SUPERLATIVES

SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES ARE USED TO COMPARE THREE OR MORE PEOPLE, PLACES OR THINGS.
THE SUPERLATIVE FORM IS OFTEN USE WITH THE.
ONE-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES
 1 AND 2 SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES
 Ends in –e
 Add –st
 The + adjective + -st
 Other one-syllable adjectives
 Add –est
 The + adjective + -est

 Ends in –y
 Drop the –y and take –iest
 The + adjective + -iest
 EXAMPLES
 Late - latest What’s the latest news?
 Blue - bluest It is the bluest ocean I have ever been.
 Old - oldest World Books is the oldest bookstore
in town.
 Tall - tallest My brother is the tallest member of
our family.
 Cheap- cheapest I always buy the cheapest clothes I can find.
 Funny - funniest This is the funniest jingle I’ve ever heard.
 Gloomy- gloomiest Winter has the gloomiest days of the year.
WITH CONSONANT-VOWEL-CONSONANT

ADJECTIVES WITH A CONSONANT-VOWEL-CONSONANT (CVC)

PATTERN AT THE END
 Double the final consonant
 Add –est
 The + adjective with double final consonant + -est
 EXAMPLES
 Big - biggest I want to have the biggest banner
possible.
 Thin - thinnest This is the thinnest fabric we produce in our
factory.
 Hot - hottest 40°C is the hottest temperature I can
bear for a bath.
WITH TWO SYLLABLES
 Add –est
 The + adjective + -est

 Exception for common two-syllable adjectives

 Either add –est or most
 Quiet - the quietest / most quiet
 Common - the commonest / most common
 Pleasant - the pleasantest / most pleasant
 Handsome - the handsomest / most handsome
 EXAMPLES
 Narrow - narrowest Bran lives on the narrowest street in town.
 simple - simplest I think this is the simplest test
question so far.
WITH THREE OR MORE SYLLABLES
 Add most
 The + adjective + most
 EXAMPLES
 Prime time is the most expensive time of the day for advertising.
 Tina is our most thorough accountant.
 These are the most unfavorable conditions for consumers.
IRREGULAR SUPERLATIVES
 Some adjectives have irregular forms for the superlative.

 Bad - worst
 Good - best
 Less - least (also used to express the opposite of
most
 Far - farthest/furthest
 EXAMPLES
 The designer you employed last month does the worst work I’ve ever seen.
 25 baht is the least you’ll pay for this software in stores.
MODIFIERS WITH ADJECTIVES
 Modifiers can be placed before a superlative for intensity.

 Much
 By far
 Quite
 Almost
 Practically / Nearly
 Easily
 Very
 EXAMPLES
 She is much the best student in the class.
 An attractive logo is by far the most effective way to establish brand
recognition.
 He is quite the most amazing person in the office.
 She’s almost the oldest in the company.
 The interview was nowhere near as difficult as the written exam.
 That neon sign is easily the ugliest thing on this street.
 Amy is the very last person I would ask for help. She’s not reliable.
TIP BOX
 The is dropped if there is a possessive.
 The is also not used when we compare the same person or thing in
different situations.
 EXAMPLES
 This is the best cake I’ve ever made.
 This is my best friend. (possessive my)
 Dog is the man’s best friend. (singular possessive noun)
 Tamara works the best in our department. (Tamara is compared with other
workers.)
 Tamara works best at night. (Tamara is compared against herself at other
times.)
 ACTIVITY: HOT POTATO
Direction: Pass the ball around while the music is playing. When the music
stops, the person who’s holding the ball will give the superlative and an
example sentence of the given adjectives.
Big Hard Funny
Narrow Hot Cheap
Simple Expensive Far
Tall Old Gloomy
Boring Quick Late
Bad Good Thorough
Write the correct form of the adjective in the blank. Use the when necessary.

1. The prospect of losing his job was ____________ thing Kevin had experienced. (hard)
2. John’s sales pitch was ___________________ he has given this year. (interesting)
3. Last month’s circulation was ________________ since the magazine started. (bad)
4. I think commercials are by far _____________________ thing on TV. (annoying)
5. Keira is our ________________ member of the accounting team. (young)
6. Going via Main Street is ______________ way to get to our office. (quick)
7. His _______________ campaign was his least successful. (recent)
8. I’m afraid Tony is ________________ person I know. (boring)
9. Mr. Kim is ______________ with writing a good slogan. Nothing else interests him.
(concerned)
10. We want to become _______________ advertising agency in the state. (big)
Write the correct form of the adjective in the blank. Use the when necessary.

the hardest thing Kevin had experienced. (hard)

1. The prospect of losing his job was ____________
the most interesting he has given this year. (interesting)
2. John’s sales pitch was ___________________
the worst
3. Last month’s circulation was ________________ since the magazine started. (bad)
the most annoying thing on TV. (annoying)
4. I think commercials are by far _____________________
youngest
5. Keira is our ________________ member of the accounting team. (young)
the quickest way to get to our office. (quick)
6. Going via Main Street is ______________
most recent
7. His _______________ campaign was his least successful. (recent)
the most boring person I know. (boring)
8. I’m afraid Tony is ________________
most concerned with writing a good slogan. Nothing else interests him.
9. Mr. Kim is ______________
(concerned)
the biggest
10. We want to become _______________ advertising agency in the state. (big)