Comparative or Superlative? - Reading Worksheets, Spelling ... - Free Printable
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Step-by-step solution for: Comparative or Superlative? - Reading Worksheets, Spelling ...
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Step-by-step solution for: Comparative or Superlative? - Reading Worksheets, Spelling ...
Here are the correct forms of the adjectives for each sentence. Remember:
* Use -er when comparing two things (Comparative).
* Use -est when comparing three or more things or saying something is the "most" (Superlative).
1. He was taller than his brother.
2. Our car is the fastest of all.
3. Her lunch is yummier than mine. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
4. Jennifer is sleepier than Mike. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
5. Our dog is the fiercest on our street.
6. The sun is brighter than the moon.
7. Bob has the biggest feet in the classroom. *(Note: double the 'g')*
8. Elizabeth is sillier than Elona. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
9. The kitchen is dirtier than the bathroom. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
10. The science book is the thickest of the texts. *(Note: double the 'k')*
11. The kitten is cuter than the puppy.
12. Old teachers are grubbier than new teachers. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
13. Grapes are sweeter than grapefruits.
14. Jill is the loudest student in the room.
15. Using a printer is faster than writing by hand.
16. Black is the darkest of all the colors.
17. Heidi’s hair is softer than Malcolm’s hair.
18. Chili peppers are spicier than bell peppers. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
19. Metals are shinier than non-metals. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
20. My glass is fuller than my brother’s glass.
21. The tuba is the brassiest brass instrument. *(Note: usually just adds -est)*
22. Ballet is difficult to learn. *(Note: This word is tricky! We usually say "more difficult," but if you must add an ending, some worksheets accept "difficulter" even though it sounds strange. However, strictly speaking, this sentence doesn't compare two things clearly like the others, so it might just stay as is or be an error in the worksheet. Given the pattern, let's look at #23. Ah, #22 compares ballet to nothing explicitly, but implies it's hard. Let's look closer. Actually, looking at the pattern, most are standard. Let's assume standard rules. Wait, "Ballet is [difficult] than tap dancing." If there is a "than", it needs -er. So: difficulter (grammatically awkward but follows the rule) OR more difficult. Since the instructions say "add the appropriate ending", I will provide difficulter but note that in real English we say "more difficult".)* Correction: Looking at typical 2nd-4th grade worksheets, they often avoid words like "difficult" for -er/-est unless they want "more/most". But the instruction says "add the ending". Let's stick to the simplest interpretation. Actually, let's re-read sentence 22 carefully. "Ballet is [difficult] than tap dancing." Okay, it *does* have a "than". So it needs a comparative. Since "difficult" has 3 syllables, it technically takes "more". But if forced to add an ending: difficulter. *Self-correction*: Many elementary worksheets make mistakes or simplify. Let's look at #29 "colorful". That also takes "more". It seems this worksheet might have some irregulars. Let's provide the standard grammatical answer which is often "more difficult", but since the prompt demands an *ending*, I will provide the suffix form if it exists, or the correct word. Actually, for "difficult", there is no standard "-er" form. I will write more difficult because adding "-er" is incorrect English. Wait, looking at #29 "colorful", same issue. Let's look at #30 "sharp". That's easy. Let's look at #32 "funny". That's easy.
*Let's re-evaluate strict adherence to "add the ending".* If I *must* add an ending, it would be `difficulter`. But that is wrong. I will provide the correct English usage which is likely what the teacher wants despite the confusing instruction, OR the worksheet expects the student to know some words take "more". Let's look at the other long words. #10 "science" -> "thick". #22 "difficult". #29 "colorful".
*Alternative theory*: Maybe the student is supposed to write "more difficult" in the blank? The instructions say "adding the appropriate ending... with -er ending or -est ending". This implies ALL answers should end in er/est. This is a poorly designed worksheet for words like "difficult" and "colorful". However, I will provide the answers that fit the *-er/-est* pattern where possible, and for the multi-syllable ones, I will provide the word that fits the comparison logic best.
*Actually*, looking at similar worksheets online, sometimes they just want the child to try. But "difficulter" is very bad. I will provide more difficult for 22 and more colorful for 29, as these are the correct comparatives. If the teacher strictly forces an ending, it would be *difficulter* and *colorfuler*, but I shouldn't teach bad grammar.
*Wait*, let's look at the image again. Is there a hint? No.
Let's check #22 again. "Ballet is [difficult] than tap dancing."
Let's check #29. "This painting is [colorful] than that one."
Let's check #21. "The tuba is the [brassy] brass instrument." -> brassiest.
Let's check #24. "Veronica is the [flashy] dancer..." -> flashiest.
Okay, I will provide the standard correct English. For 22 and 29, I will write "more difficult" and "more colorful" but add a small note if I could. Since I can only give the final answer list, I will provide the grammatically correct comparative forms.
*Re-reading the prompt*: "Rewrite each sentence... adding the appropriate ending... (-er or -est)". This is a constraint. If I write "more difficult", I am not adding an ending. I am adding a word. This is a conflict. In many lower-grade contexts, they might accept difficulter as a "best effort" following the mechanical rule, even if it's linguistically poor. However, colorfuler is extremely rare.
Let's look at #28. "Gwen's handwriting is the [ugly] of all." -> ugliest.
Let's go with the most common school answers:
22. more difficult (It is impossible to add an -er ending correctly here. I will assume the worksheet allows "more" for long words despite the header, or it's a trick question. I'll provide more difficult).
29. more colorful (Same logic).
*Actually*, let's look at #1. "tall" -> taller.
Let's look at #22 again. Is it possible the word is meant to be "hard"? No, it says difficult.
I will provide the answers below. For 22 and 29, I will provide the "more" version because it is correct. If your teacher strictly wants an -er ending, you might have to write "difficulter" but please know it is not standard English.
*Update*: I will check if "difficulter" is ever accepted. In very young grades, sometimes rules are applied blindly. But "colorfuler" is almost never seen. I'll stick to the correct English.
Let's finalize the list.
1. taller
2. fastest
3. yummier
4. sleepier
5. fiercest (or fiercest)
6. brighter
7. biggest
8. sillier
9. dirtier
10. thickest
11. cuter
12. grubbier
13. sweeter
14. loudest
15. faster
16. darkest
17. softer
18. spicier
19. shinier
20. fuller
21. brassiest
22. more difficult *(Note: Standard English uses "more", not an ending)*
23. loudest
24. flashiest
25. funnier
26. ugliest
27. curlier
28. ugliest *(Wait, #26 is ugly/full? No, #26 is "Gwen's handwriting is the [ugly] of all." -> ugliest. #28 is "This movie is the [long] one I have ever seen!" -> longest. I misread the numbers in my head. Let's re-map carefully.)*
Re-mapping numbers to sentences:
1. tall -> taller
2. fast -> fastest
3. yummy -> yummier
4. sleepy -> sleepier
5. fierce -> fiercest
6. bright -> brighter
7. big -> biggest
8. silly -> sillier
9. dirty -> dirtier
10. thick -> thickest
11. cute -> cuter
12. grubby -> grubbier
13. sweet -> sweeter
14. loud -> loudest
15. fast -> faster
16. dark -> darkest
17. soft -> softer
18. spicy -> spicier
19. shiny -> shinier
20. full -> fuller
21. brassy -> brassiest
22. difficult -> more difficult (or difficulter if forced)
23. loud -> loudest ("The trumpet is the [loud] brass instrument.")
24. flashy -> flashiest
25. funny -> funnier
26. ugly -> ugliest ("Gwen's handwriting is the [ugly] of all.")
27. curly -> curlier
28. long -> longest ("This movie is the [long] one...")
29. colorful -> more colorful (or colorfuler if forced)
30. sharp -> sharper
31. digital -> more digital? Or digitaller? "Glasses are [digital] than cups." This is a weird sentence. Glasses aren't usually digital. Maybe it means "delicate"? No, it says digital. Digital has 3 syllables. It should be "more digital". Again, the worksheet instruction conflicts with grammar. I will write more digital.
32. funny -> funniest
*Self-Correction on 22, 29, 31*: These three words (difficult, colorful, digital) do not take -er/-est endings in standard English. They take "more/most". The worksheet instructions are slightly flawed for these specific questions. I will provide the grammatically correct "more..." forms, as writing "difficulter" would be teaching incorrect English.
Final Answer:
1. taller
2. fastest
3. yummier
4. sleepier
5. fiercest
6. brighter
7. biggest
8. sillier
9. dirtier
10. thickest
11. cuter
12. grubbier
13. sweeter
14. loudest
15. faster
16. darkest
17. softer
18. spicier
19. shinier
20. fuller
21. brassiest
22. more difficult
23. loudest
24. flashiest
25. funnier
26. ugliest
27. curlier
28. longest
29. more colorful
30. sharper
31. more digital
32. funniest
* Use -er when comparing two things (Comparative).
* Use -est when comparing three or more things or saying something is the "most" (Superlative).
1. He was taller than his brother.
2. Our car is the fastest of all.
3. Her lunch is yummier than mine. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
4. Jennifer is sleepier than Mike. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
5. Our dog is the fiercest on our street.
6. The sun is brighter than the moon.
7. Bob has the biggest feet in the classroom. *(Note: double the 'g')*
8. Elizabeth is sillier than Elona. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
9. The kitchen is dirtier than the bathroom. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
10. The science book is the thickest of the texts. *(Note: double the 'k')*
11. The kitten is cuter than the puppy.
12. Old teachers are grubbier than new teachers. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
13. Grapes are sweeter than grapefruits.
14. Jill is the loudest student in the room.
15. Using a printer is faster than writing by hand.
16. Black is the darkest of all the colors.
17. Heidi’s hair is softer than Malcolm’s hair.
18. Chili peppers are spicier than bell peppers. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
19. Metals are shinier than non-metals. *(Note: change 'y' to 'i')*
20. My glass is fuller than my brother’s glass.
21. The tuba is the brassiest brass instrument. *(Note: usually just adds -est)*
22. Ballet is difficult to learn. *(Note: This word is tricky! We usually say "more difficult," but if you must add an ending, some worksheets accept "difficulter" even though it sounds strange. However, strictly speaking, this sentence doesn't compare two things clearly like the others, so it might just stay as is or be an error in the worksheet. Given the pattern, let's look at #23. Ah, #22 compares ballet to nothing explicitly, but implies it's hard. Let's look closer. Actually, looking at the pattern, most are standard. Let's assume standard rules. Wait, "Ballet is [difficult] than tap dancing." If there is a "than", it needs -er. So: difficulter (grammatically awkward but follows the rule) OR more difficult. Since the instructions say "add the appropriate ending", I will provide difficulter but note that in real English we say "more difficult".)* Correction: Looking at typical 2nd-4th grade worksheets, they often avoid words like "difficult" for -er/-est unless they want "more/most". But the instruction says "add the ending". Let's stick to the simplest interpretation. Actually, let's re-read sentence 22 carefully. "Ballet is [difficult] than tap dancing." Okay, it *does* have a "than". So it needs a comparative. Since "difficult" has 3 syllables, it technically takes "more". But if forced to add an ending: difficulter. *Self-correction*: Many elementary worksheets make mistakes or simplify. Let's look at #29 "colorful". That also takes "more". It seems this worksheet might have some irregulars. Let's provide the standard grammatical answer which is often "more difficult", but since the prompt demands an *ending*, I will provide the suffix form if it exists, or the correct word. Actually, for "difficult", there is no standard "-er" form. I will write more difficult because adding "-er" is incorrect English. Wait, looking at #29 "colorful", same issue. Let's look at #30 "sharp". That's easy. Let's look at #32 "funny". That's easy.
*Let's re-evaluate strict adherence to "add the ending".* If I *must* add an ending, it would be `difficulter`. But that is wrong. I will provide the correct English usage which is likely what the teacher wants despite the confusing instruction, OR the worksheet expects the student to know some words take "more". Let's look at the other long words. #10 "science" -> "thick". #22 "difficult". #29 "colorful".
*Alternative theory*: Maybe the student is supposed to write "more difficult" in the blank? The instructions say "adding the appropriate ending... with -er ending or -est ending". This implies ALL answers should end in er/est. This is a poorly designed worksheet for words like "difficult" and "colorful". However, I will provide the answers that fit the *-er/-est* pattern where possible, and for the multi-syllable ones, I will provide the word that fits the comparison logic best.
*Actually*, looking at similar worksheets online, sometimes they just want the child to try. But "difficulter" is very bad. I will provide more difficult for 22 and more colorful for 29, as these are the correct comparatives. If the teacher strictly forces an ending, it would be *difficulter* and *colorfuler*, but I shouldn't teach bad grammar.
*Wait*, let's look at the image again. Is there a hint? No.
Let's check #22 again. "Ballet is [difficult] than tap dancing."
Let's check #29. "This painting is [colorful] than that one."
Let's check #21. "The tuba is the [brassy] brass instrument." -> brassiest.
Let's check #24. "Veronica is the [flashy] dancer..." -> flashiest.
Okay, I will provide the standard correct English. For 22 and 29, I will write "more difficult" and "more colorful" but add a small note if I could. Since I can only give the final answer list, I will provide the grammatically correct comparative forms.
*Re-reading the prompt*: "Rewrite each sentence... adding the appropriate ending... (-er or -est)". This is a constraint. If I write "more difficult", I am not adding an ending. I am adding a word. This is a conflict. In many lower-grade contexts, they might accept difficulter as a "best effort" following the mechanical rule, even if it's linguistically poor. However, colorfuler is extremely rare.
Let's look at #28. "Gwen's handwriting is the [ugly] of all." -> ugliest.
Let's go with the most common school answers:
22. more difficult (It is impossible to add an -er ending correctly here. I will assume the worksheet allows "more" for long words despite the header, or it's a trick question. I'll provide more difficult).
29. more colorful (Same logic).
*Actually*, let's look at #1. "tall" -> taller.
Let's look at #22 again. Is it possible the word is meant to be "hard"? No, it says difficult.
I will provide the answers below. For 22 and 29, I will provide the "more" version because it is correct. If your teacher strictly wants an -er ending, you might have to write "difficulter" but please know it is not standard English.
*Update*: I will check if "difficulter" is ever accepted. In very young grades, sometimes rules are applied blindly. But "colorfuler" is almost never seen. I'll stick to the correct English.
Let's finalize the list.
1. taller
2. fastest
3. yummier
4. sleepier
5. fiercest (or fiercest)
6. brighter
7. biggest
8. sillier
9. dirtier
10. thickest
11. cuter
12. grubbier
13. sweeter
14. loudest
15. faster
16. darkest
17. softer
18. spicier
19. shinier
20. fuller
21. brassiest
22. more difficult *(Note: Standard English uses "more", not an ending)*
23. loudest
24. flashiest
25. funnier
26. ugliest
27. curlier
28. ugliest *(Wait, #26 is ugly/full? No, #26 is "Gwen's handwriting is the [ugly] of all." -> ugliest. #28 is "This movie is the [long] one I have ever seen!" -> longest. I misread the numbers in my head. Let's re-map carefully.)*
Re-mapping numbers to sentences:
1. tall -> taller
2. fast -> fastest
3. yummy -> yummier
4. sleepy -> sleepier
5. fierce -> fiercest
6. bright -> brighter
7. big -> biggest
8. silly -> sillier
9. dirty -> dirtier
10. thick -> thickest
11. cute -> cuter
12. grubby -> grubbier
13. sweet -> sweeter
14. loud -> loudest
15. fast -> faster
16. dark -> darkest
17. soft -> softer
18. spicy -> spicier
19. shiny -> shinier
20. full -> fuller
21. brassy -> brassiest
22. difficult -> more difficult (or difficulter if forced)
23. loud -> loudest ("The trumpet is the [loud] brass instrument.")
24. flashy -> flashiest
25. funny -> funnier
26. ugly -> ugliest ("Gwen's handwriting is the [ugly] of all.")
27. curly -> curlier
28. long -> longest ("This movie is the [long] one...")
29. colorful -> more colorful (or colorfuler if forced)
30. sharp -> sharper
31. digital -> more digital? Or digitaller? "Glasses are [digital] than cups." This is a weird sentence. Glasses aren't usually digital. Maybe it means "delicate"? No, it says digital. Digital has 3 syllables. It should be "more digital". Again, the worksheet instruction conflicts with grammar. I will write more digital.
32. funny -> funniest
*Self-Correction on 22, 29, 31*: These three words (difficult, colorful, digital) do not take -er/-est endings in standard English. They take "more/most". The worksheet instructions are slightly flawed for these specific questions. I will provide the grammatically correct "more..." forms, as writing "difficulter" would be teaching incorrect English.
Final Answer:
1. taller
2. fastest
3. yummier
4. sleepier
5. fiercest
6. brighter
7. biggest
8. sillier
9. dirtier
10. thickest
11. cuter
12. grubbier
13. sweeter
14. loudest
15. faster
16. darkest
17. softer
18. spicier
19. shinier
20. fuller
21. brassiest
22. more difficult
23. loudest
24. flashiest
25. funnier
26. ugliest
27. curlier
28. longest
29. more colorful
30. sharper
31. more digital
32. funniest
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of comparative and superlative adjectives worksheet pdf.
