Difference between "most" & "the most"

[Irina]

Hi,

Would anyone be so kind to explain the difference between "most" & "the most"?

For example:

- What I like most is ... and

- What I like the most is ...

I don't understand what the difference is.

Any help is appreciated.

[Kristi]

I think in the first example "most" is an adverb, and in the second one "the most" is a superlative.

I think the difference between the two sentences is in meaning. "Most" does not imply comparison while "the most" does.

[Anderson]

The most reffers to something individually while most is more generalized.

[Believeinsomething]

Hi,

Would anyone be so kind to explain the difference between "most" & "the most"?

For example:

- What I like most is ... and

- What I like the most is ...

I don't understand what the difference is.

Any help is appreciated.

The sentence should read, what I like the most is... (and then you describe whatever the item is).

Most, is used in sentences like "Most people want to be happy." or  "Most the of the workers went home that night." - meaning more of them went home than did not. It is quantitative.

"The most" is a finite qualifier, and therefore does not work in the two sentences shown above.

I hope that helps.

[mleocasas]

Try using similar terms like these in context to get clarity:

ex)

        I eat the most apples out of all of my friends.

        I eat most apples, but not all of them.

'The most' implies a comparison involving the subject, and 'most' implies a majority of the predicate. You can say how when using 'the most' we are talking about how YOU are eating more apples then THEM. When we use 'most', however, we are talking about of you eat the majority of APPLES.

[Alfonso]

It pretty much means the same thing if you ask me. The difference would be sentence use "the most" would be used to when your comparing among other things, it has to do more with rank.  Using most is more general if you ask me.

[Firelily99]

Everybody has it covered, there isn't much more that I could add to that.  Very well done everybody!

[sidney]

I agree with what has been said, I think "the most" is a more superlative way of referring to things. It implies a more intense feeling towards what is being referred to.

[JoanMcWench]

The comparison argument was the most useful one for me. If something is 'most' it may stand alone but in reference to 'the most' there has to be something less than the one you are about to refer to.