"I definitely cook pasta the best, but I've learned to walk away and let him get on with it. It's a metaphor for our relationship." - Ellen Pompeo, in Eve, about her boyfriend Christopher Ivery and their competition in the kitchen
Ellen has used a superlative adverb in place of a comparative adverb. While her choice of words is common in colloquial speech, it is noteworthy because this type of diction often appears on standardized examinations and you will be expected to identify it as an error.
In the clause "I definitely cook pasta the best," Ellen's use of the superlative adverb "best" is incorrect because she is comparing her cooking skills with those of only one person. Since only two sets of skills are being compared, a comparative adverb should be used.
"I definitely cook pasta better, but I've learned to walk away and let him get on with it.
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