Not exactly:
Extra periods are never a good thing, though they’re better than skipped periods.
Gaudere’s law strikes again.
Daniel
[sub]sacraficial mispellings[/sub]
Don’t you mean “more clear and more impactful”?
Or rather “more clear and more [something that means"impactful” but isn’t “impactful”, for the love of God don’t use words like that!!]"
How about “clearer and impactfuller”? 
Also, possibly, I use language differently on messageboards than I would if I were making a speach as the POTUS. I could go into a long exposition on rhetoric here, but since I was mainly bullshitting, I won’t bother 
as my point was mainly that his phrasing could be better.
I’m not a Democrat - but don’t worry, I’ll be there.
For what it’s worth, a google search of “Kerry” and “more clear” found the following:
http://www.ourfuture.org/onmessage/other_contributors/kerry_3_2_02.cfm
Did her.
Why?
Now I’m taking you to task!
I taught high school English for twenty years. Rules change all the time, but this particular one has not changed yet: Using the correct comparative form of an adjective does not violate rules of parallelism. If it did, we would either have to add “er” for a string of adjectives or add “more” for all the same adjectives – rather than follow the dictates of the dick.
Both Webster’s and Random House specify free – freer – freest with no other options.
In American usage, as a general rule, one syllable adjectives and adverbs add er and est. Exceptions are made for irregular adjectives and adverbs such as bad, good, well, badly and far.
If Kerry uses poor grammar in his ads, I will pit him too. But it is particularly ironic that the President is pushing higher standards in schools while violating basic rules.
Libertarian, I assume the Oxford Press is for British usage. Such peculiar people.
Shame on those of you who defend his usage because more free sounds right! No need for grammar books and schooling! Go with what sounds right! Hmpht!
I know that picking on his speech is dated, but it makes us old English teachers feel so useful…
BTW, I don’t pick on a Doper’s grammar or spelling unless the thread is about grammar or that particular Doper is being a supreme asshole. I make too many careless mistakes myself. I am also a horrible speller.
Let’s see if I understand you: If I look up an adjective X in the dictionary, and the entry does not list “More X,” it’s improper to use the phrase “More X” as a comparative?
Is that what you are saying?
Teaching and learning are two different things.
-
More free is the correct comparative form.
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In this case, using freer instead would violate the “rules” of parallelism, since it would reduce continuity.
Webster’s and Random House would not specify more free and most free. They are simply understood to be correct.
The general rule (of using -er for the comparative form) is not excepted exclusively for irregular forms, it’s also excepted for the use of ‘more’ with one or two syllable words. So says The Columbia Guide to Standard American English (see #4). For a usage reference, you need more than a dictionary. What does Webster’s say is the comparative form of ‘beautiful’? It won’t give any, because the dictionary only gives inflected forms of the word (i.e., ways in which the spelling changes as the word is used in different parts of speech), the dictionary doesn’t give all the periphrastic forms of the word (like, “more beautiful, most beautiful”).
And so, just because the dictionary doesn’t give “more free” as a form of the word, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist as valid English usage.
Invariant deontological presciptivism is dead.
Time for some continuing education.
Peace.
[Homer]
It’s “nu-qu-ler,” Lisa. Nu-qu-ler.
[/Home]
Moriah, I addressed only one syllable adjectives and adverbs and the irregular exceptions to the rule for one syllable.
Harbrace, Eleventh Edition says only that “longer adjectives and most adverbs form the comparative by the use of more (or less) and the suerlative by the use of most (or least).”
The dictionary has never been so haphazard as to specify one form and leave out an equally appropriate option.
No. What I am saying is that if the dick specifies -er and est and lists no other options, then that is what should be used. That includes some words which are more than one syllable. Generally, they end in “y.”
You…you…you…Republican!!!
Pax
Wait, she hasn’t even started accusing Phlosphr of being a thirteen year old poser yet! :p;)
I’m waiting until he runs for President.
Then you better take out your red pen, because I have some egregious examples of misuse here:
Oh, and by the way, these four lines were written by some guy named William Shakespeare (As You Like It: II, i, King John: II, i, The Winter’s Tale: II, iii, and Othello: III, i, respectively).
And just to be fair, I’ll add that searching through his works for the word “freer” yields five results. Seems like a pretty stable variation to me.
Please, all you English teachers out there: leave language to the linguists.
I sure hope you’re right. Damn.
D’oh!
“cofndient” should read “confident”, obviously.
From Merriam-Webster Online:
Sundog66,
Wouldst thou have us return to Shakespeare’s use?
Methinks the language changeth – rightly so.
I mind it not. Elizabeth is dead.
'Tis but my job to hold on 'til the last
That it might to my dying ears make sense.
lucwarm, I was rather stunned by your quotation from Webster’s, but it says virtually the same in my hardcopy. Thanks for pointing that out. I can’t argue with their intentions.
mhendo came up with a cite as did Libertarian. and Moriah. (I hope I’m not leaving anyone out.) I still find websites that follow the same rules that I was taught, http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/regcom.htm but these sites are certainly not authoritative.
So I am left to believe that this rule has indeed become more flexible since I retired. (The rules had not changed in the textbooks I was given.)
I withdraw my pitting of his grammar and pit him only for the lie. (Talk about a dated thread topic!)
Libertarian, you win the prize for most creative writing with your handwashing line and elucidator is being sent to detention.
Oh…and Sunpuppy. Don’t be foolish:
What the hell do you think English (Language Arts) teachers study in college?