Grammar Tips 101:Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Superlative Adjectives

Superlative adjectives are used when you want to compare three or more objects. They can also be used to describe the lower and upper limits of an object. For instance, if you want to say that January is colder than December and November, you might say, “November is cold, December is colder, and January is the coldest.” When forming superlative adjectives, there are some rules to keep in mind:

• One-syllable Adjectives: To make a one-syllable adjective superlative, add -est to the end. For example, hard would become hardest, small would become smallest, and large would become largest.

• Two-syllable Adjectives Ending in Y: If an adjective ends in y change the y to an i and add -est to the end. For example, pretty would become prettiest, hairy would become hairiest, and ugly would become ugliest. It’s important to note that all other multi-syllabic words are not modified. Simply add the word most or least in front of the word. For example, you would say, “She is the most beautiful cat” or “that is the least important fact."

Comparative and superlative adjectives can be mastered easily by remembering a few simple rules. It’s important to make sure you set enough time aside to practice in this area to improve your grammar while preparing for IELTS. For more grammar tips, test prep materials or to find your nearest IELTS Test Centre location, please feel free to browse our website further!