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I'm writing this article and there is a sentence in it: "These movies are one of the best movies." I spell-checked it, and the website I used said that one should not be used with a plural subject.

Should I omit one?

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Two or more things can't be one of anything. Only one thing can be one of the best. When you make all these movies the subject of your sentence you have to say something like:

Each of these movies is one of the best ... OR
These movies are among the best ... OR
These movies are some of the best ... OR
These movies are three [or however many of them there are] of the best ...

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  • Thanks! Are these examples used only with word "best" or can be used for word "known" , the reason i'm asking this is that it doesn't seem correct to me to say : "These movies are among the known..." is it correct? Thnks!
    – aghArdeshir
    Sep 15, 2013 at 23:35
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    @ArdeshirIzadi Among the known doesn't work unless it's followed by a noun which known modifies: English doesn't much like adjectives and adjectival participles being used as nouns, though there are some circumstances and some adjectives (like best) which tolerate it. But Each of these movies is among the known masterpieces of world cinema is just fine.
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Sep 16, 2013 at 0:07
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    Or, These movies are considered to be the best...
    – J.R. ♦
    Sep 16, 2013 at 1:25
  • @StoneyB Why "These movies are among the known masterpieces of world cinema" is not correct?
    – Volodymyr Bezuglyy
    Sep 17, 2013 at 9:44
  • @VladimirBezugliy No, that's correct, too. I didn't read your comment closely enough.
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Sep 17, 2013 at 10:44

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