Aim: Learning the comparative and superlative

Activity: Inductive grammar learning exercise followed by small group discussion

Level: Pre-intermediate to intermediate
Outline:

• Activate students' awareness of the comparative and superlative by comparing

three objects of your choice. For example, compare life in the US, the country
where you are teaching and another country of your choice.

• Ask students questions based on what you have told them.

• Have students pair up and ask them to complete the first exercise on the work
sheet.

• Based on their completion of the first task, ask students to give you the rules for
the construction of the comparative form. You will probably have to point out that
a three letter word following the CVC (consonant - vowel - consonant) form will
double the final consonant. Example: big - bigger
Have students complete the second exercise on the work sheet.

• Based on their completion of the second task, ask students to give you the rules
for the construction of the superlative form. Make sure that students are aware of
the similarities in construction between the two forms.

• Have students get into small groups of three to four and choose one of the topic
headings for their group.

• Ask groups to then decide on three objects in the topic area to compare and
contrast verbally.

• Have students write five to ten sentences based on their conversation using the
comparative and superlative forms. It might be useful to ask them to write a
specific amount of both comparative and superlative sentences.
Comparatives and Superlatives
Exercise 1: Read the sentences below and then give the comparative form for each
of the adjectives listed.

• Tennis is a more difficult sport than Rugby.

• I think John is happier now than a year ago.

 • Could you open the window, please? It's getting hotter in this room by the minute.

• interesting ___________

• weak ___________

• funny ___________

• important ___________

• careful ___________

• big ___________

• small ___________

• polluted ___________

• boring ___________

• angry ___________
Exercise 2: Read the sentences below and then give the superlative form for each of
the adjectives listed.

• New York has got to be the most exciting city in the world.

• His biggest desire is to return home.

• She is probably the angriest person I know.

• interesting ___________

• weak ___________

• funny ___________

• important ___________

• careful ___________

• big ___________

• small ___________

• polluted ___________

• boring ___________

• angry ___________
Exercise three: Choose one of the topics below and think of three examples from
that topic - for example: Sports - football, basketball and surfing. Compare the
three objects.

• Cities

• Sports

• Writers

• Films

• Inventions

• Cars