Adjectives: Comparative and

Superlative
Third Grade Reading, ESL

Big, bigger, biggest? Teach your students about comparative and superlative adjectives as they make
comparisons. This lesson can stand alone or be used as a pre-lesson for the Nonfiction Comprehension:
Compare and Contrast lesson.

Objectives

Objectives

Academic

Students will be able to compare and contrast information from two nonfiction texts on the same topic.

Language

Students will be able to compare and contrast with comparative and superlative adjectives using peer support.

Materials and preparation Key terms

Class sets of the Graphic Organizer Template: TIER 3

Frayer Model worksheet
Class set of the Using Comparative and adjective: a word that describes a noun
Superlative Adjectives worksheet
Teacher copy of the Teach Background comparative: the form of an adjective that is used to
Knowledge Template worksheet compare two things
Teacher copy of the Write Student-Facing
Language Objectives Reference worksheet superlative: the form of an adjective that is used to
Teacher set of Vocabulary Cards compare three or more things
Optional: Glossary
Three items, or an image of the items, in
different sizes (small, medium, large)
Document camera

Attachments

Graphic Organizer Template: Frayer Model (PDF)

Teach Background Knowledge Template (PDF)
Write Student-Facing Language Objectives Reference (PDF)
Using Comparative and Superlative Adjectives (PDF)
Vocabulary Cards: Comparative and Superlative (PDF)
Glossary: Comparative and Superlative (PDF)

Introduction (3 minutes)

Show students items, or images of items, that come in small, medium, and large sizes, such as coffee
cups. Ask students to use words to describe the items. Ask them to think about what is the same and
what is different about the items. Have them discuss with a partner before sharing with the class.
Tell learners that today's lesson will be about using adjective forms to describe how things compare to
each other.
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Building Academic Language

Word (10 minutes)

Introduce the Vocabulary Card for the word adjective. Read aloud the word, definition, and provide
examples.
Give each student a copy of the Graphic Organizer Template: Frayer Model worksheet, and explain what
each section of the graphic organizer requires. Instruct them to write the word adjective in the section
labeled Vocabulary Term.
Put students into partnerships and provide them with support as they complete the graphic organizer.
Call on students to share the information from each section and create a teacher copy to display as a
reference for the remainder of the lesson.
Introduce the remaining two words, comparative and superlative, using the Vocabulary Cards. Read
aloud each word and definition. Explain that these are two types of adjectives, and provide examples of
each (e.g., comparative - bigger, larger, smaller, louder; superlative - biggest, largest, smallest, loudest).
Draw a T-Chart on the board, with one side for comparative adjectives and the other side for superlative
adjectives. Prompt students to think of additional comparative and superlative words. Have them share
with the class and record them on the chart. Point out the -er in comparative adjectives and the -est in
the superlative adjectives.

Sentence (18 minutes)

Distribute a copy of the Using Comparative and Superlative Adjectives worksheet to each student. Go
over the first page and ask students to suggest additional examples of comparative and superlative forms
of adjectives that fit each rule. Record them on the teacher copy and have students record additional
examples on their worksheets.
Model identifying the comparative adjective in the first example in Part 1 of the worksheet. Point out that
the adjective ends with the -er, and note the two things that are being compared in the sentence (e.g.,
his bike is being compared to my bike). Have students complete the remainder of Part 1 with a partner.
Have them discuss the two things that are being compared. Go over it as a class.
Think aloud and model identifying the superlative adjective in the first example in Part 2. Emphasize that
the adjective ends with -est, and point out the things that are being compared (e.g., his bike is being
compared to all the other bikes). Challenge students to complete the rest of the section, discussing what
is being compared in each sentence. Check answers together as a class.
Explain that the third section of the worksheet requires students to utilize the rules on the first page.
They will form the comparative or superlative form of the adjective in parenthesis. They must pay
attention to the context of the sentence to determine if it's only two things that are being compared
(comparative) or if it is three or more things being compared (superlative). Guide students through the
first few examples before releasing them to work in partnerships. Engage them in discussion about the
context in each sentence and what is being compared. Go over the answers and discuss as a class.

Discourse

No discourse focus for this lesson plan.

Additional EL adaptations

BEGINNING

Allow access to reference materials in home language (L1).

Have learners repeat instructions and key vocabulary to the teacher.
Pre-teach a lesson on identifying and using adjectives.

ADVANCED

Allow learners to utilize glossaries and dictionaries for unfamiliar words.

Choose advanced ELs to share their ideas first in group and class discussions.
Have learners repeat instructions and key vocabulary, summarizing important information for the class.
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Formative Assessment of Academic Language (5 minutes)

Instruct students to complete Part 4 of the Using Comparative and Superlative Adjectives worksheet
independently. Allow them to use the rest of the worksheet as a reference as they complete the sentence
frames.

Review and closing (4 minutes)

Pair students together and have them share Part 4 of the Using Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
worksheet. Share out as a class to make sure students have the correct information.
Review that using comparative and superlative adjectives is a way that we can make comparisons. These
words are types of adjectives that give information about how items relate to each other.

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Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: ______________________________

Frayer Model
Directions: Write your vocabulary word in the “Vocabulary Term” oval. Complete the rest of the
sections for the vocabulary term in your own words.

Definition: Sentence:

Vocabulary Term:

Examples: Non-Examples:

Image Representation:

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 Teach Background Knowledge
Lesson Topic:
Choose a topic from the main content
lesson that will help ELs understand the
main content lesson. Your non-ELs will
already have knowledge about this topic.

Total Lesson Time:

(20 - 30 minutes)

Student-Facing Language
Objective:
Example: I can learn new vocabulary
using pictures and sentence frames.

Student ELP Level(s):

Consider each student’s ELP level and
their academic strengths when choosing
scaffolds for the lesson.

Groupings (pairs, small-groups, a teacher-led group)

Potential Scaffolds: Word banks, word wall, and bilingual glossaries
Choose some of these material supports
Sentence frames, sentence stems, and paragraph frames
and instructional scaffolds based on each
EL’s individual strengths and needs. Home language materials
Reduced linguistic load, repetition, rephrasing and modeling
Practice new academic skills with familiar topics

Materials & Resources List

List the materials you’ll use in the lesson.

Key Vocabulary Words (5-8 words)

List the words with student-friendly
definitions in English. Provide
definitions in student’s home language
when appropriate.

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Introduction
Access EL’s prior knowledge about the
lesson topic with a brief comprehension
check.

Potential activities:
Creating captions for images
Opinionnaires
Carousel brainstorming
Conversations with sentence starters
Time estimate for Introduction
(3 - 5 minutes)

Explicit Instruction of
Background Knowledge
Model a learning activity that embeds
the teaching of academic language and
background knowledge.

Potential activities:
Lunch brunch discussion
Teacher-created, adjusted text and
questions
Brief videos or visuals
Text-based instruction
Home-language connections
Pre-teach a small number of
vocabulary words
Show real-world objects
Complete word family or bilingual
glossaries
Word walls or word bank creation

Time Estimate for Explicit Instruction

(4 - 6 minutes)

Guided Practice
Provide an opportunity for students (in
pairs or small groups) to practice the skill
or information taught during Explicit
Instruction, offering appropriate
scaffolds as needed.

Time Estimate for Guided Practice

(5 - 7 minutes)
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 Formative Assessment
Ask students to show comprehension of
new background knowledge and
associated skills through an oral or
written task. Provide appropriate
scaffolds dependent on their ELP level.

Potential assessments:
Act out concepts
Hands on tasks
Drawings, models, or graphs
Graphic organizer completion
Captions of images
Reading response or content
area logs
Retellings
Role plays
Audio or video recordings
Oral interviews

Time estimate for Assessment

(5 - 7 minutes)

Review and Closing

Refer to the student objective and relate
information to future lessons. Allow
students to share thoughts about
whether they reached their objective
and/or mention lingering questions.
Provide sentence stems or frames for their
discussion.

Time estimate for Review and Closing

(3 - 5 minutes)

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 Write Student-Facing Language Objectives
A student-facing language objective: A teacher-facing language objective:
begins with “I can...” begins with “Students will be able to...”
is designed to raise students' self-awareness of and is designed to raise students' self-awareness of and
promote their language development. promote their language development.
incorporates a language function, grammar structure, and incorporates a language function, grammar structure, and
supports or scaffolds. supports or scaffolds.
is easy to understand for students at all levels of is intended to guide the teacher’s lesson planning
English proficiency. and instruction.

Steps to convert a teacher-facing objective to a student-facing objective:

1. Replace “Students will be able to” with “I can.”
2. Simplify challenging words but maintain key vocabulary words you’ll address in the lesson.

Students will be able to describe a character with adjectives using graphic organizers.
Language Grammar Support/
Function Structure Scaffold

I can talk about a character with adjectives using graphic organizers.

Language Grammar Support/
Function Structure Scaffold

Language Functions Grammar Structures Supports/Scaffolds

locate create identify nouns adverbs graphic organizers sentence starters

show describe infer modals academic vocabulary teacher modeling strategic grouping
sort ask questions interpret verb forms adjectives word banks/walls home language supports
tell brainstorm collect conjunctions phrases
contrast classify compare sentence structure prepositions
pronouns complex sentences
comparatives
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Name Date

Using Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

A comparative adjective is used to compare two nouns.
The suffix -er is often found at the end of a comparative adjective.

Example: My book is longer than hers.

That dog runs faster than Spot.

A superlative adjective is used to compare three or more nouns. It describes the noun that
is the most extreme. The suffix -est is often found at the end of a superlative adjective.

Example: My book is the longest in the whole library.

Of all the dogs at the park, that dog is the fastest.

Here are some rules for changing an adjective to its comparative and superlative forms:

If a word... Rule Adjective Comparative Superlative

Ends in y Change the y to i, Happy Happier Happiest
and add -er or -est

Has a CVC (consonant Double the last Hot Hotter Hottest

+ vowel + consonant) letter, and add -er
pattern or -est

Ends with an e Drop the e, and Large Larger Largest

add -er or -est

With more than 2 Use the word Interesting More interesting Most interesting
syllables more/most or
less/least in front Least interesting Least interesting
of the adjective

Is irregular Memorize it! Good Better Best

Bad Worse Worst

Part 1 Part 2
Directions: Circle the comparative adjective in Directions: Circle the superlative adjective in
each sentence. each sentence.

1. His bike is smaller than my bike. 1. He has the smallest bike of all.

2. My puppy is cuter than that one. 2. I think my puppy is the cutest puppy of all.

3. My book is shorter than yours. 3. My book is the shortest book I have ever read.

4. Our shoes are dirtier than yours. 4. Our shoes are the dirtiest of all.

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Name Date

Using Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Part 3
Directions: Complete each sentence with the comparative or superlative
form of the adjective in parenthesis. Circle the things in each sentence that
are being compared. Remember to use the spellingrules from the chart!

Example: My flashlight is brighter than yours. (bright)

1. This room is than that one. (clean)

2. My bedroom is the of all the rooms in the house. (clean)

3. That tree is the of all. (green)

4. My eyes are than my brother’s eyes. (green)

5. He climbed the branch of all on the tree. (high)

6. The branch is than the house. (high)

7. Your blanket is than mine. (soft)

8. My blanket is the of all. (soft)

9. The whale is the animal of all. (large)

10. Did you know whales are than dinosaurs? (large)

Part 4
Directions: Complete the following sentence frames based on what you have learned about
comparative and superlative adjectives.

1. A comparative adjective ends with . This adjective is used to compare things.

An example of a comparative adjective is .

2. A superlative adjective ends with . This adjective is used to compare or more

things. An example of a superlative adjective is .

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 adjective comparative

the form of an
a word that
adjective that is used to
describes a noun
compare two things

superlative

the form of an adjective

that is used to compare
three or more things

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 Word Definition Visual

a word that
adjective describes a noun

the form of an
comparative adjective that is used to
compare two things

the form of an adjective

superlative that is used to compare
three or more things

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