Superlative

Superlative

1. We use the superlative when we want to emphasize that the subject is at the upper or lower end of a quality

   • Adjectives have three different degrees:
     • An adjective in a positive degree is limited to describing a quality. Sandra is tall.
       • An adjective in comparative degree highlights the inferiority, equality or superiority of one person or thing with respect to another. Sandra is workshop than Mike
         • And finally, an adjective in superlative degree indicates that the subject has the quality in the highest degree and above all others. Sandra is the tallest person in her office.

2. Rules to form the superlative

   • The superlative is always preceded by the determined article: the fastest, the tallest, the most intelligent.
     • In the case of the adjectives of a syllable, we form the superlative by adding -est at the end: tall - tallest.
       • f the adjective has two syllables, we can add -est or put most in front of the adjective. In many cases both forms are used, but one is more common than the other
         • If the adjective has three syllables or more, we will form the comparative by adding most: important - the most important
           • When the adjective ends in consonant + vowel + consonant, the last consonant must be repeated before adding the ending: fat - fattest
             • And if it ends in -y, we must change it to an i: happy - happiest

3. Examples

   • The Saint Bernard is taller than the German Shepherd
     • It’s better for a dog to live in the country than in the city.
       • His cat had much bigger eyes than my dog
         • Bogota is bigger than Cali