Adjectives
Superlative Adjectives/Adverbs are used to make a comparison between things, people or actions, expressing the superiority of one thing, person or action who has a higher level of a particular quality.
The Superlatives can be made using Adjectives or Adverbs. We use the determiner the before the Adjective/Adverb to show that it is superior to other things.
The Superlatives have this structure:
Subject + verb + the + superlative Adjective/Adverb + object.
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The Superlative form of an Adjective/Adverb is obtained differently depending on its number of syllables and on its suffix.
- One syllable:
- Generally, with one-syllable Adjective/Adverb we just add -est (e.g. clean -> cleanest);
- Adjectives ending with one vowel and one consonant: We usually double the final consonant before adding -est (e.g. big -> biggest);
- With one-syllable Adjective/Adverb ending with -e: We just add -st (e.g. simple -> simplest).
| fast | the fastest |
| fat | the fattest |
| strange | the strangest |
- Two syllables ending in -y: Change -y to –i and add –est.
| friendly | the friendliest |
| funny | the funniest |
| early | the earliest |
- Two or more syllables not ending in -y: We add the most before the Adjective/Adverb: the most + Adjective/Adverb (without changes).
| beautiful | the most beautiful |
| boring | the most boring |
| quietly | the most quietly |
We cannot change the Adjectives/Adverbs with the most. […the most + Adjective/Adverb (without changes)…].
One syllable:
- I have the cleanest desk in the office.
- She has the oldest shop in the street.
- They try their hardest to buy an apartment.
Two syllables ending with -y:
- You are the funniest woman alive.
- She is the friendliest girl I’ve ever met.
- We wake up the earliest to take shower.
Two or more syllables not ending with -y:
- I think that tennis is the most boring sport.
- ‘War and Peace’ is the most difficult Russian book to read.
- That is the most slowly they talk on the radio.
We use Superlative Adjectives/Adverbs when we want to express the superiority of one thing, person or action over another.
We use Superlative Adjectives/Adverbs when we wish to make a comparison between things, people or actions, expressing the superiority of one thing, person or action who has a higher level of a particular quality.
The formation of the Superlative differs depending on the number of syllables and the suffix.
For example:
— One-syllable: “Claire is the oldest girl in the class.” = Because the word old has one syllable, we just add -est (When the adjective ends in -e we just add -st).
— Two-syllables ending in -y: “Claire is the prettiest girl in the class.” = Because the word pretty has two syllables and ends with -y, -y becomes -i and we need to add -est.
— Two or more syllables not ending in -y: “Claire is the most sympathetic girl in the class.” = Because the word sympathetic has more than one syllable, we need to write most before the adjective. The Adjective/Adverb does not change when using most.
Let’s revise this content within the [Form] section. Take a look at the [Example] section that shows its use within a context.