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Candy Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Superlative form

"Brazil's launch site is near the equator. The earth's rotation is fastest there, requiring less fuel for launches and allowing for larger payloads."

'Fastest' is superlative form but 'the' is not added before 'fastest' in the sentence above.
In which case can I omit "the" in superlative forms?

Many thanks for your help.
  

Top answer

in this sentence "fastest" is used as an ADJECTIVE qualifying the NOUN "earth's rotation". If one wanted to say "Brazil's launch site is near the equator. The earth's rotation is the fastest rotation there," we are now talking about two NOUNS --- by denoting that "the rotation at the equator is the fastest rotation" ( 'this rotation' IS 'that rotation').

— Mjcbrown

  • in this sentence "fastest" is used as an ADJECTIVE qualifying the NOUN "earth's rotation".
  • If one wanted to say "Brazil's launch site is near the equator.
  • The earth's rotation is the fastest rotation there," we are now talking about two NOUNS --- by denoting that "the rotation at the equator is the fastest rotation" ( 'this rotation' IS 'that rotation').
  • Then it is permissible to leave out the repitition of "rotation" so that "the fastest" is understood to mean "the fastest rotation" In summary if your are thinking of the noun use an article Mario Brown
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1 Answers
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in this sentence "fastest" is used as an ADJECTIVE qualifying the NOUN "earth's rotation".

If one wanted to say
"Brazil's launch site is near the equator. The earth's rotation is the fastest rotation there,"
we are now talking about two NOUNS --- by denoting that "the rotation at the equator is the fastest rotation" ( 'this rotation' IS 'that rotation'). Then it is permi
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