Comparative or Superlative?

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives — Comparatives: 2 things. Superlatives: 3+ things.

Comparative: To compare 2 things.

The boy is taller than the girl.
The girl is shorter than the boy.
The boy is older than the girl.
The girl has longer hair than the boy.

Click here to review comparative adjectives.

Superlative: To compare 3 or more things.

The brush on the left is the biggest.
The brush on the right is the smallest.

Click here to review superlative adjectives.

Now take the quiz to test your understanding of comparative and superlative adjectives:

Quiz: Comparative or Superlative?

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Choose the correct adjective to complete the sentence - comparative or superlative.

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Question 1

The problems weren't ____________ I'd imagined.

A	more bad
B	the worst
C	as bad as
D	as worse as

Question 2

Playing games on Facebook is not __________ use of your time.

A	the good
B	the better
C	the best
D	as good

Question 2 Explanation:

We are comparing one thing (playing games) with all the other possible ways to spend time, so we use the superlative, "the best"

Question 3

What's __________ you've ever traveled?

A	the farthest
B	the most far
C	farther than
D	as far as

Question 4

This is ___________ book I've ever read. It doesn't help at all.

A	the least useful
B	the most useful
C	the more useful
D	the less useful

Question 4 Explanation:

We are comparing this book with all the other books I have read in my life - so "the least useful" (superlative) is correct.

Question 5

I canceled my cell phone contract. I'm looking for a provider with __________ customer service.

A	more good
B	best
C	as good as
D	better

Question 5 Explanation:

We are comparing two things - my previous cell phone provider with my future cell phone provider - so we use the comparative, "better"

Question 6

______________ thing I've ever had to do was to tell my daughter that her puppy had died.

A	The more hard
B	The worst hard
C	The hardest
D	The most hard

Question 6 Explanation:

We are comparing this situation with all other situations in life, so we use the superlative.

Question 7

I'm ___________ man on the planet!

A	the more lucky
B	luckier
C	the luckiest
D	the most luckiest

Question 8

February is ____________ month of the year.

A	less short
B	the shortest
C	the least short
D	shorter

Question 9

That book wasn't ____________ I thought it'd be.

A	much interesting
B	as interesting as
C	the most interesting
D	more interesting

Question 9 Explanation:

We are comparing two things - my idea about the book, and the reality of the book - so we use the comparative. Because it's a negative sentence ("wasn't") - we use "as interesting as"

Question 10

Let's go to the restaurant across the street. It looks ______________ than this one.

A	not crowded
B	less crowded
C	least crowded
D	uncrowded

Question 10 Explanation:

We are comparing two things: this restaurant, and the restaurant across the street - so we use the comparative "less crowded"

Question 11

This job is pretty bad, but my last job was even __________.

A	worst
B	worse
C	badder
D	more bad

Question 11 Explanation:

"More bad" and "badder" do not exist

Question 12

Yesterday was a slow day at my company, but today was ______________.

A	busiest
B	more busy
C	busier
D	most busy

Question 12 Explanation:

We are comparing two things - yesterday and today - so we use the comparative.

Question 13

After he finished the test, he felt ____________.

A	most relaxed
B	relaxeder
C	least relaxed
D	more relaxed

Question 13 Explanation:

We are comparing two things - his feelings before the test and his feelings after the test. So "more relaxed" is correct. ("Relaxeder" does not exist)

Question 14

My wife is ________ than I am.

A	more patient
B	patientest
C	most patient
D	patienter

Question 14 Explanation:

Note: "patienter" and "patientest" do not exist.

Question 15

What's _________ mountain in the world?

A	higher
B	as high as
C	the most high
D	the highest

Question 16

My son is getting __________ every year.

A	the most tall
B	taller
C	tallest
D	more tall

Question 16 Explanation:

We are comparing two things - how tall he was before and how tall he is after a year - so we use the comparative.

Question 17

Running a marathon is ____________ than doing a triathlon.

A	less difficult
B	least difficult
C	not as difficult
D	the most difficult

Question 18

Which is _____________: gold or silver?

A	expensivest
B	expensiver
C	more expensive
D	as expensive

Question 18 Explanation:

Note: "expensiver" and "expensivest" don't exist.

Question 19

This is the city's ______________ bar.

A	most popular
B	more popular
C	less popular
D	popularest

Question 19 Explanation:

We are comparing this bar with all the other bars in the city - so we use the superlative. ("Popularest" does not exist)

Question 20

The scandal involving the President is ______________ issue in the news today.

A	very controversial
B	as controversial as
C	more controversial
D	the most controversial

Question 20 Explanation:

We are comparing this issue with all the other issues in the news today - so we use the superlative.

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Comparative or Superlative?

Click here to review comparative adjectives.

Superlative: To compare 3 or more things.

Click here to review superlative adjectives.

Quiz: Comparative or Superlative?

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