superlative adjectives

Superlative Adjectives Definition, Examples and Exercise

Superlative adjective definition

A superlative adjective is an adjective that we use when we compare one thing with all the other things in the same group. 

How to form a superlative adjective

Rule Superlative Adjective Examples
1 syllable(short words)
the + adjective +est
I am the tallest in the class.
You are the fastest sprinter.
2+ syllables (long words)
the most + adjective
She is the most beautiful woman in the world..
He is the most intelligent in his class.
Words that end in Y
-Y and +iest
You are the luckiest in your family.
This is the happiest day of my life.

Because we are comparing with adjectives we always use the verb to be in this type of sentence. You can use the verb to be with different tenses (past simple, present simple, etc.) 

To form a superlative adjective we add the indefinite article the and -est at the end of the adjective for one-syllable adjectives. 

For two or more syllable adjectives we add the most

Examples: 

Ava is the cleverest girl in the class. 

The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. 

Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci is the most expensive painting ever sold.

Remember! We always use the before the adjective!

More examples: 

This is the greatest book I’ve ever read. 

She’s the most beautiful

What’s the most interesting book you’ve read? 

This laptop is the cheapest in the market. 

Exceptions

Irregular adjectives like good and bad change in form when we use the superlative: 

Good: the best 

Bad: the worst 

Far: the furthest 

Examples: 

He’s my best friend. 

That was the worst day of my life! 

That is the farthest bus stop, let’s take a taxi. 

The furthest or the farthest? 

We use them to talk about distance. Farthest can only be used to talk about physical distance. Furthest can also be used for abstract ideas

New Zealand is the farthest country from Ireland.

This is the furthest we can go in this project.

The negative of superlatives (the least)

Usually, we want to say something is the highest number/the most intense. 

When you need to compare something as the lowest amount of something, then we use the least

Remember, you still compare one thing with all the other things.

Examples:

You are the least likely to win the competition.

This is the least spicy dish on the menu. (all the other options are spicier!)

This phone is the least expensive phone.

Notice that in the final example, you could say, “This phone is the cheapest phone” This is more common so only use the least when necessary. 

Difference between comparative and superlative adjectives

We use comparative adjectives to compare two things.

We use superlative adjectives when we compare one thing with many things.

Comparative adjectives Superlative adjectives
Used when we compare two things.
Used to compare more than two things.
Form:+er or more+adjective
Form: +est or the most+ adjective
Examples:
Alice is better at French than her friend.
Travelling by plane is faster than travelling by car.
Your phone is more expensive than mine.
Examples:
Alice is the best at French in the class
Travelling by plane is the fastest way.
Your phone is the most expensive one.

One of the ….

We use one of the when we are not sure if something is the number one, but we know that it is in the top 5.

Barcelona are one of the best football teams in Europe.

Samsung are one of the biggest suppliers of phones in the world.

Chinese is one of the hardest languages to learn.

Superlative adjective sentences

He is the funniest guy in our class.

They are the best jeans on the market.

Singapore is one of the richest countries in the world.

A house is the most expensive thing most people will buy in their lives.

PewDiePie is one of the most famous YouTubers.

Exercise on superlative adjectives

  1. It’s a very cheap bar. It’s______ bar in the city.
  2. It was a very happy day. It was ____day of my life
  3. She’s a very intelligent girl. She’s_______ girl in her school
  4. It’s a very beautiful painting. It’s________ painting in the world.
  5. Spring is a very busy time for me. It’s ________ time of the year.
Conor