Le clown danse plus gracieusement que l'acrobate.

Questions & Answers about Le clown danse plus gracieusement que l'acrobate.

How do we form the comparative for adverbs in this sentence?
To compare how an action is done, you frame the adverb with plus (more) and que (than). Here, plus comes right before the adverb gracieusement, and que comes right after it to connect the comparison to the acrobat.
How is the adverb gracieusement formed?
Most French adverbs ending in -ment are built from the feminine form of an adjective. The adjective for 'graceful' is gracieux (masculine) and gracieuse (feminine). By adding -ment to the feminine form, we get the adverb gracieusement.
Do I pronounce the 's' at the end of plus here?
No. When plus means 'more' and is followed by a word starting with a consonant (like gracieusement), the 's' is silent. You just pronounce it as 'plu'.
Why is the comparison placed right after the verb danse?
In French, adverbs generally must follow the conjugated verb. Even when wrapped in a comparative like plus ... que, the entire adverb phrase stays right after the verb it modifies: danse plus gracieusement.

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