Exceptional Expressions Posted 03/13/2010 Permanent Link
#26 More
EVERYDAY EVENTS:
This week’s Exceptional Expression for Everyday Events (or E4) focuses on the word more. Descriptors for quantities are often used in a classroom. Teachers may tell students that they will be rewarded with more PE time for their good behavior. Students may ask their teachers for more book recommendations as they choose their next independent reading book.
EXCEPTIONAL EXPRESSION:
The definition of the word more is a greater number or amount. More is often used to compare different amounts or situations. For example, the city library has more books than the school library. However, there are only a few words that can be for this definition. Many of the definitions are slang or colloquial terms.
The word more can also be used to describe having something in addition. For example, I needed more loans to help pay for college. A few of the synonyms for more can be used in both definitions. For example, What would the class like to do with the extra PE time? I am going to give the class extra PE time today.
The usage of the word more can be difficult to learn at first. There are some words that use the suffix –er instead of the descriptor more. For example, instead of run more fast, the correct wording is run faster.
FOLLOW-UPS:
- To ask for more paper, would a student ask for extra paper or lots of paper?
- How is supplementary different than complementary?
- How is bigger than the sun different from even bigger than the sun?
- Describe things that are small, smaller and even smaller.
THE SPANISH CONNECTIONS:
The word more is a cognate of the Old Frisian word mara. The Spanish word for more is más. Although more and más are not cognates, some synonyms for more do have Spanish cognates.
WORD CHANGES:
1) IDIOMS:
- More and more
- More or less
- More of the same
2) COMMON PHRASES:
- More often than not
- A little bit more
- More where that came from
- More than ever
- More power to you
- More than you bargained for
- Need I say more?
- Say no more
- What more do you want?
- Couldn’t have asked for more
3) PROVERBS:
- The more the merrier
Click here to download the printable version of E4: More.
