Superlative + ever / in / of

A superlative often needs to say the top of what. There are three common ways:

💡A quick test: a place or a group (class, team, company, family) → in; a number, a plural noun or a time period → of.

1. in + a place or a group

• Ha Long Bay is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

• Phong is the funniest person in our class.

• Grandma makes the best spring rolls in town.

2. of + a number, a plural noun, a period of time

• Lan is the youngest of the four children.

• This shop is the cheapest of all.

• It was the happiest day of my life.

• Tet is the busiest time of the year.

To say “the …-est I have ever …”, use superlative + noun + (that) + subject + have/has ever + past participle. The present perfect is used because it covers your experience up to now. That is usually left out.

• This is the best pizza I've ever eaten.

• That was the worst film I have ever seen.

• Who's the most famous person you've ever met?

When telling a story about the past (up to a point in the past), use had ever + past participle. Ever can also go straight after the noun: the best day ever.

• It was the worst storm the town had ever seen.

• Today was the best day ever!

💡A “never” sentence can be turned into a superlative: I've never seen such a big fish. = It's the biggest fish I've ever seen. With a superlative, use ever, not never.

In speech, especially American English, you will sometimes hear the best movie I ever saw (past simple). For learning and for writing, the safe form is still I've ever seen.

By far before the + superlative stresses “the top, and nothing else comes close”. One of the + superlative + plural noun is softer — it doesn't claim number one.

• This is by far the best phone I've ever had.

• It's one of the oldest cities in Vietnam.

• ✗He is the richest man of the world.

  ✓He is the richest man in the world.

  A place → in.

• ✗Phong is the funniest person of the class.

  ✓Phong is the funniest person in the class.

  A group (a class) → in.

• ✗Lan is the youngest in the four children.

  ✓Lan is the youngest of the four children.

  A number → of.

• ✗It's the best film I ever seen.

  ✓It's the best film I've ever seen.

  You need have + past participle.

• ✗It was the better meal I've ever had.

  ✓It was the best meal I've ever had.

  Ever goes with a superlative.

• ✗This is the biggest fish I've never seen.

  ✓This is the biggest fish I've ever seen.

  Use ever, not never.