Modifying Comparisons

Start with the patterns

A useful starting point is the mind map “Comparison: modifiers.” It organizes modifiers around as...as structures, comparative adjectives and adverbs, superlatives, and the...the... comparatives. This gives school students a way to see the forms together before working through individual examples.

A mind map titled “Modifying Comparisons” groups comparisons by the size of the difference: big, small or no difference. Looking at these groups alongside the structures can help students connect the form of a comparison with the meaning it expresses.

Move from examples to practice

The flashcards “Modifiers explanation” introduce modifiers and examples including “a lot,” “much,” “far,” “way,” “a little” and “slightly.” The “Modifiers comparatives” flashcards focus on kinds of modifiers and examples of the degree they express. Students can use these decks after a mind map to focus on individual words and phrases.

Next, the quiz “Modifiers in comparatives (Remedial IV)” presents sentences with gaps to complete. The quiz “Comparative” includes questions about choosing an option and remembering where a modifier goes. After working through a quiz, students can return to a map to look again at the relevant structure or difference.

Use the topic within the unit

Modifying Comparisons is a section of the Comparatives and Superlatives unit in English language. The resources connect modifiers with both comparative and superlative forms. For example, “Modifying Comparisons: Superlatives, Comparatives” includes small and big differences and the use of “by far” with a superlative.

Teachers can use the maps to organize a discussion of forms and meanings, then use the quizzes for practice. Choose a resource that fits the comparison you want to work on and explore it alongside the rest of the unit.