This is a long sentence pattern that is used to provide detail about something. Even though it is a longer sentence, this kind of sentence pattern is very common.
The best thing about + topic + be verb + noun…
The “be verb” can be in any tense.
- The best thing about the hotel was the swimming pool.
- The best thing about living in California is the weather.
- The best thing about working at this company is the amazing benefits.
- The best thing about being single is the freedom you have.
- The best thing about live music is the energy you feel from the people around you.
We can also put a sentence after the “be verb”. The word “that” is optional.
The best thing about + topic + be verb + (that) sentence
- The best thing about dating her is that she is always happy.
- The best thing about working here is we can go home early on Fridays.
- The best thing about living in California is that you can go surfing year-round.
- The best thing about the hotel was we could see the ocean from our room.
We can replace the word “best” with other superlative adjectives.
- The worst thing about the camping trip was that there were so many mosquitoes.
- The most interesting thing about her is that she works in sales, but she majored in art when she was in university.
- The hardest thing about learning English is grammar.
- The easiest thing about my job is working with my coworkers on projects.
If both the speaker and listener know the topic, then we can leave the topic out.
- The best thing was the ending.
(=The best thing about the movie was the ending.) - The hardest thing is listening to native speakers.
(The hardest thing about English is listening to native speakers.) - The most interesting thing is that it helps sick people recover.
(The most interesting thing about meditation is that it helps sick people recover.)
Bonus Tips and Points
1. We can make similar sentences using the preposition “for”. We usually use these sentences to give advice for solving a problem or trouble.
The best thing for + noun + be verb + noun/gerund…
- The best thing for a sick person is rest.
- The best thing for a cold is vitamin C and a lot of sleep.
- The best thing for learning English is actually speaking English.
- The best thing for depression is exercise.
The best thing for + noun + be verb + infinitive…
- The best thing for sore muscles is to get a lot of rest.
- The best thing for a broken heart is to move on and try to enjoy your life.
- The best thing for your face is to apply this lotion once a day.
- The best thing for a relationship is to try new things together.
Real-World English Conversations
A) How was your trip?
B) It was amazing.
A) Well, what was the best thing?
B) I would say that the best thing about the trip was scuba diving at night.
A) That sounds unbelievable.
A) The best thing about working from home is that I don’t need to get ready in the morning.
B) That sounds great. I get a lot of stress from trying to get ready in the morning.
A) How is your new girlfriend?
B) I really like her. The best thing about her is that she never gets too emotional when we disagree.
A) The best thing about our company is that we have a flexible schedule.
B) That is nice. But the most important thing to me is the salary.
A) Well, our company also offers a very competitive salary, so I think you should really consider joining us.
A) The worst thing about working on the weekend is missing all of the parties. And then when your friends talk about the parties, you have no idea what they are talking about.
B) True, but a good thing about working on the weekend is the overtime pay.
Use these free English lessons to learn the most common sentence patterns in the English language. If you learn these sentences and questions, it will help you speak English well. Study the lessons thoroughly, practice making your own sentences, and come back to review often. If you do these three steps, your English speaking will improve quickly and you will be able to have natural English conversations.
English Sentence Patterns for Speaking Index
