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Aug 6, 2016 · 1) When a person or organization is providing information, this form is used: At the outset let me make it clear that I describe research - Evaluating mobility aids for the blind. 2) When referring to a document, this form is more common.
Isn’t it? While Microsoft word doesn’t like the word ‘more clear’ and doesn’t accept it without the blue lines, it is perfectly fine to use ‘more clear’ in some contexts. In this grammar.com article, let us see how both clearer and more clear make sense and can be used for perfectly valid sentences.
- Overview
- Is it “clearer” or “more clear”?
- What are comparative adjectives?
- Common Mistakes
Both “clearer” and “more clear” are perfectly acceptable.
Although English grammar rules do say that “clearer” is the grammatically correct version, both expressions are frequently used in everyday conversations.
“Clearer” is used about twice as frequently as “more clear”, but both phrases will be easily understood.
As you’ll see in the sentences below, either flows nicely:
“You cleaned the window? It looks clearer now!” vs “You cleaned the window? It’s more clear now!”
“He explained the math problem really well. The steps are clearer to me now!” vs “He explained the math problem really well. The steps are more clear to me now!”
Comparative adjectives are used to compare two objects.
Clearer would be the comparative form of the word “clear”. Generally, if an adjective has only one syllable, it can be transformed into a comparative adjective by simply adding -er to the end. However, if an adjective has multiple syllables, you’ll have to add the word “more” before the adjective to make it comparative. Since clear has only one syllable, this is why “clearer” is more grammatically correct between “clearer” and “more clear”.
The word “tall” has one syllable, so you would add -er to the end to make it a comparative adjective, like “Tim is taller than Jane.”
The word “beautiful” has multiple syllables, so you would add “more” to the beginning of it to make it a comparative adjective, like “My house is more beautiful than yours.”
Since clearer is already the comparative form of “clear”, and “more” is also used to make comparisons, using the two together would be repetitive and grammatically incorrect.
Incorrect: “Thanks for cleaning my glasses! They’re more clearer now.”
Correct: "Thanks for cleaning my glasses! They're more clear now" or "Thanks for cleaning my glasses! They're clearer now."
“More clear” is not more formal than “clearer”.
It’s a common misconception that “more clear” is a formal version of “clearer”, but because English grammar rules say “clearer” is the correct comparative form, “more clear” would actually be considered conversational and less formal. This is because “more clear” breaks English grammar rules, but is understood and accepted so well due to its frequency of use in everyday speech.
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The basic rules tell us that because clear is a one syllable adjective there is no need to use ‘more.’. But the reality is that in everyday usage, both are perfectly acceptable, and you’ll often hear and see both being used. Do a Google search and you’ll find millions of uses of both.
I believe it is correct to say that "I see more clearly now that I've wiped my windshield", and incorrect to say "I see clearer now that I've wiped my windshield." The problem is that comparative adverbs like "better" make you think that "clearer" is the correct comparative adverbial form.
Sep 4, 2024 · Learn the correct usage of "make it clearer" and "make it more clear" in English. Discover differences, examples, alternatives and tips for choosing the right phrase.
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Jun 28, 2013 · "Saying something is clear is not what makes it clear": Perhaps, but it can certainly help to make something clear. If I read a statement that isn't accompanied by a proof, I might try various ways to convince myself that it's true.
