SUPERLATIVE

SUPERLATIVE

1. To understand the superlative in English, the first thing you need to know is that the 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 over another: Sandra is taller 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
   • Therefore, we use the superlative when we want to emphasize that the subject is at the end superior or inferior of a quality

2. How is the superlative formed in English?

   • 1.The superlative is always preceded by the determined article: the fastest, the tallest, the most intelligent.
   • 2. In the case of the adjectives of a syllable, we form the superlative by adding -est at the end: tall - tallest.
   • 3. If 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.
   • 4. If the adjective has three syllables or more, we will form the comparative by adding most: important - the most important.
   • 5. When the adjective ends in consonant + vowel + consonant, the last consonant must be repeated before adding the ending: fat - fattest.
   • 6. And if it ends in -y, we must change it to an i: happy - happiest.

3. But all the rules have their exceptions, and the English superlative is no exception. And it is that some adjectives are irregular in their comparative and superlative forms. These are some examples of the most common irregular superlatives:

   • Bad — worse Good best Far — furthest farthest Little — least Much — most

4. EXAMPLE

   • The Saint Bernard is the heaviest dog in the world.
   • I like driving in the summer much more than driving in the winter
   • It’s better for a dog to live in the country than in the city.