We use superlative adjectives to describe an extreme version of one thing only. We do not use superlatives to compare two things. We add the word “the” and then: When the adjective is a short word (usually 1 syllable), the following rules apply to modify adjectives into their superlative form:

 

➡ Most commonly, we add the, then add -est to the end of the adjective:

 

E.g: Yesterday was the coldest day of the year so far. 

My son is the youngest member of our family.

 

➡ When the adjective ends in e, we add the, then add -st to the end of the adjective:

 

E.g: My house is the largest one in the neighborhood.

 

He is the strangest person I have ever met.

 

➡ When the adjective ends with a consonant-vowel-consonant, we add the, usually double the last consonant, then add -est to the end of the adjective:

 

E.g: This is the biggest meal I’ve had in a long time. Today is the hottest day of summer so far.

 

➡ When the adjective ends in y, we add the, then remove the y and add -iest:

 

E.g: You are the luckiest person I know.

Which language do you think is the easiest to learn?

 

➡ When the adjective is a long word (3 syllables or more), we add the and use the words “most” or “least” followed by the original adjective:

 

E.g: My father is the most intelligent person I’ve ever met.

This is the most enjoyable English class I have taken.

 

➡ Any time an adjective ends in -ing, we always add the and use the words “most” or “least” followed by the original adjective:

 

E.g: This is the most interesting play I have ever seen.

This is the most boring museum I’ve ever been to.

 

➡ There are certain 2-syllable adjectives that follow the short-word rule and some that follow the long-word rule when using an adjective in its superlative form. There are no guidelines for these 2-syllable words, but as you become more comfortable with superlative adjectives through use, you will begin to hear when certain words sound wrong with -est and others sound wrong with the words most or least. Below are some common examples: 

 

-est: easy, tidy, happy and funny.

 

most or least: careful, gentle, modern and humid.

 

➡ There are four common irregular adjectives whose comparative forms we need to memorize:

 

good ➡ the best

bad ➡ the worst

far ➡ the farthest/furthest

fun ➡ the most fun

 

Let's practice! Write in the comments section sentences with superlatives.

 

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