Grammar Nazi: Which is best?

[_Jersey Girl]

Here they are, Shades:

Unorganized
Disorganized

Disinvite
Deinvite

Feel free to correct the spellings if needed. While reading online (not just this board, by the way) I find myself totally bugged by the use of these words.

Which versions are best?

[_Dr. Shades]

It depends on the meaning you're going for; the nuances are different.

Unorganized: Not organized yet due to a LACK OF human intervention.
Disorganized: No longer organized THANKS TO human intervention.

Disinvite: A withdrawal of an invitation by the person who extended it.
Deinvite: A cancellation of an invitation by someone OTHER THAN the person who extended it.

Hope that helps.

[_krose]

Okay, I'll accept the invitation to pick at your grammar.

It should be "which is better," because you're only comparing two options.

[_Jersey Girl]

Okay, I'll accept the invitation to pick at your grammar.

It should be "which is better," because you're only comparing two options.

You talkin' to me, krose?

First of all, I was comparing two SETS of options.

If you'd like to correct the sentence appropriately, it would read something like this:

Which version is best. (Appropriate to two options only)
Which versions are best. (Appropriate to two options in multiple SETS)

The second is what I wrote.

But we wouldn't want to pick nits now, would we?

;-P

[_krose]

Sorry, but it doesn't matter how many sets of choices you have; if there are only two options in each set, "better" is always the proper comparison term. "Best" can only be used to describe one option from three or more parallel choices.

If your question was really about which one of the four words you typed is preferred, then "best" is appropriate.

Example:
- Unorganized
- Disorganized
- Disinvite
- Deinvite
Question: Which is best?
My answer: Disorganized

The proper question would have been, "Which option is better in each pair of words?"

Yes, it's a pretty minor grammar issue, and a commonly made error, but an error nonetheless.

[_SUAS]

Or I would have asked the following:

What is the best?

Which one is the best?

And why would you dis-invite someone anyway? Uninvite or

English should flow, not get lost on the tongue..or mind.

[_Dr. Shades]

And why would you dis-invite someone anyway?

If your spouse was in a car accident and was in the hospital fighting for his/her life. That would tend to sabotage dinner plans.