adjectives

Which of the following sentences contains an error in the use of comparative or superlative adjectives?

• Of the three brothers, Liam is the most tallest.

• This is the worst movie I have ever seen.

• My new phone is more expensive than my old one.

• She is a better singer than her sister.

Answer explanation

The adjective 'tall' forms its superlative by adding '-est' (tallest), not by using 'most'. Using both 'most' and '-est' is redundant and grammatically incorrect.

Transform the following sentence to use the superlative degree: 'The red car is fast, but the blue car is faster.'

• The blue car is the fastest of the two.

• The blue car is the most fast car.

• The blue car is the fastest car.

• The blue car is more faster than the red car.

Answer explanation

To transform the sentence to the superlative degree, you use the superlative form 'fastest'. The superlative is used to compare three or more items, or to state that one item is supreme in a quality.

Complete the sentence with the correct irregular adjective form: After reviewing all the projects, the teacher decided that Maria's was the _____.

• goodest

• best

• most good

• better

Answer explanation

The adjective 'good' has irregular comparative and superlative forms. The comparative is 'better' and the superlative is 'best'. 'Goodest' and 'most good' are incorrect.

True or False: We use 'more' and 'most' with the adjective 'interesting' because it is a long word with three syllables.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

This is true. For most adjectives with two or more syllables (especially three or more), we form the comparative with 'more' and the superlative with 'most' instead of adding '-er' or '-est'.

Which adjective is the 'odd one out' because it forms its comparative and superlative degrees differently than the others?

• Happy

• Bad

• Silly

• Easy

Answer explanation

'Bad' is an irregular adjective; its comparative and superlative forms are 'worse' and 'worst'. The other adjectives are regular and form their comparatives/superlatives by changing '-y' to '-ier' and '-iest'.

Read the short paragraph and choose the best word to fill in the blank: 'I enjoyed the first book in the series. The second was even _____, but the final book was the most exciting of all.'

• good

• best

• better

• more good

Answer explanation

The context compares the second book to the first, requiring the comparative form. The comparative form of the irregular adjective 'good' is 'better'.

Choose the option that correctly punctuates the coordinate adjectives: The _____ dog ran across the field.

• happy energetic

• happy, energetic

• happy, energetic,

• happy-energetic

Answer explanation

Coordinate adjectives are adjectives that can be joined by 'and' ('happy and energetic') and can have their order reversed. They should be separated by a comma.

In which phrase are the adjectives NOT coordinate, meaning they should NOT be separated by a comma?

• a bright, sunny day

• a delicious, warm meal

• several green apples

• a long, difficult test

Answer explanation

'Several' (a determiner/adjective of quantity) and 'green' (an adjective of color) are not coordinate. You wouldn't say 'green and several apples'. Therefore, no comma is needed.

Which sentence correctly adds the adjectives 'old' and 'creaky' to describe the noun 'stairs'?

• He walked up the old, creaky stairs.

• He walked up the old creaky stairs.

• He walked up the old, and creaky stairs.

• He walked up the, old, creaky stairs.

Answer explanation

'Old' and 'creaky' are coordinate adjectives because you can say 'creaky and old stairs'. Therefore, they should be separated by a comma.

True or False: You can test if adjectives are coordinate by trying to reverse their order. If the sentence still makes sense, they are coordinate.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

This is a reliable test for coordinate adjectives. For example, 'a happy, energetic dog' makes sense, and so does 'an energetic, happy dog', so they are coordinate.