It tastes the best

Question

Have anyone heard or said "It tastes the best"? I think that "It tastes best" is more correct in grammar because as far as I know, nouns are omitted and because of omitted nouns, "the" can be left there. So I know that "You are the best ( one, person, man, etc )" is right but I think "It tastes the best" should be " It tastes best" What do you think?

Thank you as always and have a good day.

Dimsumexpress · Accepted Answer

Kwang Hee HanI think that "It tastes best" is more correct

No you thought wrong.

Kwang Hee Han"It tastes the best" - This implies making taste comparison against others and you think it is the best.

Superlative - the worst / the best / the biggest, all requires "the" in the construction.

Enoon · Answer

It depends on context and on how fussy the speaker is feeling that day. People tend to inject a careless "the" when it is not needed. Say three chefs each make me an omelet. I taste them all and say, "This one tastes the best." I stop and replay my statement in my head and realize that my poor childhood milieu is rearing its ugly head again, and I wish I had said, "This one tastes best." That "the" creeps into the adverb by confusion with the adjective and noun. The adverb is "best", no "the", but in casual speech and writing nobody cares.

Ivanhr · Answer

Well, there're a couple of examples in my grammar book that are quite baffling.

"the" is sometimes dropped before superlative adverbs in an informal style.

Who can run (the) fastest?

and then there's this sentence

She works (the) hardest; her husband doesn't know what works is.
(A woman is being compared to a man; "the" is possible)

Ivanhr · Answer

just one correction...what work is...

Enoon · Answer

English has very few hard and fast rules. Usage, idiom, dialect, register and opinion all have their place in deciding "correctness". I have been giving you the opinion of a literate speaker of Middle Atlantic American English born in the middle of the last century.

"She works the hardest" is idiomatic when there are defined choices. The answer to who can run the fastest depends on who is in the race. The answer to who can run fastest is usually Usain Bolt.

Ivanhr · Answer

enoon I have been giving you the opinion of a literate speaker of Middle Atlantic American English born in the middle of the last century

I wasn't trying to question your answer so I hope you didn't get that impression. I just wanted to make sure the OP understands that superlative adverbs can sometimes take "the".

BTW, welcome to EF!

Enoon · Answer

Nice to be here. No worries. I think I actually contradicted myself in there somewhere. It's a confusing issue, and I am glad to let somebody else run with it.

Dimsumexpress · Answer

Hi enoon,

From the idiomatic and syntactic perspective, the definite article "the" is required when a superlative ( i.e. best, happiest) is used in the context to describe an explicit or implied comparison as is in the example.
Explicit - A consumer satisfaction study group surveyed 500 I-phone and Android users, data suggests Android has the best over all performance.( this is an example, not fact)

Implied - XYZ magazine has an article on features comparison of the latest smart phones. I-phone has the most popular apps.

If the approach is to label "best" as adverb and therefore requires no article, then how do we handle other adjectives:
i.e. fresh, sweet, spicy, popular and etc.? I believe the article is not an option, it is part of the normal usage pattern (idiomatic, if you will), including the omelet example. That's my opinion.

enoon "This one tastes best." That "the" creeps into the adverb by confusion with the adjective and noun. The adverb is "best", no "the", but in casual speech and writing nobody cares.

That being said, in certain non-comparison context, the "the" omission is possible. i.e. Pizza tastes [the] best when is piping hot.

Everlastinghope · Answer

I found in the web some different explanations about the omission of "the".
It's dropped when :
1- It is not the subject of the clause, or when the noun phrase is not otherwise modified:
"The happiest man is the single man".
The single man is happiest.
"The single man is the happiest man I know".
2- when the comparison is of the same entity at e.g. different times:

"The weekend is when I'm busiest".
"It's hottest in the summer".

3- When "the most "means very:

"A single man is most accommodating".

4-used for concrete nouns, e.g. "He has the most marbles/beer/etc."

NOT used when qualifying abstract nouns:

"Amongst the mourners, his widow showed most grief."

5- when using plural countable nouns,

"At that age, most adventures are good."

6-when qualifying adjectives on their own.

"China is most populous when compared to other countries". - populous is an adjective and on its own.
"China is THE most populous country in the world. - country is a noun; populous is NOT on its own.

7- Specific vs general :
"This pupil is brightest"= you will not find a pupil brighter than her.
"This pupil is the brightest" = "Of the pupils I teach.

8-When a superlative is after a possessive:
"I've heard about your best plan,well done".

9- When apposition is used followed by "of":
"I took refuge with X., kindliest of hosts'.

BillJ · Answer

Kwang Hee Han~~Have~~ Has anyone heard or said "It tastes the best"? I think that "It tastes best" is more correct in grammar because as far as I know, nouns are omitted and because of omitted nouns, "the" can be left there. So I know that "You are the best ( one, person, man, etc )" is right but I think "It tastes the best" should be " It tastes best" What do you think?

It all depends on the kind of comparative phrase in which it occurs. In 'free' superlatives, 'the' is usually permitted but optional. In 'incorporated' superlatives (where it's part of a noun phrase) "the" is always permitted, normally strongly preferred, and often obligatory:

"It tastes (the) best". (free superlative phrase - "the" is optional)
"You are the best person for the job" (incorporated superlative phrase - "the" is obligatory)

BillJ

It tastes the best

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions