the best/ best

[puzzle]

Which jacket do you like the best/ best?

Is it fine with either of "the best and best"? Please.

[Mylanguageclick]

I would be more likely to say, "I like it best." (rather than "the best.") "I like it most/best" / "Which pop group do you like best?.
Regards.

[Raymott]

Which jacket do you like the best/ best?

Is it fine with either of "the best and best"? Please.

Yes, you can use either.

[TheParser]

Which jacket do you like the best/ best?

Is it fine with either of "the best and best"? Please.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


(1) I have also often asked myself this question. I am glad to see that

the two teachers have told us that we may use either form.

(2) I checked my books and the Web, and I found some information to share

with you:

(a) The great grammarian George O. Curme says that the "normal" form is the one without

the. He gives these examples:

He lives nearest to us./ John worked hardest./ He stayed longest.

(b) Professor Curme says that the other form is "quite common in colloquial

speech [the way ordinary people speak] and occurs sometimes in the literary

literature [books written by good authors]." He gives these examples:

Of all my books, I like this the best./ He was the greatest patriot in their eyes

who brawled the loudest./ Great souls are they who love the most.

(c) The professor wrote that more than 70 years ago in his masterpiece A Grammar of

the English Language. Nowadays is the "normal" form the one with "the"?

(d) I then checked the Web. It seems to me that most American websites suggest

that it is preferable to use the "the form." For example, fortunecity. com gives these

examples:

He jumped + the + highest + of all the boys in the class.
Our team plays +the + best + of all the teams in the league.

Maybe we could analyze your sentence as:

Which jacket do you like + the + best + of all the jackets that you own?

(e) I have now decided that in the future, I am going to use the "the + adverb" form.

I think that most Americans prefer that form.

(f) IMPORTANT: Michael Swan in his hugely popular Practical English Usage

reminds us that there is one time when we may not use the: when we compare the

same person. Therefore, we may NOT use "the" in these sentences:

He's nicest when he has had a few drinks.

She works hardest when she is doing something for her family.

(ONLY my example) I do best in class when I respect the teacher because of her knowledge, patience, and kindness.