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Grammar and Linguistics > Grammar question: adjective, superlative, ...
Grammar question: adjective, superlative, ...
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mjotab
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And what can you tell me about the word "curious" Yesterday I read "curiouser and curioser" (novel by Harlan Coben, said by the character Win). Couldn �t it be " more and more curious"?
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13 Jun 2009
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donapeter
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According to my English grammar knowledge, it is "MORE CURIOUS". I am not an English native speaker and I don �t have any contacts with English native speakers, so I don �t know how they speak. I only know only non-native sloppy English speakers. 
D
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13 Jun 2009
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Stellam
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Never heard "curiouser". Doesn �t sound correct. But who knows? I �m not an English native speaker either.
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13 Jun 2009
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ESL-AugsburgerArt
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Lewis Carroll famously used the phrase "curiouser and curiouser" in Alice �s Adventures in Wonderland, shortly after the cake labeled "EAT ME" had its effect on Alice:
�Curiouser and curiouser! � cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English);
As Carroll noted in the text, it �s not considered correct. If the word "curiouser" is used at all, it is probable done as a tongue-in-cheek allusion to this work.
Multi-syllabic words do not get the �er � ending in the comparative; curious becomes more curious.
Monosyllabic words (fat, short) take the �er � ending in the comparative (fatter, shorter) as do two-syllable words that end in �y � (easy and tasty become easier and tastier). Everything else becomes �more � of whatever it is. |
13 Jun 2009
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rach81
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Hi again,
for two-syllable adjectives the rule is you may either use -er or more to form the comparative degree. If the word sounds akward when adding -er then more should be used. like in tasty the comparative is tastier. But for curious for curiouser it doesn �t sound good.
hugs
rach c",) |
13 Jun 2009
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Stellam
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AugsburgerArt :
I found your explanation most illuminating. Thank you.
Stella
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13 Jun 2009
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Apodo
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But curious does have 3 syllables. Kyoo - ri - us.
ESL-AugsburgerArt explains the origin of �curiouser � exactly.
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13 Jun 2009
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rach81
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Hi Apodo,
Oppss!!!! sorry my mistake. You �re right it �s three syllables. then Definitely it �s more curious.
rach c",) |
13 Jun 2009
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Jayho
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Well, I�m going to answer two questions in one: James is more curious than his fatter brother!
BTW, it�s quite impolite to say fatter in real speaking. My students use it all the time and they�re likely to get socked one if they tell a native that they�re fat!
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13 Jun 2009
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juliamontenegro
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Sweetie,
You do have to make changes to the exercise.
It could be: "Complete these sentences using the correct form of the adjective." according to what Apodo said.
Good luck!
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14 Jun 2009
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