More possible or better possible?

Willowmound · Oct 3, 2008

Which is it?

"More possible" or "better possible"?

Not a pretty word combination either way, but I'm editing someone's book. Both look wrong now.

Seaclusion2 · Oct 3, 2008

I think it may depend on context.

Is it more possible now that the engines have exploded?

I can't think of a proper sentence for 'better possible'

Richard

Mr Flibble · Oct 3, 2008

hmm both sound a little clunky.

Personally I'd go with 'more likely', but that's just me.

Maryn · Oct 3, 2008

I concur. If something is more likely to happen when certain conditions are met, it is more possible.

Maryn, impossible

Juliette Wade · Oct 3, 2008

You might want to look for a word to use that isn't "possible"; "feasible," perhaps, or "likely". I think the problem is that "possible" is sort of an either or word. It's either possible, or it's not. It's like the whole joke of "mostly dead" from The Princess Bride. So you might want to think through what it is that's possible (or not) and phrase it in other terms.

Willowmound · Oct 3, 2008

Good points and much appreciated. I'm still struggling though. Here's the sentence as written by the author:

"When parents show an interest in their children’s learning, students are motivated to learn and to behave in ways that make that learning more possible."

Eh?

Ms Hollands · Oct 3, 2008

I agree with Juliet on this one: "possible" is an 'either/or' type of word.

I feel differently about 'likely' though.

"more likely" seems more appropriate in the sentence you provided.

"better possible" is wrong.

"more

IceCreamEmpress · Oct 3, 2008

I think that "more likely to happen" or "easier" would fit better than "more possible" in that sentence.

Tracy · Oct 3, 2008

I don't like either option. I'd vote for 'easier', as it says clearly what the writer means to say.

Deccydiva · Oct 3, 2008

Both sound wrong, I feel more comfortable with "possible" standing alone and not modified. Or, as stated above, use a different word such as "achieveable" or "likely" with "more", for example.

benbradley · Oct 3, 2008

I agree they both look wrong because they ARE wrong. Possibility is just like pregnancy, it either is or it ain't. One wouldn't say "more pregnant" or "better pregnant." The last might be interpreted as "better to be pregnant than not."

I'd suggest "more likely to be possible" but that's getting wordy. For what little I've seen I'd settle on "more likely," but I'd really like to see the sentence ~~the word the word is used in~~ in which the word is used.

Of course, there's the somewhat humorous "very pregnant" which means something like "could go into labor at any moment."

ETA: "...and probably doesn't remember how she got that way..."

ReneC · Oct 3, 2008

It's been said already, but "possible" is an absolute, just like "unique" is an absolute. There aren't varying degrees of either word, it's either true or it isn't. If conditions change that improve the odds of something happening, then you're talking about likelihood and "likely" is the correct word to use. If, on the other hand, advances are made towards a goal that is still as of yet impossible, then it's closer to becoming a reality or some such phrase.

Nicholas T · Oct 3, 2008

I'm in agreement that "possible" is binary. Things are not more or less possible than others. "Better possible" is outright strange, though I can see how someone might erroneously infer it from "best possible", i.e. "the best possible solution to the banking crisis." But in that case, we parse the sentence as "best (possible solution)", not "(best possible) solution", if you know what I mean. "Best" isn't modifying "possible".

If the probability of something is being compared, it's more or less likely, or more or less probable. You only use "more"/"less" to modify a yes-no, true-false property if your name is George Orwell and you want to show us how all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.

Dale Emery · Oct 3, 2008

... ways that help the children learn more.

Dale

willfulone · Oct 3, 2008

Yucky all round really. Are you stuck to keeping the author's words for a reason? Can you suggest some of the others stated above?

OR

"When parents show an interest in their children’s learning, students are motivated to learn and to behave in ways that make that learning more possible."

Take out that first "to" and change the first "that" to "which"

"When parents show an interest in their children’s learning, students are motivated to learn and behave in ways which make that learning more possible."

OR

Take out the second "that" all together.

"When parents show an interest in their children’s learning, students are motivated to learn and to behave in ways that make learning more possible."

Not much better really, but sticks to the basic author statement without changing their main words.

Good luck either way!

Christine

Willowmound · Oct 6, 2008

You're all right, of course. Man, you do go blind sometimes, wrestling with sub-par prose for seven or eight hours a day.

Thanks muchly fer yer inputs.

Beach Bunny · Oct 6, 2008

Willowmound said:
Good points and much appreciated. I'm still struggling though. Here's the sentence as written by the author:

"When parents show an interest in their children’s learning, students are motivated to learn and to behave in ways that make that learning more possible."

Eh?

If it were me, then I would write that sentence like this:
"When parents show an interest in their children’s learning, students are motivated to learn and to behave in ways that are more conducive to learning."

My $0.02 YMMV

comradebunny · Oct 7, 2008

Willowmound said:
Good points and much appreciated. I'm still struggling though. Here's the sentence as written by the author:

"When parents show an interest in their children’s learning, students are motivated to learn and to behave in ways that make that learning more possible."

Eh?

As a teacher, I'd word it this way:

"When parents show an interest in their child's learning, the child is motivated to learn and behave in ways that make the learning process easier.

*I changed children's to child because children's implies every parent has more than one child.

*I changed student to child because it felt clunky switching the name of the party we are talking about.

*I added learning process becasue that is how it is discribed in the profession.

++++I apologize for any typo's, I'm on my pain meds and the screen is swimming a bit. So if you see any, those were not intended.

Willowmound · Oct 8, 2008

comradebunny said:
++++I apologize for any typo's, I'm on my pain meds and the screen is swimming a bit.

Your only typo is the one I highlighted.

If only this was the only clunky sentence in that manuscript...

comradebunny · Oct 8, 2008

Willowmound said:
Your only typo is the one I highlighted.

If only this was the only clunky sentence in that manuscript...

I feel for for you. Good luck.

More possible or better possible?

Willowmound

Lightly salted

Seaclusion2

Extraneous Comma Slayer

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Maryn

I Tried

Juliette Wade

Interprets for aliens

Willowmound

Lightly salted

Ms Hollands

Cow lover

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

Tracy

Deccydiva

Back from the dead

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

ReneC

Relapsed insomniac :(

Nicholas T

Dale Emery

is way off topic

willfulone

I am a zebra...

Willowmound

Lightly salted

Beach Bunny

The Provocative One

comradebunny

"It is the rabbitt!"

Willowmound

Lightly salted

comradebunny

"It is the rabbitt!"

More possible or better possible?

Lightly salted

Extraneous Comma Slayer

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

I Tried

Interprets for aliens

Lightly salted

Cow lover

Hapless Virago

Back from the dead

It's a doggy dog world

Relapsed insomniac :(

is way off topic

I am a zebra...

Lightly salted

The Provocative One

"It *is* the rabbitt!"

Lightly salted

"It *is* the rabbitt!"

"It is the rabbitt!"

"It is the rabbitt!"