[Grammar] most appropriate/the most appropriate

[LaMelange]

Hello teachers,

Is the following sentence correct as it is, or should there be a definite article before the word "most"?


Original: One final consideration has to do with analysis and the need to keep in mind that non-parametric tests might be most appropriate.
Edited: One final consideration has to do with analysis and the need to keep in mind that non-parametric tests might be the most appropriate.

I think that the original is correct, but I do not know the reason. Could you please explain?

Here is one more sentence:

Finally and perhaps [the?] most important is the fact that other types of data, in particular spontaneous production data, do not reliably yield a sufficient number of exemplars of a particular linguistic structure necessary for analysis and interpretation.

Again, the original did not have the definite article.

Source: The Palgrave Handbook of Applied Linguistics Research Methodology, by Aek Phakiti (pre-press)

Thank you!

 

[jutfrank]

In the first sentence, it depends on the meaning. If the idea is to compare non-parametric tests with other tests, then it's better to use the. Then it would read as non-parametric tests might be the most approporiate [tests to use].

In the second sentence, the is probably not correct. Since it is paired with and connected (with and) to the adverb Finally, it seems that most important is meant adverbially as most importantly. If so, no article is possible. What's ambiguous here is the fact that the adverb is followed by is the fact that ..., which sounds awkward.

It is possible that most important is meant as an adjective, (e.g. the most important [factor] or the most important [thing to bear in mind]) in which case the would be necessary. But if so, the sentence reads even worse. Mostly because of the initial Finally and ....

My feeling is that the thought was not completely clear in the writer's mind and he mixed up these two different uses. Or perhaps the confusion came from the editing process.

 

[teechar]

Think of the version without "the" as "very appropriate". And as jutfrank has explained, the one with "the" suggests a set of things.

 

[LaMelange]

It is possible that most important is meant as an adjective, (e.g. the most important [factor] or the most important [thing to bear in mind]) in which case the would be necessary. But if so, the sentence reads even worse. Mostly because of the initial Finally and ....

Now I understand the ambiguity you have mentioned, but when I read the sentence, the only thing that struck me was the definite article the.

Thank you for your explanation!