AeroEnglishLEARN ENGLISH. REACH HIGHER.
appsAll topics

Superlative Adjectives: the oldest, the most expensive

How to talk about the #1 thing in a group.

LEARNING GOALS
  • check_circleI can use superlative adjectives to say what is number one
  • check_circleI can form short and long superlative adjectives
  • check_circleI always remember to use 'the' before a superlative
A110 min
menu_book
PART 01

Discover

Meet today's English in a real situation — no rules yet. Read it once and try to guess the pattern in the words in bold. Underlined words open a short definition.

Host: Welcome back to our travel show! Today we are looking at some extreme places. What is the coldest place on Earth?

Expert: The coldest place is Antarctica. It is also the driest continent!

Host: Wow. And what is the hottest place?

Expert: Death Valley in the USA is the hottest.

Host: Let’s talk about mountains. Is Mount Everest the highest mountain?

Expert: Yes, it is the highest mountain in the world. But it is not the most dangerous mountain to climb. Annapurna is the most dangerous.

Host: Very interesting. And what is the best place to visit?

Expert: That is a hard question! But for me, the best place is my home.

spellcheck
PART 02

Learn

Now the rules behind what you just saw — explained simply, with examples. Underlined words open a short definition — hover on desktop, tap on a phone.

When we compare three or more things and want to say which one is at the very top (the #1), we use superlative adjectives. We always use the before a superlative.

1. Short Adjectives (Add -est)

For short adjectives (one syllable), we add -est.

  • old → the oldest: My grandfather is the oldest person in my family.
  • fast → the fastest: Usain Bolt is the fastest runner in the world.

Spelling rules for short adjectives:

  • Ends in -e? Just add -st (nice → the nicest).
  • Ends in consonant-vowel-consonant? Double the last letter (big → the biggest).
  • Ends in -y? Change y to -iest (happy → the happiest).

2. Long Adjectives (Use most)

For long adjectives (two or more syllables not ending in -y), we do not add -est. Instead, we use the most.

  • expensive → the most expensive: That is the most expensive car in the shop.
  • beautiful → the most beautiful: It was the most beautiful day of my life.
warningWARNING
Do not mix the rules! It is never the most oldest. It is just the oldest.

3. Irregular Adjectives

Just like with comparatives, these adjectives change completely. You must memorize them.

  • good → the best: This is the best pizza in town.
  • bad → the worst: Yesterday was the worst day.
  • far → the furthest (or the farthest): Australia is the furthest country I have visited.

Quick Reference

boltQUICK REVIEW
  • Always use ‘the’ (the oldest, the best)
  • Short: + est (the oldest, the biggest)
  • Ends in -y: + iest (the happiest)
  • Long: the most + adjective (the most beautiful)
  • Irregulars: good → the best, bad → the worst
quiz
PART 03

Practice

Try it yourself. You'll see right away whether you got it right, plus a short explanation of why.

0 / 5 correct
1. Russia is _____ country in the world.
2. Which sentence is correct?
3. My grandmother is _____ person in our family.
4. I got a 100% on the test! It is _____ day of my life.
5. What is the _____ river in the world?
draw
PART 04

Use It

Now make the language yours in a real task. Use the prompt below — the editor keeps a simple word count, and nothing is saved or graded.

PROMPT
Write three sentences about your family or friends using superlatives (who is the tallest, the oldest, the funniest).
0 words
checklistCHECK YOURSELF

Before you finish — be honest. Can you do these now?