Language/French/Grammar/Comparative-and-superlative-forms-of-adverbs

Comparative and superlative forms of adverbs

In English, the majority of adverbs can be made into comparative forms by putting 'more', 'less' or 'as' in front of them, and into superlative forms by putting 'the most' or 'the least' in front of them:

These days I can remember it	more easily (than I used to)
	less easily (than I used to)
	as easily (as I used to)
This window opens easily	the most easily (of all of them)
	the least easily (of all of them)

A small set of English adverbs, however, have special comparative and superlative forms:

She finishes	fast
	faster
	the fastest
She sings	well
	better
	the best
He behaves	badly
	worse
	the worst

A similar pattern exists in French where the majority of adverbs can be made into comparative forms by putting the degree adverbs plus, moins or aussi in front of the adverb, and into superlative forms by putting le plus or le moins in front of the adverb. In the latter case le plus and le moins do not change in gender and number:

De nos jours je m'en souviens	facilement
	plus facilement (qu'auparavant)
	moins facilement (qu'auparavant)
	aussi facilement (qu'auparavant)
Cette fenêtre-ci ouvre	le plus facilement (de toutes)
	le moins facilement (de toutes)

Related Lessons

• An adjective agreeing with nouns linked by et, ou or ni
• Use of the definite article with names of countries, regions, départements
• Position of object pronouns with voici and voilà
• Subjunctive versus indicative in clauses dependent on a superlative adjective
• Function of adverbs
• Relative pronouns
• Intransitive verbs and auxiliary “être”
• Form and uses of tout
• Differences in the use of numbers in French and English Order of cardinal numbers and adjectives
• Verb agreement with fractions
• Fused forms of the definite article
• Cardinal Numbers — When to use figures and when to use words
• Easy way of generating the present tense
• Object pronouns Correctly identifying the direct and indirect objects in English and French
• Verbs which are directly transitive in French