Welcome to your easy English grammar lesson! Today, we are going to learn about superlatives. Don’t worry, it sounds like a big word, but superlatives are actually very simple and useful, especially when you want to speak English confidently. If you are just starting to learn English (A1 level), understanding superlatives will help you express yourself better and understand more of what you hear and read.

What are Superlatives? (Basic English Grammar)

Imagine you have three friends: Ali, Ben, and Carol. Ali is tall, Ben is taller, and Carol is the tallest. “Tallest” is a superlative! Superlatives are used to compare three or more things and say which one is the most or the least in some way. We use them to show the highest degree of something.
Think of it like this: superlatives help you say things like:

• This is the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten!
• Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
• My little brother is the youngest in our family.

See? We use superlatives to pick out the “top” one!

How to Make Superlatives (Easy Rules for A1 Learners)

Making superlatives is easy! There are two main ways, depending on how long the adjective (describing word) is.

Rule 1: Short Adjectives (Add “-est”)

For most short adjectives, we simply add “-est” to the end. We also usually put “the” before the superlative adjective.
Here are some examples of easiest superlative examples:

• tall → the tallest (Ali is tall, Ben is taller, Carol is the tallest.)
• short → the shortest (This pencil is short, that one is shorter, but this one is the shortest.)
• fast → the fastest (A bicycle is fast, a car is faster, but a plane is the fastest.)
• small → the smallest (This house is small, that house is smaller, and this dollhouse is the smallest.)
• big → the biggest (Remember to double the last letter for some short words like ‘big’!) (This dog is big, that dog is bigger, but this elephant is the biggest animal!)
• old → the oldest (My brother is old, my father is older, but my grandfather is the oldest in our family.)
• young → the youngest (I am young, my cousin is younger, but my baby sister is the youngest.)
• cheap → the cheapest (This pen is cheap, that pen is cheaper, but this pencil is the cheapest.)
• nice → the nicest (This cat is nice, that cat is nicer, but my cat is the nicest!)

Notice we always use “the” before the superlative word. This is important!

Rule 2: Long Adjectives (Use “most”)

For longer adjectives, we usually use “most” before the adjective. Again, we also use “the” before “most”.
Let’s see some examples of superlatives with “most”:

• beautiful → the most beautiful (This flower is beautiful, that flower is more beautiful, but this rose is the most beautiful.)
• interesting → the most interesting (This book is interesting, that book is more interesting, but this history book is the most interesting.)
• expensive → the most expensive (This shirt is expensive, that shirt is more expensive, but this jacket is the most expensive.)
• difficult → the most difficult (This question is difficult, that question is more difficult, but this math problem is the most difficult.)
• popular → the most popular (This song is popular, that song is more popular, but this new song is the most popular.)

Irregular Superlatives (Just a few to remember!)

Like many things in English, there are a few exceptions! These are called irregular superlatives. You just need to memorize these common ones:

• good → the best (This apple is good, that apple is better, but this pie is the best!)
• bad → the worst (This test was bad, that test was worse, but this quiz was the worst!)
• far → the farthest (My house is far, your house is farther, but the school is the farthest.)
• little → the least (This problem is little, that problem is less, but this tiny speck is the least visible.)
• much/many → the most (We already saw ‘most’ with long adjectives, but it’s also the superlative of ‘much’ and ‘many’!)

Don’t worry too much about memorizing all of these right now. Focus on understanding the regular rules first. You will learn superlatives quickly with practice!

Using Superlatives in Sentences (Spoken English Practice)

Let’s see how we can use superlatives in sentences for spoken English practice. This will help you use them in everyday conversations!
Here are some sentence examples:

• “Which is the tallest building in this city?”
• “My mom makes the best cookies in the world!”
• “That was the most interesting movie I’ve seen this year.”
• “Winter is usually the coldest season.”
• “This is the cheapest phone I could find.”
• “Who is the youngest student in your class?”
• “What’s the most popular sport in your country?”
• “This is the worst coffee I have ever tasted!” (Oops! Maybe don’t say this to the person who made it!)

Remember to say “the” before the superlative word! This is a common mistake for beginners, so practice saying it correctly.

Let’s Practice! (English Grammar A1)

Now it’s your turn! Fill in the blanks with the correct superlative form of the adjective in parentheses. Remember to use “the” where needed.

1. Mount Everest is ___________ (high) mountain in the world.
2. This is ___________ (good) pizza I have ever eaten!
3. My little brother is ___________ (young) person in my family.
4. Summer is usually ___________ (hot) season of the year.
5. This book is ___________ (interesting) book I have read so far.
6. My grandmother is ___________ (old) person I know.
7. This is ___________ (small) car in the parking lot.
8. He is ___________ (fast) runner on our team.
9. This exam was ___________ (difficult) exam of the semester.
10. She is wearing ___________ (beautiful) dress at the party.

Answers

1. Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
2. This is the best pizza I have ever eaten!
3. My little brother is the youngest person in my family.
4. Summer is usually the hottest season of the year.
5. This book is the most interesting book I have read so far.
6. My grandmother is the oldest person I know.
7. This is the smallest car in the parking lot.
8. He is the fastest runner on our team.
9. This exam was ___________ (difficult) exam of the semester.
10. She is wearing ___________ (the most beautiful dress at the party.

Great job! You have just learned about superlatives! Keep practicing and you’ll be using them like a pro in no time. Understanding and using superlatives is a fantastic step in improving your English pronunciation tips and overall fluency.

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Keep learning and keep speaking!