Comparatives & Superlatives – English Grammar Exercises for A2
A group of friends at a hotel discussing the best way to reach the airport on time. Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence.
1 “Look at the price list! The shuttle bus is ______ than a private taxi.”
(a) more cheap
(b) cheaper
(c) more cheaper
(d) cheapest
2 “We are in a hurry. Which of these three routes is the ______ to the airport?”
(a) fastest
(b) faster
(c) most fast
(d) more fast
3 “The airport is ______ from here than I thought on the map.”
(a) more far
(b) furthest
(c) farther
(d) farrer
4 “The train is ______ than the bus because there is more legroom.”
(a) more comfortable
(b) comfortabler
(c) most comfortable
(d) as comfortable
5 “This suitcase is ______ than mine. Can you help me lift it?”
(a) heavyer
(b) heavier
(c) more heavy
(d) heaviest
6 “The traffic today is much ______ than it was yesterday morning.”
(a) badder
(b) worse
(c) worst
(d) more bad
7 “I think taking the subway is a ______ idea than waiting for a bus in the rain.”
(a) gooder
(b) best
(c) better
(d) more good
8 “Out of all the options, the express train is the ______ expensive one.”
(a) more
(b) most
(c) much
(d) very
9 “Don’t worry, this street is ______ than the main highway.”
(a) quietter
(b) more quiet
(c) quieter
(d) quietest
10 “Is the hotel ______ to the airport than the city center?”
(a) closer
(b) more close
(c) closest
(d) as close
11 “The yellow taxi is ______ as the blue one; they both cost $50”
(a) as expensive
(b) expensive
(c) more expensive
(d) most expensive
12 “This is the ______ luggage I have ever carried!”
(a) most large
(b) largest
(c) larger
(d) more large
13 “The morning flight is ______ than the afternoon one, so we should wake up early.”
(a) earlyer
(b) more early
(c) earliest
(d) earlier
14 “Walking is the ______ way to get there, but we have too many bags.”
(a) easyest
(b) easiest
(c) more easy
(d) easier
15 “The back seats of the van are ______ than the front seats.”
(a) narrowest
(b) more narrow
(c) narrower
(d) as narrow
16 “This is ______ journey of my life! We’ve been traveling for ten hours.”
(a) the longer
(b) the longest
(c) the most long
(d) longest
17 “I feel ______ now that I know the train is arriving on time.”
(a) more happy
(b) happier
(c) happyer
(d) the happiest
18 “The subway is usually ______ than the bus during rush hour.”
(a) more reliable
(b) reliabler
(c) most reliable
(d) as reliable
19 “That was ______ decision we made; we almost missed the plane!”
(a) the baddest
(b) the worst
(c) worse
(d) the most bad
20 “Of all the transport staff, the pilot is definitely the ______.”
(a) more important
(b) most important
(c) importanter
(d) as important
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (b) cheaper
- Explanation: Short adjectives (1 syllable) add “-er” for comparatives.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (using ‘more’ with short adjectives); (c) is a structural error (double comparative); (d) is the wrong degree (superlative).
2 (a) fastest
- Explanation: When comparing three or more things, we use the superlative “-est”.
- Analysis: (b) is for comparing only two things; (c) is a common mistake (using ‘most’ with short adjectives); (d) is grammatically incorrect.
3 (c) farther
- Explanation: “Far” has an irregular comparative form: farther (or further).
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (treating ‘far’ as a long adjective); (b) is the superlative; (d) is a structural error (incorrect spelling/rule).
4 (a) more comfortable
- Explanation: Long adjectives (3+ syllables) require “more” for comparatives.
- Analysis: (b) is a structural error (adding -er to a long adjective); (c) is the superlative; (d) is a meaning trap (it lacks ‘as’ at the end to be a valid comparison).
5 (b) heavier
- Explanation: Adjectives ending in -y change to -ier in the comparative.
- Analysis: (a) is a common spelling mistake; (c) is a common grammar mistake; (d) is the superlative.
6 (b) worse
- Explanation: “Bad” is irregular. The comparative is “worse.”
- Analysis: (a) and (d) are common mistakes (trying to follow regular rules); (c) is the superlative.
7 (c) better
- Explanation: “Good” is irregular. The comparative is “better.”
- Analysis: (a) and (d) are common mistakes; (b) is the superlative.
8 (b) most
- Explanation: The superlative for long adjectives is “the most.”
- Analysis: (a) is comparative; (c) and (d) are meaning traps/intensifiers that don’t fit the superlative structure here.
9 (c) quieter
- Explanation: “Quiet” usually takes “-er” as it is a two-syllable adjective ending in a quiet sound.
- Analysis: (a) is a spelling error; (b) is often used but “-er” is preferred/more natural; (d) is the superlative.
10 (a) closer
- Explanation: “Close” ends in -e, so we just add -r for the comparative.
- Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) is the superlative; (d) is a meaning trap (needs another ‘as’).
11 (a) as expensive
- Explanation: The structure “as + adjective + as” shows equality.
- Analysis: (b), (c), and (d) are structural errors because they don’t fit the “as… as” pattern provided in the stem.
12 (b) largest
- Explanation: “Large” is a short adjective; the superlative is “the largest.”
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is comparative; (d) is a structural error.
13 (d) earlier
- Explanation: “Early” ends in -y, so it changes to “-ier” for comparison.
- Analysis: (a) is a spelling mistake; (b) is a common grammar mistake; (c) is the superlative.
14 (b) easiest
- Explanation: “Easy” becomes “easiest” in the superlative form.
- Analysis: (a) is a spelling mistake; (c) is a common mistake; (d) is the comparative.
15 (c) narrower
- Explanation: “Narrow” can take “-er” or “more,” but “-er” is common for this adjective.
- Analysis: (a) is superlative; (b) is acceptable but less common; (d) is a meaning trap (incomplete structure).
16 (b) the longest
- Explanation: We use “the + superlative” to talk about a unique experience in a lifetime.
- Analysis: (a) is comparative; (c) is a common mistake; (d) is a structural error (missing “the”).
17 (b) happier
- Explanation: “Happy” (ending in -y) becomes “happier.”
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is a spelling error; (d) is a meaning trap (context requires comparison to a previous state).
18 (a) more reliable
- Explanation: “Reliable” is a long adjective, requiring “more.”
- Analysis: (b) is a structural error; (c) is superlative; (d) is a meaning trap (incomplete).
19 (b) the worst
- Explanation: The superlative of “bad” is “the worst.”
- Analysis: (a) and (d) are common mistakes; (c) is the comparative.
20 (b) most important
- Explanation: When comparing one person to a whole group (the staff), use the superlative.
- Analysis: (a) is comparative; (c) is a structural error; (d) is a meaning trap.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Short Adjectives (1 syllable): Add -er for comparative (fast → faster) and -est for superlative (fast → fastest).
- Adjectives ending in -y: Change -y to -i then add the ending (happy → happier/happiest).
- Long Adjectives (2+ syllables): Use more for comparative (more beautiful) and the most for superlative (the most beautiful).
- Irregulars: Memorize the “Big Three”:
- Good → Better → The Best
- Bad → Worse → The Worst
- Far → Farther/Further → The Farthest/Furthest
- Equality: Use as + adjective + as to say two things are the same.
- The “The” Rule: Always use “the” before a superlative adjective (e.g., the tallest, the most expensive).