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Nov 17, 2020 · The chart suggests that rarest (red line) and rarer (yellow line) have been more popular (not popularer) forms than most rare (blue line) and more rare (green line) for at least 150 years. Nevertheless, given their consistent occurrence in published works over so many years, I wouldn't argue that any of the four forms is wrong.
Oct 24, 2007 · Senior Member. England, English. Oct 24, 2007. #2. "Rarer" is absolutely correct, but I agree that "more rare" sounds more comfortable. I expect this is from reasons of euphony rather than grammar; "rarer" sounds as if it's wrong due to its awkwardness. Having those three r's separated by single vowels makes it sound like a "double comparative ...
Mar 28, 2019 · Rare means very infrequent; scarce means not enough for demand. They seem to imply each other (and are surely correlated) but logically I can think of situations where one is the case but the other is not. Scarcity is about demand; rarity only about frequency. Always check a dictionary first. – Mitch.
Oct 13, 2019 · First is that it is reasonable to consider that "unique" is just an extreme form of 'rare'. But being an extreme form of rare does not stop it being rare. If there were only three of something it would be rare, or if there were two - therefore it does not make sense to everybody that something even rarer - there is only one - stops being called ...
Aug 11, 2018 · Both "more rare" and "rarer" can be used. "Rarer" is more common. "Oftener" is so rare in modern English it would probably be regarded as wrong today, but it was common before about 1900. "Rare" and "often" are not opposites. The opposite of "rare" is "common". I suppose the opposite of "often" is "seldom", but I expect "infrequently" is used ...
Aug 4, 2013 · Not the case unfortunately. Actually I wonder about the correctness of "more rare a pronunciation" as well, because I can't seem to make head (n)or tail of it... (if someone asked me about the grammaticality of the construction). "It is a much rarer pronunciation." -- This is definitely the safest option and probably the one with widest ...
Aug 24, 2015 · 3. No. It should be sharper. Sharp is only one syllable, and one-syllable adjectives take -er for comparative and -est for superlative. Three-syllable adjectives take more and most. Two-syllable adjectives are the source of all the real problems; they can swing various ways. – John Lawler. Aug 23, 2015 at 22:40. 1.
May 12, 2012 · 1. I guess you mean 'difficult to locate/find', rather than 'rare'. The commonest idiom for objects difficult to locate is needle in a haystack. Red cars, for the man, were like needles in a haystack. This means the man found red cars very difficult to spot. There are several related idioms for things that are hard to chance upon.
Jan 29, 2019 · 4. First of all, common is something everyday or ordinary. However, if you want a word that's between rare and common on a frequency scale, I suggest occasional: [Merriam-Webster] 3 : encountered, occurring, appearing, or taken at irregular or infrequent intervals. // occasional visitors.
Nov 21, 2011 · One of the rarest moments in the classroom is when it is quiet. 2. One of the rarer moments in the classroom is when it is quiet. I thought the first answer was the correct one, but when I google, I mainly find examples with the second one. If the second answer is correct, I don't understand why we suddenly use the comparative (and not the ...
