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I want to tell my friend that he is among the very few who can make me smile. Here's what sounds more natural to me: You're one of the few people who is good at it(making me smile). Or should I say "you're one of the only people who is good at it" instead? Thank you!

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    There are so many issues with "one of the only people who is", I don't even know where to begin. Just don't use it. At any rate, the is must be an are. Who is plural here.
    – RegDwigнt
    Commented Nov 17, 2018 at 23:42

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Go with your first instinct, don't over-think it and do it now ;))

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    The questioner provides two options from which she asks us to choose. By 'go with your first instinct' I meant choose the first of your two options. I'd have thought that was pretty obvious actually.
    – Sprog
    Commented Nov 18, 2018 at 1:53
  • OK, point taken - but all you've provided is a personal opinion, unsupported by any explanation let alone authoritative evidence. The system had flagged your answer for deletion as "low-quality because of its length and content", and my vote to delete triggered the automatic response comment. Now that your answer has been accepted, I suspect it's safe from automatic deletion, but it remains at risk of downvotes, and on SE sites too many negatively-voted answers can lead to automatic restrictions.
    – Chappo Hasn't Forgotten
    Commented Nov 18, 2018 at 2:02
  • Note that an answer on this site is expected to be authoritative, detailed, and explain why it is correct. You can edit your answer to improve its content - at the very least, by explaining why this is the right answer. For further guidance, see How to Answer. :-)
    – Chappo Hasn't Forgotten
    Commented Nov 18, 2018 at 2:04
  • Lastly, you're saying that "option one" is correct English. This is incorrect. As @RegDwigнt notes in his comment, it should use the plural are. The first option also includes a typo (no space before the bracket). At the very least, these deficiencies need to be pointed out, or the correct sentence included, in your answer.
    – Chappo Hasn't Forgotten
    Commented Nov 18, 2018 at 2:11
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    Nowhere did I say option one was correct English. She wants to be kind to her friend, not pass an exam. I thought I'd be kind to her. And you can't be serious if you think I'm going to spend my time pointing out obvious missing spaces in questions typed hastily on phones. But otherwise your points taken too, and thank you for the advice.
    – Sprog
    Commented Nov 18, 2018 at 2:34

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