1. Adjectives: Superlatives8
Adjectives: Superlatives
Around the World in Superlatives
Focus on Grammar 3
Part VI, Unit 25
By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ Wells
Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. A Superlatives Trivia Quiz
Hang on! You’ll get the answers later!
What is the highest mountain in the world?
Where is the tallest waterfall located?
What is the longest river?
What is the driest place on earth?
What is the most populated nation?
What is often called the happiest place on earth?
What is one of the most mysterious places?

3. Superlative Adjectives
Use superlative adjectives to compare one person, place, or thing with other people, places, or things in a group.
The Nile River
The Amazon River
The Amazon River
The Nile River
The Yangtze River
The Yangtze River
The Nile River is the longest river in the world.

4. Form 1 happy high the happiest the highest
For short adjectives (one syllable and two syllables ending in –y), use the + adjective + -est.
Disneyland
is often called
the happiest
place on earth.
Mount Everest is
the highest
mountain.
happy
high
the happiest
the highest

5. Be Careful! dry big the driest the biggest
There are often spelling changes when you add –est.
The Atacama Desert
in Chile is
the driest desert.
The pyramids
in Egypt are
the biggest
tombs.
dry
big
the driest
the biggest

6. Be Careful! bad good This is the worst camera.
Some adjectives have irregular superlative forms.
bad
good
This is the worst camera.
Wow!! This is the best place to see the Eiffel Tower!

7. Form 2 inhabited mysterious the least inhabited the most mysterious
For long adjectives (two or more syllables), use the most / the least + adjective.
Some scientists say
that the Brazilian
rain forest is
the least inhabited
place on earth.
Some archaeologists
say that Easter Island
is one of
the most mysterious
places in the world.
inhabited
mysterious
the least inhabited
the most mysterious

8. Form 3
For some adjectives, like pleasant, lively, lovely, or quiet, use either the… -est or the most / the least.
The weather in the Grand Canyon in July was
the least pleasant.
The weather in Greece in May was the most pleasant.
The weather in Greece in May was the pleasantest.

9. Now, create your own sentences with these superlatives.
Practice 1
Change the adjectives into superlative forms.
Example: large
 the largest
friendly
hot
crowded
expensive
far
nice
early
 the friendliest or the most friendly
 the hottest
Now, create your own sentences with these superlatives.
 the most crowded
 the most expensive
 the farthest
 the nicest
 the earliest

10. Expressions 1
We often use the superlative with other words and expressions, including in and of (in the world, of all).
China is
the most populated
nation in the world.
Angel Falls in
Argentina is
the tallest waterfall
of all (waterfalls).

11. Machu Picchu has the most amazing ruins
Expressions 2
We often use the superlative with ever + the present perfect.
Machu Picchu has the most amazing ruins
that I’ve ever seen!
ever + present perfect

12. The most interesting place I’ve ever seen is…
Talk with a partner and complete the sentences with your own ideas.
Practice 2
Example: The most interesting place I’ve ever seen is…
The most popular tourist site in my country is…
The nicest place to stay in my country is…
The most dangerous place of all places is…
I think the oldest ruins in the world are…
The best food I’ve ever eaten is…
The prettiest place I’ve ever been to is…
The most interesting place I’ve ever seen is…
the Taj Mahal in India.

13. References
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