This thread is "less good" than the others...

[Kibbin]

Okay, I'm an English student who knows little of spelling or grammar (as anyone who has sat through one of my posts can attest) now I am reading an article for my course and it has used the phrase, less good. Now this does not seem right to me though I am at a loss for explaining why.
Is this my bad grammar or a new use of the English language that my old fuddy duddy brain can't comprehend?

 

[RoJoHen]

I don't want to say that it's completely incorrect, but there are far better ways to get that point across, like "not as good as" and "worse."

Just like "more good" should really be "better."

But you could use "less good" if you really wanted to emphasize the lack of good, I suppose: "The Joker is less good than Batman," where "good" is being used to describe his character.

 

[Kibbin]

I just wondered if it were actually breaking any grammar rules as I've never seen it used before and always took it as childish writing.
But thanks for the feed back, we need to comment on our chosen piece and I was going to bring this up but if it's not actually breaking any rules I'm not sure I should.

 

[Rii]

Hmm. The context might help. Not that I'm likely to be of assistance in any case.

 

[mari]

Well, it's certainly awkward, and I wouldn't use it in a context other than RoJo's Batman/Joker example. But the argument could be made that good/better/best (and bad/worse/worst) ought to be abolished altogether. I wouldn't make that argument, but it could be made...

 

[Kibbin]

"Allowing euthanasia will lead to less good care for the terminally ill"

This is from a pro-euthanasia piece on the BBC.

In case this leads to a anti-euthanasia argument I should point out that they also have a pro one also.

 

[RoJoHen]

"Allowing euthanasia will lead to less good care for the terminally ill"

This is from a pro-euthanasia piece on the BBC.

In case this leads to a anti-euthanasia argument I should point out that they also have a pro one also.

No, in this case they should have used "worse."

 

[Lindley]

Well, do they mean "less good" care, or do they mean less "good care"? There's a difference, although an argument could be made that it evens out to the same thing.

 

[RoJoHen]

Yeah, either way, they both sound retarded.

 

[Kibbin]

Thanks. I thought so but knew better than to assume I'm right about anything to do with spelling and English in general.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Well, do they mean "less good" care, or do they mean less "good care"? There's a difference, although an argument could be made that it evens out to the same thing.

I thought the same thing myself. To say "it will lead to worse care of the elderly" is not quite the same thing as saying less 'good care' because for some the good care will be the same,

I would have said

"Allowing euthanasia will lead to good care of the elderly being provided less often" or something like that.

 

[Sakrysta]

^Yes, it seems to be not so much bad grammar as lazy writing. There are other ways to word the statement that are both more clear and more correct.

 

[iguana_tonante]

There are other ways to word the statement that are both more clear and more correct.

And more good.

 

[Tom Riley]

Well, do they mean "less good" care, or do they mean less "good care"? There's a difference, although an argument could be made that it evens out to the same thing.

I thought the same thing myself. To say "it will lead to worse care of the elderly" is not quite the same thing as saying less 'good care' because for some the good care will be the same,

I would have said

"Allowing euthanasia will lead to good care of the elderly being provided less often" or something like that.

Yeah, that's my thinking as well. They meant less "good care" will be provided. Not that bad care or worse care will be provided, just that less care given will be good care. There are many better ways of saying it though.

 

[Misfit Toy]

Well, do they mean "less good" care, or do they mean less "good care"? There's a difference, although an argument could be made that it evens out to the same thing.

The armchair editor in me wants to change it to "less than optimal care".

 

[Canadave]

Well, do they mean "less good" care, or do they mean less "good care"? There's a difference, although an argument could be made that it evens out to the same thing.

If it's the former, the easy way out is to insert a hyphen:

"Allowing euthanasia will lead to less-good care for the terminally ill."

Thus, "less-good" becomes the adjective modifying the noun "care." That's not to say there aren't better ways of writing it, but that would certainly clarify it simply.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Less good? More gooder? Mo' better? My head hurts.