Kooyeen  +  288797 Fri, 03 Nov 06 02:43 AM Hi I was tought "best" is for more than two choices, "better" for two choices. If  I have 3 items, and I take one in my hand, I can say "This is better than the others", because there are two choices (this or the others). So, can I say: "This is better" (leaving out "than the others", as if it were implicit), or do I have to say "This is best"? And considering this the other way around, when you read "This is better", does it mean that "That thing is better than another thing" or "That thing is better that some other things that have been considered"? Thank you. Kooyeen Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005 Italy Senior Member 4,971 Parental Advisory / Explicit Posts

	Grammar Geek  +  288811 Fri, 03 Nov 06 03:34 AM Sure, you can say "This is better." If you say "Of these three, this is ___" then you should say best, because you are ranking them, but it could be that some fourth something, not there at the moment, is really the best, and the one you point to is simply better than the other otwo. Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,678 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!

	Kooyeen  +  288931 Fri, 03 Nov 06 12:49 PM Hi GG , I hope I got it right, Thaaaaaank you! Kooyeen