Something happened not too long ago that caused folks to
stop using correct comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs.
Like most things in the English language, confusion over those correct forms
led to the dropping of one in favor of the other. So, the first installment of Grammar
Man is devoted to the use of “er--est/more--most."
According
to the Harbrace Handbook, shorter adjectives
(and a few adverbs) form the comparative by adding “er” and the superlative by adding “est.” Longer adjectives (three or more syllables) and most adverbs
form the comparative with “more” and
the superlative with “most.”
With these rules in place, maybe
writers and speakers won’t make mistakes any more, or at least not as often.
EXAMPLES:
WRONG—more clear
RIGHT—clearer
WRONG—more happy
RIGHT—happier
LONGER ADJECTIVES—more experienced, more fortunate, most courteous
ADVERBS—more often, more rapidly, most conclusively
Don’t forget that some words have IRREGULAR forms. Use them
correctly.
good, better, best
bad, worse, worst
far, farther, farthest
Sometimes, the comparative or superlative forms sound wrong
or awkward. I avoid the use of the words “funner” and “funnest” because they
just don’t sound right. Instead, I come up with a synonym that fits better.
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