how (much) tired

[beachboy]

Is it acceptable to say "You can't imagine how much tired I am" instead of "You can't imagine how tired I am"?

 

[Rover_KE]

No.

 

[emsr2d2]

"How much" goes before nouns". It doesn't work before adjectives.

 

[Rover_KE]

...except in a sentence like 'How much hot milk do you want?'

 

[emsr2d2]

...except in a sentence like 'How much hot milk do you want?'

Indeed!

It doesn't work before an adjective on its own, when the adjective does not precede a noun.

 

[panglossa]

Indeed!

It doesn't work before an adjective on its own, when the adjective does not precede a noun.

True.

Even in cases where 'much' can, if formally, be used as an intensifier (e.g. I was much surprised to learn...) we still wouldn't ask *how much surprised?.

 

[emsr2d2]

True.

Even in cases where 'much' can, if formally, be used as an intensifier (e.g. I was much surprised to learn...) we still wouldn't ask *how much surprised?.

You don't hear "much surprised" very often in BrE these days.

 

[5jj]

There are 5 BNC citations for 'much surprised, 147 for 'very surprised'.

 

[beachboy]

What about "How much more tired were you after the game"?

 

[Rover_KE]

That sounds OK to me.

 

[panglossa]

Yes. 'Much more' is OK - it doesn't matter what, if anything, follows.

 

[panglossa]

You don't hear "much surprised" very often in BrE these days.

Yes, formal and probably fast becoming antiquated...