Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence. Choose the correct options.
He is as wise as Solomon. (Use: ‘wiser’)
Topic: Degrees of comparison — positive to comparative
Try it
Pick an option and check your answer. The full worked answer is below either way.
Answer
(d) Solomon was not wiser than he is..
This transformation catches almost everyone, so work it out slowly.
The original, "He is AS WISE AS Solomon", says the two are EQUAL. To express equality using the comparative "wiser", you must make the statement NEGATIVE: Positive: He is as wise as Solomon. Comparative: Solomon is NOT wiser than he is. Saying that Solomon is not wiser than he is amounts to saying they are equal — which is exactly what the original claims.
Option (a) is the instinctive choice and is WRONG, because it makes Solomon superior. The original says nothing of the kind.
Learn the three-way pattern:
A is as wise as B → B is not wiser than A
A is wiser than B → B is not as wise as A
A is the wisest → No other is as wise as A
Whenever a comparative is used to express EQUALITY, a negative is required.
Solomon was not wiser than he is..