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ESL forum >
Ask for help > What shall I say?
What shall I say?
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bjones
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What shall I say?
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Good afternoon!
Can anybody tell me which is correct? He �s the most unfriendly or he �s the unfriendliest ?
Thanks!
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22 Apr 2010
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Ciaolina
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The first option is the correct one. "most unfriendly".  |
22 Apr 2010
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Olindalima ( F )
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Hi
I agree with ciaolina.
All adjectives or adverbs, with two vowel syllables, ending in Y, make comp. and superl. with +ier / +iest. ( funny, happy, cosy ... )
Unfriendly has got three syllables, so it uses more and most.
Hope it helps
bye
linda
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22 Apr 2010
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esl-teach
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How about he is the least friendly? |
22 Apr 2010
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bjones
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Thanks. I also thought it was the most unfriendly.
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22 Apr 2010
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MarionG
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�most unfriendly � might be grammatically correct but I go with esl-teach, it sounds a lot more natural to say �least friendly � ! |
22 Apr 2010
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Theodo
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Some adjectives are formed in both ways, like friendly or clever. Both forms are grammatically correct.
I �d like to ask native speakers: Which word is mostly used in everyday life? "more friendly" or "friendlier"? Or "more clever" or "cleverer"? Being grammatically correct is one thing and sounding awkward when speaking EFL is another...
bjones, good to bring this up! |
22 Apr 2010
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lorenc
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I �d say the most unfriendly
:)
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22 Apr 2010
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yanogator
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First, there �s a difference between unfriendly and not friendly. Unfriendly is definitely a negative quality, similar to hostile (but a little weaker). "Not friendly" is closer to a neutral position. This is similar to the difference between "cold" and "not warm". So, "the least friendly" is not the same as "the most unfriendly." Anyway, to answer the original question, I would say "unfriendliest", even if it violates the "rules" of comparative and superlative formation, because it follows the same form as its root word.
To answer Theodo, I would always say "friendlier", but I �m split on "most clever" and "cleverer". Both sound natural to me.
That �s how I see it.
Bruce |
22 Apr 2010
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