comparatives and superlatives: English ESL worksheets pdf & doc - Free Printable

Let's solve this worksheet on comparatives and superlatives step by step. The task is to fill in the blanks with the correct form of the adjectives given in brackets.

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✔ Rules Reminder:

- Comparative: Used to compare two things.
- Short adjectives (1-2 syllables): add -er (e.g., *taller*)
- Long adjectives (3+ syllables): use more + adjective (e.g., *more beautiful*)
- Superlative: Used to compare three or more things.
- Add -est for short adjectives (e.g., *tallest*)
- Use most + adjective for long ones (e.g., *most interesting*)
- Some irregular forms:
- Good → better / best
- Bad → worse / worst
- Far → farther/further / farthest/furthest

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Now, let’s go through each sentence:

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1. Brad is by far ________ (attractive) boy in town.
→ "Attractive" is a long adjective → the most attractive

✔ Answer: *the most attractive*

2. My friends arrived ________ (early) we expected.
→ Comparing arrival time; "earlier than" is correct.

✔ Answer: *earlier than*

3. My dad is ________ (hard-working) person that I know.
→ Superlative – "the most hard-working"

✔ Answer: *the most hard-working*

4. Who is ________ (rich) man in the world?
→ Superlative: "the richest"

✔ Answer: *the richest*

5. Travelling by plane is ________ (fast) and ________ (safe) travelling by train.
→ Comparative: faster and safer than

✔ Answer: *faster* and *safer than*

6. Jennifer Aniston is ________ (good-looking) Angelina Jolie.
→ Compare two people → comparative: "more good-looking than"

✔ Answer: *more good-looking than*

7. His mother is much ________ (old) I thought.
→ "Much" suggests comparison → older than

✔ Answer: *older than*

8. Ben is ________ (bad) golfer in the world.
→ Superlative: "the worst"

✔ Answer: *the worst*

9. Tom is ________ (short) and ________ (fat) his brother.
→ Both are comparisons → shorter and fatter than

✔ Answer: *shorter* and *fatter than*

10. His new novel is ________ (exciting) his previous one.
→ More exciting than

✔ Answer: *more exciting than*

11. London is ________ (far) Paris, but Moscow is ________ (far).
→ London is farther from Paris? No — likely means: London is farther than Paris [from something], but Moscow is farthest.

But context seems off. Likely meant:
"London is farther than Paris, but Moscow is the farthest."

Wait — actually, it might be:
"London is as far as Paris, but Moscow is farther." But "as far as" doesn't fit well.

Alternatively:
"London is not as far as Paris, but Moscow is farther."

But the sentence says: “London is ________ (far) Paris” → needs comparison.

Best interpretation:
"London is farther than Paris" → no, that's illogical unless specifying from where.

Actually, perhaps:
"London is as far as Paris, but Moscow is farther." But "as far as" isn’t a comparative form.

Wait — maybe it's:
"London is further than Paris, but Moscow is the furthest." But again, unclear.

Looking at grammar:
"London is ________ (far) Paris" → missing word like "than".

So likely:
"London is farther than Paris, but Moscow is the farthest."

But that doesn't make sense geographically.

Alternative idea:
Maybe it's about distance from a point — e.g., from New York?

But since no context, assume it's just testing grammar.

So:
"London is farther than Paris" — incorrect if Paris is closer.

Wait — perhaps it's:
"London is as far as Paris, but Moscow is farther." → but "as far as" not from bracket.

Better:
"London is not as far as Paris, but Moscow is farther." → still not matching.

Wait — maybe typo? Or perhaps:

"London is farther from... than Paris" — but not written.

Given the structure:
"London is ________ (far) Paris" → must be farther than or further than.

And "Moscow is ________ (far)" → the farthest.

But "the farthest" needs a preposition.

Perhaps:
"London is farther than Paris, but Moscow is the farthest of all."

Yes — acceptable.

✔ Answer: *farther than*, *the farthest*

12. Do you think that money is ________ (important) love?
→ Comparison: "more important than"

✔ Answer: *more important than*

13. In my opinion, John is one of ________ (lucky) men in the world.
→ One of the + superlative → "one of the luckiest"

✔ Answer: *the luckiest*

14. These Maths exercises are ________ (difficult) yours.
→ Comparison: "more difficult than"

✔ Answer: *more difficult than*

15. 'Romeo and Juliet' is ________ (romantic) play we have ever read.
→ Superlative: "the most romantic"

✔ Answer: *the most romantic*

16. Your sister is ________ (young) in your family.
→ Superlative: "the youngest"

✔ Answer: *the youngest*

17. I am ________ (bad) at Geography than my sister, but I am ________ (good) at History.
→ First: "worse at"
Second: "better at"

✔ Answer: *worse*, *better*

18. He thinks that Italian food is ________ (delicious) Spanish food.
→ Comparison: "more delicious than"

✔ Answer: *more delicious than*

19. Helen's clothes are ________ (fashionable) Susan's.
→ "More fashionable than"

✔ Answer: *more fashionable than*

20. Sam's grandmother is ________ (helpful) person I've ever met.
→ Superlative: "the most helpful"

✔ Answer: *the most helpful*

21. August has been ________ (hot) month this year.
→ Superlative: "the hottest"

✔ Answer: *the hottest*

22. Which is ________ (high) mountain in the world?
→ Superlative: "the highest"

✔ Answer: *the highest*

23. The American boxer is much ________ (strong) Russian one.
→ Comparative: "stronger than"

✔ Answer: *stronger than*

24. George Clooney is ________ (handsome) man in the world.
→ Superlative: "the handsomest" or "the most handsome"

Both acceptable, but "handsomest" is common.

✔ Answer: *the handsomest* or *the most handsome*

25. Who is ________ (thin), Mary or Alice?
→ Comparative: "thinner"

✔ Answer: *thinner*

26. Alan had a very bad accident. He should drive ________ (carefully).
→ Adverbial comparison: "more carefully"

✔ Answer: *more carefully*

27. My granny thinks that things are ________ (complicated) these days.
→ Comparative: "more complicated than before" — but no "than" here.

But "these days" implies comparison to past.

So: "more complicated" — okay.

✔ Answer: *more complicated*

28. They want to move to a ________ (big) house, now that they have children.
→ Bigger → "bigger"

✔ Answer: *bigger*

29. Vegetables and fruit are ________ (healthy) sweets.
→ "Healthier than"

✔ Answer: *healthier than*

30. Jamie is ________ (talkative) boy in the class.
→ Superlative: "the most talkative"

✔ Answer: *the most talkative*

31. Do you know if the whale is ________ (heavy) animal in the world?
→ Superlative: "the heaviest"

✔ Answer: *the heaviest*

32. Ann thinks that Paul is ________ (lazy) of her children.
→ Superlative: "the laziest"

✔ Answer: *the laziest*

33. Skydiving is ________ (dangerous) jogging.
→ Comparative: "more dangerous than"

✔ Answer: *more dangerous than*

34. Messi is one of ________ (famous) football players.
→ "One of the most famous"

✔ Answer: *the most famous*

35. Ms Green is ________ (nice) teacher at school.
→ Superlative: "the nicest"

✔ Answer: *the nicest*

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✔ Final Answers:

1. the most attractive
2. earlier than
3. the most hard-working
4. the richest
5. faster, safer than
6. more good-looking than
7. older than
8. the worst
9. shorter, fatter than
10. more exciting than
11. farther than, the farthest
12. more important than
13. the luckiest
14. more difficult than
15. the most romantic
16. the youngest
17. worse, better
18. more delicious than
19. more fashionable than
20. the most helpful
21. the hottest
22. the highest
23. stronger than
24. the handsomest / the most handsome
25. thinner
26. more carefully
27. more complicated
28. bigger
29. healthier than
30. the most talkative
31. the heaviest
32. the laziest
33. more dangerous than
34. the most famous
35. the nicest

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