DELE B1 Comparatives & Superlatives: Practice Test & Review
Comparatives and superlatives are among the most tested points on the DELE B1 exam. They appear in reading passages that compare products, people, or places, and in listening sections where speakers express preferences. If you can’t distinguish “más que” from “más de,” or “tan como” from “tanto como,” you’ll lose points.
This page gives you a five-part practice quiz: an evaluation set to see where you stand, three practice sets to drill the forms and uses, and a challenge set to confirm mastery. If you get stuck, scroll down for the full explanation.
Ready? Start with the evaluation set below.
Grammar Guide
The Rule
Comparatives compare two things. Superlatives single out one thing as the most or least of a group. Spanish has three types of comparison: inequality (more / less than), equality (as… as), and superlatives (the most / the least).
The key contrast on the DELE B1 exam is más que vs. más de, and tan como vs. tanto como.
Comparisons of Inequality
| Structure | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| más + adjective + que | more… than | Juan es más alto que Pedro. | Juan is taller than Pedro. |
| menos + adjective + que | less… than | Esta casa es menos cara. | This house is less expensive. |
| más + adverb + que | more than | Trabajo más que tú. | I work more than you. |
| menos + adverb + que | less than | Estudia menos que yo. | He studies less than me. |
| más + noun + que | more… than | Tengo más libros que tú. | I have more books than you. |
| menos + noun + que | fewer… than | Tengo menos libros que tú. | I have fewer books than you. |
Que introduces the second element of the comparison. De is used only with numbers: más de diez (more than ten).
Comparisons of Equality
| Structure | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| tan + adjective + como | as… as | Ana es tan inteligente como María. | Ana is as intelligent as María. |
| tan + adverb + como | as… as | Corre tan rápido como él. | He runs as fast as him. |
| tanto + noun + como | as much… as | Tengo tanto dinero como tú. | I have as much money as you. |
| tantos / tantas + noun + como | as many… as | Tengo tantos libros como tú. | I have as many books as you. |
| tanto como (adverb) | as much as | Trabajo tanto como ellos. | I work as much as them. |
Tanto agrees with the noun it modifies: tanto dinero, tanta paciencia, tantos libros, tantas amigas.
Superlatives
| Structure | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| el / la + más + adjective + de | the most… of | Es el más alto de la clase. | He is the tallest in the class. |
| el / la + menos + adjective + de | the least… of | Es el menos caro de la tienda. | It is the least expensive in the store. |
| el / la + mejor + de | the best of | Es la mejor estudiante de la clase. | She is the best student in the class. |
| el / la + peor + de | the worst of | Es el peor restaurante de la ciudad. | It is the worst restaurant in the city. |
The article (el, la, los, las) agrees with the noun. De introduces the group.
Irregular Comparatives
| Adjective | Comparative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bueno | mejor | better |
| malo | peor | worse |
| grande (age) | mayor | older |
| pequeño (age) | menor | younger |
Grande → mayor and pequeño → menor are used for age or importance. For physical size, use más grande and más pequeño.
Common Mistakes
- Using más de instead of más que.
✗ Juan es más alto de Pedro.
✓ Juan es más alto que Pedro.
Que introduces the comparison. De is used only with numbers: más de diez. - Using tan with a noun.
✗ Tengo tan dinero como tú.
✓ Tengo tanto dinero como tú.
Tan modifies adjectives and adverbs. Tanto modifies nouns. - Forgetting to make tanto agree with the noun.
✗ Tengo tanto amigas como tú.
✓ Tengo tantas amigas como tú.
Tanto agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. - Using más bueno instead of mejor.
✗ Este libro es más bueno que el otro.
✓ Este libro es mejor que el otro.
Bueno has the irregular comparative mejor.
Quick Decision Chart
| Ask yourself | Answer | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Am I comparing two things as unequal? | Yes | más / menos + adjective + que |
| Am I comparing two things as equal? | Yes | tan + adjective + como |
| Am I comparing quantities of a noun? | Yes | tanto / tanta / tantos / tantas + noun + como |
| Am I comparing an action? | Yes | más / menos / tanto + adverb + que / como |
| Am I singling out one from a group? | Yes | el / la + más / menos + adjective + de |
| Is the adjective bueno or malo? | Yes | mejor / peor (irregular) |
| Is the adjective grande or pequeño, for age? | Yes | mayor / menor (irregular) |
Two Sentences That Show the Difference
Juan es más alto que Pedro.
Juan is taller than Pedro.
- Inequality: más + adjective + que
Juan es tan alto como Pedro.
Juan is as tall as Pedro.
- Equality: tan + adjective + como
Tengo más libros que tú.
I have more books than you.
- Inequality with a noun: más + noun + que
Tengo tantos libros como tú.
I have as many books as you.
- Equality with a noun: tantos + noun + como. Tanto agrees with libros.
