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Comparatives and Superlatives: correct answers

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Very often when we compare different objects or events. As we tend to be as colorful as possible, using only comparative or superlative form of adjectives is not always enough.

Because of this, we begin to add adverbs or special constructions such as far, by far, much, a lot, a little etc.

The knowledge of the rules how to use the intensifiers of comparison usually indicates an advanced student.

HardB2 | Upper IntermediateB2Comparative and superlativeAdjectiveAdverbModifierMorphology

Correct answers

Question 1

Select the correct adjective form.
Moscow is by far the _________________________ city in Russia.

This is a superlative sentence with a monosyllabic adjective, so we need to change large to largest. Again, adding the intensifier by far doesn't have any effect on the adjective.

Question 2

Select the correct adverb form.
Andrei speaks French far _________________________ than I do.

Well is an irregular adverb that becomes better in the comparative form. The word than indicates that this sentence is a comparative, so we should use better here.

Question 3

Select the correct adverb form.
The _________________________ you work, the more money you'll earn!

The word than indicates that we're making a comparison here. Hard is a monosyllabic regular adverb (one syllable), which means that we can't use the word more. Like adjectives, monosyllabic regular adverbs add the suffix –er in their comparative form, so we need to use harder here.

Question 4

Select the correct word.
There certainly isn't as _________________________ tea in Russia as there is in China.

Modifiers can be used in order to emphasize, specify, or clarify comparisons. As tea is an uncountable noun, we need to use much here, not many.

Question 5

Select the correct adjective form.
Some say the world's _________________________ women are from Eastern Europe.

Two-syllable adjectives that end with –y usually change their spellings in the superlative form. The y becomes an i, so pretty becomes prettiest. Although two-syllable adjectives usually use most in the superlative, we shouldn't use it when the adjective changes form like this. Note that the already appears before world's, so we don't need to use it a second time.

Question 6

Select the correct adjective form.
Japanese men are usually a bit _________________________ than Russian men.

The word than indicates that we're making a comparison here. Short is a monosyllabic regular adjective (one syllable), which means that we can't use the word more. Monosyllabic regular adjectives add the suffix –er in their comparative form. Note that adding the intensifier little makes no difference to the form of the adjective.

Question 7

Select the correct word.
The United States is much _________________________ from Russia than Poland.

Far is an irregular adjective that becomes further or farther in the comparative form and the furthest or the farthest in the superlative form. The word than indicates that this sentence is a comparative, so we can use either further or farther here. For physical distance, it's generally better to use farther.

Question 8

Select the correct adjective form.
With a population of 1.4 million, Novosibirsk is the third _________________________ city in Russia.

The superlative form of an adjective can be used in combination with the ordinal numerals to indicate the size of an object. Big is a monosyllabic regular adjective and so the superlative form is biggest. Note that the ordinal number third comes after the determiner the.

Question 9

Select the correct sentence.

The correct answer is I think English is the least complicated language to learn.

Less and the least work with adjectives the same way as more and the most: less is a lower degree, the least is the lowest degree. Here we compare English with all other languages, so we need the superlative the least complicated. The less complicated would need two things to compare (the less complicated of the two).

Complication is a noun, not an adjective, so the least complication language is wrong.

Question 10

Select the correct sentence.

The correct answer is I don't think the White House is as beautiful as the Kremlin.

To say two things are equal (or, with not, unequal), we use as + adjective + as: as beautiful as. With I don't think... the meaning is that the Kremlin is more beautiful.

As beautiful the Kremlin is missing the second as, and beautiful as the Kremlin is missing the first one. More beautiful the Kremlin is missing than (more beautiful than).

Question 11

Select the correct adjective form.
Homemade borscht is much _________________________ than a McDonald's hamburger.

Two-syllable adjectives that end with –y usually change their spellings in the comparative form. The y becomes an i, so healthy becomes healthier. Although two-syllable adjectives usually use more in the comparative, we shouldn't use it when the adjective changes form like this. Note that the intensifier much doesn't affect the adjective.

Question 12

Select the correct adjective form.
If you use that old bicycle, it will take you five times _________________________ to get to work.

The comparative form of an adjective can be used in combination with the cardinal numerals and times to compare measurable characteristics. Long is a monosyllabic regular adjective and so its comparative form is longer.

Question 13

Select the correct adverb form.
I usually eat stroganoff much _________________________ than I eat KFC or other junk food.

The word than indicates that we're making a comparison here. Often is a two-syllable regular adverb, which means that the adjective doesn't change form, and we need to use the word more. Note that the intensifier much doesn't change the form of the adjective: much more often than…

Question 14

Select the correct adjective form.
I find that books by Dostoyevsky are far __________________________ than books written by Nietzsche.

The word than indicates that this is a comparative again, so we can't use the most readable or as readable. Readable is a three-syllable adjective, so it doesn't change its form in the comparative. We should therefore use more readable.

Question 15

Select the correct adjective form.
There are currently _________________________ women living in Germany than there are in India.

Few is a regular monosyllabic adjective used instead of less with countable nouns. It changes to fewer in the comparative form and the fewest in the superlative form. The word than indicates that this sentence is a comparative, so we should use fewer here.

Question 16

Select the correct adjective form.
The population of Paris is a lot _________________________ than the population of Moscow.

Less is an irregular adjective used with uncountable nouns. It stays as less in the comparative form and changes to the least in the superlative form. The word than indicates that this sentence is a comparative, so we should use less here.

Question 17

Select the correct adjective form.
Do you think learning Chinese is a lot _________________________ than learning English?

The word than indicates that this is a comparative, so we can't use most difficult or as difficult. Difficult is a three-syllable adjective, so it doesn't change its form in the comparative. We should therefore use more difficult.

Question 18

Select the correct adjective form.
He said that Donald Trump is a far _________________________ president than Barack Obama.

Good is an irregular adjective that becomes better in the comparative form and the best in the superlative form. The word than indicates that this sentence is a comparative, so we should use better here.

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