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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > why do we say "more fun"?     

why do we say "more fun"?



Roclam
Italy

why do we say "more fun"?
 
Hi everybody,
I can �t explain to my students why we say "it �s more fun" and not funner....
Is fun a noun here?

Thank you so much!!

25 Nov 2010      





baiba
Latvia

Fun is a noun, that �s why you have to say more fun. If you had funny (adjective) then it would be funnier.

25 Nov 2010     



Bruna Dutra
Brazil

Actually... fun is an adjective too.

And both "more fun" and "funner" are commonly used in English speaking.

25 Nov 2010     



amyi
France

Hello there!  I �m sorry to be pedantic, but I really don �t think that "funner" can be used.  I �m a native speaker and I �ve never heard it said.

25 Nov 2010     



dareka1
Japan

funner = 380,000 google hits

more fun = 18,600,000 google hits.... more fun wins by a margin.

(I would say "funner" when I want to make a joke about not knowing how to speaka da inglish.)

However-


"The editors of Merriam Webster�s 10th edition choose to recognize the word �funner� as a lesser used inflected form of the adjective fun. They do this because they choose to regard English pragmatically, taking into account colloquial and dialectical usage when they make their editions.

I would make the argument to a student that the -er, -est construction on an adjective is permissible. With no clear abstract rule to determine which adjectives are to take the �more + adjective� or the -er, -est construction, the �rule� becomes arbitrary. The �rule� I would argue falls more into the area of convention and accepted usage than grammar.

The person choosing to use this construction should be careful when and where they use such a colloquial construction as those familiar with the �rule� may take it as a sign of ignorance.

See http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/funner"

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/152567

25 Nov 2010     



Bruna Dutra
Brazil

Legally Blonde Script taken from a transcript of the screenplay:

Reese Witherspoon "It �ll be just like senior year except funner.
" (you can google it)

This is just one I could remember. I actually tell my students that funner is not as common as more fun... but since it �s a short adjective, in order not to mess with their heads too much, I tell them it �s accepted too (as it is).

25 Nov 2010     



JudyHalevi
Israel

I would never use the word "funner".  I have never used it and would never teach it to my students. 
 
Being part of this site is more fun than teaching.
 
Hugfrom Israel.
 
Judy

25 Nov 2010     



almaz
United Kingdom

Merriam-Webster �s Dictionary of English Usage (1994)* concludes:

"We also have spoken evidence for so fun, funner and funnest, which attest to adjective status in speech.
As an attributive adjective, fun is not often found in elevated contexts; as a quasi-predicate adjective, it is found in all contexts". 

They also note that its usage is far from recent - they cite its attributive use as far back as 1853.


*see here

25 Nov 2010     



joy2bill
Australia

Sorry, I can �t accept funner or funnest
 
Surely the noun is fun whereas the adjective is funny.
Therefore it must be funny  funnier, funniest.
 
Just my thoughts, Joy

25 Nov 2010     



Bruna Dutra
Brazil

I would just like to point out that the adjective of FUN is not necessarily FUNNY.

You wouldn �t say that this party is funny if you meant "enjoyable". It would give a different idea.

According to all dictionaries I �ve got, fun is an adjective too, and as showed, it is used by native the gradable funner/funnest.

Therefore, I believe we should not tell our students it doesn �t exist or anything like it.
many adjectives are gradable with both more/most and er/est.

I thought I would never hear "moderner" being used (even though it �s a short adjective), but a while ago I saw it in a movie.

I find it very risky to tell the students things don �t exist when a language is an organic thing, which changes all the time and which can make us look stupid! The language, I mean... Tongue Just kidding!

see you around!!

25 Nov 2010     



joy2bill
Australia

Sorry Bruna, I believe I have never yet any native speakers use funner & funest (but I �ve only been speaking English for 60+ years.. maybe it will come. Look  at what MacDonalds has done to "I �m loving it".)
We might say that party was fun. Although probably not.
We �re more likely to say "that party was awesome, brilliant, cool, etc.
So I think it comes down not to a situation with rules but what native speakers actually say.
"Moderner" has two syllables and so is permitted to use both forms of comparison.
Cheers Joy

25 Nov 2010     

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