Which is bigger?

The Comparative Game is a simple way to get your class practicing comparatives. It’s best used at the end of a lesson where you’ve been looking at comparatives and adjectives and/or adverbs in general.

Playing the Game

Firstly divide the class into groups of four or so students each and tell them they’re playing against each other.

Then have them write a list of 10 adjectives down (ideally related to those they have been studying), e.g.

big
small
hot

Then have them write a list of 10 countries, e.g.

France
America
Japan

They have 10 minutes to come up with a comparative sentence featuring each of the adjectives in their first list and all of the countries in their second list.

America is bigger than Japan.

Japan is smaller than America.

The south of France is usually than Alaska in America.

Variations on a Theme

The second list the students does not have to be countries. It could be:

• foods
• people
• inventions
• objects

Anything, in fact, which you’d like the students to practice.

You can also have a list of verbs to make comparative sentences with:

Usain Bolt runs faster than David Beckham.

Lady Gaga sings better than Madonna. **

** And invite discussion of course; some people in the class might disagree with a statement!

Useful Links

Comparatives‏‎ in English – on adjectives in their comparative form.