adverbs - Which is more common - 'the most' or 'most'?


A thing I have never had the time to look more closely into. But I find both variants:



What I love most is ...



or



What I love the most is ...



I think the more common form is 'the most', and I think 'most' is only a matter of shortening the adverbial. But I may be mistaken. It might also be that it is a thing of regional or individual preferences or that American and British usage diverge.




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