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sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

I got corrected today . I was talking about a task that was better to do now than leave until later on .

I talked about the task and then said ' It's more easy '

Should I have said 'it's easier '

Swan says - (and this is I think the UK rule)

When we compare two descriptions (saying that one is more suitable or accurate than another), we use 'more' - 'He's more lazy than stupid '

What about if you have in mind a comparison (as I did ) but don't utter the words . Can you just just say 'It's more easy ' Question

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

I think both are acceptable. However, a general rule is that 2 syllable adjectives ending in y take -ier and -iest and y 'bye-bye'

zorro (3) · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 202

In written standard English, I would say that 'easier' was more correct (correcter). In spoken English we don't always stick to the standard though.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

John Hall · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:56 pm Post subject:

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

You'll notice, though, that technically incorrect usage that we'll accept from a native speaker is a lot more unacceptable coming from a foreigner.
They have to be taught proper, formal English and know what is most correct. That's certainly what they're expected to know on standardized tests like TOEFL.

The basic rule is that one syllable adjectives universally take -er/ the x-est, 3 or more-syllable words take more and the most, and 2 syllable adjectives (the bugbear) are treated like the short ones if they end in -y, -w, and a couple of other endings, most others, esp. if they have a clear suffix, are treated like the long ones. A few, like stupid and narrow, can legally go either way.

If anyone has a 100%-clear rule that expalins all of the 2-syllable adj endings, I'm interested. The grammar books don't cover or explain everything, and I figured out those rules over several years of having to teach them.

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

Rusmeister is right here. The rule is clear for one- and three-syllable adjectives but fuzzy for two-syllable ones.

It depends to a large extent on the ending. If the adjective ends in '-ing' it will take 'more' and until recently, if it ended in ''y' it would take '-er'. However there has been a tendency for the regular form 'more' to gain ground with many two-syllable adjectives.

John Hall · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:51 pm Post subject:

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

I wasn't clear in my previous post. Because I was drunker/ more drunk? Which?

Again, I think both are acceptable...... but then I am drunker/ more drunk than you. Wink

Mike_2003 · Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 344 Location: Bucharest, Romania

Isn't is something like 'more a case of him being shy'?

For example 'He is more shy than quiet' as a way of pointing out the reason for his lack of conversational skills?

coffeedrinker · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 149

I think I'm with Mike above, at least somewhat.

I don't think the original sentence was really a comparative...or not the kind that we mean when we think about these simple rules cited.

You're not saying it was easier (than something else), you're saying it was easy and not something else, or more so than something else, like "It was more "70s" than "80s", wearing bell bottoms"...You're not comparing the 70s and 80s to each other.

John Hall · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 10:18 pm Post subject:

Here is the context:

"The problem is Americans are, generally speaking, more shy than many people would expect, and getting shyer all the time."

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:12 am Post subject: