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

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

A	busier
B	more busy
C	most busy
D	busiest

Question 1 Explanation:

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

Question 2

What's _________ mountain in the world?

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

Question 3

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

A	as good as
B	more good
C	best
D	better

Question 3 Explanation:

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

Question 4

Which is _____________: gold or silver?

A	more expensive
B	expensiver
C	as expensive
D	expensivest

Question 4 Explanation:

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

Question 5

This is the city's ______________ bar.

A	more popular
B	popularest
C	less popular
D	most popular

Question 5 Explanation:

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

Question 6

Running a marathon is ____________ than doing a triathlon.

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

Question 7

The problems weren't ____________ I'd imagined.

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

Question 8

My son is getting __________ every year.

A	the most tall
B	taller
C	tallest
D	more tall

Question 8 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 9

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

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

Question 9 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 10

After he finished the test, he felt ____________.

A	least relaxed
B	relaxeder
C	more relaxed
D	most relaxed

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

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

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

Question 11 Explanation:

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

Question 12

February is ____________ month of the year.

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

Question 13

My wife is ________ than I am.

A	patientest
B	most patient
C	patienter
D	more patient

Question 13 Explanation:

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

Question 14

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

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

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

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

Question 15 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 16

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

A	not crowded
B	less crowded
C	uncrowded
D	least 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

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

A	more bad
B	badder
C	worst
D	worse

Question 17 Explanation:

"More bad" and "badder" do not exist

Question 18

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

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

Question 18 Explanation:

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

Question 19

What's __________ you've ever traveled?

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

Question 20

I'm ___________ man on the planet!

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

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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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