IELTS Grammar: superlative without 'the'

 In this lesson I gave a grammatical explanation of when to write "highest" without the word "the" before it. For example:

- The UK had the highest rate of unemployment. (the highest + noun)
- The unemployment rate was highest in the UK. (noun before 'highest', no 'the')

However, there might be an easier way to remember when to miss the word "the".  We miss the word "the" when "highest" means "at its highest" or "at their highest" e.g. The unemployment rate was at its highest in the UK.

Let's try this with a few more examples:

1. Rainfall is highest in October. (Rainfall is at its highest in October)
2. Temperatures are warmest in the south of the country. (at their warmest)
3. Traffic is slowest between 7 and 9am. (at its slowest)

In the above examples, don't put the word "the" before the superlative adjectives.

Note:
I'll add a bit more to this explanation in tomorrow's lesson, so feel free to ask any questions in the comments area below.