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

What's __________ you've ever traveled?

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

Question 2

Which is _____________: gold or silver?

A	more expensive
B	as expensive
C	expensiver
D	expensivest

Question 2 Explanation:

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

Question 3

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

A	more bad
B	badder
C	worst
D	worse

Question 3 Explanation:

"More bad" and "badder" do not exist

Question 4

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

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

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

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

Question 5 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 6

The problems weren't ____________ I'd imagined.

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

Question 7

After he finished the test, he felt ____________.

A	most relaxed
B	more relaxed
C	least relaxed
D	relaxeder

Question 7 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 8

This is the city's ______________ bar.

A	less popular
B	popularest
C	most popular
D	more popular

Question 8 Explanation:

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

Question 9

I'm ___________ man on the planet!

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

Question 10

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

A	uncrowded
B	not crowded
C	least crowded
D	less crowded

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

My wife is ________ than I am.

A	patientest
B	patienter
C	more patient
D	most patient

Question 11 Explanation:

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

Question 12

What's _________ mountain in the world?

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

Question 13

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

A	more busy
B	busier
C	busiest
D	most busy

Question 13 Explanation:

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

Question 14

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

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

Question 14 Explanation:

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

Question 15

My son is getting __________ every year.

A	taller
B	more tall
C	tallest
D	the most tall

Question 15 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 16

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

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

Question 16 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 17

February is ____________ month of the year.

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

Question 18

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

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

Question 18 Explanation:

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

Question 19

Running a marathon is ____________ than doing a triathlon.

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

Question 20

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

A	better
B	best
C	more good
D	as good as

Question 20 Explanation:

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

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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?

Master the details of English grammar:

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