the best + NOUN + to INFINITVE

Regardless of what your government decides,

 the best way to prevent food waste

 is to eat what you buy!

TED

In this sentence, “the best way to prevent food waste” means the most effective or desirable method that can avoid throwing away food that could be eaten.

This highlighted pattern can replace a defining relative clause that identifies the noun. For example:

  • She is the best teacher to explain this topic. (= She is the best teacher who can explain this topic.)
  • He was the first person to climb Mount Everest. (= He was the first person who climbed Mount Everest.)

You know,

 the best time to build nuclear plants

 was 10 years ago.

TED

The phrase “the best time to build” means the most suitable or favourable moment or period to construct something. It implies that there was an opportunity or a need to build nuclear plants in the past, but it was missed or not taken advantage of.


In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 35 in the category of adjectives/superlatives is defined as:

‘the best’ before a noun + to infinitive clauses

At B2, other superlatives can be used in this pattern.


A search in iWeb for:

the best _NN to _VVI

1 THE BEST WAY TO GET 24333
2 THE BEST WAY TO GO 10777
3 THE BEST WAY TO MAKE 7555
4 THE BEST WAY TO LEARN 6615
5 THE BEST WAY TO FIND 6083
6 THE BEST WAY TO AVOID 5808

7 THE BEST WAY TO KEEP 5787

PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE:

In order to eliminate accidents

we must stay at home in an enormous snowstorm.

 It is the best way to keep safe.

Korean, Female, level 5, writing class

8 THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE 5577
9 THE BEST TIME TO VISIT 4842
10 THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT 4487
11 THE BEST WAY TO DEAL 3954
12 THE BEST WAYS TO GET 3943
13 THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE 3558
14 THE BEST WAY TO SEE 3506
15 THE BEST WAY TO START 3393
16 THE BEST WAY TO USE 3269
17 THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT 3049
18 THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE 2797
19 THE BEST WAY TO ACHIEVE 2681
20 THE BEST WAY TO HELP 2619
21 THE BEST WAY TO DETERMINE 2326
22 THE BEST WAY TO IMPROVE 2043
23 THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH 1986
24 THE BEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND 1947
25 THE BEST WAY TO REACH 1865
26 THE BEST TIME TO GO 1823
27 THE BEST WAY TO SAVE 1778
28 THE BEST WAY TO EXPERIENCE 1777
29 THE BEST WAY TO TAKE 1768
30 THE BEST WAY TO BUILD 1739
31 THE BEST WAY TO CLEAN 1692
32 THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE 1690
33 THE BEST WAYS TO MAKE 1667
34 THE BEST WAY TO STAY 1656
35 THE BEST WAY TO KNOW 1647
36 THE BEST WAY TO REDUCE 1586
37 THE BEST WAY TO CREATE 1543
38 THE BEST TIME TO BUY 1497
39 THE BEST WAY TO MANAGE 1491
40 THE BEST WAY TO TREAT 1464
41 THE BEST WAY TO REMOVE 1387
42 THE BEST WAYS TO KEEP 1347
43 THE BEST WAY TO SHOW 1342
44 THE BEST WAY TO ENJOY 1341
45 THE BEST WAY TO TELL 1312
46 THE BEST PLACES TO LIVE 1261
47 THE BEST TIME TO GET 1202
48 THE BEST TIME TO START 1152
49 THE BEST WAY TO STORE 1146
50 THE BEST WAY TO INCREASE 1140
51 THE BEST PLACES TO EAT 1117
52 THE BEST TIME TO TAKE 1108
53 THE BEST PLACES TO GO 1086
54 THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN 1081
55 THE BEST WAYS TO LEARN 1071
56 THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT 1059
57 THE BEST WAY TO STOP 1049
58 THE BEST WAY TO ACCOMPLISH 1038
59 THE BEST WAY TO COMBAT 1015
60 THE BEST WAY TO EXPLORE 994
61 THE BEST WAY TO EXPLAIN 984
62 THE BEST WAY TO SOLVE 977
63 THE BEST WAYS TO IMPROVE 977
64 THE BEST WAY TO CHECK 975
65 THE BEST WAY TO TEACH 968
66 THE BEST WAY TO TEST 964
67 THE BEST WAYS TO HELP 935
68 THE BEST WAYS TO ENSURE 922
69 THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS 903
70 THE BEST WAY TO FIX 894
71 THE BEST WAY TO PLAY 879
72 THE BEST TIMES TO VISIT 877
73 THE BEST WAY TO PROCEED 871
74 THE BEST WAY TO PUT 864
75 THE BEST WAY TO THINK 864
76 THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT 856
77 THE BEST TIME TO SEE 849
78 THE BEST WAYS TO FIND 845
79 THE BEST PLACES TO FIND 841
80 THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE 835
81 THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL 834
82 THE BEST WAY TO MOVE 819
83 THE BEST WAYS TO USE 816
84 THE BEST WAY TO MEASURE 814
85 THE BEST WAY TO FIGURE 812
86 THE BEST WAY TO GAIN 795
87 THE BEST WAY TO SET 792
88 THE BEST WAY TO GIVE 783
89 THE BEST WAY TO TACKLE 781
90 THE BEST WAY TO CONTROL 776
91 THE BEST PLACES TO SEE 770
92 THE BEST WAY TO WORK 768
93 THE BEST WAYS TO SAVE 766
94 THE BEST WAY TO MAINTAIN 765
95 THE BEST WAYS TO PREVENT 754
96 THE BEST WAY TO SPEND 747
97 THE BEST WAY TO MEET 741
98 THE BEST WAY TO BRING 713
99 THE BEST WAY TO ADD 708
100 THE BEST WAY TO LOOK 708

A2 vocabulary:

add, bring, build, check, contact, describe, explain, happen, improve, keep, move, prepare, save, set, spend, way, ways

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