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Kooyeen Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
This is better
Hi 
I was tought "best" is for more than two choices, "better" for two choices. If I have 3 items, and I take one in my hand, I can say "This is better than the others", because there are two choices (this or the others). So, can I say:
"This is better" (leaving out "than the others", as if it were implicit), or do I have to say "This is best"?
And considering this the other way around, when you read "This is better", does it mean that "That thing is better than another thing" or "That thing is better that some other things that have been considered"?
Thank you.
I was tought "best" is for more than two choices, "better" for two choices. If I have 3 items, and I take one in my hand, I can say "This is better than the others", because there are two choices (this or the others). So, can I say:
"This is better" (leaving out "than the others", as if it were implicit), or do I have to say "This is best"?
And considering this the other way around, when you read "This is better", does it mean that "That thing is better than another thing" or "That thing is better that some other things that have been considered"?
Thank you.
Top answer
" If you say "Of these three, this is ___" then you should say best, because you are ranking them, but it could be that some fourth something, not there at the moment, is really the best, and the one you point to is simply better than the other otwo.
- " If you say "Of these three, this is ___" then you should say best, because you are ranking them, but it could be that some fourth something, not there at the moment, is really the best, and the one you point to is simply better than the other otwo.
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2 Answers
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Sure, you can say "This is better." If you say "Of these three, this is ___" then you should say best, because you are ranking them, but it could be that some fourth something, not there at the moment, is really the best, and the one you point to is simply better than the other otwo.
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