Identify the correct form of superlative adjectives for short, long, and irregular words
Use superlative adjectives to describe and compare people, products, and performance in business situations
Recognize when to use a superlative adjective (for three or more items) instead of a comparative
Demonstrate how to ask and answer questions to make the best choice in a professional context
Market Position ✓
Excellence ✓
Achievement ✓
Professional Communication ✓
📚
Grammar Explanation
8 minutes
📋 What are Superlative Adjectives?
We use superlative adjectives to compare three or more nouns (people, places, things) and show which one is at the top or bottom of a quality. It shows the extreme: the 'number one'.
Form/Structure:
1-Syllable Adjectives: Add the + -est
• fast → the fastest
• cheap → the cheapest
• large → the largest
2-Syllable Adjectives ending in -y: Change -y to -i and add the + -est
• busy → the busiest
• easy → the easiest
2+ Syllable Adjectives: Use the most / the least + adjective
• important → the most important
• expensive → the most expensive
• effective → the least effective
Irregular Adjectives: These change completely
• good → the best
• bad → the worst
• far → the furthest / the farthest
🔑 Key Learning Tip
Superlatives are for the SUPER one. Remember to always use "the" before a superlative adjective (e.g., the biggest, the most successful).
✅ Correct Business Usage
✓ "Our new office is in the tallest building in the city."
✓ "The finance department is the busiest team at the end of the month."
✓ "This software is the most effective solution for our problem."
✓ "In my opinion, this is the best design proposal."
✓ "Last quarter's sales figures were the worst we have seen all year."
✓ "Let's choose the least expensive option to stay within our budget."
❌ Common Business Mistakes
✗ "Our sales in Q3 were highest in Europe."
✓ "Our sales in Q3 were the highest in Europe." (Always use "the" with superlative adjectives)
✗ "This is the most cheap printer we can buy."
✓ "This is the cheapest printer we can buy." (For short adjectives like "cheap", add "-est", do not use "most")
✗ "Between our two new products, Product A is the most popular."
✓ "Between our two new products, Product A is more popular." (Use superlatives for three or more items. For only two items, use a comparative adjective)
🎧
Professional Listening Exercise
6 minutes
Listen to Maria, Project Manager, giving an update about choosing new software:
Audio: Software Selection Meeting
Ready to play
0:00 / 1:50
📄 Audio Transcript (UK English - 1:50)
Maria (Project Manager): "Good morning, team. Thanks for joining. Today, I want to talk about the new project management software. As you know, we tested three options: ProjectFlow, TaskMaster, and WorkZone.
I have the final report here. Let's start with price. ProjectFlow is €50 per user, TaskMaster is €35, and WorkZone is €60. So, TaskMaster is the cheapest option. However, it also had the worst customer reviews for support. That's a big problem.
WorkZone is the most expensive, but it has some excellent features. The team found it was the easiest to learn during the trial period. Integration with our current systems was also very simple.
Now, for ProjectFlow. It's not the cheapest, but it is the most powerful tool. It has features that the others don't. The biggest challenge with ProjectFlow is the training time. It is the most complicated software of the three.
So, we have a decision to make. Do we want the cheapest tool, TaskMaster, with poor support? Do we want WorkZone, which is the easiest to use but also the most expensive? Or do we choose ProjectFlow, the most powerful software that will require more training? In my opinion, for our long-term goals, WorkZone seems like the best overall solution for our team. I want to hear your thoughts now."
1. In the audio, why does Maria use "the cheapest"?
2. What is Maria's final recommendation?
3. Fill in the gap from the audio: "The biggest challenge with ProjectFlow is the training time. It is ______ software of the three."
🧠
Interactive Quiz
5 minutes
1. Of all the candidates we interviewed, Mr. Evans has ________ experience.
2. The morning train is always ________ way to get to the city for a meeting.
3. For our company, client satisfaction is ________ goal.
🔗
Exercise A: Matching Exercise
4 minutes
Instructions:
Match the first part of the sentence (1-4) with the correct superlative ending (a-d).
1. To save money on our new project, we need
2. The CEO is meeting with
3. December is always
4. Closing the office on Mondays is
📊
Exercise B: Fill the Table/Chart
5 minutes
Instructions:
Look at the table comparing three delivery companies. Then complete the sentences below using the correct superlative adjective.
Company
Cost (per package)
Speed (days)
Customer Rating (/5)
QuickShip
$15
1
4.5
ValuePost
$8
4
3.0
Global Express
$25
2
4.9
1. ValuePost is _____________ company. (cheap)
2. QuickShip is _____________ company. (fast)
3. ValuePost is _____________ company. (slow)
4. Global Express has _____________ customer rating. (good)
5. Global Express is _____________ company. (expensive)
✅
Exercise C: True/False Grammar Check
4 minutes
Instructions:
Read the sentences below. Are they grammatically correct? Choose True or False.
1. This was the most productive meeting we had all week.
2. Compared to the other options, our new software is most modern.
3. She is the bestest manager in our department.
4. Which route to the airport is the shorter?
🗣️
Speaking Practice - Preparation for Class with Teacher
6 minutes
👨🏫 Preparation for Class
These speaking tasks are designed to prepare you for practice with your teacher. Review the tasks below and prepare your responses before your next class.
1
Describing Your Workplace
1 minute
Task: Prepare to describe your office or workplace using 3-4 superlative sentences. Use the structure: "The [noun] is the [superlative adjective]."
Preparation Tips: Think about rooms, people, or things in your office. Examples: The meeting room, the coffee machine, my computer, my boss, the busiest day.
Example Response: "In my office, the kitchen is the smallest room. My computer is the oldest computer on the team. Monday is the busiest day of the week."
Prepare this topic for your next class with your teacher.
2
Choosing the Best Option
1 minute
Task: Imagine you need to buy a new printer for your department. Look at the options below and prepare to tell your teacher which one you think is the best choice and why.
Example Framework: "I think we should buy Printer C. It is the most expensive, but it is also the best option. Printer A is cheaper, but it's the noisiest..."
Prepare this topic for your next class with your teacher.
3
Discussing Team Performance
2 minutes
Task: You are a manager talking to your team about last year's performance. Prepare to talk about the team's successes and challenges.
Discussion Points & Preparation:
What was the team's most successful project? Why?
What was the biggest challenge the team faced?
Who was the most helpful team member?
What is the most important goal for next year?
Prepare this topic for your next class with your teacher.
👨🏫
Ready for Class - Teacher Notes
📚 Lesson Summary
This lesson focuses on superlative adjectives in business contexts. Students learn formation rules for 1-syllable, 2-syllable, and irregular adjectives, practice with business scenarios, and prepare speaking tasks about workplace comparisons.
🎯 Key Challenges for Students
Forgetting to use "the" before superlatives
Confusing superlatives vs. comparatives (using superlatives for only two items)
Incorrect formation: "most cheap" instead of "cheapest"
Irregular forms: "goodest" instead of "best"
🗣️ Speaking Practice Guidance
Task 1: Encourage students to use different types of superlatives (short, long, irregular). Check for the correct use of "the".
Task 2: Prompt students to justify their choice using at least three superlative sentences. Focus on business decision-making language.
Task 3: Encourage students to speak for 1-2 minutes. Ask follow-up questions like "Why was that project the most successful?" to practice superlatives naturally.
⚠️ Common Student Errors to Watch For
Missing "the": "Our product is best" ❌
Wrong formation: "more cheaper" ❌
Using superlatives for two items: "Of these two options, this is the best" ❌
Incorrect irregulars: "worster" instead of "worst" ❌
📋
Summary & Professional Applications
3 minutes
🎯 Professional Key Takeaways:
Use superlatives to compare three or more things: Always use "the" before the superlative adjective (e.g., the fastest, the most useful).
For short adjectives, add -est: cheapest, fastest, tallest.
For long adjectives, use most/least: most important, least expensive.
Remember the irregulars: good → the best, bad → the worst.
Business applications: Making decisions, comparing options, highlighting achievements, and describing market position.
📝 Study Tips
Read Product Reviews: When you look at products online, read reviews. People often use superlatives like "best camera," "longest battery life."
Describe Your Day: At the end of your workday, think of three sentences using superlatives to describe it.
Make Comparison Tables: Choose three similar things and create a comparison table like in Exercise B.
