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French comparatives quiz: plus, moins, aussi and autant

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Ten questions on French comparisons: qualities, quantities and actions. Choose aussi or autant, add de before nouns and practise meilleur and mieux.

In short

For a quality, use plus / moins / aussi … que: aussi calme que. For a noun quantity, use plus de / moins de / autant de … que. For an action alone, use plus / moins / autant after the verb: Je lis autant que toi.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

Two adjoining rooms in a French community centre: one quiet reader beside a window and a livelier group talking in the next room.
Two rooms give moins bruyante que l’autre a clear setting. Illustration: Atelier
Study first: three kinds of comparison
CompareFrenchEnglish
A qualityCette salle est moins bruyante que l’autre.This room is less noisy than the other.
An amountNous avons autant de temps que vous.We have as much time as you.
An actionElle travaille plus que moi.She works more than I do.
How something is doneElle répond aussi vite que toi.She answers as quickly as you do.

Keep adjective agreement: une salle plus grande, des salles plus grandes. For equality, choose aussi with an adjective or adverb, autant de with a noun, and autant with an action alone. Before a vowel, de becomes d’: moins d’argent.

What is the difference between meilleur and mieux?

meilleur / meilleurebetter

Focus: The quality of a noun; agrees with that noun

La seconde solution est meilleure.
The second solution is better.

mieuxbetter

Focus: How an action is done; stays unchanged

Nous comprenons mieux maintenant.
We understand better now.

  1. Question 1No account needed
    Say “quieter than”.Cette salle est ___ calme que l’autre.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    plus. “Quieter” means a greater degree of calm: plus calme que.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    Express equal speed.Elle court ___ vite que moi.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    aussi. Vite is an adverb. Equal speed uses aussi vite que.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    Say “as many questions as”.Nous posons ___ questions que vous.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    autant de. A noun quantity needs de: autant de questions que.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    Say “as much as”, comparing reading as an activity.Je lis ___ que ma sœur.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    autant. With the verb alone, use autant que: Je lis autant que ma sœur.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    Say “less money than”.Je dépense ___ que toi.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    moins d’argent. Argent begins with a vowel, so de elides: moins d’argent.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    Say “more useful than”.Ce conseil est plus utile ___ l’autre.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    que. The other side of this comparison is introduced by que: plus utile que l’autre.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    Say “better”, describing the explanation.Cette explication est ___ que la première.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    meilleure. Meilleure is the feminine singular comparative of bonne and describes explication.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    Say “better”, describing how she explains.Elle explique ___ que moi.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    mieux. Mieux compares the manner of explaining. It is the comparative of the adverb bien.

  9. Question 9No account needed
    Keep the feminine plural adjective agreement.Ces chambres sont moins ___ que les studios.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    chères. Chères agrees with feminine plural chambres, even inside a comparison.

  10. Question 10No account needed
    Complete “I understand better than before”.Je comprends ___.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    mieux qu’avant. Que elides before vowel-initial avant: mieux qu’avant.

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