3rd grade comparative and superlative adjectives worksheets
Comparative adjectives (-er, or more) compare two things; superlatives (-est, or most) crown a winner among three or more. Third graders handle spelling changes along the way (big/bigger, happy/happiest) and learn which adjectives take more/most instead.
Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.3.1.g.
A new sheet every click.
The kind of sentences you'll get
Circle the letter of the form that fits the comparison.
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The gym floor is than the grass field.
hardest · harder
Answer: harder
- Of all the colors in the box, Dara picked the blue. darkest · darker
- Baby Sami is the of all five cousins. youngest · younger
Every print pulls a fresh set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.
What's on each sheet
- Choose the word. Circle the letter of the form that fits the comparison. 10 questions per page.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
The spelling changes deserve their own pass: consonant doubling (big/bigger), y to i (happy/happiest), silent-e words (nice/nicer). Then introduce the syllable rule of thumb: short adjectives take endings, longer ones take more/most. "More prettier" style doubling is the top error at this level; naming it directly helps kids catch themselves.
Watch for: Long adjectives use more and most instead of -er and -est: more colorful, most interesting, never colorfuler. Never double up: 'more taller' and 'most fastest' are always wrong.
Common questions about comparative and superlative adjectives
- When do you use more and most instead of -er and -est?
- With longer adjectives. One-syllable words take endings (faster, oldest); words of three or more syllables take more/most (more colorful, most interesting); two-syllable words split, and the ear usually knows (happier works, "more happy" sounds padded). Colorfuler is the classic trap answer.
- Why is "more taller" wrong?
- Because it doubles the comparison; taller already contains the "more." English takes one comparative per adjective, either the ending or the word, never both. Kids stop making this error quickly once someone names it, which is exactly what the answer key does.
Related worksheets
- 2nd grade comparative and superlative adjectives A step easier, same skill
- 4th grade comparative and superlative adjectives A step harder, same skill
- 3rd grade adverbs of how, when, and where Same grade, nearby skill
- 3rd grade articles (a, an, the) Same grade, nearby skill
- 3rd grade collective nouns Same grade, nearby skill
- Comparative and superlative adjectives, all grades The full progression
- All 3rd grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 3rd grade worksheets Everything at this level
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Aligned to Common Core L.3.1.g. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 137, updated August 2026.
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