Welcome to the English Spelling Rules Quiz-1 | Adding -er/-est. When forming the comparative and superlative forms of short adjectives, we typically add -er for the comparative and -est for the superlative. There are specific spelling rules and exceptions.
Below is a detailed and unique guide to help you understand these rules without risking plagiarism.
English Spelling Basic Rule adding -er/-est
For most one-syllable adjectives, add -er or -est to the end of the word.
Examples:
- quick → quicker → quickest
- great → greater → greatest
- full → fuller → fullest
Exceptions and Special Rules of Spelling -er/-est
- Adjectives Ending in Consonant + -y
If the adjective ends in a consonant followed by -y, change the -y to -i before adding -er or -est.Examples:
- happy → happier → happiest
- silly → sillier → silliest
- dry → drier → driest
- Adjectives Ending in -e
If the adjective ends in -e, remove the -e before adding -er or -est.Examples:
- late → later → latest
- large → larger → largest
- fine → finer → finest
- Adjectives Ending in Consonant + Vowel + Consonant (CVC)
If the adjective ends in a single vowel followed by a single consonant (CVC), double the final consonant before adding -er or -est.Examples:
- hot → hotter → hottest
- big → bigger → biggest
- thin → thinner → thinnest
- Adjectives Ending in -l
Most adjectives ending in -l follow the basic rule, but some exceptions exist where the final -l is doubled.Examples:
- cruel → crueller → cruellest (British English)
- careful → more careful → most careful (does not follow the -er/-est rule)
Summary Table of -er/-est
| Adjective Ending | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Consonant + -y | Change -y to -i, then add -er/-est | happy → happier → happiest |
| -e | Remove -e, then add -er/-est | late → later → latest |
| CVC | Double final consonant, then add -er/-est | hot → hotter → hottest |
| -l | Usually regular, but some exceptions | cruel → crueller → cruellest |
English Spelling Rules Quiz-1
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Practice English Spelling Rules Quiz-1
1. She has been working on this project ______________ than anyone else.
a) harder
b) hardder
2. Etta was a great singer, but Billie was the ______________.
a) greatest
b) greattest
3. It’s ______________ to study for the exam than to procrastinate.
a) better
b) gooder
4. That’s one of the ______________ songs I’ve ever heard.
a) sadest
b) saddest
5. He is the ______________ player on the team.
a) best
b) better
6. Your brother seems much ______________ these days.
a) happyer
b) happier
7. Steve came late, but James was even ______________.
a) later
b) latter
8. Who do you think’s the ______________ girl in our class?
a) prettiest
b) pretteist
9. What’s the height of the world’s ______________ mountain?
a) highest
b) heighest
10. Old zombie movies are ______________ than these new ones.
a) scarrier
b) scarier
Answers of all quizzes on Spelling Rules
- a) harder
- a) greatest
- a) better
- b) saddest
- a) best
- b) happier
- a) later
- a) prettiest
- a) highest
- b) scarier
Important Notes
- These rules apply primarily to one-syllable adjectives and some two-syllable adjectives.
- For longer adjectives, use more and most instead of -er and -est (e.g., beautiful → more beautiful → most beautiful).
- Some adjectives are irregular and do not follow these rules (e.g., good → better → best).
Following these rules, you can confidently form the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives while avoiding common spelling mistakes.