what surprised me the most vs what surprised me most

Both phrases are correct and commonly used in English. They are interchangeable and can be used depending on personal preference or the flow of the sentence.

Last updated: March 24, 2024 • 7612 views

what surprised me the most

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used to emphasize the superlative degree of surprise. It is often used in storytelling or when expressing strong emotions.

Examples:

What surprised me the most was his sudden decision to quit his job.
Out of all the gifts, what surprised me the most was the handmade card.
What surprised me the most about the movie was the unexpected plot twist.
The thing that surprised me the most was her ability to speak five languages fluently.
What surprised me the most during the trip was the breathtaking view from the mountaintop.

Show examples from the web [+]

I guess what surprised me the most was how little she changed.
I think what surprised me the most is that I was actually surprised.
Here is what surprised me the most: That serpent Orhan, says to other serpent named Ýbrahim:
What surprised me most about the reaction to my film so far was... the fact that despite the different cultures people are touched by the film and the main character.
KENNETH: What surprised me was the vigor.
What surprised me was the skill of the shooter.
What surprised me was the number countries from which the mail came.
What surprised me most about reactions to my film so far is... the Bosnian premiere at the festival in Sarajevo.
What surprised me, first and foremost, is that he is questioning a court ruling.
What surprised me is how different it is from the witness' chair.
What surprised me in the negotiations was the resistance which there was against putting more emphasis on this balance.
What surprised me was how they interpreted the priest as a completely doltish figure, while they identified the teacher as the carrier of omnipotent love and goodness.
I have some military training; what surprised me was that, most of the time, I was not being taught to kill, but rather to protect myself against arms.
Sorry. His reaction surprised me.
Patsy surprised me in my room.
You surprised me with the visit.
Nothing Vikram did ever surprised me.
'What surprised me was how much I wanted it to be a good start.'
What surprised you most about army life?
That he didn't tell me surprised me.

Alternatives:

what surprised me most
what surprised me greatly
what surprised me immensely
what surprised me to a great extent
what surprised me more than anything else

what surprised me most

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is also used to emphasize surprise, but without the superlative 'the most.' It is a more concise way of expressing surprise.

Examples:

What surprised me most was her honesty.
Out of all the candidates, what surprised me most was his humility.
What surprised me most about the book was its unique writing style.
The thing that surprised me most was the simplicity of the solution.
What surprised me most during the meeting was the lack of preparation.

Show examples from the web [+]

What surprised me most about reactions to my film so far is... the Bosnian premiere at the festival in Sarajevo.
What surprised me most about the reaction to my film so far was... the fact that despite the different cultures people are touched by the film and the main character.
I guess what surprised me the most was how little she changed.
I think what surprised me the most is that I was actually surprised.
What really surprised me most as I followed that food back to its source, I kept ending up in the same place, and that was a cornfield in Iowa.
Mr President, what has surprised me most in this debate is that nothing shakes the faith of some Members in the rigidity of the criteria for nominal convergence.
I have some military training; what surprised me was that, most of the time, I was not being taught to kill, but rather to protect myself against arms.
Here is what surprised me the most: That serpent Orhan, says to other serpent named Ýbrahim:
KENNETH: What surprised me was the vigor.
What surprised me was the skill of the shooter.
What surprised me was the number countries from which the mail came.
What surprised me, first and foremost, is that he is questioning a court ruling.
What surprised me is how different it is from the witness' chair.
What surprised me in the negotiations was the resistance which there was against putting more emphasis on this balance.
What surprised me was how they interpreted the priest as a completely doltish figure, while they identified the teacher as the carrier of omnipotent love and goodness.
Sorry. His reaction surprised me.
Patsy surprised me in my room.
You surprised me with the visit.
Nothing Vikram did ever surprised me.
'What surprised me was how much I wanted it to be a good start.'

Alternatives:

what surprised me the most
what surprised me greatly
what surprised me immensely
what surprised me to a great extent
what surprised me more than anything else

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what surprised me the most vs what surprised me most