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

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

Question 1 Explanation:

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

Question 2

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

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

Question 2 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 3

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

A	best
B	as good as
C	better
D	more good

Question 3 Explanation:

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

Question 4

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

A	least crowded
B	not crowded
C	less crowded
D	uncrowded

Question 4 Explanation:

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

Question 5

February is ____________ month of the year.

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

Question 6

______________ 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 most hard
D	The more hard

Question 6 Explanation:

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

Question 7

This is the city's ______________ bar.

A	popularest
B	less popular
C	most popular
D	more popular

Question 7 Explanation:

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

Question 8

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

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

Question 8 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 9

My wife is ________ than I am.

A	patientest
B	more patient
C	most patient
D	patienter

Question 9 Explanation:

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

Question 10

My son is getting __________ every year.

A	tallest
B	more tall
C	the most tall
D	taller

Question 10 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 11

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

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

Question 11 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 12

What's _________ mountain in the world?

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

Question 13

What's __________ you've ever traveled?

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

Question 14

I'm ___________ man on the planet!

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

Question 15

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

A	busier
B	more busy
C	busiest
D	most busy

Question 15 Explanation:

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

Question 16

Running a marathon is ____________ than doing a triathlon.

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

Question 17

The problems weren't ____________ I'd imagined.

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

Question 18

Which is _____________: gold or silver?

A	expensivest
B	as expensive
C	expensiver
D	more expensive

Question 18 Explanation:

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

Question 19

After he finished the test, he felt ____________.

A	least relaxed
B	relaxeder
C	most relaxed
D	more relaxed

Question 19 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 20

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