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

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

Question 1 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 2

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

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

Question 2 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 3

What's _________ mountain in the world?

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

Question 4

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

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

Question 4 Explanation:

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

Question 5

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

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

Question 5 Explanation:

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

Question 6

This is the city's ______________ bar.

A	less popular
B	most popular
C	more popular
D	popularest

Question 6 Explanation:

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

Question 7

February is ____________ month of the year.

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

Question 8

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

A	worst
B	badder
C	more bad
D	worse

Question 8 Explanation:

"More bad" and "badder" do not exist

Question 9

Which is _____________: gold or silver?

A	as expensive
B	expensivest
C	more expensive
D	expensiver

Question 9 Explanation:

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

Question 10

After he finished the test, he felt ____________.

A	least relaxed
B	most relaxed
C	more relaxed
D	relaxeder

Question 10 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 11

The problems weren't ____________ I'd imagined.

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

Question 12

Running a marathon is ____________ than doing a triathlon.

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

Question 13

My wife is ________ than I am.

A	most patient
B	more patient
C	patientest
D	patienter

Question 13 Explanation:

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

Question 14

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

A	best
B	as good as
C	more good
D	better

Question 14 Explanation:

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

Question 15

I'm ___________ man on the planet!

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

Question 16

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

A	uncrowded
B	least crowded
C	not crowded
D	less crowded

Question 16 Explanation:

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

Question 17

My son is getting __________ every year.

A	taller
B	tallest
C	more tall
D	the most tall

Question 17 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 18

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

A	busier
B	more busy
C	busiest
D	most busy

Question 18 Explanation:

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

Question 19

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

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

Question 19 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 20

What's __________ you've ever traveled?

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

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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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