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Demicjusz Posted 22 years ago
Grammar
Without the slightest...difficulty/-ies?
Which phrase is correct (/more correct?):
'They all passed their exams without the slightest...
1. difficulty?
2. difficulties?
I tried the Google search and got over 800 hits(?) for 1., but also a few for 2., e.g.:
‘The Chinese cellist Jian Wang is a protégé of Isaac Stern. From the first note he plays you know why… Wang is not only equal to the difficulties posed by the two cello concertos, he masters them elegantly, powerfully and delicately… In the outside movements in particular the string virtuoso develops an overwhelming charm -everything flows WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST DIFFICULTIES anywhere… What we have here is a really beautiful and very lively recording.’
http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/Green/Green/home.nsf/0/64BE9CB3AF9418C280256AC7003DA5CC?openDocument
Could you help me with this one? Thanks in advance.
'They all passed their exams without the slightest...
1. difficulty?
2. difficulties?
I tried the Google search and got over 800 hits(?) for 1., but also a few for 2., e.g.:
‘The Chinese cellist Jian Wang is a protégé of Isaac Stern. From the first note he plays you know why… Wang is not only equal to the difficulties posed by the two cello concertos, he masters them elegantly, powerfully and delicately… In the outside movements in particular the string virtuoso develops an overwhelming charm -everything flows WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST DIFFICULTIES anywhere… What we have here is a really beautiful and very lively recording.’
http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/Green/Green/home.nsf/0/64BE9CB3AF9418C280256AC7003DA5CC?openDocument
Could you help me with this one? Thanks in advance.
Top answer
Google is good for getting hits on almost anything, including *** knows whose blogs, but I would prefer to notice that this case utilizes the superlative 'the slightest', which would suggest one difficulty, not many. I would always write this as 'without the slightest difficulty'.
- Google is good for getting hits on almost anything, including *** knows whose blogs, but I would prefer to notice that this case utilizes the superlative 'the slightest', which would suggest one difficulty, not many.
- I would always write this as 'without the slightest difficulty'.
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3 Answers
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Google is good for getting hits on almost anything, including *** knows whose blogs, but I would prefer to notice that this case utilizes the superlative 'the slightest', which would suggest one difficulty, not many.
I would always write this as 'without the slightest difficulty'.
I would always write this as 'without the slightest difficulty'.
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I agree with Mister Micawber, slightest behaves as an adjective that modifies the noun "difficulty". I guess there's no more than one "difficulty" in that sentence.
Greatings...
Hugo
Greatings...
Hugo
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