Comparatives game
How to play the superlatives game
The first thing you need to do is, of course, print the 5 PDF pages (above and below) and cut out the cards. Next, sort the cards into two piles, one of the pictures, and another of the superlatives. Make sure the cards have been shuffled. Note that you can play this game with teams or individuals. Each team will require its own set of cards.
Once every team has its cards, the game can begin. Players must try to match 2 cards with 1 comparative to form correct logical sentences. For example, lakes + bigger than + ponds = Lakes are bigger than ponds.
Teams are to match all the pictures and cards correctly until no cards are remaining. The winner is the team that completes all the sentences first. You can also set a time limit and see who completes the most sentences in the allotted time.
In the classroom environment, it is a good idea to get teams to write their answers on the board or a separate piece of paper. Make sure they use is/are correctly in their answers depending on if the sentences have plural or singular/uncountable nouns.
It can be quite a challenging puzzle to complete when all the cards on the 5 PDFs are used and requires players to make 20 sentences. To make the game easier, simply remove some of the groups of cards. You may only want learners to make 10 sentences or less.
To make the comparatives game more challenging, cut the words from the bottom of the pictures. It is much harder for players when they have to study the photographs and see what they are instead of just reading words.
To make the game harder still, ask players to give opposite comparative adjective answers. For example, instead of “Lakes are bigger than ponds”, they should have the answer “Ponds are smaller than lakes”.
Comparatives game answers
Here are the intended answers for the comparative adjectives game. It should be noted that there are other solutions. Some of the objects and animals can be interchanged to make a different set of solutions.
Lakes are bigger than ponds.
A cheetah is faster than a snail.
Cities are busier than towns.
A cat is older than a kitten.
The sun is brighter than a candle.
Strawberries are healthier than french fries.
A mountain is taller than a tree.
Dolphins are friendlier than sharks.
A bowling ball is heavier than a feather.
Rocks are harder than pillows.
Ice is colder than water.
Gold is more valuable than silver.
Drums are louder than pan pipes.
A train is longer than a bus.
An ocean is deeper than a swimming pool.
Jungles are wetter than deserts.
Flowers smell better than skunks.
A wasp is more dangerous than a fly.
The USA is wealthier than Mexico.
Sitting is more comfortable than standing.
Related activities
Another related exercise that you can supplement this game with is the set of comparative conversation questions. This speaking activity will help teach and reinforce English comparatives through interesting discussion.
There are also superlative conversation questions as well as a superlatives game here at ESL Vault.
