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Superlative Adverbs

HigherHigher tier onlyAQA

Revise Superlative Adverbs for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Higher tier exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). Superlative adverbs use le plus or le moins, with le mieux as the irregular form.

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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA specification. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.

This is a Higher tier only topic, so there's no Foundation paper — only the Higher worksheet and mark scheme below.

Higher

WorksheetHigher · PDFMark SchemeHigher · PDF

Topic overview

Superlative adverbs say the most or the least, and unlike adjectives they always take le, never la or les. This is a Higher-only topic.

Il travaille le plus lentement means he works the most slowly. Elle court le moins vite means she runs the least quickly. The article stays le regardless of who is being described, because adverbs do not agree with anything.

The irregular form follows from mieux: le mieux means the best. Il chante le mieux means he sings the best. Compare this with the adjective superlative le meilleur, which does agree — la meilleure chanteuse. The adverb never changes; the adjective always does.

Revision notes

Always le

Superlative adverbs take le, never la or les.

Il travaille le plus lentement. Elle court le moins vite. Elles chantent le plus fort. The article stays le even for feminine or plural subjects, because adverbs do not agree.

The irregular form

Bien gives le mieux, meaning the best.

Il chante le mieux. C'est elle qui travaille le mieux. Le mieux is invariable, exactly like mieux itself.

Contrast with adjectives

The adjective superlative agrees: la meilleure chanteuse, les meilleurs élèves.

The adverb superlative does not: elle chante le mieux. This is the clearest test of whether you have identified an adverb or an adjective correctly.

Key points

  • Superlative adverbs always take le.
  • Never la or les, whatever the subject.
  • Adverbs do not agree with anything.
  • Le mieux means the best.
  • It is the superlative of bien.
  • Adjective superlatives do agree.

Worked examples

Example 1

Translate: he works the most slowly. [2 marks]

Working

Il travaille le plus lentementuse le with plus and the adverb
The article is always le for a superlative adverbexplain the article

Example 2

Translate: she sings the best. [2 marks]

Working

Elle chante le mieuxuse le mieux as the superlative of bien
Le stays unchanged even though the subject is feminineexplain the invariability

Example 3

Explain why elle chante le mieux uses le rather than la. [2 marks]

Working

Mieux is an adverb describing the verb chante, not the subjectstate the reason
Adverbs never agree, so the article stays le regardless of the subjectexplain the rule

Common mistakes

  • Using la or les with a superlative adverb.

    It is always le.

  • Making the adverb agree.

    Adverbs are invariable.

  • Confusing le mieux with le meilleur.

    Le mieux is the adverb; le meilleur is the adjective.

  • Writing le plus bien.

    The superlative of bien is le mieux.

Exam tips

  • Always use le for superlative adverbs.
  • Remember adverbs never agree.
  • Use le mieux, never le plus bien.
  • Remember this is a Higher-only topic.

Key terms

Superlative adverb
A structure meaning the most or the least.
Le mieux
The superlative of bien, meaning the best.
Invariable
Never changing form, as adverbs are.
Le meilleur
The adjective superlative, which does agree.

Related topics

Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.