Suerlative adjectives

1. SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES
Al is tall, Joe is taller than Al but Ed is the tallest
A tortoise is slow, a worm is slower
but a snail is the slowest

2. TV,cinema, theatre.
TV is the most popular.
The cinema is more
popular than the
theatre.
Major, captain ,
sergeant. A major is
the most important. A
captain is more
important than a
sergeant
Platinum, gold,
silver.Platinum is the
most precious. Gold is
more precious than
silver

3. HOW DO WE USE THE
SUPERLATIVE IN ENGLISH?
The comparative is used between two things or people:
Joe is TALLER THAN Al
However, the superlative is the extreme between 3 or more:
Joe,Al,Ed Ed is THE TALLEST
There are two ways to form a superlative adjective in English:
1.- SHORT ADJECTIVES add “ the .........-est”:
TALL-THE TALLEST; SHORT-THE SHORTEST
2.- LONG ADJECTIVES use “the most ..........”:
EXPENSIVE- THE MOST EXPENSIVE
INTERESTING- THE MOST INTERESTING

4. SHORT ADJECTIVES
1 SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES
SHORT, TALL, SLIM,…
2 SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES ending in –Y
HAPPY, FRIENDLY, FUNNY,…
These adjectives add THE......_EST :
THE SHORTEST , THE HAPPIEST
Note the pronunciation of the final –est:
shortest /So;tist/ happiest /h&pi@st/

5. SPELLING CHANGES
 If the adjective ends in “-e” , it only adds “-ST”:
LATE- THE LATEST
 If the adjective ends in consonant+vowel+consonant,
it doubles the last consonant:
HOT- THE HOTTEST
 If the adjective ends in –y , it changes to –I+EST
if preceded by a consonant:
HAPPY- THE HAPPIEST

6. LONG ADJECTIVES
2 SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES not ending
in –y:
PLEASANT, MODERN
ALL OTHER ADJECTIVES OF MORE
THAN 2 SYLLABLES:
COMFORTABLE, INTERESTING
These adjectives use THE MOST .......:
PLEASANT- THE MOST PLEASANT
COMFORTABLE –
THE MOST COMFORTABLE

7. With some 2 syllable adjectives, we can
use both “-est” or “ the most”:
QUIET CLEVER
NARROW SIMPLE
There are also some irregular forms:
GOOD- THE BEST
BAD-THE WORST
FAR- THE FURTHEST/THE FARTHEST

11. Complete the sentences using IN or OF:
• Everest is the highest mountain …. the world.
• I think spring is the best time …. the year.
• The Nile is the longest river ….. Africa.
• Anick is the youngest girl …. the class.
• My wedding day was the happiest day … my life.
• Sunday is the most boring day …. the week.

12. With superlatives we normally use “IN” with
places and groups of people:
 She’s the most beautiful girl in the
world/Spain…
In most other cases we use “OF”:
 That’s the most interesting match of the
season.