[Grammar] try your level best & try your best

[kadioguy]

1. try your best --> 'best' here is a noun.
2. try your level best--> 'best' here is an adjective. (try your level which is best)
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Am I right?

 

[Rover_KE]

IMO, 'best' is still a noun in #2.

Also: your very best — level and best being adjectives.

 

[kadioguy]

IMO, 'best' is still a noun in #2.
Also: your very best — level and best being adjectives.

'best being an adjective'? But you said ''best' is still a noun in #2.' :shock:

Did you want to say 'level and very being adjectives'?

 

[kadioguy]

level and very being adjectives.

IMO, 'best' is still a noun in #2.
Also: your very best — level and very being adjectives.

Why not 'level and very are adjectives'?

 

[Rover_KE]

'best being an adjective'? But you said ''best' is still a noun in #2.' :shock:

Did you mean to say 'level and very being adjectives'?

Yes, I did. Sorry about that.

 

[Rover_KE]

Re: level and best being adjectives.

That would work, but rephrasing and punctuation would need to be changed.

'You can also say "your very best". "Level" and "very" are adjectives in this context.'

My first version was shorter.

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You didn't need to start a new thread to ask this question. You should have added it to the original thread.

 

[kadioguy]

Re: level and best being adjectives.

That would work, but rephrasing and punctuation would need to be changed.

'You can also say "your very best". "Level" and "very" are adjectives in this context.'

My first version was shorter.

Thank you. But I don't understand why the following isn't correct. I think this sentence is grammatical, isn't it? (A dash can be followed by a sentence.)

Also: your very best — level and very are adjectives.

You didn't need to start a new thread to ask this question. You should have added it to the original thread.

I did so because I remembered that emsr2d2 told me not to 'hijack a thread'. :shock:

 

[Rover_KE]

Re: level and best being adjectives.

I did so because I remembered that emsr2d2 told me not to 'hijack a thread'. :shock:

That was because you asked a supplementary question about somebody else's thread.

In this case, you're asking a follow-up question about your own thread.

 

[kadioguy]

Re: level and best being adjectives.

Thank you all. And then could you please tell me why the following isn't correct? I think this sentence is grammatical, isn't it? (A dash can be followed by a sentence.)

Also: your very best — level and very are adjectives.

 

[jutfrank]

They both mean try as hard as you can. Don't worry about whether the words are nouns or adjectives. Just focus on the meaning and use of the phrase.

I'd say that your best and your level best are adverbial phrases. They refer to the degree that you try.

 

[kadioguy]

Re: level and best being adjectives.

Also: your very best — level and very being adjectives.
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Or did Rover_KE just want a phrase rather than a sentence?

Did the phrase mean the following?

... level and very (which are) being adjectives.
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(update)

I have posted it on
https://www.englishforums.com/English/BeingAdjectivesAdjectives/bmkgbw/post.htm

Why do I post it there again? Because it didn't get answered here.