'Superlative' is short for 'superlative adjective/adverb.' We use superlatives when we talk about things that have the most of a certain quality. In English, adjectives and adverbs take on different forms when we want to compare three or more things.
The cup on the left is the smallest. The cup on the right is the largest.
How do we form superlatives?
The main difference between comparatives and superlatives is that superlatives have a 'the' in front of them: better → the best, cheaper → the cheapest, expensive → the most expensive
There are two ways to form superlatives:
1. 'the' + short words + '-est': For one- to two-syllable adjectives and adverbs, add -est directly to the word and put a 'the' in front of it.
- Today is the luckiest day of my life!
- Tom studies the hardest of all the students.
2. 'the most' + long words: For adjectives and adverbs with two or more syllables, put 'the most' before the words:
- She always wears the most expensive clothes.
- Jessica gets sick the most often out of her class.
Words with Irregular Superlative Forms
There are adjectives and adverbs whose superlative is irregular, such as:
- good / well → the best
- bad / badly → the worst
- far → the furthest / farthest
- old → the oldest / eldest (eldest can only be used for people)
