'Succinct' versus 'Succincter'

[Gray]

Which is correct?

1) To be more succinct, we are what we think.

2) To be succincter, we are what we think.
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First lesson - English, not english. I, not i. ~A student of English

[SkiIucK]

Grammatically speaking, the first one.

Semantically speaking, neither, I believe.

[Gray]

Why do we use 'more' when the comparative is available?
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First lesson - English, not english. I, not i. ~A student of English

[SkiIucK]

So, you are saying the superlative would go like this: 'succinctest'? Or 'beautifulest'?

I'm not an expert in grammar, nor am I a native-speaker, but 'succincter' definitely sounds odd to my ears. Let's wait for answers from coaches.

[Milanya]

Rule:

comparison of adjectives.
We often use adjectives—words that modify nouns—to make comparisons. We say That building is bigger than this one, She is the most intelligent student in the class, and so on. Some adjectives add -er and -est to form the comparative and superlative degrees. Others cannot do this, but must be preceded by more and most. How can you know which is which? Fortunately, there are some simple rules you can follow. Adjectives that have one syllable usually take -er and -est. Adjectives that have two syllables and end in y (early), ow (narrow), and le (gentle), can also take -er and -est. Almost all other adjectives with two or more syllables require the use of more and most. The rules are indicated in the chart below:


Number of Syllables
1 — fast — faster — fastest
2 — happy — happier — happiest
complex — more complex — most complex
3 or more — beautiful — more beautiful — most beautiful

In your case, more succinct than ......
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con·text - The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.

[Gray]

[Milanya]

I did not know that.
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con·text - The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.

[Gray]

[Esl_Expert]

Hello Gray

Comparative and superlative forms of two-syllable adjectives are a gray area.

Milanya provided a good guideline for when two-syllable adjectives generally use -er and -est rather than more and most. However, English is not mathematics, and there are frequently exceptions to these general grammar guidelines. For example, there are some two-syllable adjectives that are commonly formed both ways in the comparative and superlative. Among those are the adjectives clever, handsome, friendly and quiet.

I would say that the word succinct is an adjective that is used relatively infrequently in a comparative form. However, I agree with Milanya that when a comparative or superlative form is used, it will probably be formed with more or most rather than adding an -er or -est ending. If you want additional input on this, try doing a search for "succincter" and "succintest" in the British and American corpora (the BNC and COCA). I can tell you what the results will be: exactly zero. But you will find usage samples of more succinct and most succinct.

I would also like to add that I think succinct is acceptable in either of the comparative/superlative forms. However, this is a case in which people tend to go with more and most rather than adding -er or -est.
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[Gray]

[Alan]

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Hi,

The other point to bear in mind is the ease with which the word can be spoken. After all language is a living thing and rules and regulations have to step aside when it comes to people actually speaking it. Try saying 'succincter'! It's difficult to say, isn't it? It doesn't sound very clear, does it? If you wish to be more precise (and ironically 'succinct' roughly means just that), it's much easier to say: 'more succinct', don't you think?

Alan
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