Superlatives of adjectives

Superlatives of adjectives - 1

In the superlative you talk about one thing only and how it is the best, worst, etc.
You do not compare two things. The following guidelines apply to the superlative:

Adjectives with one syllable:
1-syllable adjectives: add -est to the adjective (plus the)

My sister is the tallest in our family.
Yesterday was the coldest day of the year so far.


Note: If the word ends: consonant-vowel-consonant, then the last consonant is usually doubled in the superlative.
big - biggest, fat - fattest, hot - hottest

Adjectives of two syllables ending in -y:
2-syllable adjectives ending in -y: change the -y to -iest (plus the)

The richest people are not always the happiest.
Which do you think is the easiest language to learn?
She's the luckiest person I know.

Superlatives of adjectives - 2

Beware: Do not confuse adjectives and adverbs.
2-syllable adverbs ending in -y form their superlative with the words the most.

Of all the people I know my father drives the most quickly (quickliest).

Other adjectives with two syllables:
Other 2-syllable adjectives: use the most with the unchanged adjective

The most boring thing about ESL class is doing grammar exercises.
My sister is the most careful person I know.

Exceptions
The superlative of some shorter 2-syllable adjectives can be formed with -est.
- simple - simplest
- clever - cleverest
- narrow - narrowest

To be sure which comparative method to use, you will need to consult a good dictionary.

Superlatives of adjectives - 3

Adjectives of three syllables or more:
Adjectives with 3 or more syllables: use the most with the unchanged adjective

Some people think that Russian is the most difficult language.
Albert Einstein was the most intelligent person in history.
My most enjoyable class is English.

Irregular forms
Following are two common irregular comparative/superlative forms:

good - better - the best
bad - worse - the worst

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    VO-content
    Laatst gewijzigd
    2017-09-27 16:36:41
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