Superlatives
Read and listen to four conversations using the grammar.
Conversation 1
Woman: What is the fastest way
to get to the airport?
Man: By taxi, but it’s the most
expensive.
Woman: What’s the cheapest?
Man: The local bus. But, it's
by far the slowest way to get there.
Woman: Hmm, I'd better spring for
a taxi then.
Man: Yeah, it’s best if you do.
Conversation 2
Woman: What is the best place
to visit in your country?
Man: I think the west coast. It
has the best weather.
Woman: What about the cost?
Man: The costs are very high.
Our most expensive cities are there.
Woman: Oh, that’s too bad. What
about the food?
Man: It’s great. It has the
best restaurants in the country.
Conversation 3
Woman: How was the movie last
night?
Man: Oh, it was great. It was the scariest movie I’ve ever seen.
Woman: Oh, really? That scary?
Man: Yes, I was screaming
throughout the film.
Woman: Was it crowded?
Man: Yeah, it was the most
packed I’ve ever seen the theater.
Conversation 4
Woman: What is the oldest city
in your country?
Man: I think it is the capital.
Woman: Is it the biggest?
Man: It was, but not anymore.
Woman: Why are people moving
out?
Man: Well, it’s not the most
modern place to live.
Superlatives
Use the superlative to show that something has the highest quality of some trait within a group of subjects.
One Syllable -est
small – smallest - This is my
smallest pan.
cold – coldest - Winter is the
coldest time of the year.
young – youngest - This is my
youngest sister.
One Syllable ends in /e/ -st
safe – safest - This is not
the safest place to live.
nice – nicest - He is the
nicest person in the office.
close – closest - This is the
closest shop to my house.
Consonant + Vowel + Consonant -(x)est
hot – hottest - Florida is the
hottest state in America.
big – biggest - Tokyo is the
biggest city in Japan.
wet– wettest - April is the
wettest month of the year.
Two Syllable ends in /y/ -iest
happy – happiest - I am
happiest when I am at home.
angry – angriest - He is the
angriest man I know.
pretty – prettiest - This is
the prettiest part of town.
Two or More Syllables >> most --
dangerous – most dangerous
This is the most dangerous part of town.
expensive – most expensive
This is the most expensive restaurant in my
city.
difficult – most difficult
This is the most difficult part of the test.
Irregular
good – best - Do your best!
bad – worst - This was my worst
performance.
Gap Fill: Complete the conversation with the correct word!
