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Part 2 ยท Episode 57 B1-B2

The First, The Best

๐Ÿ“ the + superlatives/ordinals

Olympic champions ยท Various Olympics: Record-breaking achievements ๐Ÿ“– 5 min read

Episode 57: The First, The Best

the + superlatives/ordinals โ€” Olympic champions, various years (B1-B2)

Grammar Box

Meaning: We always use “the” before superlatives (fastest, best, most important) and ordinal numbers (first, second, third) because they identify one specific thing.

Form: the + superlative adjective OR the + ordinal number

Example 1: She’s the fastest runner in Olympic history.

Example 2: He won the first gold medal of the Games.

Common mistake: Wrong: He is fastest swimmer. Better: He is the fastest swimmer.

The Challenge

Luna read sports news: “He’s fastest runner in world! She won first medal!” Something looked wrong. “The fastest. The first.” Why did these always need “the”? Her grammar book said “always use ‘the’ with superlatives,” but Luna wanted to understand why. The watch glowed with golden medal light. Professor Wisdom appeared wearing athletic clothing. “When you’re the best,” he said, “there’s only one of you. That’s why you need ‘the.’ Come. Let me show you moments when being first, fastest, or greatest changed everything.”

The Journey

Three Olympics. Three moments when “the” mattered more than the medal.

Amsterdam, 1928. Betty Robinson stood at the starting line for the first women’s 100-meter Olympic race ever. She wasn’t just running for gold. She was making history as one of the first women allowed to compete. When the gun fired, she became the fastest woman in that moment, crossing the line first. Headlines screamed: “Robinson is the first Olympic women’s 100m champion!” Not “a champion.” The champion. The only one. That’s what “the” meant.

Berlin, 1936. Jesse Owens, a Black American, faced Adolf Hitler’s Olympics โ€” designed to prove Aryan superiority. Owens won the 100m, the 200m, the long jump, and the 4x100m relay. Four gold medals. Each victory was “the greatest” embarrassment to Nazi ideology. Sports reporters wrote: “Owens is the most dominant athlete of the Games. He set the fastest times. He achieved the longest jump.” Every superlative required “the” because he stood alone at the top.

Tokyo, 2021 (held in 2021 due to COVID). Simone Biles withdrew from events to protect her mental health, making “the hardest decision” of her career. She returned for the final event and won bronze on beam. Media worldwide called it “the most courageous medal” of the Olympics. Not “a courageous medal.” The most courageous. Because when you reach the extreme โ€” the highest, the lowest, the most, the least โ€” “the” marks you as unique.

What connects these three athletes? Each moment was defined by position: the first, the fastest, the most dominant, the hardest, the most courageous. These aren’t comparisons among equals. They’re statements of singular position. And in English, singular position demands “the.” When you’re at the extreme, when you’re one of a kind in that category, “the” announces: there is only one.

The Deep Dive

Superlatives (fastest, best, most important, least expensive) and ordinals (first, second, third, last) require “the” because they identify one specific thing at the extreme end of a scale or sequence. “The tallest building” means one building stands above all others โ€” it’s specific and unique in that category. “The first person” means one person in a defined sequence.

This rule is absolute with superlatives: the best, the worst, the most beautiful, the least interesting. The only exception is when a possessive already makes it specific: “my best friend” (possessive replaces “the”). Ordinals work the same way: the first time, the second chance, the third attempt. We’re identifying position in a sequence, which makes it specific.

However, when superlatives function as adverbs or in comparisons, patterns shift: “What I value most is honesty” (adverb, no “the”). “She works the hardest of all” (comparative adverb, needs “the”). Understanding when superlatives need “the” versus when they don’t requires recognizing whether they’re identifying a specific noun or modifying a verb.

More Examples

History: Martin Luther King Jr. gave the most influential speech of the civil rights movement during the march on Washington.

Science: Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win in two different sciences.

Everyday: This is the best coffee I’ve ever had, and that cafรฉ is the closest one to my apartment.

Formal: The research represents the most comprehensive study of climate change conducted to date.

Informal: That was the worst movie ever! I want to watch the second one just to see if it’s better.

Contrast: “He is fast” (no comparison) vs “He is the fastest” (superlative position, needs “the”).

Practice & Reflection

Exercises:

  1. Fill in the blank: Jesse Owens was _ most dominant athlete of the 1936 Olympics and won _ first gold in the 100m. (the / the)

  2. Correct the mistake: She became first woman to climb Mount Everest without oxygen.

  3. Choose and explain: “This is __ hardest test I’ve taken.”
    a) a
    b) the

  4. Rewrite: Add “the” where needed: “He won second prize in most competitive category.” โ†’ “__”

  5. Compare: “She’s my best friend” versus “She’s the best student” โ€” why does only the second need “the”?

  6. Your reflection: Write about a “first” experience in your life and something that was “the best” or “the most difficult.”

Answer Key:

  1. the / the โ€” superlative and ordinal both require “the”
  2. She became the first woman โ€” ordinal numbers always need “the”
  3. b) the โ€” superlative “hardest” requires “the”
  4. He won the second prize in the most competitive category โ€” both ordinal and superlative
  5. First has possessive “my” (replaces “the”); second needs “the” for superlative
  6. Check: “the first” for ordinal? “the best/most” for superlative?

The Lesson

Luna wrote confidently: “This is the most interesting grammar lesson. I’m learning the most important rules.” The watch faded. She thought about those champions โ€” the first, the fastest, the most courageous. When you reach the extreme, when you stand alone at the edge of possibility, “the” marks your singular position. Not one of many. The one. And that tiny article carries all the weight of being first, being best, being the only one who did it.