A comparative compares one item with another; a superlative places an item at the top or bottom of a scale within a group. The group can be stated or understood.

The idea

Many short adjectives take -est: smallest, largest. Note spelling: biggest, busiest. Longer adjectives normally use most: most comfortable. Learn good → best and bad → worst. Usually put the before a superlative noun phrase; a possessive replaces it in my busiest day.

Examples

  • This is the smallest suitcase in the shop.
  • The sofa is the most comfortable seat in the room.
  • Wednesday is my busiest day.
  • That was the worst meal of our trip.
  • The blue box is the biggest of the three.
  • This is one of the best cafés in the neighbourhood.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic English voice on your device. Quality and availability vary; it does not assess pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not combine most and -est: the biggest, not the most biggest. Use in for a place or organisation and of for an explicit set: in the shop, of the three. After one of the best, the following noun is plural.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the correct option. This is the ___ suitcase in the shop. (smallest / most small)

    Show answer or example answer

    smallest

    Smallest is the usual superlative of small. The shop defines which suitcases are compared.

  2. Choose the correct option. The sofa is the ___ seat in the room. (most comfortable / comfortablest)

    Show answer or example answer

    most comfortable

    The longer adjective comfortable normally forms its superlative with most, not -est.

  3. Choose the correct option. This is one of the best ___ in the neighbourhood. (café / cafés)

    Show answer or example answer

    cafés

    One of selects one member from a plural group, so use cafés. The phrase places it among the best cafés.

Use it today

Compare at least three bags or seats. Write one superlative with -est, one with most, and one sentence using one of the best. Make the comparison group clear.