[Grammar] Which is more formal: clearer or more clear?

[Mori]

I know both forms are correct, but I wonder which is more formal.

 

[AussieLexie]

The comparative from of 'clear' is 'clearer'. In my universe 'more clear' is grammatically incorrect. Other people might find it acceptable but if I hear anyone say 'more clear' it's akin to a fingernail scraping across a blackboard.

 

[bubbha]

I don't think "more clear" is ungrammatical, but it is unidiomatic.

 

[GoesStation]

I think more clear would be the natural choice in some contexts, though none of them come to my jet-lagged mind right now.

 

[AussieLexie]

We use –er and –est to form most comparatives and superlatives.
clearer, clearest

We use ‘more’ and ‘most’ when an adjective has more than one syllable (except for two syllable words ending in ‘y’ when we use –ier or –iest).
more beautiful, most beautiful
happier, happiest

On the other hand, with adverbs that end in ‘ly’ we must use ‘more’ to form the comparative and ‘most’ to form the superlative.
more clearly, most clearly

I can’t make it any clearer than that.

 

[Rover_KE]

I think more clear would be the natural choice in some contexts, though none of them come to my jet-lagged mind right now.

I can’t make it any clearer than that.

I was about to say that Lexie's example is perhaps the only context when 'more clear' would be appropriate—especially when said slowly, emphatically and in exasperation after saying the same thing repeatedly.