Usage When Considering Only Two Things
In many languages, including English, traditional grammar requires the comparative form to be used when exactly two things are being considered, even in constructions where the superlative would be used when considering a larger number. For instance, May the better man win would be considered correct if there are only two individuals competing. However this rule is not always observed in informal usage; the form May the best man win will often be used in that situation, as it would if there were three or more competitors involved.
Read more about this topic: Degree Of Comparison
Famous quotes containing the words two things and/or usage:
“Science and literature are not two things, but two sides of one thing.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)
“...Often the accurate answer to a usage question begins, “It depends.” And what it depends on most often is where you are, who you are, who your listeners or readers are, and what your purpose in speaking or writing is.”
—Kenneth G. Wilson (b. 1923)