Superlative Adjectives

Used to show the highest degree of quality or comparison among three or more things

Superlative adjectives describe a noun that is at the upper or lower limit of a quality. They are used when comparing three or more things.

Function: Highlight the extreme degree of a characteristic within a group.

Forming Superlative Adjectives

  • One-syllable adjectives: Add "-est"
    Example: tall → tallest
  • Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y: Change -y to -i and add "-est"
    Example: happy → happiest
  • Adjectives with two or more syllables: Use "most" before the adjective
    Example: beautiful → most beautiful

Irregular Superlative Forms

Some adjectives do not follow regular rules when forming the superlative. These are called irregular adjectives, and their superlative forms must be memorised because they change completely rather than adding -est or using most.

  • good → better → best
  • bad → worse → worst
  • far → farther / further → farthest / furthest
  • little (amount) → less → least
  • many / much → more → most

Note: Farther and farthest are usually used for physical distance, while further and furthest can refer to both distance and abstract concepts.

Examples in Sentences

  • She is the smartest student in the class.
  • This is the most interesting book I have read.
  • Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

Common Errors and Fixes

1. Using "more" with a superlative
  • ❌ She is more smartest → ✅ She is the smartest
2. Forgetting "the" before a superlative
  • ❌ Everest is highest mountain → ✅ Everest is the highest mountain
3. Using comparative instead of superlative
  • ❌ This is more tall building → ✅ This is the tallest building

Superlatives vs Comparatives

Comparative: used to compare two things
Example: This sofa is softer than the other.

Superlative: used for three or more
Example: This is the softest sofa of all.

Practice Exercises

1. Identify the Superlative

  1. He is the best player on the team. → Superlative: best
  2. This is the coldest day of the year. → Superlative: coldest

2. Fill in the Blanks

  1. She is the ______ singer in the competition. (good)
  2. This puzzle is the ______ one I've ever solved. (difficult)

3. Rewrite the Sentence

  1. This restaurant is better than all others. → This is the best restaurant.
  2. No mountain is taller than this one. → This is the tallest mountain.

Pro Tips

1. Use "the" before superlatives

Always use the before a superlative adjective
Example: She is the brightest in class.

2. Watch for irregular forms

Words like good and bad do not follow regular rules.
Example: That was the worst decision.

3. Never double up modifiers

Do not say most fastest or more tallest. Only one form is correct.
Example: He is the fastest.

4. Context matters

Ensure you're comparing three or more items to use a superlative correctly.
Example: This is the most useful app of all.