This grammar exercise tests your ability to use comparative and superlative forms of adjectives.
English adjectives recognize three degrees:
- Positive
- Comparative
- Superlative
All three of these forms can be used to compare people and things.
Exercise
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate form of the adjective or adverb.
1. The coat was ......................... than I thought.
We use the comparative form of the adjective before than.
2. Canada is ......................... India.
Adjectives of one or two syllables form their comparative forms by adding -er to the positive adjective.
3. He is not ................................. his brother.
When we make comparisons using the positive adjective, we use the structure as...as...
4. Greenland is ......................... island in the world.
The superlative adjective is used when we compare one thing with the group to which it belongs.
5. You are ............................... person I have met.
6. This is ............................ film I have ever watched.
Here we are comparing one film with all the films, and therefore a superlative adjective is used.
7. I am not very hungry so I will give you the ....................... steak.
When a group has only two members, we can use either the comparative or the superlative; however, the comparative is considered more appropriate here.
8. This is ........................... carpet I have seen.
9. She solved the puzzle ............................. than everybody else.
Either quicker or more quickly is possible here.
10. I would be ............................ if I had more chin.
Some compound adjectives like good-looking have two possible comparatives.
11. Thank you very much. That was ........................... of you.
Most can be used with adjectives to mean 'very'. So the sentence 'That was most kind of you' means 'That was very kind of you'.
12. You are .......................... your mother than your father.
'Like' always has more and most.
Answers
1. The coat was more expensive than I thought.
2. Canada is bigger than India.
3. He is not as successful as his brother.
4. Greenland is the largest island in the world.
5. You are the most interesting person I have met.
6. This is the best film I have ever watched.
7. I am not very hungry so I will give you the bigger / biggest steak.
8. This is the dirtiest carpet I have seen.
9. She solved the puzzle quicker / more quickly than everybody else.
10. I would be better-looking / more good-looking if I had more chin.
11. Thank you very much. That was most kind of you.
12. You are more like your mother than your father.
