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Grammar books say we cannot use 'the' in these examples:

·I am ~~the~~ happiest when I'm with you.
·This village is ~~the~~ most beautiful in spring.

Then, what about this? The same is true of this one?

You will be the(?) most regretful when you notice you haven't lived your own life as you want.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I don't think "the" is "incorrect" in any of these. It's just bad style.

When we're comparing items, it seems more natural to use the article.

Which/What would be the most charitable thing to do?
In this case, the article is required, because it goes with "thing."
I'd like to do whatever is [the] most charitable. (Without "thing," "the" is optional.)

TakaYou will be the(?) most regretful when you notice you haven't lived your own life as you want.

That example doesn't seem to escape from your rule.

When the "complement" is the comparative adjective, "the" seems more objectionable:
"I am the happier when I am with you." But I still don't think it's incorrect.

You will be all the more regretful when you notice etc. I think this one's an idiom. "The" is required.

When will you be [the] most regretful? To me, "the" is optional. In these cases, it seems more natural to use it, and perhaps a bit "high register" to delete it.

We use "the" in idioms like, "I don't think she's any the worse for the wear."

This is probably not much help. - A.

Taka · Answer

Avangi.When will you be [the] most regretful? To me, "the" is optional. In these cases, it seems more natural to use it, and perhaps a bit "high register" to delete

So you don't think it's as bad as those in the first two?

Avangi · Answer

My post is badly organized, Taka. I was hoping someone else would comment. At first there seemed to be a way to separate the good ones from the "bad" ones, but it's not very convincing.

Without more input, you'd probably be wise to avoid the article in formal writing in cases where there's no noun involved (your examples).

Your third example is not substantially different from your first two.

Sometimes there's an implied noun:
Which [one] of these is [the] most beautiful?

If I can sort it out, I'll get back to you. - A.

Cool Breeze · Answer

If there is no comparison with other people, the is incorrect. There are two options:

I am [at my] happiest when I'm with you.

The person doesn't compare himself with other people at all in the above sentence and that is the reason the is wrong. The sentence means "I am happier than I am at any other time when I'm with you". It does not mean "I am happier than anyone else when I'm with you".

Another example: The lake is [at its] deepest here. (This is the deepest point of the lake. / Nowhere else is the lake deeper than here.) Again, the lake is not compared with any other lake.

The should be omitted in your last sentence as well for the very same reason. However, it sounds a little stilted to my ear and I might recast it. There's nothing wrong with it grammatically. It's just not often said and English is a language of fixed phrases that everybody uses.

CB

Avangi · Answer

Cool BreezeThe should be omitted in your last sentence as well for the very same reason. However, it sounds a little stilted to my ear and I might recast it. There's nothing wrong with it grammatically. It's just not often said and English is a language of fixed phrases that everybody uses

Hi, CB.

I'm lost amongst the its.

You said that "the is incorrect."
You said that "the should be omitted."
You said that "there's nothing wrong with it grammatically."

Is this a case of "incorrect" vs. "ungrammatical," or do you mean that once the "the" is omitted, there's nothing wrong with the sentence grammatically?

Cheers! - A.

Cool Breeze · Answer

Avangido you mean that once the "the" is omitted, there's nothing wrong with the sentence grammatically?

That's what I meant, Avangi. I'm sorry my wording was inaccurate.

Avangi · Answer

Got it!

Is your position that when the comparison is explicit, the "the" is only optional?

She is tallest among the girls.

Taka · Answer

Cool BreezeThe should be omitted in your last sentence as well for the very same reason.

You mean the one in question, about the regret, CB?

Cool Breeze · Answer

TakaYou mean the one in question, about the regret, CB?

Yes. That is your last sentence.

CB

Avangi · Answer

Okay, guys.

Sorry, Taka, to have led you down the primrose path. I sincerely thought the "the" was gramatically acceptable, though bad style.

I'm still under the impression that I hear it quite frequently among native speakers, but the structures are such that it's impossible to isolate one type from the other in Google.

The distinction between the two types was never in doubt (explicit comparison vs. NO explicit comparison), but I had thought to isolate a category of the second type in which the "the" was less offensive. I failed.
(By "second type," I mean the type in Taka's three examples.)

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