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 the city's ______________ bar.

A	less popular
B	more popular
C	popularest
D	most popular

Question 1 Explanation:

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

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

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

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

Question 3 Explanation:

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

Question 4

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

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

Question 4 Explanation:

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

Question 5

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

A	worst
B	badder
C	more bad
D	worse

Question 5 Explanation:

"More bad" and "badder" do not exist

Question 6

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

A	uncrowded
B	less crowded
C	least crowded
D	not crowded

Question 6 Explanation:

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

Question 7

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 7 Explanation:

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

Question 8

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

A	most busy
B	busiest
C	more busy
D	busier

Question 8 Explanation:

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

Question 9

What's __________ you've ever traveled?

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

Question 10

The problems weren't ____________ I'd imagined.

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

Question 11

February is ____________ month of the year.

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

Question 12

My son is getting __________ every year.

A	more tall
B	the most tall
C	tallest
D	taller

Question 12 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 13

Running a marathon is ____________ than doing a triathlon.

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

Question 14

Which is _____________: gold or silver?

A	more expensive
B	expensivest
C	expensiver
D	as expensive

Question 14 Explanation:

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

Question 15

My wife is ________ than I am.

A	patientest
B	more patient
C	most patient
D	patienter

Question 15 Explanation:

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

Question 16

After he finished the test, he felt ____________.

A	more relaxed
B	least relaxed
C	relaxeder
D	most relaxed

Question 16 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 17

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

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

Question 17 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 18

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

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

Question 18 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 19

I'm ___________ man on the planet!