To translate the sentence: "Who became the tallest?", which is more natural?

> 誰が一番背が高くなりましたか。or 誰が背が一番高くなりましたか。

On Busuu (language learning app), the correct option was the former (一番 before
背, rather than before 高く).

Shouldn't 一番 be before the adjective?
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2023-06-30T13:21:43.440
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question
grammar adverbs word-order
「一番背が高くなります。」 or 「背が一番高くなります。」?
As a translation of _the tallest_ , both 背が一番高い and 一番背が高い work fine. For
example:

  * クラスで一番背が高いのは太郎だ
  * クラスで背が一番高いのは太郎だ

are both natural and mean _It is Taro that is the tallest in the class_.

As for the sentences in question, 誰が背が一番高くなりましたか is less idiomatic just
because of the two consecutive が-phrases.
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2023-07-01T09:13:41.270
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2023-07-01T09:39:21.367
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answer
I agree with sundowner that the following two (cleft) sentences sound equally
natural.

> クラスで一番背が高いのは太郎だ。
>
> クラスで背が一番高いのは太郎だ。

However, I would prefer the first order in the following pair as a simple
statement about Taro being the tallest in the class.

> 太郎はクラスで一番背が高い。
>
> 太郎はクラスで背が一番高い。

Though the difference is very subtle, the second sentence seems to have extra
focus on the fact that the class are compared in height and not in other
aspects, but it is not always necessary if you just want to say Taro is the
tallest in the class. This is not a problem in the first pair because the
first part of each (cleft) sentence essentially declares that the class are
compared in height before it goes on to answer who wins in that competition in
the second part.

Between the two sentences you asked about, I would choose the first one for
this reason as well as because the second has two が-phrases back to back.
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answer