This deep dive covers Irregular Superlatives within The passive, superlatives and en + present participle for GCSE French. Revise The passive, superlatives and en + present participle in Core Grammar Toolkit for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 4 of 6 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 Irregular Superlatives
Several common adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms that must be memorised.
| Adjective / Adverb | Comparative | Superlative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| bon(ne) (good) | meilleur(e) (better) | le/la meilleur(e) | the best |
| mauvais(e) (bad) | pire (worse) | le/la pire | the worst |
| bien (well, adverb) | mieux (better) | le mieux | the best (adverb) |
| petit(e) (small) | plus petit(e) OR moindre | le/la moindre (the slightest) | the smallest / least |
C'est le meilleur restaurant de la ville — la cuisine y est la meilleure.
It's the best restaurant in town — the cooking there is the best.
- le meilleur restaurant — meilleur precedes the noun (like bon does)
- la meilleure — feminine form to agree with cuisine
- Never say le plus bon — the irregular le meilleur must be used
C'était le pire film que j'aie jamais vu.
It was the worst film I have ever seen.
- le pire — irregular superlative of mauvais; never say le plus mauvais in formal French
- que j'aie jamais vu — after superlatives, French often uses the subjunctive (j'aie rather than j'ai) — recognised at Higher
Practice questions for The passive, superlatives and en + present participle
Which sentence correctly uses the passive voice in French?
Which past participle form correctly completes this passive sentence? 'Les lettres ont été _____ par la secrétaire.'