web analytics

Grammar Exercises with Answers for Busy Teachers and Independent Learners

Positive Comparative Superlative Adjectives | How to Understand It in No Time

Today, we’re going to learn positive, comparative, and superlative adjectives.

Get free English grammar exercises into your email:
Positive, Comparative And Superlative Adjective Exercises with Answers

 

Contents hide

Definition of Positive Comparative Superlative Adjectives

What exactly are positive, comparative, and superlative adjectives? Let’s start with a quick definition before diving into examples and exercises to help you master these forms.

Positive Adjectives

Positive adjectives are the simplest form of adjectives. They describe the qualities of a noun without making any comparisons. For instance, if you see a beautiful flower, you may describe it as “lovely,” “bright,” or “fragrant.” These adjectives stand alone without comparing the flower to anything else.

Comparative Adjectives

Comparative adjectives, on the other hand, are used to compare two things. They demonstrate a difference in quality between two nouns. To form a comparative adjective, you usually add “-er” to the end of the adjective, though there are exceptions. For example, “The flower is more beautiful than the house.” Here, we are comparing the flowers to the house, noting that the flowers are superior in terms of beauty.

Superlative Adjectives

Superlative adjectives take the comparison to the highest level by expressing the highest degree of a quality. They are used to compare one person, place, or thing to a group or category as a whole. To form a superlative adjective, you typically add “-est” to the adjective, but again, there are exceptions. For example, “The flower is the most beautiful in the garden.” Here, we are saying that the flower has the highest level of beauty among all the flowers in the garden.

 

Comparative And Superlative Adjectives exercises with answer, downloadable and printable exercises for free

 

Examples of Positive, Comparative, Superlative Adjectives

Let’s take a closer look at these three forms using some common adjectives as examples:

Positive: The sun is hot.

Comparative: The sun is hotter than the moon.

Superlative: The sun is the hottest star in the universe.

See more examples below:

  • I am taller than my mother.
  • This car is better than that car.
  • Giving examples is more difficult than giving instructions.
  • My wife is younger than I am.
  • His watch is more expensive than my car.

Superlative Adjective Examples

  • My father is the oldest person in my family.
  • These are the most expensive things I can buy.
  • Bill is the richest guy in the world.
  • She’s active in the most popular social media website.
  • Who’s the most powerful man in the world?
 

Positive Comparative Superlative Adjectives  Rules

To have a better understanding of how adjective comparison works, let’s delve it into the concept and the rules of this comparison adjective:

There are three degrees of comparison. They are :

  • Positive
  • Comparative
  • Superlative
Let’s see the following tables of those three comparisons.
 Positive  Comparative  Superlative
 bright
tall
important
 brighter
taller
more important
 brightest
tallest
most important

One Syllable Adjectives

We can form comparative and superlative of one syllable adjectives by putting er or est at the end of the adjectives. Let’s see the following examples.
 Positive  Comparative  Superlative
dear
free
hard
high
light
right
sharp
small
dearer
freer
harder
higher
lighter
righter
sharper
smaller
dearest
freest
hardest
highest
lightest
rightest
sharpest
smallest

One Syllable Adjectives Ending in ‘e’

At the end of adjectives ending in e, we just put r ost. Let’s see the following tables.
 Positive  Comparative  Superlative
 safe
brave
nice
fine
ripe
 safer
braver
nicer
finer
riper
 safest
bravest
nicest
finest
ripest

 Two or More Syllable Adjectives

We can form comparative and superlative of three or more syllable adjectives by putting more or most before the adjectives. Let’s see the following examples.
 Positive  Comparative  Superlative
amusing
beautiful
boring
correct
economical
expensive
frightening
generous
important
intelligent
interesting
natural
patient
populated
sociable
valuable
more amusing
more beautiful
more boring
more correct
more economical
more expensive
more frightening
more generous
more important
more intelligent
more interesting
more natural
more patient
more populated
more sociable
more valuable
most amusing
most beautiful
most boring
most correct
most economical
most expensive
most frightening
most generous
most important
most intelligent
most interesting
most natural
most patient
most populated
most sociable
most valuable

Notes: More patient and most patient are more commonly used than patienter and patientest.

Adverb comparative: often more often most often (more widely used than oftener and oftenest)

See the difference between adjectives ending in ing and ed here.

Get free English grammar exercises into your email:

Two Syllable Adjectives Ending in y, er, ly

For two syllable adjectives ending in y, er, ly, we normally put er or est at the end of the adjectives.
 Positive  Comparative  Superlative
 happy
funny
clever
silly
pretty
early
noisy
quiet
wealthy
 happier
funnier
cleverer
sillier
prettier
earlier
noisier
quieter
wealthier
 happiest
funniest
cleverest
silliest
prettiest
earliest
noisiest
quietest
wealthiest
Note : y becomes i.

Two Syllable Adjectives Ending in ful and re

For two syllable adjectives ending in ful and re, we normally put more or most before the adjectives.
 Positive  Comparative  Superlative
doubtful
harmful
obscure
more doubtful
more harmful
more obscure
most doubtful
most harmful
most obscure

Irregular

Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative form. Let’s see the following table.
 Positive  Comparative  Superlative
 bad
far
good
little
many/much
old
 worse
farther/further
better
less
more
older/elder
 worst
farthest/furthest
best
least
most
oldest/eldest

Two Forms

Some adjectives have two comparative and superlative forms. They can use -er/est or more/most. See table 1.

 

Table 1

 

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

clever

cleverer/more clever

the cleverest/the most clever

common

commoner/more common

the commonest/the most common

likely

likelier/more likely

the likeliest/the most likely

pleasant

pleasanter/more pleasant

the pleasantest/the most pleasant

polite

politer/more polite

the politest/the most polite

quiet

quieter/more quiet

the quietest/the most quiet

simple

simpler/more simple

the simplest/the most simple

stupid

stupider/more stupider

the stupidest/the most stupid

subtle

subtler/more subtle

the subtlest/the most subtle

sure

surer/more sure

the surest/the most sure

Beautiful comparative superlative table

 

 

Farther And Further

Further is usually used for abstract nouns to mean additional/extra. Let’s see the following examples: further information, further discussion, further instructions, further demands.
Farther is usually used for physical distance. Let’s see the following examples:
  • From Hongkong, Jakarta is farther than Kuala Lumpur.
  • My school is farther than my father’s office.

Older And Elder

Older implies age comparison, while elder implies seniority. Elder is mainly used for comparisons within a family. Let’s see the following examples.
  • my elder brother
  • his eldest son
  • John is older than George.

Comparative Adjective in Sentences

We usually compare two things with comparative adjectives. In this case, we usually use than. Let’s see the following examples.
  • The new governor is closer to his people than the older one.
  • Corruption is more dangerous than bomb blasts.
  • The boy is stronger than I expected.

Superlative Adjectives In Sentences

We usually compare three or more things/people with superlative adjectives. In this case, we usually use the…in/of/on. Let’s see the following examples.
  • He is the richest man on earth.
  • This is the best wine I have ever drunk.
  • This is the oldest building in Paris.
  • This is the hottest month of the year.
  • We stay in one of the nicest room in the hotel.
  • What is the highest mountain in the world?
See the difference between adjectives ending in ing and ed here.

Positive, Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Table

If you want to have a solid understanding of positive, comparative, and superlative adjectives, these tables allow you to understand and express degrees of comparison and make our descriptions more vivid. So, as you explore the vibrant world of adjectives, remember to compare, contrast, and choose the perfect word to bring your conversations to life!

See table  2 for the most commonly-used adjectives.

Table 2

 

No

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

1

available

more available

the most available

2

bad

worse

the worst

3

big

bigger

the biggest

4

black

blacker

the blackest

5

blue

bluer

the bluest

6

clear

clearer

the clearest

7

close

closer

the closest

8

cold

colder

the coldest

9

common

more common/

commoner

the most common/

the commonest

10

current

more current

the most current

11

dark

darker

the darkest

12

democratic

more democratic

the most democratic

13

difficult

more difficult

the most difficult

14

early

earlier

the earliest

15

easy

easier

the easiest

16

economical

more economical

the most economical

17

environmental

more environmental

the most environmental

18

far

farther/

further

the farthest/

the furthest

19

fine

finer

the finest

20

free

freer

the freest

21

general

more general

the most general

22

good

better

the best

23

great

greater

the greatest

24

green

greener

the greenest

25

happy

happier

the happiest

26

hard

harder

the hardest

27

high

higher

the highest

28

hot

hotter

the hottest

29

important

more important

the most important

30

large

larger

the largest

31

late

later

the latest

32

likely

likelier

the likeliest

33

little

less

the least

34

long

longer

the longest

35

low

lower

the lowest

36

natural

more natural

the most natural

37

new

newer

the newest

38

nice

nicer

the nicest

39

old

older

the oldest

40

personal

more personal

the most personal

41

physical

more physical

the most physical

42

poor

poorer

the poorest

43

popular

more popular

the most popular

44

possible

more possible

the most possible

45

private

more private

the most private

46

ready

readier

the readiest

47

real

realer

the realest

48

recent

more recent

the most recent

49

red

redder

the reddest

50

religious

more religious

the most religious

51

right

righter

the rightest

52

serious

more serious

the most serious

53

short

shorter

the shortest

54

significant

more significant

the most significant

55

similar

more similar

the most similar

56

simple

simpler

the simplest

57

small

smaller

the smallest

58

sociable

more sociable

the most sociable

59

special

more special

the most special

60

strong

stronger

the strongest

61

traditional

more traditional

the most traditional

62

various

more various

the most various

63

white

whiter

the whitest

64

wrong

wronger

the wrongest

65

young

younger

the youngest

 

More Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Adjectives

dear    dearer    dearest
bright    brighter    brightest

Download the table in Google drive here.

If you need communicative activities for teaching this topic, see this post.

See the difference between adjectives ending in ing and ed here. See also active and passive voice exercises here.

Positive, Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Exercises

I. A. Table Completion of Comparative and Superlative Adjective Exercise

Complete the table with correct comparative and superlative adjectives

 

No

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

1

bad

2

big

3

clear

4

close

5

cold

6

good

7

difficult

8

early

9

easy

10

fat

11

fine

12

fishy

13

good

14

great

15

green

16

happy

17

hard

18

harmful

19

horrifying

20

significant

I. B. Identifying Comparative or Superlative Adjectives Exercise

Underline the right comparative or superlative adjectives in the brackets to complete the sentences.
  1. My girlfriend is (taller, the tallest) than me.
  2. I’m (younger, the youngest) of the family.
  3. Can you visit me (oftener, more often)?
  4. It’s (more expensive, the most expensive) house I’ve ever seen.
  5. What is (larger, the largest) city in your country?
  6. My mother is (older, the oldest) than my father.
  7. Mr. Solihin is much (older, the oldest) than I expected.
  8. Surabaya is (bigger, the biggest) than Bandung.
  9. Love is (more valuable, the most valuable) thing in our life.
  10. She’s (more beautiful, the most beautiful) girl in our class.

II. Sentence Completion Exercise

Complete the sentences with the superlative and its preposition.
Example   : It’s a very expensive hotel.   …………………………….in town.
You write : It’s the most expensive hotel in town.
  1. It’s a very cheap jacket. …………………………..I’ve ever bought.
  2. It’s a very large bedroom. ………………………….I’ve ever slept in.
  3. She’s a very beautiful girl. ………………………….at school.
  4. He’s a very good player.  …………………………of the team.
  5. It’s a very beautiful city. …………………………in Norway.
  6. Jack is very tall.                                                 …………………………….in my class.
  7. It’s a very popular website in our country.       ………………………………… in our country.
  8. He’s a very nice guy.                                          ………………………………….I’ve ever known.
  9. Bill is a very generous man.                             ……………………………………..ever.
  10. It’s a very touching story.                                 …………………………………….I’ve ever read.

 

III. Sentence Completion Exercise

Complete the sentences with the correct comparative or superlative adjectives. Put correct prepositions.

 

attractive comfortable expensive good high long old populated tall young 

 

  1. John is eighteen while I am only sixteen. So, I am  ………………….him.

  2. Icha is ……………………..girl in my class. She’s 170 cms tall.

  3. She’s ………………………girl at the party. Everyone admired her.

  4. Mount Everest is ……………….mountain in the world.

  5. Ringo is a ………………. drummer ….John.

  6. What is ………………river in the world?

  7. Mercedes is ……………………….Toyota.

  8. Jakarta is ……………………..Paris.

  9. My father is one year ……………….my mother. He is fifty-one, while she is fifty.

  10. This chair is ……………………………that chair.  That’s why, I always sit here.

 

IV. Paragraph Completion Exercise | Positive Comparative Superlative Adjectives

 Complete the paragraph with the right comparative or superlative adjectives provided in the box.

big consumerist few few good happy high high hot large much patient

 

Dear Peggy,

Some people have told you that it does not make any difference whether you stay in Jakarta or Bandung. Before you make a decision, let me give some information about the cities. There are no identical cities in this world. Even cities in the same countries and provinces are different in many ways such as location, size, language, climate, and lifestyle. Likewise, Jakarta and Bandung are different in many aspects.

Firstly, the two cities have  different temperatures. Jakarta is a lot 1. ………… than Jakarta. That’s why Jakartans spend  2.………… money on air conditioners.  Secondly, the cities are also different in size. Jakarta, with around 664 square kilometers, is about four times  3…………. than Bandung.  It’s not surprising that the number of population of Jakarta is a lot 4…….…… than that of Bandung. Thirdly, both cities speak different languages. Most of Jakarta’s population speak Bahasa Indonesia whereas there are 5..…………..people in Bandung who speak the Indonesia’s national language; most of them speak Sundanese Language.

In addition, a lot of Jakarta’s population are 6..…………… due to their 7………….. income compared to that of Bandung’s population. However, it seems to me that most people who live in Bandung are 8.…………….than those who live in Jakarta. In Bandung people are 9…..………… with the congested traffic. You can hear 10.…………. pressed-horn in Bandung. Meanwhile, if you drive in Jakarta, you can often hear angrily-pressed horn.

In spite of the differences, you can still enjoy the friendliness of both Indonesia cities. Welcome to Indonesia. Hopefully, you can choose which city is better for you.

Yours,

Jim

 

Answer

I. A. Table Completion of Positive Comparative Superlative Adjective Exercise

 

No

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

1

bad

worse

the worst

2

big

bigger

the biggest

3

clear

clearer

the clearest

4

close

closer

the closest

5

cold

colder

the coldest

6

good

better

the best

7

difficult

more difficult

the most difficult

8

early

earlier

the earliest

9

easy

easier

the easiest

10

fat

fatter

the fattest

11

fine

finer

the finest

12

fishy

fishier

the fishiest

13

good

better

the best

14

great

greater

the greatest

15

green

greener

the greenest

16

happy

happier

the happiest

17

hard

harder

the hardest

18

harmful

more harmful

the most harmful

19

horrifying

more horrifying

the most horrifying

20

significant

more significant

the most significant

I. B. Identifying Comparative or Superlative Adjectives Exercise

  1. My girlfriend is taller than me.
  2. I’m the youngest  of the family.
  3. Can you visit me more often  ?
  4. It’s the most expensive  house I’ve ever seen.
  5. What is the largest  city in your country?
  6. My mother is older than my father.
  7. Mr. Solihin is much older than I expected.
  8. Surabaya is bigger than Bandung.
  9. Love is the most valuable thing in our life.
  10. She’s the most beautiful girl in our class.

II. Sentence Completion Exercise

  1. It’s a very cheap jacket. It’s the cheapest jacket I’ve ever bought.
  2. It’s a very large bedroom. It’s the largest bedroom I’ve ever slept in.
  3. She’s a very beautiful girl. She’s the most beautiful girl at school.
  4. He’s a very good player.  He’s the best player of the team.
  5. It’s a very beautiful city. It’s the most beautiful city in Norway.
  6. Jack is very tall.                                                Jack is the tallest boy in my class.
  7. It’s a very popular website in our country.       It’s the most popular website in our country.
  8. He’s a very nice guy.                                          He’s the nicest guy I’ve ever known.
  9. Bill is a very generous man.                             Bill is the most generous man ever.
  10. It’s a very touching story.                               It’s the most touching story I’ve ever read.

III. Sentence Completion Exercise

  1. John is eighteen while I am only sixteen. So, I am  younger than him.

  2. Icha is the tallest girl in my class. She’s 170 cms tall.

  3. She’s the most attractive girl at the party. Everyone admired her.

  4. Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

  5. Ringo is a better drummer than John.

  6. What is the longest river in the world?

  7. Mercedes is more expensive than Toyota.

  8. Jakarta is more populated than Paris.

  9. My father is one year older than my mother. He is fifty-one, while she is fifty.

  10. This chair is more comfortable than that chair.  That’s why, I always sit here.

 

IV. Paragraph Completion Exercise

  1. hotter

  2. more

  3. bigger/larger

  4. higher

  5. fewer

  6. more consumerist

  7. higher/better

  8. happier

  9. more patient

  10. fewer

Related Topics to Positive Comparative Superlative Adjectives

Save your time by having our ebook Buy 119+ Situations by 16 Tenses here.

or you can also have the paperback book here:

Posted

in

by

Tags:

Comments

25 responses to “Positive Comparative Superlative Adjectives | How to Understand It in No Time”

  1. Emma Jasmine Avatar

    Adjectives are words that describe or give more information about nouns or pronouns in a sentence. In other words, the adjective describes the quality of nouns or pronouns in a sentence. You can also Use Fresh ideas and tips to explain the adjective concept. For example, a colorful picture with short words is attractive to learning materials. Most of the English tutor told me to learn every grammar chapter with fresh ideas.

  2. […] Comparative and Superlative Adjectives […]

  3. […] Comparative and Superlative Adjectives […]

  4. […] Speech Can, Could and Be Able To Conditional Sentences Enough and Too Adjectives To Infinitive Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Conditional Sentences Type 1 Adjective Word Order Published February 26, 2021By […]

  5. […] Speech Can, Could and Be Able To Conditional Sentences Enough and Too Adjectives To Infinitive Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Conditional Sentences Type 1 Adjective Word Order   Published February 26, 2021By […]

  6. […] Speech Can, Could and Be Able To Conditional Sentences Enough and Too Adjectives To Infinitive Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Conditional Sentences Type 1 Adjective Word […]

  7. […] Positive, Comparative and Superlative Adjective To Be Present Simple Verbs Object Bare Infinitive Present Perfect Continuous, Three Things To Know Present Simple Prepositions Going To vs Future Simple Present Perfect vs Past Simple Some and Any […]

  8. […] Positive, Comparative and Superlative Adjectives To Be Present Simple Verbs Object Bare Infinitive Present Perfect Continuous Present Simple Prepositions Linking Verbs Going To vs Future Simple Present Perfect vs Past Simple Some and Any Published February 25, 2021By adminCategorized as Sentences […]

  9. […] Comparative and Superlative Adjectives […]

  10. […] Comparative and Superlative Adjectives […]

  11. […] Positive, Comparative and Superlative Adjectives To Be Present Simple Verbs Object Bare Infinitive Present Perfect Continuous Present Simple Prepositions Linking Verbs Going To vs Future Simple Present Perfect vs Past Simple Some and Any […]

  12. […] Can, Could and Be Able To Conditional Sentences Type II Enough and Too Adjectives To Infinitive Positive, Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Conditional Sentences Type 1 Adjective Word Order The Difference between Since and For […]

  13. […] Can, Could and Be Able To Conditional Sentences Type II Enough and Too Adjectives To Infinitive Positive, Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Conditional Sentences Type III Adjective Word […]

  14. […] Comparative and Superlative Adjectives To Be Present Tense Verbs Object Bare Infinitive Present Perfect Continuous Present Simple Prepositions Linking Verbs Going To vs Future Simple Present Perfect vs Past Simple Some and Any Published October 26, 2018By adminCategorized as Apostrophe […]

  15. […] Positive, Comparative and Superlative Adjectives […]

  16. […] Positive, Comparative and Superlative Adjectives To Be Present Simple Verbs Object Bare Infinitive Present Perfect Continuous Present Simple Prepositions Linking Verbs Going To vs Future Simple Present Perfect vs Past Simple Some and Any Published October 26, 2018By adminCategorized as Verbs […]

  17. […] Can, Could and Be Able To Conditional Sentences Type I Enough and Too Adjectives To Infinitive Positive, Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Conditional Sentences Type II Adjective Word […]

  18. […] Can, Could and Be Able To Conditional Sentences Type 1 Enough and Too Adjectives To Infinitive Positive, Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Conditional Sentences Type 2 Adjective Word Order Adverbs When While Past Continuous Exercises with […]

  19. Russell Jolly Avatar
    Russell Jolly

    Your post was incredibly helpful, thank you! Have you ever tried using video marketing techniques from lazytraffic.com to create engaging content for your audience?

  20. […] Speech Can, Could and Be Able To Conditional Sentences Enough and Too Adjectives To Infinitive Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Conditional Sentences Type 1 Adjective Word Order Question Tags Exercises with […]

  21. […] cleverestgentle      gentler       gentlestnarrow     narrower    narrowest  Pelajari comparative dan superlative adjectives lebih lengkap di sini!  Jika Anda ingin melihat lagu lain yang mengandung comparison, lihat di […]

  22. […] comparative dan superlative adjective lebih lengkap di sini! atau lihat  equal comparison (as…as) di […]

  23. […] Can, Could and Be Able To Conditional Sentences Type 1 Enough and Too Adjectives To Infinitive Positive, Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Conditional Sentences Type 2 Adjective Word Order When While Past Continuous Exercises with […]

  24. webpage Avatar

    I was reading through some of your content on this site and I think this site is very instructive!
    Continue putting up.Raise blog range

Leave a Reply