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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
English
Which sentence is correct?
Of the two books I think this is the best.
Of the two books I think this is the better.
Of the two books I think this is the best.
Of the two books I think this is the better.
Top answer
According to the rules, you should use "better" when comparing two things and "best" when comparing more than two, so the second sentence is correct. In everyday English, though, people often use "best" even when there are only two things (and similarly with other superlatives), and, to me, the first sentence is quite acceptable in informal use. In my usage, the tendency to use "best" when strictly speaking "better" is required depends on the sentence structure.
- According to the rules, you should use "better" when comparing two things and "best" when comparing more than two, so the second sentence is correct.
- In everyday English, though, people often use "best" even when there are only two things (and similarly with other superlatives), and, to me, the first sentence is quite acceptable in informal use.
- In my usage, the tendency to use "best" when strictly speaking "better" is required depends on the sentence structure.
- For example, if asked to choose between two items, I'd be more likely to say "I think this one is the best" but "I think this one is better".
- Similarly with other comparatives/superlatives.
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1 Answers
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According to the rules, you should use "better" when comparing two things and "best" when comparing more than two, so the second sentence is correct. In everyday English, though, people often use "best" even when there are only two things (and similarly with other superlatives), and, to me, the first sentence is quite acceptable in informal use.
In my usage, the tendency to use "best" wh
In my usage, the tendency to use "best" wh
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