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ENGLISH
PORTUGUESE LINGUISTICS & CULTURE |
Autor: | PPAULO |
E-mail: | não-disponível |
Data: | 22/MAR/2010 10:41 PM |
Assunto: | "best of" or "best in" the wo |
Mensagem: |
I have no grammar rule that I recall, but I hit the Google/One Look and did some reading and here goes my personal opinion (take it as a hunch, then. An educated guess...)
http://www.onelook.com/?w=best*world&ls=a 1. best restaurant in the world
From this piece of text, I gather that if you have ''more than one best'' a set of "best things" around, then you use OF. For example: Brazil has the best soccer players of the world. (sorry, I couldn´t help bragging about some!) On the other hand, if you have a thing that is ''one of a kind'' (unique, being the only one) it will be ''in the world".
Here the grammar of it, has to do with plural countable nouns, technically, I mean. Someday I will master the grammar lingo and explain in its terms. But no right now. It´s open, to more advanced contributors, then.
1) This avenue is related to the Tango.
Here in the BBC´s blog, the suggested correction to a learner, but maybe it is a Brit. English thing.
www.islandreefjob.com/ - Em cache Island Caretaker Blog A unique, one of a kind.
www.nacubo.org/documents/business_topics/AssessingImpact.pdf Looks like the American people use best in the world as well, not a single OF THE WORLD in this document pdf.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restaurant_(magazine)_Top_50 Once more, in the world.
The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. IX (of ... The best of the World´s classics, a group of classics then. Albeit the best ones.
Same as before.
Well, I am explaining about what seemed the correct way [grammatically, albeit I am playing by ear, by instinct...seeking a pattern here] However, many native speakers will often use both ways (with both prepositions) to convey the message of "being unique/being one of a kind/the only one in the world...". If so, mainly if it is in the middle of a conversation, why spoil the party? ignore your high expectations and the necessity of being right and enjoy the company, why not?
Hope it helps.
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