Comparisons

This activity encourages students to be creative in responding to cues that invite a wide range of feelings, opinions, thoughts, and ideas. Students often get so involved in expressing themselves that they forget they are practicing a grammatical structure.

Preparation

Write the names of students and famous people and/or characters on cards large enough for the entire class to see. Example:

Beyoncé Brad Pitt Snow White Spider-Man My teacher Student’s name Etc.

Procedure

1. Shuffle the cards face down. Before asking students to do the task, provide an example first by closing your eyes (for drama) and picking two cards. Make at least three statements. For example:

My teacher Snow White

• Both my teacher and Snow White are very kind. • However, my teacher is much more intelligent. • My teacher doesn’t eat poisonous apples whereas Snow White does. 2. Now ask individual students to follow your model by selecting two cards and making three comparative/contrast statements.

When to Use It

• To practice comparative/contrast structures and expressions • To promote creative communication • To promote listening to classmates’ responses • To determine whether or not students have mastered using a grammatical structure

Level

Skills

Practice

Materials

Large cards and a marker

Preparation Time

10 minutes

Activity Time

10–15 minutes

Variation

This activity could also be a writing task. Students create the cards and put them into a bag and mix them up. Then each student pulls cards out of the bag and writes sentences accordingly.