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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Superlative
Hi,
1.In a grammar book, the rule for making superlatives says to use 'the' before the adjective.All the questions follow the rule except the following:'Which one is closest to the equator?a.India b.Somalia c.Italy'
Why is there not 'the' before 'closest'?
2.What's wrong with the following sentence?
'I wish we would spend much time together.'
The Key Answer in the grammar book doesn't count the sentence as correct.
1.In a grammar book, the rule for making superlatives says to use 'the' before the adjective.All the questions follow the rule except the following:'Which one is closest to the equator?a.India b.Somalia c.Italy'
Why is there not 'the' before 'closest'?
2.What's wrong with the following sentence?
'I wish we would spend much time together.'
The Key Answer in the grammar book doesn't count the sentence as correct.
Top answer
1-- 'The' is not always required, especially informally: Which beer is best? Who's tallest? 2-- ' I/We wish I/we would' (or in any case where the wisher is the same as the doer) is not in use or is only in rare use, since the wisher is then in control of fulfilling his own wish and there is nothing therefore conditional about the action.
- 1-- 'The' is not always required, especially informally: Which beer is best?
- Who's tallest?
- 2-- ' I/We wish I/we would' (or in any case where the wisher is the same as the doer) is not in use or is only in rare use, since the wisher is then in control of fulfilling his own wish and there is nothing therefore conditional about the action.
- This is fine, however: 'I wish we could spend more time together'.
- Here, an outside power is in control of the situation.
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4 Answers
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1-- 'The' is not always required, especially informally: Which beer is best? Who's tallest?
2-- 'I/We wish I/we would' (or in any case where the wisher is the same as the doer) is not in use or is only in rare use, since the wisher is then in control of fulfilling his own wish and there is nothing therefore conditional about the action.
This is fine, however: 'I
2-- 'I/We wish I/we would' (or in any case where the wisher is the same as the doer) is not in use or is only in rare use, since the wisher is then in control of fulfilling his own wish and there is nothing therefore conditional about the action.
This is fine, however: 'I
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Mister Micawber1-- 'The' is not always required, especially informally: Which beer is best? Who's tallest?
2-- 'I/We wish I/we would' (or in any case where the wisher is the same as the doer) is not in use or is only in rare use, since the wisher is then in control of fulfilling his own wish and there is nothing therefore conditional about the action.
This
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Anonymous'Which one is closest to the equator?a.India b.Somalia c.Italy''
Why is there not 'the' before 'closest'?
'Closest' is an adverb in your example and 'the' isn't required with the superlatives of adverbs:
Who can sing [the] most beautifully?
He drove [the] fastest.
CB
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I considered that, CB — but then we get into the discussion of whether a real adverb can follow the copula.
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