among, considering, of

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Are the three sentences below correct? Do they mean the same thing? If not, what's the difference? Please don't change the word order, I need this word order. I'm aware that "Cognac is my favorite of the three drinks" is a better way of writing it. Thanks very much.

Among the three drinks, cognac is my favorite.
Considering the three drinks, cognac is my favorite.
Of the three drinks, cognac is my favorite.

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@Doubtful,

Doubtful wrote:

Are the three sentences below correct? Do they mean the same thing? If not, what's the difference? Please don't change the word order, I need this word order. I'm aware that "Cognac is my favorite of the three drinks" is a better way of writing it. Thanks very much.

Among the three drinks, cognac is my favorite.
Considering the three drinks, cognac is my favorite.
Of the three drinks, cognac is my favorite.

This one doesn't sound right to me: "Among the three drinks, cognac is my favorite."

"From among...." would make sense. But your favorite is not something that is, itself, among the three. Your favorite is not on the table. It is in your head (or your tastebuds). So it is not "among" the three drinks.

Does that make sense?

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@layman,

It doesn't make sense to me.

Can't "among" mean "between"? If so, I'm having trouble distinguishing a significant difference in meaning between "of the three drinks" and "between (or among) the three drinks."

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@perennialloner,

perennialloner wrote:

It doesn't make sense to me.

Can't "among" mean "between"? If so, I'm having trouble distinguishing a significant difference in meaning between "of the three drinks" and "between (or among) the three drinks."

Hmmm. Well you talk about "between" and then seem to draw a conclusion about "of" from it somehow.

"Cognac is my favorite of the three" would make sense.

Among is like the plural of between. Usually "between" is used to contrast only two things. "Among" is used with more than two.

I think what he's trying to say here is something like: "From among those three, I would choose cognac as my favorite" but he's trying to take too many shortcuts, I think.

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@Doubtful,

Whether or not something is strictly correct is not the issue, the issue is sounding like a native speaker of English. Only Of the three drinks, cognac is my favourite. sounds like something a native speaker would say.

The other two sound weird.

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@layman,

I drew that conclusion because I don't see why, if what you're saying is true, "of the three drinks, cognac is my favorite" would be correct. Shouldn't it be "Of these three drinks, I would choose cognac as my favorite?"

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@perennialloner,

perennialloner wrote:

I drew that conclusion because I don't see why, if what you're saying is true, "of the three drinks, cognac is my favorite" would be correct. Shouldn't it be "Of these three drinks, I would choose cognac as my favorite?"

Well, you seem to be suggesting that "of" and "among" are exact synonyms with identical meanings. I don't see them that way.

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@layman,

I was suggesting that in this situation they can mean the same thing. I think I understand now, though, how among might be wrong/less correct.

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among, considering, of

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