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ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR B1

Comparisons with As ... As ESL Lesson Plan (B1, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute B1 lesson on Comparisons with As ... As, built round the theme "Choosing a Phone".

  • CEFR B1
  • 60 minutes
  • Teenagers and adults
  • Grammar
  • Comparatives and Superlatives
  • Comparisons with As ... As

About this lesson

Who it is for. Intermediate students who form comparatives and superlatives correctly but compare only with -er / more. They say very bigger, as big than and don't use not as ... as or less.

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

At a glance

Level
CEFR B1 (Intermediate)
Learners
Teenagers and adults
Length
60 minutes. For 45 minutes, run "Freer practice" once through without the second round and cut "Feedback and wrap-up" to board-based error correction.
Skills
Speaking and writing
Language focus
Grammar: (Not) As ... As, Modifiers and Less / The Least
Framework
PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials
Handout 1 (phone comparison chart and reviews), Handout 2 (discovery task), Handout 3 (practice), Handout 4 (product cards for three categories).
Preparation
About 10 minutes: print Handouts 1 to 4, one per learner, and read the language analysis. The answer key is for you, not the class.

Aims

Main aim. To help students work out and use (not) as + adjective + as, modifiers of comparatives (much, far, a lot, a bit, slightly), and less / the least, to make more precise comparisons.

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can compare three products precisely and recommend one, e.g. The Nova is slightly cheaper than the Zeta, but its camera isn't nearly as good. The Lumo is by far the least expensive.

  • Subsidiary aim. To read product reviews for specific information.
  • Subsidiary aim. To develop fluency in comparing and choosing products.

Language analysis

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

Form

StructureExample
as + adjective + as (= the same)The Nova is as fast as the Zeta.
not as / not so + adjective + as (= less)The Lumo isn't as fast as the Zeta.
just as / nearly as / not nearly as / twice asIt's just as good. It isn't nearly as expensive. It's twice as heavy.
much / far / a lot + comparative (big difference)The Zeta is much more expensive.
a bit / slightly / a little + comparative (small difference)The Nova is slightly cheaper.
less + adjective (+ than)The Lumo is less expensive than the Nova.
the least + adjectiveThe Lumo is the least expensive.
by far + superlativeThe Zeta is by far the best camera.

Meaning and use

  • not as ... as is often more polite than a direct comparative: My cooking isn't as good as yours (softer than Your cooking is better).
  • Modifiers make comparisons precise (a big or small difference).
  • less / the least are mostly used with longer adjectives: less expensive, the least comfortable (with short adjectives we usually use not as ... as: not as tall as).

Pronunciation

  • Weak as /əz/: as fast as /əz ˈfɑːst əz/.
  • Stress the modifier: It's MUCH cheaper. It's SLIGHTly bigger.

Concept-checking questions

  • The Lumo isn't as fast as the Zeta. Which phone is faster? (The Zeta.) · Are they the same? (No.)
  • The Nova is slightly cheaper than the Zeta. Is the price difference big or small? (Small.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

ProblemSolution
very + comparative (very bigger).Board: much / far / a lot bigger; cross out very.
as ... than or as -er as (as bigger as).Board: as + adjective + as (no -er).
less with short adjectives (less tall).Prefer not as tall as; note that less tall is possible but less common.
Confusing not as ... as meaning.CCQs with a picture of two phones.

Board plan

Left: phone vocabularyCentre: patternsRight: pronunciation
battery · screen · camera · storage · price · weight · fast · light · heavy · reliable
as + adj + as · not as + adj + as · just / nearly / not nearly / twice as ... as · much / far / a lot + comparative · a bit / slightly / a little + comparative · less + adj (than) · the least + adj · by far + superlative · not: very bigger ✗ · not: as big than ✗
as fast as /əz ˈfɑːst əz/ · It's MUCH cheaper. · SLIGHTly

CEFR B1 · 60 minutes · Teenagers and adults

Procedure: Comparisons with As ... As, step by step

Warm-up5 minutes · Pairs, then whole class

Aim: To personalise the topic.

Ask: "What's important when you choose a phone: the price, the camera, the battery?" Pairs rank five features (2 minutes).

Take ideas and board key words.

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class

Aim: To present the target structures in context and help students work out their form and meaning.

Part A: Reading (6 minutes)

Give out Handout 1. Say: "Look at the chart and read the review. Which phone does the reviewer recommend for students? Three minutes."

Pairs compare. Students answer the four questions. Check as a class.

Part B: Finding the rules (7 minutes)

Give out Handout 2. Say: "Look at the sentences from the review and the chart. Answer the questions with your partner."

ICQs: "Do you use the chart to check?" (Yes.)

Monitor. Ask stuck pairs: "Which is faster? Look at the chart."

Part C: Clarification (7 minutes)

Elicit answers and build the patterns in the centre of the board.

Ask the CCQs from the Language analysis.

Draw a scale for modifiers: slightly / a bit → much / far / a lot. Board very bigger ✗ and as big than ✗.

Show politeness: Your phone isn't as new as mine vs My phone is newer than yours.

Pronunciation. Drill weak as and stressed modifiers: It isn't as fast as the Zeta. It's MUCH cheaper. It's SLIGHTly heavier.

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Aim: To practise the forms accurately.

Give out Handout 3. Say: "Exercise A: rewrite the sentences. Exercise B: correct the mistakes. Seven minutes."

Pairs check. Check as a class.

Freer practice18 minutes · Groups of three, then whole class

Aim: To use precise comparisons fluently in a decision-making task.

Give each group a set of product cards (Handout 4). Each group chooses one category (laptops, bicycles or hotels in Kandy).

Groups compare the three products using at least eight structures from today and choose the best one for a given customer (10 minutes).

ICQs: "How many products do you compare?" (Three.) "What do you decide?" (The best one for the customer.)

Each group presents its recommendation in one minute: "The Hilltop Inn isn't as cheap as the Lake View, but it's far quieter. The City Lodge is by far the least comfortable." (6 minutes.)

Monitor and note language use.

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To give feedback and consolidate.

Board sentences from Stage 4 (correct and incorrect). Students correct the errors.

Ask: "How do you say there's a small difference? A big difference?"

Set the homework.

Homework Write a short review (120 words) comparing three things you know well (phones, restaurants, cricket teams, films). Use at least six structures from today.

PPP (presentation, practice, production). Stage times add up to 60 minutes.

Differentiation

Support
Give weaker students the patterns on a card. Ask them to compare two products instead of three.
Stretch
Stronger students use twice / three times as ... as and nowhere near as ... as. They use the + comparative + of the two: the cheaper of the two.

Adapting the lesson

ForWhat to change
A large class (40 or more)Keep the pairwork in "Freer practice" in fixed pairs rather than a mingle, and take feedback from four or five pairs instead of the whole room. Monitor one half of the room during "Controlled practice" and the other half during "Freer practice".
A class with no photocopierPut the exercises from Handout 3: Practice on the board for learners to copy into their notebooks, and read any text aloud twice instead of printing it. Handout 4: Product Cards works read out from the front: learners note what they need rather than holding a card. The board plan above is this lesson's minimum - with that on the board, it runs on no paper at all.
An online classSend Handouts 1 to 4 in the chat before the lesson and put the board plan on a shared slide. Use breakout rooms for the pairwork in "Freer practice" and visit each room once. Have learners type the controlled answers in the chat, so you see every answer at once instead of nominating.
A different age groupWith teenagers, shorten the analysis and get to the task sooner. With adults in a work context, keep the forms exactly as they are and swap the lesson's theme for one from their own field.

Checking learning

The group recommendation uses at least eight different structures accurately. 7 out of 8 or better on Handout 3, Exercise A. No very + comparative errors in the presentations.

Teacher's reflection

Did students use modifiers to make their comparisons precise? Did not as ... as appear naturally?

Handout 1: Phone Comparison

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

REVIEW: Which phone should students buy?

The Zeta X has by far the best camera, but it's the most expensive. The Nova 5 is slightly cheaper than the Zeta, and it's just as fast. Its battery lasts twice as long, but its camera isn't nearly as good. The Lumo A1 is much cheaper than the other two. It's less powerful and it isn't as fast as the Nova, but it's a bit lighter, and its battery is as good as the Nova's.

For most students, I recommend the Lumo. It's the least expensive phone, and it's good enough for messages and homework. If you love taking photos, save your money for the Zeta!

Answer the questions.

  • Which phone has the best camera? ______________________________
  • Is the Nova faster than the Zeta? ______________________________
  • Which phone is the least expensive? ______________________________
  • Which phone does the reviewer recommend for most students? ______________________________
Zeta XNova 5Lumo A1
PriceRs. 95,000Rs. 90,000Rs. 40,000
Battery1 day2 days2 days
Cameraexcellentgoodbasic
Speedvery fastvery fastslow
Weight190 g200 g160 g

Handout 2: Language Focus

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Look at these sentences. Use the chart to answer the questions.

Answer the questions with your partner.

  • The Nova 5 is just as fast as the Zeta X.
  • The Lumo A1 isn't as fast as the Nova.
  • The Nova is slightly cheaper than the Zeta.
  • The Lumo is much cheaper than the other two.
  • The Lumo is less powerful and it's the least expensive.
  • The Zeta has by far the best camera.
  • In sentence 1, are the phones the same speed or different? ______________________________
  • In sentence 2, which phone is faster? ______________________________
  • What's the difference in price in sentence 3? In sentence 4? Which word shows a small difference? A big difference? ______________________________
  • Do we use -er after as? ______________________________
  • What is the opposite of more and the most? ______________________________
  • What does by far add to a superlative? ______________________________

Handout 3: Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Rewrite the sentences using the words in brackets. Keep the meaning the same.

B. Correct the mistakes.

  • The bus is slower than the train. (not as) → The bus ______________________________
  • My bag is 2 kg. Your bag is 2 kg. (as ... as) → My bag ______________________________
  • Kandy is a little cooler than Colombo. (slightly) → Kandy ______________________________
  • The red dress is Rs. 2,000. The blue dress is Rs. 9,000. (much) → The blue dress ______________________________
  • This hotel is cheaper than that one. (less expensive) → This hotel ______________________________
  • All the other restaurants are more expensive than this one. (the least) → This restaurant ______________________________
  • My new laptop is 4 kg. My old laptop was 2 kg. (twice as) → My new laptop ______________________________
  • No other player is nearly as good as Shenali. (by far) → Shenali ______________________________
  • My phone is very better than yours. ______________________________
  • She's as tall than her mother. ______________________________
  • This book is more interesting as the film. ______________________________
  • It's the less expensive hotel in town. ______________________________

Handout 4: Product Cards

Category 1: Laptops (customer: a university student)

Category 2: Bicycles (customer: a 12-year-old who rides to school)

Category 3: Hotels in Kandy (customer: a family of four)

Our recommendation and reasons:

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

SpeedbookLightpadBudget Pro
PriceRs. 250,000Rs. 220,000Rs. 120,000
Weight1.2 kg1.0 kg2.5 kg
Battery10 hours12 hours5 hours
Speedvery fastfastslow
Mountain KingCity RiderKid Zoom
PriceRs. 85,000Rs. 45,000Rs. 30,000
Weight14 kg12 kg9 kg
Gears2173
Safety rating4 stars5 stars4 stars
Lake ViewHilltop InnCity Lodge
Price per nightRs. 18,000Rs. 22,000Rs. 9,000
Distance to the temple5 minutes20 minutes10 minutes
Noisenoisyvery quietquite noisy
Roomscomfortablevery comfortablesmall

Answer Key

Handout 1

Handout 2

Handout 3, Exercise A

Handout 3, Exercise B

Common errors to watch for

  • The Zeta X · 2. No, it's just as fast. · 3. The Lumo A1 · 4. The Lumo A1
  • The same · 2. The Nova · 3. Sentence 3: Rs. 5,000 (slightly = small); sentence 4: Rs. 50,000 or more (much = big) · 4. No: as fast as · 5. less and the least · 6. It makes the difference very big.
  • isn't as fast as the train. · 2. is as heavy as your bag. · 3. is slightly cooler than Colombo. · 4. is much more expensive than the red dress. · 5. is less expensive than that one. · 6. is the least expensive (of all). · 7. is twice as heavy as my old laptop. · 8. is by far the best player.
  • My phone is much better than yours. · 2. She's as tall as her mother. · 3. This book is more interesting than the film. · 4. It's the least expensive hotel in town.
ErrorCorrection
It's very bigger.It's much bigger.
as big thanas big as
as bigger asas big as
the less expensive (of all)the least expensive

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About this lesson plan

Written by RCF English to the RCF English international standard: levelled by the CEFR, original throughout, and suitable for classrooms in any country. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.

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