ESL Comparatives Exercises
English speakers use comparative adjectives to compare two nouns. Forming and using these comparative adjectives can be somewhat problematic to non-native speakers due to the relatively complex grammar rules. With time and effort though, students can generally overcome these difficulties. Hence, teachers should use a wide range of fun, communicative comparatives exercises in the classroom.
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Comparative Topics
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Write four or five words in a circle on the blackboard or whiteboard. These words should all be related to the same topic but have somewhat different qualities. You might, for example, write five foods on the board such as ice cream, pasta, curry and carrots. Draw a line from one word to another and ask the students to supply you with a sentence comparing these foods. For example, "Ice cream is sweeter than curry." Write this comparative sentence on the board and highlight the structure. Draw another line between two foods and ask for another comparative sentence. Continue until there are about 10 lines linking the words. Now, erase one sentence and ask the students to remember what their comparative sentence was. Continue until all the lines are erased. Put students in groups of four and issue them with a new topic and ask them to think of five related words.. Students write five sentences comparing the words.
Topics
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Divide the class into groups of four. Issue each group a die. Write on the board the numbers one to six. Choose a topic and write a word related to this topic next to each number. For example, you might choose the topic, "Famous People," and write, "Mike Tyson" next to number one, "George Bush" next to number two and so on. In the groups, students take turns to throw the dice twice. They must then tell their group, using a comparative structure, about the two people the numbers represent. For example, "Mike Tyson is stronger than George Bush." Circulate as the students work giving help as necessary.
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Which Do You Prefer?
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Write on the whiteboard or blackboard the question, "Which do you prefer, dogs or cats?" Ask one of your better students to ask you this question. Reply with, for example, "I prefer dogs because they are much more affectionate than cats." Ask the student, "Which do you prefer, cities or villages?" The student should reply with a comparative sentence comparing the two. Divide the students into pairs and issue them with a list of 10 word-pairs such as, "girls or a boys," "Argentina or Iceland," and "money or love." Students now ask and answer, "Which do you prefer..?" using the prompts from the list. Circulate as the students work giving help as necessary. Encourage students to make up their own questions when they have finished the list.
Comparative Quiz
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Prepare a list of interesting questions, using the comparative, to which you know the answers. For example, "Which kills more people every year, the crocodile or the tiger?" Or, "Which country has more languages, China or India?" Divide the class into groups of four or five and ask your questions giving each team one point for a correct answer. Now ask the students to write five quiz questions of their own. Circulate as the students work giving help as necessary. When each group has finished ask them, in turn, to ask questions to the class. Give groups a point for each correct answer.
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