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superlative or comparison

English Language & Usage Asked by sproutgrow on August 31, 2020

I have a question about some sentences.

John is better than Sarah and Mary.

or

John is the best.

If I’m comparing three things (John, Sarah, Mary), why am I using a comparative adjective?

I thought it was only for two people or things, but this is three.

One Answer

In your example, I think it's best to think of it as John Vs (Sarah and Mary).

The set is undefined, so it's unclear whether the superlative would be factually correct. If you were to prefix that with "In this class of three..", then the superlative works.

Answered by JKim on August 31, 2020

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