Which one is correct?
Who was the better singer - X or Y?
Who was a better singer - X or Y?
Who was the best singer - X or Y?
Who was the better singer - X or Y?
Who was a better singer - X or Y?
Who was the best singer - X or Y?
On second thought, I agree with Parla that the second sentence is fine as written.In my opinion, both the first and the second are grammatically correct. (The third, since it's been specified that there are only two singers, is not.)
At first I was thinking of it strictly like this, in terms of it being a contest, in which you'd ask who was THE better singer. (I have the "American Idol" TV show in mind!)Unless it was in the context of X and Y being two participants in a singing contest, and the questioner knows that one of the two won the contest, but can't remember which.
I meant two participants in a singing contest that had more than two in it.At first I was thinking of it strictly like this, in terms of it being a contest, in which you'd ask who was THE better singer. (I have the "American Idol" TV show in mind!)
But if you're just speaking in general terms, you can simply ask something like, "Who is a better singer, my mother or your mother?"
(Hope I didn't confuse you!)