Questions tagged [superlatives]
Use this tag for questions about the "-est" or "most ..." forms of adjectives and adverbs.
158
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The closest you can get to success
I tried my best, but I think this is the closest you can get to
success.
All I know is that the text in bold is a reduced relative clause.
But if I convert it into a statement:
You can get the ...
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2
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the closest that (relative clause)
It's the closest that humans come to being superheroes.
-New Yorker-
If I rephrase it, it becomes
It's the closest.
Humans come the closest to being superheroes.
What I wonder is are the part of ...
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It's better / it's best
Should a comparative or a superlative be used in this sentence? Why?
In my experience, it's better / it's best to have only one best friend who is reliable.
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He is the best soccer player "on" his team. vs He is the best soccer player "in" his team
He is the best soccer player on his team.
He is the best soccer player in his team
Are both preposition correct?
I learned that when we make superlative expresstion, we usually use preposition ...
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Does use of superlative adjective affect the order of adjectives?
According to an article about adjective order by Cambridge Dictionary, the following adjective order is correct:
a small young man
But is the order the same when you make one of the adjectives ...
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What is the difference between "southernmost", "most southern" and "most southerly"?
(1a) The southernmost point of England is "Lizard Point". — I know it's correct
(1b) The most southern point of England is "Lizard Point". — I know it's incorrect
(1c) The most ...
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1
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Why do we need adjectives with the suffix "-most" and what is there in common between them?
Almost all adjectives below are from wordtoolbox.com.
the adjectives I could pair with each other:
easternmost (*eastmost) – northernmost (*northmost) – southernmost (*southmost) – westernmost (*...
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How many "the"s are needed for a branch of superlatives? And what order of them is right? [duplicate]
When there are several superlative degree adjectives combined together, should every superlative form has "the", or should only one single "the" is put at the beginning?
For ...
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Which is better, most important or the most important
A-1) What is most important to me in life is love.
A-2) What is the most important to me in life is love.
B-1) Love is most important in life.
B-2) Love is the most important in life.
Are they all ...
2
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1
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Use plural of singular when referring to plural thing being the superlative of something
I have a sentence that requires a form of "to be" referring to something in singular and plural at the same time:
The major source for pharmaceutical residues in rivers [is/are] wastewater ...
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What is difference between "you value the most" and "you value most"? [duplicate]
I have a sentance "...remember the purpose and principles you value most". How would it be different from "....value the most"?
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The usage of "one of" (singular/plural)
Jeans are one of the most common kinds of clothes.
Question: Does this sentence make sense? Is there anything to correct?
I am confused with singular and plural. The word "jeans" is plural, ...
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part of speech of 'hardest' here
This is from a webpage :
According to Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, courage is
trying your hardest even if you know you have no chance of succeeding,
making the right choice despite the ...
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Is "the" article needed to fill a gap in a sentence "Martha writes ... of all" (best / the best)?
I've come across a test question recently, asking to fill a gap:
"John writes well. Jack writes better than John. Martha writes ... of all." (best / the best).
Is it correct/acceptable to ...
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Usage of Superlative/Comparative for 2 Elements
I would like to know what is a better way to say "top two".
I wrote 5 sentences. Please help me understand which is grammatically correct or a better way to explain this situation.
India ...
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most interested in our offer
a. Ron was most interested in our offer.
b. Ron was the most interested in our offer.
c. Ron was interested in our offer the most.
d. Ron was interested in our offer most.
I think in (b), (c) and (d) '...
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Shadowier or Shadowyer? [closed]
folks, I'm now trying to refute what dictionaries say, so I have to be either supported or disproven by you, wise owls.
Okay, now I'm asking you to participate in my own presumption: dictionaries say ...
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definite article with a generic noun as an answer for superlative question [closed]
Is it a mistake to answer like that?
What food is the most delicious? - It is the apple.
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"The most frequently available devices are walking canes and talking watch."
The most frequently available devices are walking canes and talking watch.
In the sentence, Is it correct If I mention two devices even though I use "the most frequent"?
OR I should mention only one ...
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1
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Smallest VS fewest
Are both equivalent?
I ask this because in my language both translate as the same thing. Could someone explain their use?
We have the smallest customer queue.
We have the fewest customer queue.
...
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The most recognisable monument in / of Egypt
It's common that we say: The Great Pyramid is the most recognisable monument in Egypt.
And we can also say: The Great Pyramid is Egypt's most recognisable monument.
Is the last one correct to be the ...
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2
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Using '(the) most' with uncountable nouns
Is it correct to say:
The most money was spent on education.
Saudi Arabia produced the most oil.
And is there a difference between using the most and just most in the aforementioned examples? Is it ...
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2
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Can superlatives only be used when comparing more than two items?
I was reading the comments on an opinion piece in the Guardian where someone claimed that "...offering you the smallest half" was an "ungrammatical oxymoron in the first paragraph"....
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I thought I had the worst but they had even worse?
How to describe a situation where you are far better off than others even though you didn't initially think it to be?
I want to complete the sentence. I thought I had the worst but they had even ____. ...
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depends most on how we cooperate
a. Whether we will succeed or not depends most on how we cooperate.
b. Whether we will succeed or not depends the most on how we cooperate.
c. Whether we will succeed or not most depends on how we ...
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2
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What's the comparative and superlative of shy and dry?
What's the comparative and superlative of shy and dry?
I've found you can either keep the y or change it for ier / iest.
shyer - shyest or shier- shiest
Dryer -dryest or drier - driest
Also more shy ...
3
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strangest or the most strange
I found a lot of newspapers use "the most strange" instead of strangest. Why is that? Is it an option to use "the most" instead of the superlative form "est"?
BBC: Elizabeth Jane Howard discusses ...
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QUITE AND MUCH + SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES
It´s possible to use "much" and "quite" as adverbs of degree in front of superlative adjectives?
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We say "super chill", so is it valid if I say "super mature"? [closed]
We say "super chill", so is it valid and if so, why, and can I say "super mature" or "super conscious" or "super popular" ?
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Can we write "You're the most beautiful."? [closed]
I have a question on grammar. Which is the correct one?
You're the most beautiful.
You're the most beautiful girl.
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How to understand "lot" here?
Hoban: We're flying a lot blinder than usual here. We need to get our bearings.
I think we need to talk to Mr. Universe.
How to understand "lot" here? Is it superlative for the word "...
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2
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Can "the most commonly killed species" be replaced with "the most killed species"?
I have this doubt about a suggestion from Microsoft Word Processor. My original sentence is as follows:
This bird is the most commonly killed species in Southern Ocean fisheries and its breeding ...
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2
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Do you always need 'the' before superlative adjectives?
Attending a school with over 800 students was her ________ nightmare
My answer is the worst, but correct answer (from this website) is worst.
I'm not exactly saying that my answer is completely wrong,...
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Is “the holiest of all other rivers” correct?
Everyone agrees that the Yamuna is the holiest of all other rivers of the world.
I think it is correct. But some people are saying that it should be Yamuna is holier than any other river of the world....
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The least or least, the most or most? [closed]
Can I omit "the" in #1 and #2 before "least" and add it before "most" in #3, #4, #5? Will the meaning change by adding and omitting it?
"Our rotary telephone is the ...
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Which one goes after "the"? Possessive or superlative?
I'm trying to construct a sentence, combining possessive and superlative, but confused about the correct placement.
Here's my attempt, tell me which one is correct and why between these two below, ...
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More easily or most easily
I know when to use an adjective as comparative or superlative.
Example -
This is an easy job.
This is easier than the previous one.
This is the easiest.
And when this way, we can't derive ...
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Changing verb in a sentence with superlative with a noun
I wonder if I can change
That's the furthest/farthest I've ever run.
with
That's the furthest/farthest run I've ever did.
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In which cases let the superlatives better be split?
I remember MS word suggesting the words most common to commonest and it still does! That's okay. Why use two words when a single sure-word is available for that (Save ink, save energy from typing)
...
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Why cant use the term highest popular but highest popularity [closed]
Most popular sport or highest popular ... why cant it be highest popular
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How to use "score highest" in a sentence
I want to say that she has the highest score on the math exam.
Can I say it another way like below?
She score highest on the math exam.
She score the highest on the math exam.
Which one is correct (...
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what is best to serve
a. What is best to serve at our dinner party?
b. What is the best to serve at our dinner party?
c. Among the dishes on that list, which is best to serve at our dinner party?
d. Among the dishes on ...
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"The most purely delightful of his book" [closed]
I was wondering if you could tell me when we can use this structure:
The most purely delightful of his book
The superlative + adv + adj + of + something
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Which form of adjective should be used? [duplicate]
In the following sentence which form of the adjective should be used?
There were three four rooms in the hotel, the smallest/the smaller of which served as the gym.
I think it should be the smallest ...
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... others suggest that lively colors are (the) best because they make people happier [duplicate]
Do we need the 'the' in this sentence?
While some have argued that pastels are better because they calm
people down, others suggest that lively colors are (the) best because
they make people happier.
...
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Positive, comparative, superlative and... is there a fourth?
I'm wondering whether English has something beyond its superlative degree. In my language we call that "túlzófok", it literally translates to "exaggerative degree."
I'm wondering because I often hear ...
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Is "the most *noun*s" correct?
Example sentences:
I want the crate that contains the highest number of apples.
I want the crate that contains the most apples.
Is sentence 2 correct and with the same meaning as 1? If not, is there ...
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How to use "most" or "the most" after a verb? [duplicate]
I can't make out which one of these questions is correct: "What impressed him most?" or "what impressed him the most?"
If both are correct, what is the difference in meaning and ...
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Is there always a "the" before a superlative adjective?
For example:
I could not face being alone again and losing the person dearest to me.
I wonder why there is no "the" in front of "dearest".
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She looks best or Looks the best in this sentence: "She looks ________ in bright, vibrant colors, like red and pink"?
Do I have to put "the best" in this sentence:
"She looks best in bright, vibrant colors, like red and pink." if not so why?
This is from the Cambridge dictionary