다음 예문을 살펴 보겠습니다:
What is the longest river in the world?
What is the most enjoyable vacation you've ever had?
위 예문에서 longest와 most enjoyable은 최상급 형입니다.
최상급 형은 -est 또는 most ... 입니다. 일반적으로 단 음절 단어에는 -est를, 두 음절 이상의 단어는 most ...를 사용합니다. 이 규칙은 비교급과 같습니다. See unit 101
long -> longest hot -> hottest easy -> easiest hard -> hardest
but most famous most boring most difficult most expensive
다음 형용사들은 불규칙입니다:
good -> best bad -> worst far -> farthest/furthest
일반적으로 최상급 단어 앞에는 the를 사용합니다(the longest / the most famous 등):
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year.
That movie was really boring. It was the most boring movie I've ever seen.
She is a really nice person - one of the nicest people I know.
Why does he always come to see me at the worst possible moment?
비교해 보세요:
This hotel is the cheapest in town. (최상급)
This hotel is cheaper than all the others in town. (비교급)
oldest와 eldest
old의 최상급은 oldest입니다:
That church is the oldest building in the down. (not the eldest)
가족 구성원을 이야기할 때는 eldest와 oldest 모두 사용할 수 있습니다:
My eldest son is 13 years old. (or My oldest son)
Are you the eldest in your family? (or the oldest)
최상급 뒤에는 "in + 장소(towns, buildings 등)"를 사용합니다:
What is the longest river in the world? (not of the world)
We had a great room. It was one of the nicest in the hotel. (not of the hotel)
조직이나 그룹에 대해서도 in을 사용합니다:
Who is the best student in the class? (not of the class)
일반적으로 기간에 대해서는 of를 사용합니다:
What was the happiest day of your life?
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year.
경우에 따라 최상급 다음에 현재 완료를 사용하기도 합니다:
What's the best movie you've ever seen?
That was the most delicious meal I've had in a long time.