(differences in 3 + things or 3 + people)
Click to listen
The lion is the biggest animal. (There
are three animals)
The lion is also the most dangerous of the three
animals above.
The superlative form is used to show
the difference among three or more things or people in a group.
There are rules for using the superlative
form. The table below will help you. |
Superlatives |
One-syllable
words |
two
syllable words ending in y |
two
syllables or more not
ending in y |
add
est |
drop
the y and ad iest |
use
most / don't add est |
big  biggest |
noisy noisiest |
dangerous most
dangerous |
old oldest |
busy busiest |
expensive most
expensive |
nicer nicest |
crazy craziest |
comfortable most
comfortable |
young youngest |
lazy laziest |
humid most
humid |
fast fastest |
funny funniest |
tired most
tired |
cheap cheapest |
dry driest |
acceptable most
acceptable |
There are some exceptions:
good, bad, far, and fun are adjectives that don't follow the
rules when making the comparative form. |
good best |
bad worst |
far farthest |
fun most
fun |
|
|
Never use two superlatives together on an adjective:
most cheapest
most noisiest
It's often necessary to use "the" in front
of the superlative:
Click to listen
| Apples picked directly from a tree taste the
best. |
 |
| I had the most
fun at the state fair when I rode on the ferris
wheel. |
|
| Giraffes have the
longest necks of any animal. |
 |
(Sometimes an article such as "the" isn't necessary when using the superlative. Instead,
you can use the possessive form in front of the superlative.)
Examples:
This dog is her best friend.
or
Her best friend is her dog.
|
|
Click
here for a quiz on comparatives and superlatives
Click here for a listening exercise.
Next: Lesson Eight
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