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Предложения с «more than busy»

But this idea can do a lot more than just get my musicians to their gigs on time.	Эта идея может быть полезна не только музыкантам, которым нужно вовремя успеть на концерт.
Robam kbach boran, or the art of Khmer classical dance, is more than 1,000 years old.	«Robam kbach boran», искусству классического танца Кхмеров, уже более 1 000 лет.
If you speak more than one language, please stand up.	Если вы говорите больше чем на одном языке, пожалуйста, встаньте.
Altogether, more than 70,000 children have been involved in these studies across those five generations.	В общей сложности более 70 тысяч детей были вовлечены в это исследование, пять поколений британцев, каждое названо «когортой по рождению».
The data showed that what mattered more than anything else was parents.	И факты показали, что наиболее значимыми являлись родители.
Guard B had more of a free mind than Guard A, and she often got scolded by Guard A whenever she expressed herself.	Вторая охранница чувствовала себя свободнее первой, и за её самовыражение первая охранница её часто ругала.
According to a study by Global Workplace Analytics, more than 80 percent of the US workforce would like to work from home.	Согласно исследованию агентства Global Workplace Analytics, более 80% трудоспособного населения США предпочло бы работать из дома.
According to a study made by comScore, online shoppers in the US last year did more than half of their retail purchases online, and the global market for e-commerce is estimated to be at two trillion dollars.	Согласно исследованию компании comScore, за прошлый год в США через интернет было куплено более половины товаров, проданных в розницу, а мировой рынок электронной торговли оценивается в два триллиона долларов.
The largest clam in the world is facing the threat of extinction, with more than 50 percent of the wild population severely depleted.	Самый большой моллюск в мире может вымереть, так как 50% всей популяции истощены.
We probably read more than half of the prior animal genomes in the world, I mean, up to date.	Мы прочли более половины геномов предков современных животных, я имею в виду на сегодня.
These new airplanes, before they even take their first flight, they have more stamps in their passports than Angelina Jolie.	Эти новые самолёты ещё до вылета в свой первый рейс уже имеют больше штампов в своих паспортах, чем Анджелина Джоли.
You could be looking at more than a 40 percent increase in duties, or 80 billion dollars.	Тогда вы столкнётесь с повышением налогов более чем на 40%, или 80 миллиардов долларов.
Is there more to life than being happy?	Помимо счастья, есть ли в жизни что — то ещё?
And perhaps most importantly for our relationship, we have made the commitment to each other that our friendship is way more important than either of us being right or winning a conversation about politics.	И, возможно, самым важным для наших взаимоотношений стало обоюдное соглашение, что наша дружба намного важнее, чем правота любого из нас или победа в споре о политике.
The trip was much more complicated than what we imagined; air space is as regulated and militarized as land space.	Воздушное пространство военизировано и контролируется так же, как суша.
It was late 1970s, I was 34 years old, and I had calculated that American banks had lent much more money to emerging countries than those countries were going to be able to pay back and that we would have the greatest debt crisis since the Great Depression.	Был конец 1970 — х, мне было 34 года, и я посчитал, что американские банки ссудили развивающимся странам намного больше денег, чем те могли вернуть, значит, нас ожидал серьёзнейший долговой кризис со времён Великой депрессии.
It takes about 18 months typically to find that most people prefer operating this way, with this radical transparency than to be operating in a more opaque environment.	Обычно нужно 1,5 года, чтобы убедиться, что люди предпочитают работать именно так, в условиях полной прозрачности, а не скрытности.
The government has the ability, and that means the law is more important than ever before.	У государства есть новые возможности, а это значит, что наличие закона сейчас важно как никогда.
The law is more important than ever because we are now living in a world where only rules are stopping the government from abusing this information.	Закон становится очень важен, потому что мы живём в мире, где только закон сдерживает государство от злоупотребления данными.
Now our Todai Robot is among the top 20 percent, and it was capable to pass more than 60 percent of the universities in Japan — but not Todai.	Сегодня наш Todai — робот входит в первые 20 процентов, и он смог бы поступить в более чем 60 процентов японских университетов, но не в Todai.
More than 20 women complained about sexual harassment.	Более 20 женщин жаловались на сексуальные домогательства.
I decided to make the solution simpler rather than more complicated.	Я решил упростить решение вместо того, чтобы его усложнять.
But you need more than just a van.	Но вам нужно что — то большее , чем просто фургон.
The diversity of life in our homes is more than a list of 100,000 new species.	Разнообразие жизни в наших домах — больше чем просто список из 100 000 видов.
Well, there is nothing truly more awesome than a total solar eclipse.	Нет ничего более потрясающего, чем полное солнечное затмение.
People generally find symmetric faces more attractive than asymmetric ones.	Как правило, люди с симметричными лицами привлекательнее, чем с асимметричными.
And by analogy, think of the fact that only very rich men can afford to pay more than $10,000 for a watch as a display of their financial fitness.	По аналогии, только очень богатые мужчины могут позволить себе часы за 10 тысяч долларов для демонстрации своего финансового положения.
Historically speaking, in research on these kinds of paintings, I can find out more about the lace that the woman is wearing in this painting — the manufacturer of the lace — than I can about this character here, about his dreams, about his hopes, about what he wanted out of life.	Исторически, в исследованиях о такого рода картинах я нахожу больше информации о кружевах, которые носит женщина на этой картине, о производителе кружев, чем вот об этом персонаже, о его мечтах, его надеждах, о том, чего он хотел в жизни.
In fact, more of our DNA is devoted to genes for different olfactory receptors than for any other type of protein.	По факту, бо́льшая часть нашего ДНК относится к ним, а не к генам любого другого вида протеина.
At one time, people thought the property of being alive could not be explained by physics and chemistry — that life had to be more than just mechanism.	Когда — то люди думали, что жизнь как свойство невозможно объяснить физическими и химическими законами, жизнь — нечто большее , чем просто механизм.
And finally, experiences of being an embodied self are more about control and regulation than figuring out what’s there.	И наконец, ощущение себя как телесного «я» больше касается управления и регулирования, чем понимания внутренней структуры.
But some of them project catastrophe — more than five times the warming we’ve seen already and others are literally more chill.	Но в то время, как одни модели предсказывают катастрофу — повышение температуры более чем в пять раз, — другие — в прямом смысле прохлаждаются.
Now, nothing sees more clouds than a satellite — not even a British person.	Никто не видит больше облаков, чем спутник, даже британец не видит их столько.
And this matters, because if your job is to block incoming sunlight, you are going to be much more effective in the tropics under that intense tropical sun than you are in higher latitudes.	И это имеет значение, потому что если ваша работа состоит в том, чтобы блокировать поступающий солнечный свет, вы будете гораздо более эффективны в тропиках под этим интенсивным тропическим солнцем, чем в более высоких широтах.
I was born in Mexico, but I’ve spent more than half my life reporting in the United States, a country which was itself created by immigrants.	Я родился в Мексике, но больше половины жизни проработал в США, в стране, которую построили именно иммигранты.
Martin Luther King Memorial, more than a dozen quotes from his speeches.	Мемориал Мартина Лютера Кинга — с десяток цитат из его речей.
That 0,1 percent benefits us more than them.	И этот 0,1% даёт больше пользы нам, чем самим себе.
In post-Civil War America, it was the hair of an African-American male or female that was known as the most telling feature of Negro status, more so than the color of the skin.	Однако в период после Гражданской войны именно волосы афроамериканских мужчин и женщин стали самым «красноречивым свидетельством» их принадлежности к негритянской расе, даже более важной, чем цвет кожи.
Because this — this is more than about a hairstyle.	Потому что дело не просто в причёске.
You know better than anyone, the world is more connected than ever before, yet the great danger is that we’re consumed by our divisions.	Вам известно лучше других, мир сейчас взаимосвязан, как никогда, и до сих пор большой проблемой является то, что мы помешаны на барьерах.
The truth is, refugees arriving for resettlement are more vetted than any other population arriving in our countries.	Однако беженцы, прибывающие в поисках нового дома, проверяются гораздо более тщательно, чем любые другие мигранты.
What they mean is what we stand for is more important than the bombs we drop.	Это значит, что наши убеждения куда важнее бомб, что мы сбрасываем.
It’s not an accident that the country which has taken more refugees than any other, the United States, has taken more refugees from Vietnam than any other country.	Это не случайность, что США является страной, принявшей больше беженцев, чем любая другая: огромное количество беженцев с Вьетнама.
And when people say to me, There’s a backlash against refugees, what I say to them is, No, there’s a polarization, and at the moment, those who are fearful are making more noise than those who are proud.	И когда люди говорят мне: «Но ведь многие против беженцев», я им на это отвечаю: «Нет, это разделение мнений, и на данном этапе те, кому страшно, шумят сильнее, чем те, кто гордится».
We are that future, and so I believe fighting for a future we want is more urgent and necessary than ever before.	Мы и есть это будущее, и я верю, что бороться за будущее, которое мы желаем, важно и нужно сегодня больше , чем когда — либо.
But we’ll need more food than what we can grow in this small room.	Нужно ещё поискать, что можно взять от города?
Right now, two billion people live in conditions of fragility, conflict, violence, and by 2030, more than 60 percent of the world’s poor will live in these situations of fragility, conflict and violence.	Сейчас 2 миллиарда людей живут в условиях нестабильности, конфликтов, жестокости, и к 2030 году в подобных условиях окажутся более 60% беднейшего населения планеты.
Their idea was that Korea would find it difficult without foreign aid to provide its people with more than the bare necessities of life.	Они считали, что без иностранной помощи Корее будет трудно удовлетворить больше , чем самые базовые нужды людей.
And I did find a quote that made a big difference in my life, which was, We suffer more often in imagination than in reality, .	И действительно, там я нашёл цитату, изменившую мою жизнь: «В своём воображении мы страдаем чаще, чем на самом деле».
Number one: he couldn’t imagine any life more beautiful than that of a Stoic.	Первый: он не мог представить жизни прекраснее, чем жизнь стоика.
They are much more like you than you would believe, so try not to compare your insides to other people’s outsides.	Они намного больше похожи на вас, чем вы думаете, поэтому не сравнивайте то, что у вас внутри, с тем, что у других снаружи.
I promise you, I’m a lot more romantic than that.	Ручаюсь, я на самом деле намного более романтичный.
I believe we learn more from questions than we do from answers.	Я уверен, что мы познаём больше из вопросов, нежели из ответов.
When I first met Deep Blue in 1996 in February, I had been the world champion for more than 10 years, and I had played 182 world championship games and hundreds of games against other top players in other competitions.	Когда мне впервые представили Deep Blue в феврале 1996 года, я уже был чемпионом мира более десяти лет, и я сыграл 182 игры на мировых чемпионатах и сотни игр против других мастеров в различных состязаниях.
And even today, when a free chess app on the latest mobile phone is stronger than Deep Blue, people are still playing chess, even more than ever before.	И даже сегодня, когда бесплатные шахматные приложения на последних моделях телефонов мощнее Deep Blue, люди всё ещё играют в шахматы и даже больше , чем когда — либо.
Although it does take quite a lot more to kill a person than to kill a bug.	Хотя их нужно намного больше , чтобы убить человека.
So are there any approaches that are perhaps more effective than spraying but with less downsides than toxic chemicals?	Но существует ли что — нибудь более эффективное, чем распыление, но менее опасное, чем токсичные химикаты?
In fact, very recently a bipartisan group of more than 60 legislators wrote to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell asking that she, at the Federal level, expedite access for Florida to this new technology.	Совсем недавно бипартийная группа из более чем 60 членов написала секретарю HHS Сильвии Бёруэлл с просьбой, чтобы она на федеральном уровне разрешила доступ к Флориде для этой новой технологии.
So the bottom line is this: biological control of harmful insects can be both more effective and very much more environmentally friendly than using insecticides, which are toxic chemicals.	Итак, вывод такой: биологический контроль вредных насекомых может быть быть намного более эффективным и безвредным для окружающей среды, чем использование инсектицидов, ядовитых химикатов.
What’s different is that we have enormously more information about genetics than we had then, and therefore more ability to use that information to affect these biological controls.	Что изменилось, так это то, что у нас есть намного больше знаний в генетике, чем было тогда, и, таким образом, больше возможности использовать эти знания для улучшения биологического контроля.

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Most of us consider our lives pretty active, though is it correct to use “busier” or “more busy” when comparing ourselves to others? Busy is a relative term because some people may have more to do each day than others around them.

Busier is the correct comparative adjective to use when expressing a degree of difference between two things. We generally add -er to short, single-syllable words to create the comparative form, and because busy is a two-syllable word ending in a -y, we replace it with -ier.

This article will explore comparative forms in general and the rules that govern them in English. We’ll also examine the word “busy” and its comparative form and explain why “busier” is a better choice than “more busy.”

Degrees of Comparison

We use degrees of comparison to compare one thing with another. In English, there are three degrees of comparison:

Positive form
Comparative form
Superlative form

When we use an adjective or adverb to describe just one thing, then we use the positive form. When we compare two things, we use the comparative form, and when comparing three or more things or describing an action performed to its highest degree, we use the superlative form.

Below is a table with some examples of these three forms:

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Busy	Busier	Busiest
Small	Smaller	Smallest
Strong	Stronger	Strongest
Pretty	Prettier	Prettiest
Tall	Taller	Tallest

Consider the following examples that show how we use the degrees of comparison in sentences.

I am busy. (Positive Form)
Jack is busier than Emma. (Comparative Form)
Jack is the busiest he has ever been. (Superlative Form)
The ball is small. (Positive Form)
Jack’s ball is smaller than Emma’s. (Comparative Form)
That is the smallest ball I have ever seen (Superlative Form)
Jane is pretty. (Positive Form)
Sarah is prettier than Jane. (Comparative Form)
Katie is the prettiest of the three girls. (Superlative Form)

Spelling Rules

If the word has double vowels or ends in double consonants, then we simply add -er and -est.

Examples: weak – weaker – weakest; rich – richer – richest; pink – pinker – pinkest

If the word is a single-syllable and has a short vowel, then we double the last letter and add -er in the comparative form and -est in the superlative form.

Examples: hot – hotter – hottest; big – bigger – biggest; fit – fitter – fittest

If the word ends in an “e,” then we add -r and -st.

Examples: ripe – riper – ripest; wise – wiser – wisest; close – closer – closest

If the word ends in a “y,” then we replace the “y” with -ier and -iest.

Examples: busy – busier – busiest; lacy – lacier – laciest; nutty – nuttier – nuttiest

If the word is more than two syllables long and doesn’t end in “y,” then we use “more” and “most.” We also use these if the word ends in -ous, -ive, or -ful.

Examples: colorful – more colorful – most colorful; difficult – more difficult – most difficult; talented – more talented – most talented

Notable Exceptions

As with all English grammar and spelling rules, there are some notable exceptions. The most common of these appear in the table below.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Good She is good at math.	Better Jane is better at math than Jeff.	Best Anne is the best in the class at math.
Bad I am a bad cook.	Worse Jane is a worse cook than Jeff.	Worst Anne is the worst cook in her family.
Little She wants a little ice cream.	Less Jane wants less ice cream than Jeff does.	Least Anne ate the least ice cream of all the children.
Many She has many friends.	More Jane has more friends than Jeff.	Most Anne has the most friends of all the children.

We use the comparative form either to compare things or to show change. Comparative adjectives make comparisons between two nouns, and comparative adverbs describe relative actions or verbs (source).

“Busy” is an adjective, and the comparative form of busy is busier.

When we use it as a comparative adjective, “busier” compares the relation between two nouns — people, places, or things — as in the following examples:

Jack is the busier of the two managers.
Maple Mall is busier than Acorn Mall.
Traffic is busier on North St. than Jacob St.

Uses of Comparative Adjectives

When using comparative adjectives to make a direct comparison between two things, we use the word than to express this:

Jane is busier than Mark.
Ellen is taller than Ross.
Jack is kinder than Jennifer.

When describing change, we can repeat the comparative together with “and”:

That intersection has become busier and busier.
She never stopped eating and just grew bigger and bigger.
He became quieter and quieter as the bullying continued.

When expressing how one thing depends on another, we can use “the” together with comparative adjectives:

The more he gives me to do, the busier I become.
The faster you eat, the more likely you will be to get hiccups.
The more irritating he is, the quicker I react.

What Is the Meaning of Busier?

The root word of “busier” is the adjective “busy,” which we can define as follows (source):

Being occupied with a task
Being currently in use
Being full of activity, bustling
Having a lot of intricate detail

Consider the following sentences that illustrate these nuances in meaning:

She was busy doing her homework when he arrived — occupied with a task.
The changing stall was busy when I wanted to use it — currently in use.
That is a very busy part of the park — bustling, full of activity.
The fabric design was too busy for my simple tastes — intricate detail.

Origins

The word “busy” originated from Old English, where the Anglo-Saxons spelled it bisig and defined it as “anxious” or “careful” (source). We can link its origins to the Old Dutch word bezich and the Low German word besig, which came to mean “in constant action” and is consistent with today’s definition.

In the 15th century, the spelling shifted to the current form, and the word became more about being meddlesome than anxious. This definition is still retained in the term “busybody” which refers to a meddling, prying person.

The term “busier” first entered the records in the late 1700s. It steadily gained popularity over the next century, and its recorded usage since then has been fairly consistent (source).

Busier vs. More Busy

As discussed above, “busier” is the correct comparative form of “busy.” Mostly, we only use “more” for comparative adjectives when words are more than two syllables long and don’t end in “y.” There are always exceptions to this rule, and, as with all English exceptions, you’ll simply have to learn these.

Is “More Busy” Correct?

Almost always, the correct term is “busier.” However, there are also some specific examples where one might use “more busy” rather than “busier.” Consider the following examples, where “more busy” is the right choice rather than “busier.”

I have never been more busy in my life.
I continued to paint after my illness, but I was more busy than productive.
He is as busy as his brother — not less busy, and not more busy, but about the same.

In the first example, you could use “busier,” but using “more busy” places stress on the “more” element of the meaning and is better served by using “more busy.”

The second sentence needs to use “more” because that is the comparative form of “productive,” and the sentence would sound awkward if it read “…busier more than more productive.”

The final sentence qualifies the meaning of “as busy” and, again, although we could use “busier” in its place, the sentence makes its point best with “more busy.”

Other words that can be confusing when choosing whether to use “more” in the comparative form include “healthy” and “clear.” Click on the links to read more about these.

Is Busier the Correct Word?

The term “busier” is the correct word as it appropriately compares two objects, people, or places to one another. For example, we can contrast two people to see who has the most to do in a week. We can compare two patterns to see which has the more elaborate design, or we could evaluate two restaurants and discover which receives more trade.

Alternatives to Busier

Because these contexts all have slightly different meanings, we can use several alternatives in place of “busier.” Consider the following sentences and the alternatives offered.

You should rather ask Simon for help because Jeff is busier than him.
You should rather ask Simon for help because Jeff is more occupied than him.

Here, “busier” refers to being engaged in a task. In this context, we could also substitute it with “more involved” or “harder at work.”

That cubicle is busier than this one.
That cubicle is more used than this one.

Here, “busier” refers to being in use. In this context, we could also substitute it with “more popular.”

That intersection is always busier than this one.
That intersection is always more frantic than this one.

Here “busier” refers to being full of activity. In this context, we could also substitute it with “more bustling,” “more congested,” or “more hectic.”

The pattern on this paisley scarf is much busier than that one.
The pattern on this paisley scarf is much more intricate than that one.

Here “busier” means having lots of intricate detail. In this context, we could also substitute it with “more ornate” or “more embellished.”

Is More Busier Correct?

More busier is never correct. One person could be busier than someone else, but it would be grammatically incorrect to say you are “more busier” than someone. The term “busier” is already modified by the suffix -er and does not require the adverb “more.”

Grammarians refer to this grammatical error as a double comparative, which happens any time that someone uses a comparative ending together with “more” or “less” (source).

If you wanted to say you were more than just busier, then you are probably the busiest. “Busiest” is the superlative form of the adjective “busy.”

Understanding Superlatives

A superlative adjective describes something to its highest or lowest degree when comparing three or more things (source). This is evidenced in the following sentences, all of which use the superlative form of the adjective.

This is the busiest mall I have ever seen.
Jack is the tallest man in the group.
Jane was the most accomplished musician in the orchestra.

When we are talking about busyness or the degree of being busy, then busiest is the superlative form. This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.

A superlative form allows us to compare a person or thing with an entire group of similar things. In the examples above, the groups would be busy malls, tall men, and accomplished musicians. A comparative simply allows comparison with another person or thing (source).

Final Thoughts

We frequently use the word “busy” in the English language with a range of meanings. Understanding the nuances of these definitions helps to enrich our command of the language.

Likewise, making use of comparative and superlative forms allows us to compare various qualities in the people and things we describe, and it’s important to know when it’s correct to use “more” and “most” and when the word just gets the “er” or “est” suffixes.

In the case of “busy,” we now know that the correct comparative form is “busier.” Hopefully, your study of the English language will ensure that you are busier than your fellow students and perhaps even the busiest student around!

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Are you tired of being busy? Why not try a new word or an expression which describes your level of busyness a little more precisely. Here are some alternatives which allow you to better express exactly how busy you are and how soon you are likely to be available. There is, after all, a world of difference between being “a little tied up” and being “completely snowed under”.

10 alternative expressions

1. Tied up

Example: I’m a little tied up with this new project.
Nuance: Busy

2. Occupied
Example: She’s a bit occupied today dealing with new staff.
Nuance: Busy

3. Overstretched
Example: He’s slightly overstretched at the moment.
Nuance: Very busy

4. Over-extended
Example: She’s quite over-extended in this particular role.
Nuance: Very busy

5. Overloaded
Example: We’re rather overloaded with all these new cases.
Nuance: Very busy

6. Swamped
Example: They’ve been completely swamped with new customers this week.
Nuance: Extremely busy

7. Snowed under
Example: He’s been snowed under with complaints.
Nuance: Extremely busy

8. To have enough/rather a lot/too much on one’s plate at the moment
Nuance: Varies according to alternative selected

9. To have other/bigger fish to fry
Nuance: To have more important things to do

10. To have other priorities today/this week /this month
Nuance: To have more important things to do

Use qualifiers or modifiers for greater precision

The following qualifiers can be used interchangeably with expressions 1- 7 above
• A little
• A bit
• Slightly
• Quite
• Rather
• Completely

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Posted: 13 May 2019

Categories: Workplace challenges

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The other day on a local TV station, an air conditioner repair man was quoted as saying «I am more busy than ever due to the heat wave». I realize that most people would probably say «I am busier than ever», but I was wanting to know if «more busy» is gramatically correct, also. My wife says it is incorrect, but my thinking is that if ‘less busy’ is gramatically correct, shouldn’t ‘more busy’ be ok, too? We all realize that ‘more busier’ is gramatically incorrect. Thanks in advance for your assistance in clarifying this issue for me.

More busy or busier, either will do.

tomas no mas said:

The other day on a local TV station, an air conditioner repair man was quoted as saying «I am more busy than ever due to the heat wave». I realize that most people would probably say «I am busier than ever», but I was wanting to know if «more busy» is gramatically correct, also. My wife says it is incorrect, but my thinking is that if ‘less busy’ is gramatically correct, shouldn’t ‘more busy’ be ok, too? We all realize that ‘more busier’ is gramatically incorrect. Thanks in advance for your assistance in clarifying this issue for me.

I believe that «more» in place of «-er» is always correct [though often not used with the shorter words]. It is from the other direction that we need to pay attention. Generally, longer adjectives take «more».

There may be some no-no’s included in textual explanations.

In this case, both sound o.k. to me, «busier & busiest» sounding better [not more good, irregular] than the other choice.

panjandrum said:

More busy or busier, either will do.

Why either? Are you not meant to use the -er -est form when possible?

The OED states the general principle this way:

With most adjs. and advs. of more than one syllable, and with all of more than two syllables, [more ___] is the normal mode of forming the comparative. A few monosyllables (e.g. right, just) normally form their comparatives in this way instead of taking the suffix -er.

Then adds:

[More is o]ften prefixed to monosyllabic and disyllabic adjs. and advs. which have otherwise a regular comparative in -er; as more true, more busy, more often = truer, busier, oftener. Esp. in phr. «I (or you, etc.) couldn’t be more ______ = I, etc., am extremely ________.
By mod. writers this alternative form is used (1) for special emphasis or clearness; (2) to preserve a balance of phrase when other comparatives with ‘more’ occur in the context; (3) to qualify the whole predicate rather than the single adj. or adv.

Kelly B

There are many cases where either form works equally well, and this is one of them. On the other hand, -er sounds really strange with some adjectives. Those ending in -ed won’t work with -er, for example:
I am

~~interesteder~~

more interested.
Edit: these would violate the rule mgarizona noted, anyway.

Kelly B said:

There are many cases where either form works equally well, and this is one of them. On the other hand, -er sounds really strange with some adjectives. Those ending in -ed won’t work with -er, for example:
I am

~~interesteder~~

more interested.
Edit: these would violate the rule mgarizona noted, anyway.

So why dictionaries just report the busier/busiest form? doesn’t that mean it’s the correct one?

Paulfromitaly said:

Why either? Are you not meant to use the -er -est form when possible?

Good question.
I have never come across that as a «rule» — but then I have never come across most of the rules that non-natives know

This time I am sure that the only real «rule» is that some words are so clumsy with -er and -est that we must use more … and most …. I mean, could you imagine describing something as voluminouser. There is another thread that sets out the recommendations for this.

It does not follow that we must not use more … and most … with the more simple words — like simple (that was an accident).
For these it is entirely a matter of which sounds best in the context. I used more simple in that sentence without giving it any thought.

panjandrum said:

Good question.
I have never come across that as a «rule» — but then I have never come across most of the rules that non-natives know

This time I am sure that the only real «rule» is that some words are so clumsy with -er and -est that we must use more … and most …. I mean, could you imagine describing something as voluminouser. There is another thread that sets out the recommendations for this.

It does not follow that we must not use more … and most … with the more simple words — like simple (that was an accident).
For these it is entirely a matter of which sounds best in the context. I used more simple in that sentence without giving it any thought.

That’s fair enough..would the use of more/most be considered correct also with monosyllable words like «fat» ? more fat instead of fatter?

Paulfromitaly said:

That’s fair enough..would the use of more/most be considered correct also with monosyllable words like «fat» ? more fat instead of fatter?

See the second part of my previous posting. (#5)

Obviously you can write anything you like anytime as long as you have a reason to do so. There’s a scene in Alice in Wonderland where Alice remarks, «Curiouser and curiouser.» While it would be more gramatically correct to say «more and more curious,» I’ve always felt that her surroundings make Alice’s choice of phrase entirely appropriate.

Paulfromitaly said:

That’s fair enough..would the use of more/most be considered correct also with monosyllable words like «fat» ? more fat instead of fatter?

Another good question
My feeling, now that you have asked that good question, is that there is most flexibility of use with two-syllable words. I would be unlikely to write more fat, but I would be entirely comfortable with more funny, more happy …..

The general rule for using -er and -est was mentioned in
the comparative and superlative of «often» (Elroy — post #8.)

The general rule is that you add -er and -est if the adjective/adverb consists of one syllable (faster, fastest; quicker, quickest; bigger, biggest; fatter, fattest) or is a two-syllable adjective ending in y (happier, happiest; funnier, funniest; rowdier, rowdiest). For other two-syllable adjectives/adverbs and adjectives/adverbs with three or more syllables, you use «more» and «most.»

There are a few exceptions, of course. You mentioned «fun,» which takes «more» and «most,» and apparently «often» can take —er and -est (although I was personally only familiar with the «more/most» versions). And of course, there are ones that are completely irregular, like «good, better, best.»

I guess that dictionaries include the -er -est versions because that marks out which words definitely take that form, not intending to suggest that more xxx and most xxx are NOT possible.

Thanks to everyone for the great feedback on my question. I’ve learned a great deal from your answers.

One style guide’s opinion:
«If a word ordinarily takes either the -er or the -est suffix — and that formation sounds more natural — it’s poor style to use the two-word form with more or most.»

Busier, simpler, duller sound more natural to me.

river said:

[…]Busier, simpler, duller sound more natural to me.

I’m not disagreeing, but wondering if I’m the only one who would feel that more simple sometimes sounds more natural than simpler? For example in:

It does not follow that we must not use more … and most … with the more simple words — like simple (that was an accident).

You’re right. «The more simple» sounds more natural in your sentence.

river said:

One style guide’s opinion:
«If a word ordinarily takes either the -er or the -est suffix — and that formation sounds more natural — it’s poor style to use the two-word form with more or most.»

Busier, simpler, duller sound more natural to me.

Somehow, duller never works for me, even though I try to make it sound correct by lingering on the double l in the middle.

So instead of saying «I had a duller day than I expected.», I say «My day was more dull than I expected.»

There must be something deep in my subconscious causing this !

river said:

One style guide’s opinion:
«If a word ordinarily takes either the -er or the -est suffix — and that formation sounds more natural — it’s poor style to use the two-word form with more or most.»

Busier, simpler, duller sound more natural to me.

Unfortunately for non-natives, I think for the one and two syllable words it is all down to how they sound, although some constructions would sound quite odd with the er/ier/est/iest endings, and some can’t take them at all:

Which is more likely, the use of more likely or likelier at the beginning of this sentence? I think it most likely that forer@ would agree that likelier and likeliest would sound strange in these two sentences.

Of all the children involved in the accident, she is the most upset.

I can’t think of anything more strange.

Which is more common, most kind-hearted or kindest-hearted.

John is very outspoken, and no one is more frank.

All of these sound good to me.

The other day on a local TV station, an air conditioner repair man was quoted as saying «I am more busy than ever due to the heat wave». I realize that most people would probably say «I am busier than ever», but I was wanting to know if «more busy» is gramatically correct, also. My wife says it is incorrect, but my thinking is that if ‘less busy’ is gramatically correct, shouldn’t ‘more busy’ be ok, too? We all realize that ‘more busier’ is gramatically incorrect. Thanks in advance for your assistance in clarifying this issue for me.

The two form of comparative are correct with adjectives of two syllables ending in «Y» ie; busy, happy, noisy, lazy…

cheers

My understanding is if the word is one syllable, you add -er and -est, rather than more or most.
ex. big, bigger, biggest
hard, harder, hardest
small, smaller, smallest

The exception to the rule is words that end in y, in a two syllable word, you add -er and -est, rather than more or most.
ex. busy, busier, busiest
tiny, tinier, tiniest,
pretty, prettier, prettiest
ugly, uglier, ugliest

All other words that are more than one syllable use more or most.
ex. beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful
terrific, more terrific, most terrific
intelligent, more intelligent, most intelligent

Try teaching this to 9 and 10 year olds whose first language is something other than English….difficult!!
Good luck!

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A complete search of the internet has found these results:

busier is the most popular phrase on the web.

More popular!

busier

636,000 results on the web

Some examples from the web:

On busier roads, elderly, scarved women sat by piles of potatoes and onions hoping forlornly … And its employees are likely to be busier in the coming months .
adj, busier or busiest. 1. actively or fully engaged; occupied. 2. crowded with or characterized by activity: a busy day. 3. US and Canadian (of a room, telephone …
Word forms: busier, busiest. actively or fully engaged; occupied; crowded with or characterized by activity ⇒ a busy day; (mainly US & Canadian) (of a room, …
Antonyms for busier … More words related to busier. active. adj. very … My busy, rich life would basically stay on track, becoming simply a little busier and richer.

more busy

57,800 results on the web

Some examples from the web:

[also more busy; most busy]. 1. : actively doing something. She’s busy preparing for her test. Are you busy? Can I talk to you for a minute? I will be busy cleaning …
busier. Adjective. comparative form of busy: more busy. English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license. Link/Cite. SentencesSentence examples …
Jul 18, 2006 … The other day on a local TV station, an air conditioner repair man was quoted as saying «I am more busy than ever due to the heat wave».
The more we do, the more we can do; the more busy we are, the more leisure we have. Dag Hammarskjold. Biography. Author Profession: Diplomat. Nationality: …

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