Circle Comparisons

Students suggest comparative sentences between nouns arranged in a circle on the board, building a criss-cross of connecting lines.

Procedure

1. Write or display several nouns in a rough circle on the board, all connected to a common theme (e.g., food: pasta, apples, ice cream, fish, curry, water, yoghurt, salt).
2. Ask students to suggest a comparison between any two items (e.g., Ice cream is sweeter than salt).
3. Draw a line between the two items. Ask for another sentence linking two different items. Continue until there is a criss-cross of lines.

Tips

• Follow-up: Point to a line and challenge the class to recall the sentence. Delete the line if they succeed. Continue until all lines are gone.
• Students can suggest the original items themselves — give a topic and let them brainstorm nouns.
• For superlative practice: ask which item is the ...est or the most ... of all items in the circle. Circle the chosen item.
• For higher levels, use more elaborated comparison language: X is not as [adj] as Y; One difference between X and Y is...
• Virtually no preparation needed, but produces a lot of meaningful grammar practice.