Most beautifully/more quickly/more slowly/more loudly

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

Could you please check if my examples are correct? I read that ''the'' can be dropped before superlative adverbs in an informal style but if I have longer adverbs such as ''beautifully'' can I use ''the'' before it? For example, ''She sings most the beautifully.'' I think ''the'' must be removed.

''She talks louder/more loudly''.
''She talks (the) loudest/most loudly''. Not ''the most loudly.''

''She runs slower/more slowly''.
''She runs (the) slowest/most slowly''. Not ''the most slowly''

''She runs quicker/more quickly''.
''She runs (the) quickest/most quickly''. No ''the most quickly'.''

 

[GoesStation]

She sings the most beautifully: her singing is more beautiful than that of any of the other people we're discussing.

She sings most beautifully: (very formal) her singing is exceptionally beautiful.

The first is a superlative. In the second, most is an intensifying adverb.

 

[Tarheel]

Hello.

Could you please check if my examples are correct? I read that ''the'' can be dropped before superlative adverbs in an informal style, but if I have longer adverbs such as ''beautifully'' can I use ''the'' before
them? For example, ''She sings most the beautifully.'' I think ''the'' must be removed.

''She talks louder/more loudly''.
''She talks (the) loudest/most loudly''. Not ''the most loudly.''

''She runs slower/more slowly''.
''She runs (the) slowest/most slowly''. Not ''the most slowly''

''She runs quicker/more quickly''.
''She runs (the) quickest/most quickly''. No ''the most quickly'.''

"She talks louder." The speaker or writer is comparing her to someone or something.

"She talks the loudest." The speaker or writer is comparing her to more than one other person.

Some of your examples are very unlikely.

 

[jutfrank]

Here's a general rule:

You can omit the only when the adjective which the adverb is formed from is of a particular class. Have you ever studied when with comparatives you can use the suffix -er and when you have to use more? If so, then you can use the rule that when the comparative adjective can take the -er suffix, you can also omit the in superlatives. If the -er suffix cannot be added to the adjective, then you can't omit the in the superlative.

A simplification of this rule is that when the adjective has one syllable, then the superlative may not need the. Since beautiful has three syllables, you have to use the.

 

[Rachel Adams]

She sings the most beautifully: her singing is more beautiful than that of any of the other people we're discussing.

She sings most beautifully: (very formal) her singing is exceptionally beautiful.

The first is a superlative. In the second, most is an intensifying adverb.

In the same way I can use ''She talks the loudest'' ''the most loudly'' and ''most loudly.'' Or ''She runs the quickest'' ''the most quickly'' and ''most quickly'', ''she runs the slowest'', ''most slowly'' and ''the most slowly.'' Am I right? When is it possible to omit ''the'' before an adverb?

 

[Tarheel]

She talks the loudest. :-D

She talks the most loudly. :-(

 

[GoesStation]

In the same way I can use ''She talks the loudest'' ''the most loudly'' and ''most loudly.'' Or ''She runs the quickest'' ''the most quickly'' and ''most quickly'', ''she runs the slowest'', ''most slowly'' and ''the most slowly.'' Am I right? When is it possible to omit ''the'' before an adverb?

The sentences without the definite article are in a very elevated, old-fashioned style. You may never encounter a circumstance for which they'd be appropriate.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Here's a general rule:

You can omit the only when the adjective which the adverb is formed from is of a particular class. Have you ever studied when with comparatives you can use the suffix -er and when you have to use more? If so, then you can use the rule that when the comparative adjective can take the -er suffix, you can also omit the in superlatives. If the -er suffix cannot be added to the adjective, then you can't omit the in the superlative.

A simplification of this rule is that when the adjective has one syllable, then the superlative may not need the. Since beautiful has three syllables, you have to use the.

My book ''A Practical English Grammar'' by Swan doesn't say anything about the number of syllables. It says the article can be omitted in an informal style before an adjective and an adverb. It says: ''Which of the boys is (the) strongest?'' ''Who can run (the) fastest?''
I wrote the following examples to see if I understand the rules correctly. ''He is the politest/the stragest man I have ever met.'' ''He answered (the) most politely/(the) most arrogantly''.

You said I must use ''the''before ''beautiful.'' And as I understand now, it should be used before adverbs too. For example, ''She sings the most beautifully.'' It must't be omitted here.

 

[Rachel Adams]

The sentences without the definite article are in a very elevated, old-fashioned style. You may never encounter a circumstance for which they'd be appropriate.

I see now. I was confused by the book. It says ''The is sometimes dropped before superlative adverbs in an informal style''. ''Who can run (the) fastest?''
Does it matter if an adverb has the same form as an adjective? Maybe ''the'' can be omitted before an adverb that doesn't have the same form as an adjective? What I wrote in post 8 must be wrong. ''He answered (the) most politely/(the) most arrogantly''. I should include ''the.''

 

[Tarheel]

My book ''A Practical English Grammar'' by Swan doesn't say anything about the number of syllables. It says the article can be omitted in an informal style before an adjective or an adverb. It says: ''Which of the boys is (the) strongest?'' ''Who can run (the) fastest?''
I wrote the following examples to see if I understand the rules correctly. ''He is the politest/the strangest man I have ever met.'' ''He answered the most politely/the most arrogantly''. You said I must use ''the''before ''beautiful.'' And as I understand now, it should be used before adverbs too. For example, ''She sings the most beautifully.'' It must't be omitted here.

Let's look at the last one first using an invented dialogue.

Rachel: Ron, is there any chance you would use that one?
Ron: "She sings most beautifully"?
Rachel: Yes.
Ron: Two chances.
Rachel: What are those?
Ron: Little and none.