Scaffolding the comparatives with adults

 I created these comparison cards (I know, nothing revolutionary!) for my adult group at A2+ level. They’re designed to practice comparatives and the as…as structure in a fun, visual, and interactive way. Although I made them with adults in mind, you can easily adapt them for teenagers as well. The cards are flexible and can be used at different stages of a lesson — from controlled practice to freer speaking tasks.

There are three types of cards:

1. Cards with two things, adjectives, and pre-filled stars (guided practice).

2. Cards with two things and adjectives, but blank stars for students to decide (semi-guided).

3. Cards with blank spaces for students to choose the two things and adjectives themselves, and colour in the stars (freer production).

Here’s how you could use them step by step with adult A2 learners:

Cards with Provided Stars (Controlled Practice)

Purpose: introduce/reinforce structures, lower cognitive load.

• Activity Idea – Sentence Builders
  Give each student/pair a card with two things (e.g., Pizza vs. Salad).
  Students read the stars and make at least 3 sentences:

  • Pizza is more delicious than salad.

  • Salad is not as expensive as pizza.
    Teacher monitors accuracy.

• Variation – Race to Compare
  Split class into teams. Show a card on the board.
  Teams take turns making correct comparative sentences. Each correct one = 1 point.

Why it works: Controlled input → clear visual support with stars → helps low-level students build accuracy before moving to freer tasks.

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Cards with Blank Stars but Pre-Chosen Adjectives (Semi-Guided Practice)

Purpose: encourage choice, personalization, and discussion.

• Activity Idea – Rank & Talk
  In pairs, students decide how many stars each side gets (e.g., Is salad healthier than pizza?).
  They must then explain and compare:

  • We think pizza is not as healthy as salad, because…

• Variation – Class Survey
  Each pair ranks their card, then compares with another pair. Do they agree?
  Quick plenary discussion: Who thinks pizza is more popular than salad? Hands up!

Why it works: Semi-controlled → still guided by provided adjectives, but requires decision-making, negotiation, and justification (key for adults).

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Cards with Blank Things + Blank Adjectives (Freer Practice)

Purpose: free production, creativity, personalization, fluency.

• Activity Idea – Create & Compare
  In small groups, students choose two things (e.g., Netflix vs. Cinema) and 4–5 adjectives (fun, expensive, relaxing).
  They decide the stars and present their comparisons to the class:

  • The cinema is more expensive than Netflix.

  • Netflix is not as social as the cinema.

• Variation – “Challenge the Class”
  A group presents their card without saying the stars. Other groups guess how they ranked it by asking comparative questions:

  • Is Netflix as interesting as cinema?

  • Is cinema more expensive than Netflix?

Why it works: Freer task → promotes autonomy, creativity, and student-centered learning. It also taps into adults’ experiences and opinions, which increases motivation and engagement.

Extra Tips for Adults:

• Encourage opinions: “Do you agree with the stars?” → sparks authentic speaking.

• Allow pair/group negotiation: Adults like reasoning, not just drills.

• Extend to mini-debates: e.g., “Living in the city is better than in the countryside” — agree/disagree.

If you want, you can download my cards here: CARDS