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Discussion Groups / English Usage / May 2009May/might (just) as well
For: ----- The idiomatic expression 'may/might (just) as well' is typically used to make a somewhat reluctant or sardonic recommendation: 1) We may as well stay here the night (as look for a better place elsewhere). 2) You might as well tell the truth (as continue to tell lies). The negative aspect of these recommendations is highlighted by the optional comparative clause, which is usually omitted. Their force could be expressed as follows: 'There's no point in looking elsewhere ... ' 'There's no point in your continuing to tell lies ..' A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Quirk et al. Longman, 1985, p. 224. ----- would you think that the sentences 1, 2 with _the second_ 'as' mean the same thing as they would with 'rather than/than'? Thanks. >For: >----- [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >would you think that the sentences 1, 2 with _the second_ 'as' mean the >same thing as they would with 'rather than/than'? The first "as" implies a second "as". This kind of comparison uses the positive form of an adjective or adverb: "as good as gold", "as well as can be". You can't have "than" here because that word has to have a comparative adjective or adverb preceding it ("better than gold"). Inserting "rather", which is a comparative adverb, would allow you to get away with: You might as well tell the truth rather than continue to tell lies.  SignatureJames >> 1) We may as well stay here the night (as look for a better place >> elsewhere). >> >> 2) You might as well tell the truth (as continue to tell lies). > The first "as" implies a second "as". This kind of comparison > uses the positive form of an adjective or adverb: "as good as [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > You might as well tell the truth rather than continue to tell > lies. Thanks. Yes, but "as ... as" normally means equality, while "rather than" means superiority of the first term in the comparison. To me: 1a) We may as well stay here the night as look for a better place elsewhere. means that the speaker assesses the two alternatives as equally good, while 1b) We may as well stay here the night rather than look for a better place elsewhere. tells me that he prefers "[to] stay here the night". How about it? >>> 1) We may as well stay here the night (as look for a better place >>> elsewhere). [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > >means that the speaker assesses the two alternatives as equally good, while In theory they are equally good but in real life the speaker can imply a preference simply by saying "We may as well stay here the night" without stating the alternative (which may already have been suggested by someone else). >1b) We may as well stay here the night rather than look for a better >place elsewhere. > >tells me that he prefers "[to] stay here the night". The preference is clear here, but it doesn't necessarily lie in the "as well" construction. It's in the word "rather" and it can be expressed in other ways: "We can/should stay here the night rather than look for a better place elsewhere." Whatever the semantics, the grammar of the construction is "as well" ... (as)". SignatureJames |
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