ENGLISH
REFERENCE

his best work to date

fixed phr..
C1 Advanced Oxford

fixed phr.. the highest quality work that someone has produced in their life up until now.

fixed phr.. a superlative construction used to evaluate a person's output, where 'to date' functions as a temporal adverbial meaning 'until the present time'.


SIMPLE

This new novel is his best work to date.

CONTEXTUAL

Critics agree that the architect's latest skyscraper design represents his best work to date.

COMPLEX

While his early career was marked by experimentation, this collection is widely considered his best work to date due to its technical mastery.

Usage

the phrase 'to date' can be replaced by 'so far' in less formal contexts.

Teaching tip

highlight that 'to date' is a formal alternative to 'so far' or 'until now' and is frequently used in professional reviews or journalism.

Pitfall

his best work to the datehis best work to datethe phrase 'to date' is a fixed idiom and does not take a definite article.

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