Teaching English by the BBC: Comparatives & Superlatives Through Pictures

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Activity Description

This site has ideas for activities - there is not a computer component for students. This activity is a short but fun way to practice comparatives and superlatives. Students draw a picture of an object, line up according to the size of the object that they drew, respond to questions from the teacher, and make sentences using comparatives and superlatives.

Preparation

1. Review superlatives and comparatives.
2. Preview the two sites used below under "How to:" if you want to use them in class.

How-To

1. Review or pre-teach superlatives and comparatives. (You could use these two links with a projector to add an online interactive component to the activity.)
2. Give students a blank piece of paper and ask them to draw an object that is easy to draw, such as a star, a tree, a flower, or a house.
3. Once students have finished drawing their pictures ask the students either as a class, or in small groups if the class is very large, to line up according to the size of the object that they drew.
4. The student with the biggest star stands on the right and the student with the smallest star stands on the left.
5. Once the students are lined up according to the size of their picture you can then ask them questions such as:
   • Who has the biggest star?
   • Who has the smallest star?
   • Is student X's star bigger or smaller than student Y's star? etc.
6. Students make sentences using comparatives and superlatives.

Teacher Tips

This is good for learners who are hands-on, kinesthetic learners.

More Ways

Could be used as a warm up activity or end of day activity.

Program Areas

• ESL: English as a Second Language

Levels

• Beginning Low
• Beginning High

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