Instructors Page

Superlative Adjectives
and Adverbs
Natural Disasters
Activity type: Categories
Level: High-Beginning / LowIntermediate

Purpose: Students practice reading

and listening to a short story that uses
superlative adjectives and adverbs.
Students must listen for key words in the
story and write them in the correct
category of a chart (most, -est, or
irregular.)

Set-up: Pairs or small groups

Time: 5 minutes to prepare / 15 minutes
to do the activity

Materials Preparation:
1. Make one copy of the Students Page
for each student.
2. Be sure each student has a pen or
pencil.

Procedure
1. As a warm-up, ask students what
they know about tornadoes and how to
stay safe during a tornado. Encourage
the use of superlatives by asking
questions such as Whats the most
dangerous thing about tornadoes?
Whats the scariest part?
2. Pass out one Students Page to each
student, then put the students in pairs or
small groups. Ask each student to
choose the role of either Reader or
Writer. (There must be one Reader and
at least one Writer per pair or group.)
3. Tell students to fold the paper in half
so they see only their part. Allow a few
minutes for Readers to read the
paragraph silently and for Writers to look
over the words in the word box.

Grammar and Beyond Communicative Activities

4. Point out the paragraph is a story

about tornado safety. Tell students that
Readers will read it aloud. Writers must
look at the word bank and listen
carefully for superlative forms of these
words. Writers should then write the
correct superlative form in the
appropriate column (most, -est, or
irregular). Briefly review the rules for
superlative formation if necessary.
5. To model the activity, read the first
sentence in the paragraph, and have
students look at the word bank. Point
out that the superlative form of the
adjective dangerous uses most and
that it has been placed in that category
as an example.
6. Have students complete the activity
with their partners (or groups). Walk
around and offer help as needed.
7. To check answers, copy the chart on
the board. Have a volunteer Reader
read the passage to the class as
volunteer Writers complete the chart.
Answers:
most:
most dangerous
most damaging
most frequently

-est:
strongest
lowest
safest
irregular:
best
worst

Follow-up
Ask each pair (or group) of students to
use some superlative forms in the chart
to write sentences about a topic of their
choice. For example, Riding a bike is
the most dangerous way to get to
school. However, it may be the best way
to save money. Ask volunteers to share
their sentences with the class.

Cambridge University Press 2012 Photocopiable

Students Page

Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs | Categories

Natural Disasters
Work in pairs or in groups. One student is the Reader. Other students are Writers. Fold
the paper in half so only your part is showing.

For the Reader:

Read the paragraph aloud. When you finish, read it aloud again. Be sure to speak slowly
and clearly so other students can take notes.
Tornadoes are one of the most dangerous kinds of storms. The strongest
tornadoes have winds that can move cars and pull trees from the ground. The most
damaging tornadoes can even take peoples lives. What can you do to stay safe during a
tornado? Experts agree on a few tips. Possibly the best idea is to go to the lowest floor
of a building or home. A basement is often the safest place to be. If there is no
basement, closets or bathrooms without windows are usually safe. During a tornado, it is
a good idea to be aware of the things around you. People are most frequently hurt by
getting hit in the head by flying objects. Stay away from windows and keep them closed.
Some people believe that opening a window during a tornado can be helpful. However,
experts say it is one of the worst things you can do. Even though tornadoes can be
dangerous, following these tips can help you stay safe.
---------------------------------------------------------------For the Writer(s):
Listen to the Reader. Look at the adjectives and adverbs in the word box. When you
hear the Reader use the superlative form of each word, write it in the correct category
below.
dangerous
strong
damaging
good
most

low
safe
frequently
bad
-est

irregular

most dangerous

Grammar and Beyond Communicative Activities

Cambridge University Press 2012 Photocopiable