Use of -er, -est, or 'more fill-in-word'
Moderator: Official Reviewer Representatives
-
- Posts: 10
- Joined: 21 Oct 2015, 14:30
- Bookshelf Size: 8
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mountain5tormhawk.html
Use of -er, -est, or 'more fill-in-word'
Practically speaking, for correct grammar, would you rewrite that as 'the most best'?
And is there a set of rules that determines when you use a word like 'funniest' vs. 'most funny'? Just last night in the paper, I read that Sen. Bernie Sanders said, "The challenges we face now are direr than any time in our modern history." Is that correct, or would it be better to have said, "... we face now are the most dire than any time ..." OR is something like that just a matter of personal preference?
Thanks.
- Fran
- Posts: 28072
- Joined: 10 Aug 2009, 12:46
- Favorite Book: Anna Karenina
- Currently Reading: Hide and Seek
- Bookshelf Size: 1208
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-fran.html
- Reading Device: B00I15SB16
I like the word "bestest" .... reminds me of little kids and their explosive enthusiasm.mountain5tormhawk wrote:Ever since the Strongbow Hard Apple Cider came out with their commercial with the "horse running in slow motion on the beach is the bestest', I've wondered about this. Of course best can't be bestest; it annoys me partly because it sounds like they're advertising to 5-year-olds! That's the age when children use words like 'bestest'.
Practically speaking, for correct grammar, would you rewrite that as 'the most best'?
And is there a set of rules that determines when you use a word like 'funniest' vs. 'most funny'? Just last night in the paper, I read that Sen. Bernie Sanders said, "The challenges we face now are direr than any time in our modern history." Is that correct, or would it be better to have said, "... we face now are the most dire than any time ..." OR is something like that just a matter of personal preference?
Thanks.
I certainly wouldn't rewrite it as "the most best" - something is either the best or it isn't, there is no such thing as most best or indeed bestest (but I still want to keep 'bestest')
'Direr' doesn't sound right either but far be it from me to correct Sen Sanders.
I think what you are referring to are called comparatives & superlatives and our esteemed member, moderntimes, is the bestest in the areas of grammar rules & all things writerly - moderntimes over to you.
A world is born again that never dies.
- My Home by Clive James
- DATo
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 5794
- Joined: 31 Dec 2011, 07:54
- Bookshelf Size: 0
Watch this comedy video of Father Guido Sarducci. In it he refers to the term ever and ever which sort of illustrates the point
youtube.com/watch?v=e7ykYHwG5i4&lis ... UwoKffp4tT
― Steven Wright
- secarsuwor
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 08 Dec 2015, 02:53
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- moderntimes
- Posts: 2249
- Joined: 15 Mar 2014, 13:03
- Favorite Book: Ulysses by James Joyce
- Currently Reading: Grendel by John Gardner
- Bookshelf Size: 0
I guffaw whenever I hear the ATT commercial which touts their internet as having "fast speed". Arrgh.
- TanyaShh
- Posts: 8
- Joined: 10 Feb 2016, 10:54
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- Goms
- Posts: 10
- Joined: 18 Feb 2016, 03:49
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-goms.html
- Unicorn
- Posts: 4
- Joined: 05 Mar 2016, 16:39
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU
One assumes it is only incorrect in American and British English? (I am Scottish and not familiar with either American or British English, so I do not know the rules of either, so I don't know.)
I do not know the ad or the company in question. Is Strongbow Hard Apple Cider an Irish, Scottish, or Welsh company? Or was the ad promoting beer intended to 'be' or 'mimic' Scottish, Irish, and Welsh? If so, then it is a very logical move for the company to use the correct language/phraseologies of the culture they are advertising.
---------
ETA:
Okay, I just did a Google search for the company and the ad, and learned that the ad in question was aimed at an Irish market, so, yes, they were correct to use Irish English in their ad. I applaud them for being considerate to speakings of "minority" English forms.
- moderntimes
- Posts: 2249
- Joined: 15 Mar 2014, 13:03
- Favorite Book: Ulysses by James Joyce
- Currently Reading: Grendel by John Gardner
- Bookshelf Size: 0
Maybe that's not such a bad idea?
- ramblinggnomes
- Posts: 34
- Joined: 17 Nov 2016, 08:37
- Bookshelf Size: 25
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ramblinggnomes.html
- Latest Review: "Audiobooks.com Book of your Choice" by Audiobooks
I , of course, can´t speak for every English person. My grandma can´t conjugate the verb "to be" correctly so who knows!