No one vs No one else usage

Question

1. John is my best friend. No one likes me more than he does.

2. John is my best friend. No one else likes me more than he does.

1) Which is correct? What is the difference between these two sentences?

2)What is the basic difference between “no one” and “no one else” ?

Answer 1

Your first sentence is okay.

John is my best friend. No one likes me more than he does.

You need not write No one else to exclude John from No one because "John likes me more than he (John) likes me" sounds unnatural and impossible.

But

John is my best friend. No one else likes me as much as he does.

Here, You need to write No one else to exclude John from No one because "John likes me as much as he likes me" is possible.

Answer 2

Both are correct. "No one else" means no one, but with some person or group excluded. If that person or group is explicitly stated, it's redundant, but not wrong. Likewise, making a comparison implicitly excludes whatever you're comparing the rest to.

So when is it necessary? Usually when the exception has already been specified and needn't be repeated.

John is my best friend. No one else likes me more.

John is my best friend. No one likes me more than he does.

In the second example, we repeat the comparison, so "else" becomes redundant. In the first example, "else" is the only word that indicates what comparison is being made, so it's necessary.