KS1 Adjectives | Adding er and est as Suffix to an Adjective

English Quiz - Adjectives - Adding 'er' and 'est' (Questions)

KS1 children will be expanding their knowledge of English and learning about adding ‘er’ and ‘est’ in their classes. This quiz informs Key Stage 1 students when to use ‘er’ and when to use ‘est’. It also gently introduces them to some of the spelling rules when adding this suffix to an adjective. Yet another feather in the English and literacy cap!

If you are faster than someone, then you are faster than only one person. If you are the fastest, then you are faster than lots of people. By adding ‘er’ and ‘est’ to adjectives (describing words) we are adding more information to our writing.

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Which word is not an adjective?

[ ]	angry
[ ]	brave
[ ]	horse
[ ]	happy

When do you add 'er' onto an adjective?

[ ]	When comparing something to one other thing.
[ ]	When comparing something to more than one other thing.
[ ]	When you did something yesterday.
[ ]	When you plan on doing something in the future.

When do you add 'est' onto an adjective?

[ ]	When comparing something to one other thing.
[ ]	When comparing something to more than one other thing.
[ ]	When you did something yesterday.
[ ]	When you plan on doing something in the future.

Compared to my (one) friend I am...

[ ]	slow
[ ]	slowing
[ ]	slowest
[ ]	slower

Compared to his friends he is the...

[ ]	fatter
[ ]	fat
[ ]	fattest
[ ]	fatty

Which word can you not add 'er' to the end of?

[ ]	trouble
[ ]	messy
[ ]	happy
[ ]	green

Which word can you not add 'est' to the end of?

[ ]	pretty
[ ]	magical
[ ]	kind
[ ]	clever

If he is late, compared to the others - how do we spell this?

[ ]	lateer
[ ]	latest
[ ]	lateest
[ ]	later

This giraffe is very cute compared to his brother but how do I spell this?

[ ]	cuteer
[ ]	cuter
[ ]	cutest
[ ]	cuteest

10.

'They are the ____ in school.' Fill in the missing word.

[ ]	cooler
[ ]	cool
[ ]	coolest
[ ]	cooling

English Quiz - Adjectives - Adding 'er' and 'est' (Answers)

Which word is not an adjective?

[ ]	angry
[ ]	brave
[x]	horse
[ ]	happy

An adjective is a word that describes something. We could say the horse was brave, angry or happy - these are all words that describe what the horse is like.

When do you add 'er' onto an adjective?

[x]	When comparing something to one other thing.
[ ]	When comparing something to more than one other thing.
[ ]	When you did something yesterday.
[ ]	When you plan on doing something in the future.

I could say I am taller than my friend, so one other person. Or, I could say I am the tallest, which would be compared to more than one person.

When do you add 'est' onto an adjective?

[ ]	When comparing something to one other thing.
[x]	When comparing something to more than one other thing.
[ ]	When you did something yesterday.
[ ]	When you plan on doing something in the future.

I could say I am happier than my friend, so one other person. Or, I could say I am the happiest, which would be compared to more than one person.

Compared to my (one) friend I am...

[ ]	slow
[ ]	slowing
[ ]	slowest
[x]	slower

We would say I am slower than my friend but out of a group, I'd be the slowest.

Compared to his friends he is the...

[ ]	fatter
[ ]	fat
[x]	fattest
[ ]	fatty

It's not a very nice thing to say but if he is the fattest in a group we would add 'est'.

Which word can you not add 'er' to the end of?

[x]	trouble
[ ]	messy
[ ]	happy
[ ]	green

We could say he is the messiest, or messier; he is the happiest or happier; and we can say his jumper is the greenest or greener than my jumper!

Which word can you not add 'est' to the end of?

[ ]	pretty
[x]	magical
[ ]	kind
[ ]	clever

We can say she is prettier or the prettiest, kinder or kindest and cleverer or cleverest.

If he is late, compared to the others - how do we spell this?

[ ]	lateer
[x]	latest
[ ]	lateest
[ ]	later

Because he is the latest out of a group, we add 'est.' However, because there is already an 'e' at the end of the word 'late' we don't need to add another one, so this time we just add 'st'.

This giraffe is very cute compared to his brother but how do I spell this?

[ ]	cuteer
[x]	cuter
[ ]	cutest
[ ]	cuteest

I am comparing him to one other giraffe so we will add 'er'. Because there is already an 'e' at the end of the word 'cute' we just need to add an 'r' instead of 'er'.

10.

'They are the ____ in school.' Fill in the missing word.

[ ]	cooler
[ ]	cool
[x]	coolest
[ ]	cooling

We use 'er' when compared to one person and 'est' when compared to a group. Here, we are comparing this group to the whole school, so it's 'est'.