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Debpriya De Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Superlative

1. They have the least money of anyone I know.

2. They have the fewest friends of anyone I know.

Are these sentences correct ?

Can we use superative forms with "anyone" ?
  

Top answer

Yes, they sound OK to me, at least informally.

— Mister Micawber

  • Yes, they sound OK to me, at least informally.
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4 Answers
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Yes, they sound OK to me, at least informally.
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But, when using a superlative shouldn't we specify a relevant set for which the extreme quantity is being asserted ?

Here "anyone" doesn't refer to any set, it is just a singular indefinite pronoun.

But if we say "They have the least money of all my friends", we are referring to a set, ie. "all my friends".
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They sound OK to me, at least informally.
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Debpriya DeHere "anyone" doesn't refer to any set, it is just a singular indefinite pronoun.
Yes, but it's meaning is all-encompassing. It includes everybody! That's a big enough set!
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