Grammar: Adjectives - Comparative and Superlative – iGCSE French CAIE Revision

Grammar: Adjectives - Comparative and Superlative

Section: Concept of Comparative

Comparative adjectives are used to compare differences between the two entities they modify (larger, smaller, faster, higher).
In French, to say that someone or something is ‘more + adjective’ or ‘less + adjective’, use the phrase ‘plus + adjective’ or ‘moins + adjective’.
For example, ‘Elle est plus grande que moi.’ (She is taller than me.)
To say “as + adjective + as”, use the phrase “aussi + adjective + que”.
For example, ‘Il est aussi intelligent que toi.’ (He is as intelligent as you.)

Section: Concept of Superlative

Superlative adjectives express the highest degree of something. They are used to show the greatest possible amount of a certain quality.
To show this in French, use ‘le’ + ‘plus’ or ‘moins’ + adjective.
For example, ‘Il est le garçon le plus intelligent de la classe.’ (He is the smartest boy in the class).

Section: Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives

It’s important to remember that there are irregular forms when it comes to comparatives and superlatives in French.
The most common irregular adjectives are ‘bon’ (good), ‘meilleur’ (better), ‘mauvais’ (bad), and ‘pire’ (worse).
In the comparative, ‘good’ becomes ‘meilleur’ (better) and ‘bad’ becomes ‘pire’ (worse). For example, ‘Ce livre est meilleur que celui-là.’ (This book is better than that one.)
In the superlative, ‘good’ becomes ‘le meilleur’ (the best) and ‘bad’ becomes ‘le pire’ (the worst). For example, ‘C’est le meilleur livre que j’aie jamais lu.’ (This is the best book I’ve ever read.)
Other irregular forms include ‘petit’ (small) becoming ‘moindre’ (lesser) in its comparative form. For example, ‘C’est le moindre de mes problèmes.’ (It’s the least of my problems.)

Section: Rules of Agreement

Remember that an adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it qualifies.
So, for comparatives and superlatives, make sure you match the adjective to the noun. If the noun is feminine, the adjective must also be feminine. If the noun is plural, the adjective must also be plural.
For example, the superlative of ‘riche’ becomes ‘la plus riche’ for a single feminine object or person, and ‘les plus riches’ for multiple objects or people. Similarly, the comparative ‘plus riche’ changes to ‘plus riches’ when referring to several things or people.