-1

Please don't (ask me to) reword or paraphrase! I need this syntax to learn when to use still more and still less.

1. What's the lexical category (part of speech) of still more and still less here?

Verb with positive polarity (e.g. like)

My number 1 life goal is H (Happiness). My number 2 life goal is L (Longevity). To communicate that I like H more than L, is 1 correct? 2 feels wrong to me, but I don't know why?

  1. I like L, still more H.

  2. I like L, still less H.

Verb with negative polarity (e.g. hate)

W (War) irks me more, and is deadlier, than R (Racism). To communicate that I hate W more than R, is 4 or 5 correct? I have no clue how to decide!

  1. I hate R, still more W.

  2. I hate R, still less W.

To no avail, I read https://english.stackexchange.com/q/390946,
https://english.stackexchange.com/q/498115,
https://english.stackexchange.com/q/503152.

  • IMO these aren't very natural uses of "still less/more". The examples in the question you link are better. – Stuart F Jan 31 '23 at 08:41
  • 1
    They are not conjunctions. The adverb "still" is an additive focusing modifier. It modifies the adverbs "less" / "more". – BillJ Jan 31 '23 at 10:50
  • "I need this syntax" Why?? – James K Feb 10 '23 at 23:28
  • Why are you writing "more" and "less" in superscript / subscript. There is much about his question that is unclear. – James K Feb 10 '23 at 23:30
  • @JamesK How can I understand how *still more* works without this syntax? I am focussing *still more* here, not rewrite. –  Feb 26 '23 at 21:37

2 Answers2

3

Still less must follow a negative verb (grammatically negative, not 'with a negative meaning'). You are saying that what isn't true of one thing is even less true of another.

I like C, still more H.

I don't like R, still less W.

Kate Bunting
  • 54,408
  • 4
  • 69
  • 110
0

"more" and "less" are adverbs, and "still" is (as BillJ says) an "additive focusing modifier" That is it "additive" since it indicates something additional, it widens the sense of "more", rather than restricting it. It is a focusing modifier as it is used to emphasize a particular part of a sentence.

However you should rephrase these. Don't use superscript or subscript and don't use "H" or "L", use the words in full. Don't use "still more" as this is non-idiomatic. Don't talk about life goals with weak verbs "like"

Longevity is important to me, but not as important as happiness.

James K
  • 217,650
  • 16
  • 258
  • 452
  • Thanks. I fully agree with your last paragraph, but it is redundant to my question. Please peruse the first sentence of my post. –  Feb 26 '23 at 20:02
  • Thanks, I've downvoted your question as the incorrect typography and the refusal to consider variation makes it less useful. – James K Feb 26 '23 at 21:03
  • Please correct whatever typography is incorrect to you. Downvote is unjust. " the refusal to consider variation"? You appear to be fighting my hypothetical and question. How can I understand how *still more* works without this syntax? –  Feb 26 '23 at 21:39