Superlatives

Superlatives

​Veronica Tatiana Lopez Garavito
English 3

​Warm-up

https://es.educaplay.com/recursos-educativos/18851608-warm_up_english_3.html

Superlatives

A superlative is the highest attainable level or degree of something.

The form of an adjective or adverb that shows the thing or action described has more of the quality than all others of the same type.

Also, they are the best words for comparisons of three or more!

​What is its purpose?

Generally, superlatives are used to show something is in the top of its category, with no others having more of that adjective’s trait.

You can make any adjective into a superlative. For short adjectives, simply add the suffix –est at the end of the word. For long adjectives, add the adverb most before the word.

Just be careful of an adjective’s meaning because some words can’t be compared; for example, something cannot be the most unique because all unique things are equally unique.

Have you noticed that most superlative adjectives use the definite article the? That’s because only one thing can be at the top of its category, so we use the to show we’re talking about one specific thing.

With 590 million followers, Cristiano Ronaldo is the most popular person on Instagram.

Superlative adjectives modify nouns just like other adjectives. Most of the time they come directly before the noun they modify.

The tallest student in class gets the books from the top shelf.

How to use superlatives?

Furthermore, you do not need the if you are comparing something with itself, such as explaining when a person or thing is at its highest level of something.

In the Northern Hemisphere, temperatures are hottest in July.

I am hungriest after watching ads for pizza.

However, instead of the, you can also use a possessive adjective like my and their or a possessive noun like teacher’s and Cody’s.

Aryana is my best friend this week.

Mozart’s most famous composition is Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

​​When to use most with superlative adjectives

One key to knowing how to use superlative adjectives is understanding when to use the suffix –est and when to use the adverb most. In general, short adjectives use –est and long ones use most, but the details get a little more precise.

Specifically, use the word most for:

• All adjectives with three or more syllables

• Adjectives with two syllables except those that end in –er, –ow, –le, or –y

​Rules for forming superlative adjectives

One-syllable adjectives

If an adjective has only one syllable, most of the time you can simply add the suffix –est to the end of the word without changing the spelling.

cool -> coolest

small -> smallest

Be careful with one-syllable adjectives that end in –e or a consonant-vowel-consonant. They have slightly different spelling requirements.

One-syllable adjectives ending in –e

You don’t need to add another e if a one-syllable adjective already ends in -e. Just add –st to the end.

cute -> cutest

free -> freest

One-syllable adjectives ending in consonant-vowel-consonant

If the last three letters of a one-syllable adjective follow a consonant-vowel-consonant format, like big or thin, you have to double the last consonant and then add –est.

big -> biggest

thin -> thinnest

One- or two-syllable adjectives ending in –y

Adjectives with either one or two syllables have special spelling rules if they end in -y. To make the superlative, first change the y into an i and then add –est.

dry -> driest

likely -> likeliest

Two-syllable adjectives ending in –er, –ow, or –le

Two-syllable adjectives that end in -er, -ow, or -le don’t use the adverb most like other long superlative adjectives. Instead, if an adjective with two syllables ends in –er (like bitter) or –ow (like narrow), add –est at the end without changing the spelling (bitterest or narrowest). Two-syllable adjectives that end in –le just take –st; you don’t need a second e.

clever -> cleverest

shallow -> shallowest

simple -> simplest

​Irregular superlative adjectives

​Activity

https://es.educaplay.com/recursos-educativos/18851525-superlatives_activity.html

​Second activity

Write three sentences using superlatives.

​References

Prasoon, S. (2015). Degrees of Comparison. In English Grammar and Usage: Read Swiftly, Speak Fluently and Write Correctly. V&S Publishers. https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.a spx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1586151&lang=es&site=eds- live&scope=site&ebv=EK&ppid=Page-__-42