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Pedro14
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I�d be grateful if you could shred some light on this question to me. I�ve always corrected my students when writing sentences like this: "The car is a more expensive and faster means of transport." Instead, I�ve always told them to write: "The car is a faster and more expensive means of transport." I was taught that way on the ground that it seems that the word more is modifying both adjectives. Today, however, while watching TV I�ve heard the following sentence: "This is the most rare and beautiful present I�ve ever been given." I�m a bit confused.
Thanks for your help. |
21 Sep 2019
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Roselle H
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Generally one syllable words use er or est as modifiers in a comparative form, like fast in your example sentence, and words with 3 or more syllables use more or most like expensive. 2 syllable words often can use either modifier. But like every other English rule, there are exceptions and most rare, has been used for centuries in literature* and so it�s common usage creates an exception to the one syllable rule. Plus it changes the meaning of the sentence, if rarest replaces most rare then beautiful doesn�t work on it�s own and requires most as a modifier if most doesn�t fit then the word order would probably need to change for the author to get the point across, but by using most rare the writer can emphasize the rareness of the present without also claiming it to be the most beautiful at at the same time.
In your example sentences I think the revised version is clearer and easier to understand, but since faster is already modified and doesn�t work with more or most the first sentence would still be acceptable to my ear as a native speaker of English. In a spoken context if the speaker wanted to emphasize the cost or the speed, that�s probably the adjective he would use first. If the article is only factual use your revised version but, if it�s persuasive, use the adjective that gets the point across more clearly. Are cars too expensive, or are they, the faster way to travel?
* see examples listed on this website https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/204889/which-is-more-proper-rarest-or-most-rare |
22 Sep 2019
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