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Rickcr Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Use of more vs adding ier or er

0 I'm a bit confused on the rules for when you would "more" before an adjective vs appending -ier to the word. For example you'll often hear: 02br
02br
00John is smarter than Joe. (not sure if this is proper now?) 02br
00John is more funny than Joe. 02br
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00But you usually don't hear: 02br
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00John is stupider than Joe. (correct: John is more stupid than Joe?) 02br
00John is funnier than Joe. (correct: more funny?) 02br
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00To me "John is uglier than Joe" seems to sound better than 02br
00"John is more ugly than Joe," but now I'm not sure of the rules on when to use "more" vs adding ier/er? 02br
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00Are there some rules to this grammar? 0-
  

Top answer

I'm sure they exist. 02br 02br 00Hope that helps, but if anybody else knows, I'd like to know for sure. 0-

— Haoqide

  • I'm sure they exist.
  • 02br 02br 00Hope that helps, but if anybody else knows, I'd like to know for sure.
  • 0-
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10 Answers
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0 The general rule I've always heard is that you use "ier" or "er" if the adjective is a one-syllable word, and you use "more" if it's a two-syllable word....and it wouldn't be English if there weren't exceptions, even if they're imposed by people who think the "correct" way sounds weird....I'm sure they exist. 02br
02br
00Hope that helps, but if anybody else knows, I'd like
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0 One syllable adjectives take -er 02br
00Over two syllable adjectives take the more construction, 02br
00Two syllable adjectives can take either, but I'm afraid there are some rules, f.i. those ending in -y take -ier, but that's all I can think of at the moment... 0-
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0 Thanks! very helpful. Glad I found this forum. 0-
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0 Oh, Rickcr, WELCOME to the English Forums!!! 0-
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we want like a a er list of words! like a A - Z words of er. like play + er = player. that all i want. please show me list of with er thank!
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Anonymouswe want like a a er list of words!
Sorry. This is not a dictionary site. Check the internet for rhyming dictionaries, and look under -er endings. That might get you closer to what you want.

Be careful of words like archer, which is not "one who arches".

And please don't append unrelated material like this at the end of a thr
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as with other exceptions, I'm sure; Stupid is also one that people commonly get wrong. She is stupider than her mother.
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The rule is that a one syllable word takes -ER
Over two syllables, use "more ..."

BUT, a two syllables word which ends with -Y takes -IER. And when it ends with a consonant (I'm french, I'm not sure of the word) it responds to the first rule....

Examples ? Shier (or shyer), Higher, Bigger, Happier, more expensive...

A schema would be more simple :

-Y
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AnonymousWhat about "Fun"?
It's usually "more fun", "most fun".

Only those who are trying to make a bad joke say "funner" and "funnest".

The use of "fun" as an adjective seems a fairly recent development; maybe that's why it doesn't follow the usual rules for one-syllable adjectives.

CJ
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