Superlatives can also be expressed with comparatives, the positive degree, or negative sentences without using the most / -est. Let us organize the patterns for rewriting sentences.
Basic Rules
Ways to rewrite “Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan.”:
① Comparative + than any other + singular noun: “Mt. Fuji is higher than any other mountain in Japan.”
② No other + noun + is as ~ as (positive degree): “No other mountain in Japan is as high as Mt. Fuji.”
③ No other + noun + is + comparative: “No other mountain in Japan is higher than Mt. Fuji.”
④ Comparative + than all the other + plural noun: “Mt. Fuji is higher than all the other mountains in Japan.”
Health is more important than anything else. (Health is more important than anything else.)
Nothing is as precious as time. (Nothing is as precious as time.)
He is the last person to tell a lie. (He is the person least likely to tell a lie.)
Points to Note
① A singular noun follows any other: “higher than any other mountain” (× mountains)
② A plural noun follows all the other: “higher than all the other mountains”
③ one of the + superlative + plural noun: “one of the most important issues” ← Note the plural noun.
④ the last person/thing to V: “the person least likely to ~”; “He is the last person to betray his friends.”
- Comparative than any other + singular noun
- No other + noun + is as ~ as
- Comparative than all the other + plural noun
- the last person to V: the person least likely to ~
- Emphasis with comparatives: much/far/even/still
Practice
- Rewrite “Tokyo is the largest city in Japan” in two ways using a comparative.
- Translate “He is the person least likely to give up” into English using the last.
- Correct the error: She is smarter than any other students in the class.