To say “Iron is more useful than any metal” is clearly incorrect, because iron is included in “any metal,” and of course iron is not more useful than itself.  We must in thought set iron off in a class by itself, which we can do by inserting “other” after “any.”  “Iron is more useful than any other metal” is correct.  After comparatives accompanied by “than,” the words “any” and “all” should be followed by “other.”

To say “Iron is the most useful of any (or, any other) metal” is also clearly incorrect, because we mean that iron is the most useful, not of “one metal (no matter which)” or of “some metals (no matter which),” but of all metals.  We should therefore omit the word “any,” saying simply “Iron is the most useful of (all) metals.”  It is also incorrect to say “Iron is the most useful of all other metals,” for iron is not one of the “other metals.”  Beware of using “any” or “other” with superlatives followed by “of.”

[128] See note To the Teacher, p. 41.

EXERCISE LXXV.

Which of the italicized forms is preferable?—­ 1.  Of London and Paris, London is the wealthier (wealthiest). 2.  Of two evils, choose the less (least). 3.  The older (oldest) of the three boys was sent to college. 4.  Which can run the faster (fastest), your horse or mine? 5.  Of the two Latin poets, Virgil and Horace, the first (former) is the
   better (best) known.
6.  Which is the better (best) of the two? 7.  Which is the farther (farthest) east, Boston New York, or
   Philadelphia?
8.  There is no doubt about him (his) being the better (best) in the
   little group of friends.
9.  Which is the larger (largest) number, the minuend or the subtrahend?

EXERCISE LXXVI.

Explain and correct the errors in the following sentences:—­

1.  This picture is, of all others, the one I like best. 2.  This engraving of mine I like better than any picture I have. 3.  London is more crowded than any city in Great Britain. 4.  London is the most crowded of any city in Great Britain. 5.  She of all other girls ought to be the last to complain. 6.  Our grammar lessons are the hardest of any we have. 7.  St. Peter’s is larger than any church in the world. 8.  St. Peter’s is the largest of any church in the world. 9.  Noah and his family outlived all the people who lived before the flood. 10.  Solomon was wiser than all men. 11.  This State exports more cotton than all the states. 12.  A cowboy is the most picturesque of any men. 13.  Tabby has the worst temper of any cat I know. 14.  He thinks Gettysburg has the prettiest girls of any town of its size. 15.  The proposed method of Mr. F.G.  Jackson, the English arctic explorer,
    appears to be the most practical and business-like of any yet
    undertaken for exploring the polar regions.