Comparatives & Superlatives – English Grammar Exercises for A2
You are writing a 5-star review for “Tony’s Pizzeria.” You want to tell everyone that this is the top spot in town. Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete your review.
1 Believe me, Tony’s has __________ pizza in the entire city!
(a) the best
(b) the better
(c) the most good
(d) best
2 The restaurant is much __________ than the old one across the street.
(a) biger
(b) more big
(c) biggest
(d) bigger
3 The cheese they use is __________ than any other place I’ve tried.
(a) tastier
(b) tastyest
(c) more tasty
(d) tastyer
4 Out of all the shops in town, Tony’s is __________ to my house.
(a) closer
(b) the closest
(c) the most close
(d) more close
5 Their tomato sauce is __________ than the sauce at the supermarket.
(a) more fresh
(b) freshest
(c) fresher
(d) freshier
6 Last night, I had __________ meal of my life at this pizzeria.
(a) the more memorable
(b) the most memorable
(c) most memorable
(d) memorablest
7 The waiters here are __________ than the staff at the expensive Italian place downtown.
(a) friendlier
(b) more friendly
(c) the friendliest
(d) friendlyer
8 Honestly, this is __________ place to eat if you are on a budget.
(a) the baddest
(b) the worst
(c) the worse
(d) worse
9 The crust is __________ than a cracker, but still very soft inside.
(a) thinner
(b) thinest
(c) more thin
(d) thiner
10 Tony’s is __________ restaurant on Google Maps right now.
(a) the popularer
(b) most popular
(c) the most popular
(d) more popular
11 Even though it was busy, the service was __________ than I expected.
(a) more fast
(b) fastest
(c) fastier
(d) faster
12 My brother thinks the pepperoni pizza is __________ than the cheese pizza.
(a) more spicy
(b) spicier
(c) spicyer
(d) the spiciest
13 Of all the desserts, the tiramisu is __________ choice you can make.
(a) the better
(b) the goodest
(c) the best
(d) better
14 The music in the background was __________ than the noise outside.
(a) quieter
(b) more quiet
(c) quietest
(d) quietier
15 Tony’s Pizzeria is by far __________ place for a birthday party.
(a) the most exciting
(b) the excitingest
(c) more exciting
(d) most exciting
16 The oven they use is __________ one in the country.
(a) the larger
(b) the largest
(c) more large
(d) largest
17 Finding a table on Friday is __________ than finding one on Monday.
(a) the most difficult
(b) more difficult
(c) difficulter
(d) most difficult
18 This was __________ expensive pizza on the menu, but it was worth every cent!
(a) the least
(b) the less
(c) littlest
(d) the little
19 I think the outdoor seating is __________ than the indoor area during summer.
(a) more comfortable
(b) comfortabler
(c) most comfortable
(d) the most comfortable
20 Tony’s is definitely __________ shop in the neighborhood!
(a) the more successful
(b) the most successful
(c) successfullest
(d) most successful
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (a) the best
- Why it’s correct: “Best” is the irregular superlative of “good.” We use “the” + “best” for one thing in a group (the city).
- Error Analysis: (b) is a comparative; (c) is an incorrect irregular form; (d) is missing “the.”
2 (d) bigger
- Why it’s correct: One-syllable adjectives ending in Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) double the final consonant.
- Error Analysis: (a) spelling error; (b) common mistake (using “more” for short words); (c) superlative.
3 (a) tastier
- Why it’s correct: Adjectives ending in “-y” change to “-ier” for the comparative.
- Error Analysis: (b) superlative; (c) common mistake; (d) spelling error.
4 (b) the closest
- Why it’s correct: Superlative for a short adjective to indicate the #1 position in a group.
- Error Analysis: (a) comparative; (c) common mistake for short words; (d) structural error.
5 (c) fresher
- Why it’s correct: “Fresh” is a short adjective; add “-er” for comparative.
- Error Analysis: (a) common mistake; (b) superlative; (d) spelling error.
6 (b) the most memorable
- Why it’s correct: “Memorable” is a long adjective (4 syllables), requiring “the most.”
- Error Analysis: (a) structural error; (c) missing “the”; (d) common mistake for long adjectives.
7 (a) friendlier
- Why it’s correct: Two-syllable adjectives ending in “-y” use “-ier.”
- Error Analysis: (b) though sometimes used, “friendlier” is the standard A2 rule; (c) superlative; (d) spelling error.
8 (b) the worst
- Why it’s correct: “Worst” is the irregular superlative of “bad.”
- Error Analysis: (a) and (c) are common irregular errors; (d) is comparative.
9 (a) thinner
- Why it’s correct: “Thin” follows the CVC rule (double the “n”).
- Error Analysis: (b) superlative; (c) common mistake; (d) spelling error.
10 (c) the most popular
- Why it’s correct: Long adjective superlative.
- Error Analysis: (a) structural error; (b) missing “the”; (d) comparative.
11 (d) faster
- Why it’s correct: Comparative of “fast.”
- Error Analysis: (a) common mistake; (b) superlative; (c) spelling error.
12 (b) spicier
- Why it’s correct: “-y” to “-ier” comparative rule.
- Error Analysis: (a) common mistake; (c) spelling error; (d) superlative.
13 (c) the best
- Why it’s correct: Superlative for “good.”
- Error Analysis: (a) comparative; (b) incorrect irregular; (d) missing “the.”
14 (a) quieter
- Why it’s correct: “Quiet” is a short adjective; add “-er.”
- Error Analysis: (b) common mistake; (c) superlative; (d) spelling error.
15 (a) the most exciting
- Why it’s correct: Long adjective superlative.
- Error Analysis: (b) structural error; (c) comparative; (d) missing “the.”
16 (b) the largest
- Why it’s correct: Superlative of “large” (short adjective).
- Error Analysis: (a) comparative; (c) structural error; (d) missing “the.”
17 (b) more difficult
- Why it’s correct: Comparative of a long adjective.
- Error Analysis: (a) and (d) are superlatives; (c) is a common structural error.
18 (a) the least
- Why it’s correct: “The least” is the superlative for small amounts (opposite of “the most”).
- Error Analysis: (b) comparative; (c) and (d) are meaning/structural traps.
19 (a) more comfortable
- Why it’s correct: Comparative of a long adjective.
- Error Analysis: (b) structural error; (c) missing “the”; (d) superlative (doesn’t fit “than”).
20 (b) the most successful
- Why it’s correct: Standard superlative for a long adjective.
- Error Analysis: (a) comparative; (c) structural error; (d) missing “the.”
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Comparatives (-er / more): Used to compare two things. Look for the word “than”.
- Short: faster than.
- Long: more expensive than.
- Superlatives (-est / the most): Used to compare one thing against a whole group. Look for the word “the”.
- Short: the fastest.
- Long: the most expensive.
- The “-y” Rule: If an adjective ends in “-y,” change it to “-i” before adding “-er” or “-est” (tasty → tastier → the tastiest).
- Irregulars:
- Good → Better → The Best.
- Bad → Worse → The Worst.
- Spelling (CVC): If a short adjective ends in a Consonant-Vowel-Consonant, double the last letter (big → bigger, thin → thinner).