Fill in the blanks with appropriate adjectives. Each question is followed by two suggested answers. Choose the most appropriate one.

1.    He arrived ——————— than I expected.

a)    Later
b)    Latter

2.    The ——————— part of the book is more interesting than the former part.

a)    Later
b)    Latter

3.    At a ——————— date he was placed in charge of the whole district.

a)    Later
b)    Latter

4.    I have an —————— sister.

a)    Elder
b)    Older

5.    John is —————— than Peter by two years.

a)    Older
b)    Elder

6.    John is the ——————– of my aunt’s four sons.

a)    Eldest
b)    Oldest

7.    I can’t walk any ——————–

a)    Further
b)    Farther

8.    I prefer the ———————- suggestion to the former.

a)    Later
b)    Latter

9.    No ——————- explanation was given.

a)    Farther
b)    Further

10.    The ———————- news from the city is very disquieting.

a)    Latest
b)    Last

11.    The ——————- Moghul Emperor had an ignominious end.

a)    Last
b)    Latest

12.    This is the ——————— hospital to my house.

a)    Next
b)    Nearest

13.    The post office is ——————- to my house.

a)    Nearest
b)    Next

14.    She is the ——————- of the two sisters.

a)    Elder
b)    Eldest

15.    The ——————– church in the town is near the railway station.

a)    Oldest
b)    Eldest
Answers

1.    Later
2.    Latter
3.    Later
4.    Elder
5.    Older
6.    Eldest
7.    Farther/further
8.    Latter
9.    Further
10.    Latest
11.    Last
12.    Nearest
13.    Next
14.    Elder
15.    Oldest

Notes
Later and latest refer to time; latter and last refer to position.

Elder and eldest are used only of members of the same family. Older and oldest are used of both persons and things. Note that elder is not used with than.

Both further and farther can show distance. Further can also mean ‘additional’.

Nearest means the shortest distance away. Next refers to one of a sequence of things coming one after the other.