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#4 (permalink) | |
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Within my grasp!
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Quote:
"mostly tropical weather' would be correct? |
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#5 (permalink) | |
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Real ale taster
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Quote:
It means 'most of the trees in the family are tropical trees'. I think I would say 'mainly tropical weather' if meaning the weather was usually tropical. Michael
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Native English speaker just trying to help people who post using proper English. |
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#6 (permalink) | |
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Within my grasp!
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#7 (permalink) | |
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Real ale taster
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Quote:
To develop the examples you give: Most tropical trees are thick-stemmed = the majority of tropical trees have thick stems. The most tropical trees are found nearest the equator = the trees which are found in the very hottest areas … (this isn't good English, I just use it to show the usage of the most - my botany's iffy too )Michael
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Native English speaker just trying to help people who post using proper English. |
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#8 (permalink) |
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TestMagic Guru-in-Training
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You wrote: ""a large family of most tropical trees" or "a large family of the most tropical trees" is correct."
I understand your feeling, but that is wrong. It is a basic rule: Adjectives modify NOUNS Adverbs modify VERBS, ADJECTIVES and other ADVERBS. Tropical is an ADJECTIVE as we can see from the ending "-al". Thus, to moidfy the ADJECTIVE "tropical" we must have an ADVERB. Here is another way to write: "a large family of 90% tropical trees". Notice that the family is 100% trees. The variation is in the type! Most (90%) are tropical, thus that is why we know that "mostly" must modify "tropical". Good luck!! Tino
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#9 (permalink) | |
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Within my grasp!
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#10 (permalink) |
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TestMagic Guru-in-Training
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Yes, but only when used in the superlative, meaning "the greatest. To the highest degree." It is used with long adjectives:
the biggest the most immense the cheapest the most expensive There is also an older use, that is uncommon now, where most is used like "very" meaning "to a very great amount" The talk was most interesting. He is most entertaining. But this is 1) uncommon 2) makes no sense with "tropical" (how is a tree very tropical?) Good luck! Tino
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