Three Step English for Intermediate Learners - Learn #21 - Using Superlatives - Grammar
03:33 Share

Let's look at the sentence pattern. This pattern is the structure that all of our examples will follow. Verb phrase was superlative adjective noun phrase. Let's see how a line from the dialogue follows this pattern. Making note of everything was the smartest thing I ever did. The verb phrase is making note of everything.

Then we have "was." You can also use "is" for the present tense or "will be" for the future tense, so long as all of the tenses in the sentence match. After that is "the smartest," which is the superlative form of "smart." Lastly is the noun phrase, "thing I ever did." Superlative adjectives are formed in one of three ways. All involve putting "the" before the adjective.

For one syllable adjectives like the smart we used in the dialogue, we append est to the end of the word. Smart becomes the smartest. For adjectives that end in y, we turn that y into an i and then add est. So funny would become the funniest.

For adjectives longer than one syllable that don't end in "y", we put "most" between the word "the" and the adjective. Let's use "intelligent" as an example. Instead of "the intelligentest", we say "the most intelligent". With just the superlative adjective, it suggests that the subject, which refers to the verb phrase, was uniquely special.

If you want to make clear that it was not unique, you can add "one of" before the word "the." So instead of "the smartest," you would say "one of the smartest." Now let's look at some speaking examples. It was hard, but coming back to New York was the best decision I've ever made. Can you see how the pattern applies here? Coming back to New York is the verb phrase, and it's followed by "was."

The best is the superlative adjective. Best is actually an irregular superlative. The base adjective of best is good. Finally, we have the noun phrase, which is decision I've ever made. Next. When my team lost, it was one of the worst days of my life. The first clause, when my team lost, plus it from the second clause, is the verb phrase followed by was.

One of the worst is the superlative adjective phrase. Worst is another irregular superlative. Worst comes from bad. Finally, we have the noun phrase. Days of my life. Let's try one more. Traveling to Hawaii was the most exciting trip I've ever taken. Traveling to Hawaii is the verb phrase. The most exciting is the superlative form of exciting. Trip I've ever taken is the noun phrase. One last example.

Deciding to open the coffee shop was one of the scariest things I've ever done. Deciding to open the coffee shop is the verb phrase. One of the scariest is the superlative. Scariest is the superlative of scary. Things I've ever done is the noun phrase.