ESL Inventory

Superlatives: Rules, Examples & Exercises

Already know what are superlatives? Let’s have a quick test:

EXERCISE: Choose the correct superlative form

Choose the correct superlative form to fill the gap.

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She’s ___ student in our class.

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It’s ___ building in the city.

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You chose ___ option.

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They live in ___ house on the street.

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That was ___ mistake you could make.

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That was ___ day of my life.

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That was ___ movie I’ve ever seen.

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This is ___ time to visit the museum.

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He’s ___ of the group.

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She’s ___ singer in the competition.

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We use superlatives to show that something is the best, worst, biggest, smallest, etc. — in a group of three or more.

  • This is the coldest day of the year.
  • She’s the most talented person I know.

How to Form Superlatives

Adjective TypeRuleExample
One syllableAdd -esttall → the tallest
One syllable ending in -eAdd -stnice → the nicest
One syllable, vowel + consonantDouble the consonant + -estbig → the biggest
Two syllables ending in -yChange y to i + -esthappy → the happiest
Most 2-syllable and longer adj.Use the most + adjectiveinteresting → the most interesting
Irregular adjectivesChange word completelygood → the best
bad → the worst
far → the farthest/furthest

Always use “the” before a superlative adjective.

Some people may confuse it with comparatives; Example: easier or easiest? In that case: check the following pages: Comparatives and Superlatives, and Comparatives.

Superlatives Infographic

Infographic explaining superlatives in English. It shows how to form superlatives using different adjective and adverb patterns. Irregular forms are highlighted, including good → the best, bad → the worst, and far → the furthest. Rules are shown for one-syllable adjectives (hard → the hardest), adjectives ending in consonant-vowel-consonant (big → the biggest), two-syllable adjectives ending in -y (easy → the easiest), adjectives with two or more syllables (expensive → the most expensive), and adverbs ending in -ly (quickly → the most quickly). Example sentences illustrate each rule. Full article: https://esl-inventory.com/
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Common Adverbs Used with Superlative

Adverbs can make a superlative stronger or show limits of the group:

AdverbUseExample
by far, by a landslidemuch more than all othersShe’s by far the most experienced doctor.
easily, undoubtedly, without questionno doubt, clearlyThat was easily the best concert ever.
one ofpart of a small groupIt’s one of the nicest places I’ve been to.
the second / thirdrank in a groupHe’s the second tallest in the team.
almost, only just, probablythe most, but by a small differenceThat was almost the hardest test to take.

When “Most” Isn’t a Superlative

Not every sentence with “most” is a superlative, sometimes most means “the majority of”:

  • Most students enjoy learning online. (not a superlative)
  • Most people like coffee. (means “the majority”)

Compare:

  • She is the most organized person in the team. (superlative = best)
  • Most organized people use a planner. (majority of people who are organized)

Tip: If there’s no “the” before “most” and it’s not comparing, it’s probably not a superlative.

Exercises on Superlatives

EXERCISE: Fill the gaps with the correct superlative structure

Fill the gaps to complete sentences with the correct superlative structure. Use the word in brackets.

Example: The last question is ____ one in the test. (hard)

Answer: the hardest

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This is part of the movie. (funny)

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He is player in the team. (good)

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She’s person I’ve ever met. (kind)

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It was meal I’ve had all year. (delicious)

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This is question in the quiz. (difficult)

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I think it’s hotel in town. (expensive)

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February is month of the year. (short)

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The Amazon is river in South America. (long)

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That was speech of the evening. (inspiring)

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They had seats in the stadium. (bad)

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EXERCISE: Fill the gaps with the correct superlative structure

Fill the gaps to complete sentences with the correct superlative structure. Use the words given.

Example: That is ______ ice cream I’ve ever tried.

Word to use: by far delicious

Answer: by far the most delicious

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That was performance of the night.

Words to use: by a landslide beautiful

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It was experiences of my life.

Words to use: one of meaningful

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He’s runner in school.

Words to use: second fast

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This is restaurant in the area.

Words to use: without question elegant

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They’re teams in the league.

Words to use: one of dynamic

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She’s dancer in the group.

Words to use: easily skilled

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That’s comment I’ve heard today.

Words to use: only just helpful

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It was idea we had.

Words to use: by far good

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This is time to plant tomatoes.

Words to use: probably good

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You chose solution.

Words to use: undoubtedly smart

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