"Go to Bed" Minister wrong. Again.

JBFRobisher said:
My Concise OED gives:



I really don't know why people have a problem with "cleverer".:confused:
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Its Context! not the word! and secondly being told that going to bed early makes you 'clever' is a ludicrous statement to make in the first place.

'He was cleverer as he went to bed early' - 'Go to bed early, it makes you cleverer'

Sorry PostMan, I missed the previous thread.

To explain, there are Tenses (Past, Present and Future) There are also differences when comparing

'He can like to wear jean pant' is one example of getting the tenses messed up. :D (joking)

You BECOME MORE CLEVER, but you are Cleverer than you WERE after studying.

The above is a comparison, not a statement.
 
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Ricard said:
Its Context! not the word! and secondly being told that going to bed early makes you 'clever' is a ludicrous statement to make in the first place.

'He was cleverer as he went to bed early' - 'Go to bed early, it makes you cleverer'

Sorry PostMan, I missed the previous thread.

To explain, there are Tenses (Past, Present and Future) There are also differences when comparing

'He can like to wear jean pant' is one example of getting the tenses messed up. :D (joking)

You BECOME MORE CLEVER, but you are Cleverer than you WERE after studying.

The above is a comparison, not a statement.
Click to expand...

I really would never have thought of that. The minister's statement just "sounded wrong," as others have said, and now I know why.
 
Yes, but that's like saying "If you don't eat, you will be hungrier".

Hungrier than what?

Cleverer than what?

If I will be cleverer than I was before, that would mean that I was clever to start with. Does that make someone who goes to bed before me the cleverest?
 
The real point is the statement as a whole is ludicrous - and insulting - let us not detract from that with a grammar lesson in the use of one word.
 
Ricard said:
Its Context! not the word! and secondly being told that going to bed early makes you 'clever' is a ludicrous statement to make in the first place.

'He was cleverer as he went to bed early' - 'Go to bed early, it makes you cleverer'

Sorry PostMan, I missed the previous thread.

To explain, there are Tenses (Past, Present and Future) There are also differences when comparing

'He can like to wear jean pant' is one example of getting the tenses messed up. :D (joking)

You BECOME MORE CLEVER, but you are Cleverer than you WERE after studying.

The above is a comparison, not a statement.
Click to expand...

You are moving into the realm of "speculative grammar" it seems. You are also quite incorrect.

Please note that I am not defending the minister's stupid thinking.

In English ( and other languages of course ) there exist things called "degrees of comparison" eg: good, better, best. Some adjectives and adverbs have specific forms for the degrees while others do not, taking "more" and "most" to make the comparative and superlative form. Where the specific comparative and superlative forms exist they should be used - saying "The Sharks are more good than The Lions" is silly. So you don't "become more clever", ever. You could "become cleverer", even if your ear does not like the sound of the phrase, but in your case I have my reservations.

:p
 
JBFRobisher said:
You are moving into the realm of "speculative grammar" it seems. You are also quite incorrect.

Please note that I am not defending the minister's stupid thinking.

In English ( and other languages of course ) there exist things called "degrees of comparison" eg: good, better, best. Some adjectives and adverbs have specific forms for the degrees while others do not, taking "more" and "most" to make the comparative and superlative form. Where the specific comparative and superlative forms exist they should be used - saying "The Sharks are more good than The Lions" is silly. So you don't "become more clever", ever. You could "become cleverer", even if your ear does not like the sound of the phrase, but in your case I have my reservations.

:p
Click to expand...

See Ricard's post - it really is about context.

But the Sharks are more much more gooderer than the Lions.
 
Albereth said:
See Ricard's post - it really is about context.

But the Sharks are more much more gooderer than the Lions.
Click to expand...

Regarding your first statement - did I not quote it? Maybe you need more sleep.

Regarding your second statement - I cannot but agree!
:D
 
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