Comparatives

Question

Hello my friends. Can you please check this list of adjectives in their comparatives forms?

Buttery butterier

crunchy crunchier

sweet sweeter

bland blander

healthy healthier

salty saltier

crispy crispier

oily oilier

spicy spicier

juicy juicier

sour sourer

simple simpler

Thanks in advance

Wanwo · Accepted Answer

I've pretty sure I've never heard 'butterier' and 'sourer' before. The rest are reasonable.

BarbaraPA · Answer

LOL - I just tried tos ay "butterier" and that didn't work so well! I'd say it's a matter of how it sounds more than any rules of grammar that eliminate those two.

Cool Breeze · Answer

Buttery has three syllables and thus can't take any endings. Webster's Unabridged Dictionary says sour should be compared sourer, sourest even though I'm not sure what I would say should I need a comparative or a superlative.

CB

JuanZZZ · Answer

how many syllables does "simple" have? 2?

If so, shouldn't it be more simple?

Cool Breeze · Answer

JuanZZZhow many syllables does "simple" have? 2?

If so, shouldn't it be more simple?

It's not so simple

, Juan. Very many disyllabic adjectives are compared wither and est. Examples:

1. consonant + e: simple, ***le
2. adjectives ending er: clever, slender
3. adjectives ending y: happy, sleepy, angry
4. adjectives ending ow: narrow, shallow
5. adjectives with stress on the second syllable: polite
6. adjectives ending some: handsome, lonesome

This is what grammarians say. Actual usage often differs from these "rules" greatly and is a matter of personal preference. For instance, it may well be that the majority of native speakers prefer to say more polite rather than politer.

More and most are especially common when emphasis is applied and may be used even with monosyllables in certain contexts, like for instance when the comparison is not between two things or persons, but between the same person at two different times:

Every month I become a year more old. (Kipling)

English being what it is, what sounds good to some frequently sounds odd to others. About a year ago a native speaker was convinced on this forum that commoner can only be a noun: He is a commoner. In his opinion the comparative of common should always be more common. More commonmay well be... well... more common

thancommoner, but any good dictionary gives both as correct comparatives of common.

That doesn't mean a person shouldn't be allowed to consider commoner only a noun. I don't always agree with all grammars and usage experts, why should anybody else?

Cheers
CB

Comparatives

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