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Introduction

What's the most unusual food you've ever eaten? Or the furthest you've travelled in one day? Beth and Phil answer questions like this and our grammar guru explains how to form and use superlatives.

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Grammar explanation

the -est

Add -est for most one-syllable words, like 'oldest' and 'tallest', and for some two-syllable words, especially those that end in -y, like 'chewiest', 'prettiest' and 'happiest'.

Examples:

Phil's the tallest in the team.
An emu burger was the chewiest thing I've ever eaten!

the most

Add 'the most' before adjectives that have three or more syllables, like 'the most unusual' and 'the most expensive', and before some two syllable adjectives, like 'useful', 'boring' and 'tired'.

Examples:

I can't believe she ordered the most expensive thing on the menu!
That was the most boring film I've ever watched.

Irregular superlatives

good -> best
bad -> worst
far -> furthest

Examples:

The best book I've ever read is called Flowers for Algernon.
A seven hour delay! That was the worst train journey ever.
I live the furthest from London. It takes me three hours to get to work.

To do

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