Use of superlative adjectives
We use superlative adjectives to compare one thing in a group with all of the other things in the group.
We use “the” before the superlative adjective because we are referring to one specific person or thing.
Example:
Mark is the tallest person in the family.
How to modify a superlative
Method 1
“one of the” + superlative + plural noun
Example:
Great Britain is one of the richest countries in the world.
Meaning:
There are several very rich countries in the world. Great Britain is an example of those very rich countries.
Method 2
“some of the” + superlative + plural noun
Example:
New York, London and Tokyo are some of the most expensive cities in the world.
Meaning:
There are several very expensive cities in the world. New York, London and Tokyo are examples of those cities.
Method 3
We can also modify a superlative with an ordinal number. An ordinal number tells us the order of a group of things. We call the “normal” numbers cardinal numbers.
| NUMBER | CARDINAL NUMBER | ORDINAL NUMBER |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | one | first |
| 2 | two | second |
| 3 | three | third |
| 4 | four | fourth |
| 5 | five | fifth |
Look at the picture below. You can see that the members of the family are all of different heights.
Mark is the tallest person in the family.
After Mark, there is an order from the tallest to the shortest.
We use the following structure:
“the” + ordinal number + superlative
Examples:
David is the second tallest person in the family.
Jane is the third tallest person in the family.
Method 4
We can also replace “the” with a possessive.
Form:
possessive + superlative
Examples:
Physics is her hardest exam.
Jane is my best friend.
Maths is Mark’s hardest exam.
Form of superlative adjectives
The form of a superlative depends on the number of syllables in the original adjective. See below for the grammar rules.
One-syllable adjectives
For most one-syllable adjectives:
We add -est
| ADJECTIVE | SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVE |
|---|---|
| hard | hardest |
| tall | tallest |
| short | shortest |
| small | smallest |
Example:
Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system.
For one-syllable adjectives ending in “e”:
We add -st
| ADJECTIVE | SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVE |
|---|---|
| fine | finest |
| nice | nicest |
| rare | rarest |
Example:
Jane is the nicest person in the office.
For one-syllable adjectives ending in a consonant, vowel and consonant:
We double the last consonant and add -est
| ADJECTIVE | SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVE |
|---|---|
| big | bigger |
| fat | fatter |
| hot | hotter |
| thin | thinner |
Example:
Spain is the hottest country in Europe.
Two-syllable adjectives
For most two-syllable adjectives:
We use “most” + adjective
| ADJECTIVE | SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVE |
|---|---|
| careful | most careful |
| famous | most famous |
| peaceful | most peaceful |
| pleasant | most pleasant |
| useful | most useful |
Example:
This is the most peaceful view that I have ever seen.
Two-syllable adjectives ending in “y”:
We change the “y” to “i” and add -est
| ADJECTIVE | SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVE |
|---|---|
| busy | busiest |
| easy | easiest |
| funny | funniest |
| happy | happiest |
Example:
Saturday is the busiest day of the week for shopping.
Two-syllable adjectives ending in “er”, “le” or “ow”:
We usually add -est
| ADJECTIVE | SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVE |
|---|---|
| clever | cleverest |
| gentle | gentlest |
| narrow | narrowest |
Example:
David is the cleverest boy in the class.
Longer adjectives
Adjectives with three or more syllables:
We always use “most” + adjective
| ADJECTIVE | SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVE |
|---|---|
| complicated | most complicated |
| enjoyable | most enjoyable |
| interesting | most interesting |
Example:
This is the most interesting book that I have ever read.
Irregular superlative adjectives
Some superlative adjectives are irregular:
| ADJECTIVE | SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVE |
|---|---|
| bad | worst |
| good | best |
Examples:
He wants to be the best football player in the world.
In my opinion, she is the worst actress in Hollywood.