[Grammar] the most XXX(adjective) of/among ...?

[pinkie9]

1. Stone is the most durable of all building materials.
2. Stone is the most durable among all building materials.

Are they both correct? If so, when do you use each of "of" and "among"?

 

[bhaisahab]

1. Stone is the most durable of all building materials.
2. Stone is the most durable among all building materials.

Are they both correct? If so, when do you use each of "of" and "among"?

I wouldn't use "among".

 

[pinkie9]

Thank you.
How about this?

3. Beer is the most popular alcohol among Japanese.

I think this is corect. Could anyone please tell me what the difference between Examples 1 and 3 is?

 

[philo2009]

Unless you regard Japanese people as a type of alcohol, I would have thought the difference was rather clear!!

 

[pinkie9]

Okay, I see. Thank you!

 

[philo2009]

You're welcome!

:-D

 

[Tdol]

I'd say Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink among Japanese.

 

[pinkie9]

Thank you.
That example sentence was from "Eijiro on the Web". http://www.alc.co.jp/
Maybe I shoudn't trust this dictionary site very much.

 

[Tdol]

It's not greatly important, but the alcohol is the same (ethanol) in all alcoholic drinks. ;-)

 

[RobMasters]

I'd say Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink among Japanese.

I think you have to be more precise initially.

"Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink among the Japanese people" ("Japanese"without a qualifier could refer to Japanese dogs or Japanese fish etc.)

When you expand the sentence like this then using "among" sounds really clumsy - " . . .of the Japanese people" slips off the tongue more easily.

 

[Tdol]

"Japanese"without a qualifier could refer to Japanese dogs or Japanese fish etc.

In the context of beer drinking, are these very likely interpretations?

 

[emsr2d2]

I think you have to be more precise initially.

"Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink among the Japanese people" ("Japanese"without a qualifier could refer to Japanese dogs or Japanese fish etc.)

When you expand the sentence like this then using "among" sounds really clumsy - " . . .of the Japanese people" slips off the tongue more easily.

If I were to add "people" to the end, I would remove the article to leave "among/of Japanese people".

Having said that, I see no reason to explain that we're talking about people. Japanese dogs are unlikely to have a favourite alcoholic drink.

Beer is the favourite alcoholic drink of the Japanese.
Ale is the favourite alcoholic drink of the British.
Red wine is the favourite alcoholic drink of the Spanish.