The Best Place I Know
Superlatives — the most, the best, the least. Maya names her top three places: Taroko Gorge, Oaxaca, and Tokyo — and her worst hostel in Prague.
📖 Reading: Maya's Top Three Places
Maya loves to travel. She has visited many places, and she always loves talking about her favourites.
"The most beautiful place I've ever been is Taroko Gorge in Taiwan," she says. "It's the most dramatic landscape I've seen — enormous cliffs and the clearest water."
"The best food I've ever eaten was in Oaxaca, Mexico. Leo took me there last summer. The mole negro was the most flavourful thing I've ever tasted."
"And the most interesting city for me? That's easy — Tokyo. It's the most organized, the cleanest, and the most fascinating mix of old and new."
"What about the worst?" asks Leo.
"Hmm. I once stayed in the smallest, noisiest hostel in the world. I think it was in Prague. The walls were the thinnest I've ever seen and the neighbours were the loudest!"
"But even that was a good memory?" asks Leo.
"Of course!" laughs Maya. "The worst experiences make the best stories."
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words from this lesson.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| gorge | A narrow valley between hills or mountains, often with a river | n. — Taroko Gorge has enormous cliffs. |
| dramatic | Exciting, impressive, or strikingly beautiful | adj. — It's the most dramatic landscape. |
| cliff | A high, steep rock face, usually by the sea or a river | n. — There are enormous cliffs there. |
| flavourful | Having a strong, pleasant taste | adj. — The mole negro was the most flavourful. |
| fascinating | Extremely interesting | adj. — Tokyo is the most fascinating city. |
| hostel | A cheap place to stay, often with shared rooms | n. — She stayed in the noisiest hostel. |
| mole negro | A rich Mexican sauce made with chilli peppers and chocolate | n. — The mole negro was incredible. |
| enormous | Extremely large; huge | adj. — There are enormous cliffs in Taroko Gorge. |
📚 Key Verbs in This Lesson | |
to taste → tasted | It was the most flavourful thing I've ever tasted. |
to visit → visited | She has visited many places. |
to stay → stayed | She stayed in the smallest hostel. |
to travel → travelled | Maya loves to travel. |
📚 Grammar Focus
📚 Superlative Adjectives — Formation Rules | |
Short (1 syllable): the + est | the cleanest / the tallest / the fastest |
Short ending in -e: the + st | the nicest / the widest / the largest |
Short CVC: the + double + est | the biggest / the hottest / the saddest |
2+ syllables: the most + | the most exciting / the most beautiful |
End in -y: the + y→iest | the friendliest / the busiest / the noisiest |
Irregular Superlatives
📚 Irregular Superlatives | |
good → the best | It's the best food I've ever eaten. |
bad → the worst | That was the worst hostel. |
far → the furthest/farthest | That's the furthest I've ever travelled. |
little → the least | It was the least interesting city I visited. |
Superlative Structures
📚 Superlative Structures | |
the + superlative + noun | the most beautiful place / the best food |
one of the + superlative + plural noun | one of the most exciting cities |
superlative + I've ever + past participle | the best meal I've ever eaten |
🎭 Dialogue: What's the Best Place You've Ever Been?
Leo asks Maya about her favourite places and meals — Taroko Gorge, mole negro in Oaxaca, and a noisy Prague hostel.
Maya, what's the most beautiful place you've ever visited?
Definitely Taroko Gorge in Taiwan. The most dramatic cliffs I've ever seen.
Better than Niagara Falls?
Different! Niagara is the most powerful thing I've seen. The gorge is the most peaceful.
What about food? The best meal you've ever eaten?
That mole negro in Oaxaca — it was the most incredible thing I've tasted!
Ha! I'm glad! What about the worst place you've stayed?
A tiny hostel in Prague. The noisiest place in the world!
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
What does Maya say is the most beautiful place she has visited?
Where did Maya eat the best food she has ever had?
What three qualities does Maya give Tokyo?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Superlative of 'clean' → ___
Superlative of 'big' → ___
Superlative of 'good' → ___
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play: The Superlative Game
Practice with a partner.
- Each student asks a superlative question.
- The other student must answer and explain why.
- Examples: What's the most useful app on your phone? What's the best film you've seen this year? What's the hardest thing about learning English?
- Use: the most / the best / the worst / one of the most…