Superlatives (Basic)

1. What are superlatives?

Superlatives compare 3 or more things.

Compare the two forms:

Feature	Comparative	Superlative
How many?	2 people or things	3 or more people or things
Common form	taller than	the tallest
Example	“Tom is taller than Sam.”	“Tom is the tallest in the class.”

A comparative usually compares one thing directly with another and often uses than. A superlative compares one thing with a whole group and usually uses the.

They show the most or the least in a group.

Use this frame: the + adjective-est / the most + adjective + in/of + group: the tallest in the class / the most interesting of the three films.

Examples

• the biggest house
• the fastest runner
• the most interesting movie
• the least expensive restaurant

Sentences

• This is the tallest building in the town.
• This is the smallest room in the house.
• This is the most comfortable chair in the room.

2. Short Adjectives and -y Adjectives

For short adjectives, add -est. We usually use the before a superlative: the tallest.

Structure

the + adjective + -est

Examples

• tall → the tallest
• fast → the fastest
• small → the smallest
• young → the youngest

Sentences

• He is the fastest runner in the class.
• This is the smallest room.
• My dog is the fastest in the park.

2.1 Spelling rules

a) Adjectives ending in -e

Add only -st.

Examples

• nice → the nicest
• large → the largest

Sentences

• She is the nicest teacher.
• This is the largest building in town.

b) Consonant + vowel + consonant (CVC)

For a one-syllable adjective with a stressed consonant + vowel + consonant ending, double the last consonant and add -est.

Examples

• big → the biggest
• hot → the hottest
• thin → the thinnest

Sentences

• Today is the hottest day of the week.
• He is the biggest player on the team.

Do not double final w, x, or y:

• new → the newest
• slow → the slowest

2.2 Adjectives Ending in -y

Many two-syllable adjectives ending in -y use -iest. Change y to i and add -est.

Examples

• happy → the happiest
• busy → the busiest
• easy → the easiest

Sentences

• She is the happiest person here.
• Monday is the busiest day of the week.

3. Other Adjectives: The Most / The Least

Use the most + adjective for many other adjectives. Use the least + adjective for the lowest degree: the least expensive restaurant means the restaurant that costs the lowest amount.

Structure

the most + adjective

the least + adjective

Examples

• the most beautiful
• the least expensive
• the most comfortable
• the least difficult

Sentences

• This is the most expensive restaurant in town.
• She is the most confident student in the class.
• That was the least interesting movie.

4. Irregular superlatives

Some adjectives are irregular.

Examples

• good → the best
• bad → the worst
• far → the farthest

Sentences

• This is the best café in the city.
• That was the worst movie I saw last year.
• His house is the farthest from school.

You may also see furthest, but farthest is a useful form to learn first.

5. When we use superlatives

We use superlatives when comparing one item with a whole group.

Examples

• She is the oldest in her family.
• This is the coldest month of the year.
• Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

These are common patterns for group phrases:

• Use in for a place or group: in the city, in the class, in my family.
• Use of for a stated set or period: of the three, of the year, of the week.

Common group phrases

• in my family
• in the class
• in the city/country
• of the year/week/month

6. Superlatives without nouns

Sometimes the noun is understood and is not repeated.

Only leave out the noun when the listener can understand it from the context.

Examples

• This restaurant is the cheapest.
• Who is the fastest?
• That was the best.

7. Common Mistakes

8. Key takeaways

• Superlatives compare one thing with a group.
• One-syllable adjectives usually add -est; two-syllable -y adjectives change to -iest; other longer adjectives use the most.
• The least + adjective means the lowest degree.
• Most superlatives use the and a group phrase with in or of.
• Some adjectives are irregular: the best, the worst, the farthest.