73. The demonstrative temporal adverb related to the demonstrative pronoun tiu is tiam, then, at that time:
Tiam li rajdos al la urbo, then he will ride to the city.
Nun ili estas saĝaj, sed tiam ili estis malsaĝaj, now they are wise, but at that time they were foolish.
COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES.
74. An adjective may have three degrees, positive, comparative and superlative. English has various ways of forming the comparative and superlative degrees (as by the suffixes -er, -est, the adverbs more, most, and irregular methods as in good, better, best, etc.). Esperanto has only one method, using the adverbs pli, more, and plej, most:
| Positive. | Comparative. | Superlative. |
| bela, beautiful | pli bela, more beautiful | plej bela, most beautiful. |
| bona, good | pli bona, better | plej bona, best. |
| malbona, bad | pli malbona, worse | plej malbona, worst. |
| saĝa, wise | pli saĝa, wiser | plej saĝa, wisest. |
75. The preposition el is used with words expressing the group or class out of which a superlative is selected and mentioned:
Li estas la plej juna el tiuj, he is the youngest of (out of) those.
Vi estas la plej feliĉa el ni, you are the happiest of us.
Tiu estis la plej ruza el la viroj, that one was the craftiest of the men.
MANNER AND CHARACTERISTIC.
76. The actions or feelings which accompany an act or state, or the characteristic which permanently accompanies a person or thing, may be expressed by a substantive with the preposition kun:
Li prenis ĝin kun la plej granda zorgo, he took it with the greatest care.
Mi aŭdis lin kun intereso kaj plezuro, I heard him with interest and pleasure.
Ŝi estas virino kun bona gusto, she is a woman with (of) good taste.
Mi havas ĉevalon kun forta korpo, I have a horse with a strong body.