Forming the Comparative of One-syllable Adjectives

Forming the Comparative of One-syllable Adjectives Forming the Comparative of One-syllable Adjectives Forming the Comparative of One-syllable Adjectives By Maeve Maddox I was only half-listening to an economic analyst being interviewed on NPR, but shot to attention when he said that some economic event was â€Å"a more strong indicator† of something or other. Knowing that being interviewed and talking off the cuff can be stressful for people not used to it, I turned to the web to see if I could find written examples of more being used to compare single-syllable adjectives. Confining my search to the adjective strong, I found these examples: Why para nitro benzoic acid is more stronger acid than meta nitro benzoic acid Which would be a more strong magnet? Is â€Å"certainly† a more strong adverb than â€Å"definitely†? â€Å"certainly† is more stronger. . Merge data fields in a more strong way Which is a more strong and just relation, friendship or love? Note: The positive, comparative, and superlative forms of strong are strong, stronger, strongest. I was looking for examples of â€Å"more strong.† I never expected to find â€Å"more stronger.† Here are the conventional rules for forming the comparative form of a one-syllable adjective in English. To compare a one-syllable adjective ending with a consonant, add -er. small, smaller sweet, sweeter long, longer strong, stronger If the one-syllable adjective already ends with the letter e, form the comparative by adding -r: nice, nicer wise, wiser If the one-syllable adjective ends with a single consonant preceded by a vowel, double the consonant and add -er: big, bigger thin, thinner Now for the exceptions to the rule. Sometimes using more instead of -er with a one-syllable adjective is an acceptable stylistic choice: 1. The writer wishes to emphasize the comparison. â€Å"He promised to paint the chair pink, but when the paint dried, it was more red than pink.† 2. The one-syllable adjective occurs with an adjective of two or more syllables. â€Å"The lecture was more dull and lengthy than the previous one.† 3. It is easier for the speaker to say. â€Å"Both views may be right, but mine is more right than yours.† (Other one-syllable words that compare with more are real and wrong.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing Prompts 101Grammar Quiz #21: Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses150 Foreign Expressions to Inspire You