like it better vs like it more

[Kwfine]

Hi,
My friends and I were going window shopping... and we saw something that engaged our attention; and then:
A said "I like the green one with yellow stripes more"
B said "I would say I like the red one better"

Is there any grammatical mistake in what A had said?
I know it's absolute correct to say "I like something better", but not sure if it is correct to say "I like something more":
http://www.google.com/search?hl=zh-TW&q=%22like+it+more%22&btnG=Google+%E6%90%9C%E5%B0%8B&meta=&aq=f

Please help if you could!
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各位前輩安安, 我是kitty喔!

[Alan]

Hi Kwfine,

Both forms are acceptable. I think it would be simpler to say: I prefer the green one ....

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Passive Voice

[Kwfine]

[Trmnshwrx]

Actually...I think this is like "If I would have known"...that technically it doesn't work, but it's very common, to the point that I write it off as a colloquialism.

Here's why it's confusing: both "more" and "better" can function as either adjective or adverb. The question is which function is being filled in the case of "I like it ___." Once we know what part of speech we are using, we can choose the appropriate word to fit our meaning.

What is being compared here? How well I like, or what is liked to a greater degree? If the comparison involves how well (as in how adeptly or correctly or skillfully) I like something, then we are comparing my liking it vs. somebody else's liking it, or perhaps to how well (adeptly, correctly, skillfully) I like another item.

Otherwise, if we are comparing to what degree something is liked, i.e., I like this sweater to a greater degree than I like that sweater, we have a different situation. I like one sweater not more adeptly, not more correctly or skillfully, but to a greater degree than another sweater.

Let's apply a different verb to the same concept. If I throw very well, then I throw farther or faster, etc. If I throw a basketball as soon as I get up in the morning and I throw it all day, but I only throw a baseball once, I throw a basketball to a greater degree or amount than I do a baseball, even if I cannot throw the basketball with any greater skill or strength than I can a baseball.

If I throw farther or faster than you, we can say I throw better than you.
If I throw one object to a greater degree, amount, or constancy than I do another object, we can say I throw one object more than I do the other.

So, when I say "I like this sweater ___ than that one," am I comparing how adeptly I like it, or to what degree? Are you more skillful at liking one sweater than another, or does it please you to a greater degree?

"I like this sweater more" makes sense; "I like this sweater better" does not...but as I stated in the beginning, it's a big colloquialism, and I don't expect people to get rid of it soon. (sigh)

[Kitosdad]

"it's a big colloquialism, and I don't expect people to get rid of it soon. (sigh)"

Well, let's thank the Lord for colloquialisms. I'd sure hate to go shopping with you.

Kitos. (Bite me.)
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Englishman living in Germany.

[Alan]

Hi Trmnshwrx,

Welcome to the site. I'm intrigued as to why you say 'write it off as a colloquialism'. Isn't that the way people speak?

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story In short

[Trmnshwrx]

I say "write it off..." meaning that I'll decide not to let it bother me although it clearly doesn't add up. Again, it's like "If I would have known" which should be "If I had known," but it is so ubiquitous that I've decided not to fight against it. Some of these things become more clear if you know a second language because they can't be translated directly, due to not making syntactical sense in the first place in English.
In Spanish for example, you would say "éste me gusta más," (I like this one more) and there is not any confusion about whether it should say "mejor" (better). I fully realize that English and Spanish are distinct languages, and I take advantage of their differences when I speak them; I am only using the example to show that learning a second language can help one learn more about his first language.
But then again, we hear people say "Do you want to go with?"...this grammatically incorrect, but since we hear people say it so much in some areas, there's not much point in fighting it.
It's also like "I'm fixing to..." which doesn't work grammatically either. I grew up in Texas, so I heard this one a lot. I didn't fuss about other people saying it; I just chose not to subscribe. I always said something like "I'm about to..." or "I'm preparing to..."
These things are technically incorrect, but they have been gaining ground in the way people speak.

[Trmnshwrx]

Don't get me wrong; I use colloquialisms myself. However, I do appreciate it when people are aware of common grammatical errors that they make (something that's running rampant in my area is "the radiator needs fixed," for example).

Here's an example of the difference:
"I know your taller than me." This is a very common mistake; it should be "you're." This looks sloppy or ignorant.

Same grammatical error, but obviously on purpose:
A T-shirt that says "Your dumb." This is the same mistake; again, it should be "you're," but this is kind of clever since it is apparent that the makers of the shirt know that it's wrong. They would not have made the shirt otherwise.

Again, don't misunderstand me. I speak Spanish and I'm familiar with the Real Academia Española, the organization that decides what is and isn't "proper Spanish." I readily disagree on some of the foppish restrictions they try to impose on the Spanish language. I am only advocating speech that makes sense and avoids confusion.
Although I lean away from "I like this one better" because it isn't grammatically correct, you go ahead and use it all you want. It's not unclear or confusing; it's just inconsistent.

[Alan]

Hi,

To be perfectly honest I haven't a clue what you're on about. I fail to see why you are so 'puritanical' in your approach to English. Clearly there are highs and lows in any language, aren't there?

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Only Three Letters

[Trmnshwrx]

Yes, there are highs and lows; I just wish there were fewer lows.