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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

The use of eldest

i am a girl , i have three brothers who are older than me . how should i decribe my three brothers invidually,
  

Top answer

There is no simple solution to this in English. We do not have a vocabulary of ranking to this extent. Any method you use will probably require additional explanation to your interlocutor.

— Mister Micawber

  • There is no simple solution to this in English.
  • We do not have a vocabulary of ranking to this extent.
  • Any method you use will probably require additional explanation to your interlocutor.
  • I have three brothers who are older than me.
  • My eldest brother is named Seth.
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4 Answers
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There is no simple solution to this in English. We do not have a vocabulary of ranking to this extent. Any method you use will probably require additional explanation to your interlocutor.

I have three brothers who are older than me.
My eldest brother is named Seth.
The next-eldest is named Aaron.
The youngest of the three is named Michael.
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I wonder if this is correct:

I have three brothers who are older than me .

Seth is the eldest, followed by Aaron and Michael
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That sounds good, too, Soeleen.
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Some grammarians think elder and eldest are correct only when they are used attributively, i.e. before a noun: My elder brother is older than me/I.

CB

PS There's another requirement: one must talk about one's own family, usually brothers or sisters. It isn't right to say
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