Yellow Level

Lesson Seven:

Superlative Adjectives

differences in 3+ things or 3+ people

Add “est” or “most” when forming superlative adjectives.

(What is an adjective?)

The lion is the biggest animal in this group.

(There are three animals)

The lion is also the most dangerous animal in this group.

Remember: 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.

write

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
nice 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:

1. Apples picked directly from a tree taste the best.
2. I had the most fun at the state fair when I rode on the ferris wheel.
3. 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.