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

February is ____________ month of the year.

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

Question 2

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

A	much interesting
B	as interesting as
C	more interesting
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	the highest
B	higher
C	as high as
D	the most high

Question 4

Running a marathon is ____________ than doing a triathlon.

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

Question 5

My wife is ________ than I am.

A	patientest
B	more patient
C	patienter
D	most patient

Question 5 Explanation:

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

Question 6

What's __________ you've ever traveled?

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

Question 7

My son is getting __________ every year.

A	the most tall
B	tallest
C	taller
D	more tall

Question 7 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 8

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

A	more busy
B	most busy
C	busiest
D	busier

Question 8 Explanation:

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

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

I'm ___________ man on the planet!

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

Question 11

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

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

Question 11 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 12

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

A	badder
B	worse
C	more bad
D	worst

Question 12 Explanation:

"More bad" and "badder" do not exist

Question 13

______________ 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 13 Explanation:

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

Question 14

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

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

Question 14 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 15

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

A	better
B	best
C	as good as
D	more good

Question 15 Explanation:

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

Question 16

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

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

Question 16 Explanation:

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

Question 17

After he finished the test, he felt ____________.

A	more relaxed
B	least relaxed
C	relaxeder
D	most relaxed

Question 17 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 18

This is the city's ______________ bar.

A	most popular
B	less popular
C	more popular
D	popularest

Question 18 Explanation:

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

Question 19

The problems weren't ____________ I'd imagined.

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

Question 20

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

A	not crowded
B	uncrowded
C	less crowded
D	least crowded

Question 20 Explanation:

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

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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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