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A2Adjectives

Superlative Adjectives

1

What is it?

Superlative adjectives describe the highest or lowest degree of a quality when comparing three or more things. For example, "the tallest building," "the most beautiful painting," "the best movie." We use superlatives to show that something is at the extreme end compared to all others in a group.

2

How to form it

SubjectPositiveNegativeQuestion
Short adjectivesthe tallestnot the tallestIs it the tallest?
Short adjectivesthe biggestnot the biggestIs it the biggest?
Long adjectivesthe most beautifulnot the most beautifulIs it the most beautiful?
Long adjectivesthe most expensivenot the most expensiveIs it the most expensive?
Irregularthe bestnot the bestIs it the best?
Irregularthe worstnot the worstIs it the worst?
  • • Short adjectives (1 syllable): add -est → tall → the tallest, fast → the fastest
  • • Short adjectives ending in -e: add -st → nice → the nicest, large → the largest
  • • Short adjectives with consonant-vowel-consonant: double final consonant + -est → big → the biggest, hot → the hottest
  • • Adjectives ending in -y: change y to i + -est → happy → the happiest, easy → the easiest
  • • Long adjectives (2+ syllables): use 'the most' → beautiful → the most beautiful, expensive → the most expensive
  • • Irregular forms: good → the best, bad → the worst, far → the farthest/furthest
  • • Always use 'the' before superlatives: the tallest (not just 'tallest')
3

When to use it

  1. 1

    Comparing three or more things — superlative shows the extreme

    "She is the tallest student in the class." / "This is the most expensive car in the shop."

  2. 2

    Always use "the" — superlatives require the definite article

    "the best movie" / "the fastest runner" / "the most interesting book"

  3. 3

    Use "in" for places/groups — comparing within a location or group

    "the tallest building in the city" / "the best student in the class"

  4. 4

    Use "of" for time periods/numbers — comparing across time or specific items

    "the coldest day of the year" / "the biggest of the three"

  5. 5

    One of the + superlative + plural noun — among the top

    "one of the best movies" / "one of the most beautiful cities"

4

Common mistakes

She is most tall student in class.

She is the tallest student in class.

Short adjectives use -est, not 'most', and always use 'the' before superlatives.

This is the most cheap option.

This is the cheapest option.

Short adjectives like 'cheap' use -est, not 'the most'.

He is the goodest player.

He is the best player.

'Good' is irregular: the superlative is 'best', not 'goodest'.

This is bigest house.

This is the biggest house.

Double the final consonant in big → biggest, and use 'the'.

5

Quick reference

  • Superlatives show the highest/lowest degree among 3+ things
  • Short adjectives: add -est (tall → tallest, fast → fastest)
  • Long adjectives: use 'the most' (beautiful → the most beautiful)
  • Always use 'the': the tallest, the best, the most expensive
  • Irregular: good → the best, bad → the worst
  • Use 'in' for places: the tallest building in the city
  • Use 'of' for time/numbers: the coldest day of the year
6

Natural conversation example

Friends discussing their travel experiences

A

Anna

What's the best place you've ever visited?
M

Marco

That's easy! Paris is the most beautiful city I've ever seen.
A

Anna

Really? I think Tokyo is the most interesting city in the world.
M

Marco

What about the food? Which country has the best food?
A

Anna

Italy, for sure! They make the most delicious pasta and pizza.
M

Marco

And the worst food you've tried?
A

Anna

That's the hardest question! Maybe fermented fish in Sweden.

Practice Exercises

Complete with the superlative form.

  1. 1.
    Mount Everest is mountain in the world. (high)
  2. 2.
    This is book I have ever read. (interesting)
  3. 3.
    She is student in the class. (smart)
  4. 4.
    That was movie of the year. (bad)
  5. 5.
    He is runner on the team. (fast)
  6. 6.
    This is restaurant in town. (expensive)
ComparativesAll TopicsAdjectives Comparative and Superlative

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