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

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

A	worst
B	badder
C	more bad
D	worse

Question 1 Explanation:

"More bad" and "badder" do not exist

Question 2

This is the city's ______________ bar.

A	popularest
B	more popular
C	less popular
D	most popular

Question 2 Explanation:

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

Question 3

After he finished the test, he felt ____________.

A	relaxeder
B	more relaxed
C	least relaxed
D	most relaxed

Question 3 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 4

My son is getting __________ every year.

A	tallest
B	taller
C	the most tall
D	more tall

Question 4 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 5

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

A	best
B	better
C	more good
D	as good as

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

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

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

Question 6 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 7

What's __________ you've ever traveled?

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

Question 8

What's _________ mountain in the world?

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

Question 9

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

A	more busy
B	busiest
C	most busy
D	busier

Question 9 Explanation:

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

Question 10

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

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

Question 10 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 11

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

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

Question 11 Explanation:

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

Question 12

February is ____________ month of the year.

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

Question 13

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

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

Question 13 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 14

The problems weren't ____________ I'd imagined.

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

Question 15

My wife is ________ than I am.

A	most patient
B	patientest
C	more patient
D	patienter

Question 15 Explanation:

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

Question 16

Running a marathon is ____________ than doing a triathlon.

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

Question 17

I'm ___________ man on the planet!

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

Question 18

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

A	not crowded
B	least crowded
C	less crowded
D	uncrowded

Question 18 Explanation:

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

Question 19

Which is _____________: gold or silver?

A	as expensive
B	expensivest
C	more expensive
D	expensiver

Question 19 Explanation:

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

Question 20

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

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