶帽子）
I have no more than five yuan in my pocket. 我口袋里的钱最多不过5元。（言其少）
I have not more than five yuan in my pocket. 我口袋里的钱不多于5元。（也许不到5元）
二、no more……than 与 not more……than
1. no more……than 表示对两者都否定，意为“同……一样不”（＝neither……nor……）。如：
He is no more a writer than a painter. 他既不是画家，也不是作家。（＝He is neither a painter nor a writer.）
He‘s no more able to read Spanish than I am. 他和我都读不懂西班牙语。（＝Neither he nor I am able to read Spanish.）
I know no more Spanish than I know Greek. 我对西班牙语和希腊语同样都不懂。（＝I know neither Spanish nor Greek.）
2. not more……than 指两者都具有某种特征，但是程度不同，意为“不如”“不及”（＝ not so…… as）。如：
She is not more clever than he is. 她不如他聪明。（＝She is not so clever as he is.）
This book is not more difficult than that one. 这本书不及那本书难。（This book is not so difficult as that one.）
三、no less than 与 not less than
1. no less than 的意思是“多达”“有……之多”，强调多，与 no more than 意思
相反。如：
He made no less than ￡500. 他赚了多达500英镑的钱。
He paid no less than $10，000 for it. 他为此付了一万多美元。
No less than 50 people offered to buy it. 至少有50个人提出要买它。
No less than 50 passengers got killed in the train accident yesterday. 死于昨天火车车祸的旅客有50人之多。
My father， no less than I， is a baseball fan. 我的父亲不亚于我，也是个棒球迷。
2. not less than 为 less than（少于）的否定式，其意为“不少于”“不下于”“至少”。如：
He has not less than 10，000 dollars. 他至少有一万元。
Not less than 500 people attended the meeting. 参加会议的至少500人。
比较：He has no less than seven daughters. 他有7个女儿之多。
He has not less than seven daughters. 他至少有7个女儿。
四、no more……than 与 no less……than
1. no more……than 意为“与……一样不”，用于否定两者。如：
She‘s no more a great singer than I am. 她不是优秀歌手，我也不是。
A whale is no more a fish than a horse is. 马不是鱼，鲸也不是鱼。
He is no more an artist than you are a mathematician. 就像你不是数学家一样，他也不是艺术家。
2. no less……than 意为“和……一样”，用于肯定两者。如：
Your brother is no less wise than you. 你的兄弟跟你一样聪明。
A dolphin is no less a clever animal than a dog is. 海豚与狗同样都是聪明的动物。
Italian is no less a mother tongue for him than English. 如同英语一样，意大利语也是他的母语。
五、more than 的用法
1. （指数量）多于I‘ve known him for more than twenty years. 我已认识他20多年了。
2. 不只是，不仅仅是（通常后接名词、动词、从句等）
He is more than a father to her. 他待她胜过父亲。
He more than smiled， but laughed. 他不只是微笑，而是放声大笑。
The result was much more than I imagined. 结果远远超出我的想象。
3. 极其，非常（通常后接形容词、副词或分词等）
I was more than pleased with the pay rise. 薪水涨了，我高兴极了。
He was more than upset by the accident. 他对这次事故感到非常难过。
4. 难以，完全不能（其后通常连用情态动词 can）
That is more than I can tell. 那事我实在不明白。
The heat there was more than he could stand. 那儿的炎热程度是他所不能忍受的。
六、less than 的用法
1. （指数量）不到，不足It‘s less than half an hour's drive from here. 开车到那里不到半个钟头。
In less than an hour he finished the work. 没要上一个小时，他就完成了工作。
2. 比……（小）少She eats less than she should. 她吃得比她应该吃的少。
Half the group felt they spent less than average. 半数人觉得他们的花费低于平均水平。
3. 不太，一点也不The boys were less than happy about having a party. 开晚会男孩子们并不很高兴。
We were less than delighted to have company that day. 那天有客人我们并不太高兴。
He was less than helpful when we arrived. 我们到达时他一点也不帮忙。
七、more……than 的用法
1. 比……多，比……更He has more books than me. 他的书比我多。
He is more careful than the others. 他比其他人更仔细。
2. 与其……不如He is more lucky than clever. 与其说他聪明，不如说他幸运。
He is more （a） scholar than （a） teacher. 与其说他是位教师，不如说他是位学者。
注：该句型主要用于同一个人或物在两个不同性质或特征等方面的比较，其中的比较级必须用加 more 的形式，不能用加词尾-er 的形式。
八、less……than 的用法
1. 不像（如）
He is less honest than his brother. 他不如他哥哥诚实。
2. 比……少，不如……多We drink less coffee than tea. 我们喝咖啡不如喝茶多。
I got less money than the others did. 我比别人得到的钱少。
3. 与其……不如……
I regard him less as my teacher than as my friend. 与其说我把他当作老师，不如说我是把他当作朋友。
注：表示此义时可与 more……than 结构替换（但要注意词序的变化）。如：
He is less a teacher than an expert.／He is more an expert than a teacher. 与其说他是老师，不如说他是专家。
九、陷阱题分析
1. How beautifully she sings！I have never heard_____voice.
A. a better B. a best C. the better D. the best
「陷阱」容易误选 D，认为最高级前要用定冠词。
「分析」其实此题最佳答案为A.该句可视为 I have never heard a better voice than her voice 之省略，全句句意为“她唱得多好啊！我从未听过她这么好的声音”。
请再看以下类似的实例：He is fine，never better. 他很好，比以往任何时候都好。
This bird is really lovely. I‘ve never seen a finer one. 这只鸟真可爱，我从未见过这样好看的鸟。
比较以下试题，情形也大致相同：
（1）“I've never found a better job.”
-----“______”
A. I don‘t think so B. Too bad C. Congratulations D. Don’t worry
答案选 C.I've never found a better job 可视为 I’ve never found a better job than this job 之省略，句意为“我从来没有找到比这份工作更好的工作”，即“这是我所找到的最好的工作”。
（2）“What do you think of the service here？”
----“Oh，______ . We couldn‘t have found a better place.”
A. too bad B. sorryC. wonderful D. impossible
答案选C.We couldn‘t have found a better place 可视为 We couldn’t have found a better place than this place，其意为“我们不可能找到一个比这儿更好的地方”，即“这是我们所能找到的最好的地方”。
（3） Boris has brains. In fact， I doubt whether anyone in the class has______IQ. A. a highB. a higher C. the higher D. the highest
答案选B.句意为“……我怀疑班上有没有哪个人比他智商更高”，即“我认为他可能是班上智商最高的”。
（4） How cold it is！
----We‘ve never had______this winter.
A. the colder day B. a cold day C. the coldest dayD. a colder day
答案选D.句意为“今年冬天我们还从未遇上过这样冷的日子”。
2. Professor White has written some short stories，but he is______known for his plays.
A. the best B. moreC. better D. the most
「陷阱」容易误选 D.
「分析」此题首先不宜选 B 或 D，因为 well known 的比较级和最高级通常是
better known 和 best known，有时也可以是more well known 和 most well known， 但通常不能是 more known 和 most known.至于是选 A 还是 C，这就要看语境。由于句中涉及的只有 stories 和 plays 两个对象，故应选比较级C答案。
3. You are______careful than your brother. You two can't do the work that needs care and skill.
A. not more B. no more C. not lessD. no less
「陷阱」容易误选 A.
「分析」要做对此题，首先要正确理解以下结构的含义：not more……than＝不如……
no more……than＝和……一样不（否定两者）
not less……than＝不如……不（即指不如 less 后形容词的反面）
no less……than＝和……一样（肯定两者）
比较以下各句的意思：You are more careful than he is. 你比他仔细。
You are not more careful than he is. 你不如他仔细。
You are no more careful than he is. 你和他一样不仔细。
You are less careful than he is. 你不如他仔细（你比他粗心）。
You are not less careful than he is. 你比他仔细（你不如他粗心）。
You are no less careful than he is. 你和他一样仔细。
通过以上分析，再结合句子语境，可知此题最佳答案为 B.
4.“Oh， how fat he is！”“But I think he is______than fat.”
A. shortB. shorter C. more shortD. shortest
「陷阱」容易误选 B.认为 short 为单音节形容词，故用-er 构成比较级。
「分析」其实正确答案应是C.要弄清此问题，得先从比较句型的两种不同类型说起。
（1）异类同质比较。即指两个不同的人或事物（异类）在同一方面（同质）进行比较。如：My room is smaller than yours. 我的房间比你的小。
Our country is more powerful than theirs. 我们的国家比他们的国家更强大。
（2） 同类异质比较。即指同一个人或事物（同类）在两个不同的方面（异质）进行比较，这类句子常译为“（更多的）是……，而不是” “与其……不如……”等。如：He was more lucky than clever. 他是靠运气而不是靠聪明。
She was more surprised than angry. 她感到更多的是惊讶而不是生气。
This is more a war movie than a western. 这更应当说是一部战争片，而不是西部
片。
按英语习惯，在进行同类异质比较时，只能用more 构成比较级，不能用-er 形式，即使是单音节词也是如此。
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