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ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR B2

Advanced Comparative Structures ESL Lesson Plan (B2, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute B2 lesson on Advanced Comparative Structures, built round the theme "Life Then and Now".

  • CEFR B2
  • 60 minutes
  • Teenagers and adults
  • Grammar
  • Comparatives and Superlatives
  • Advanced Comparative Structures

About this lesson

Who it is for. Upper-intermediate students who use comparatives, superlatives, as ... as and modifiers accurately. They don't use double comparatives (the more ... the more) or progressive comparatives (more and more), and they compare adverbs inaccurately (He drives more careful).

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 B2 (Upper-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: Advanced Comparative Structures (the more ... the more, -er and -er, nowhere near as)
Framework
PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials
Handout 1 (interview: three generations), Handout 2 (language reference and practice), Handout 3 (further practice), Handout 4 (discussion cards).
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 develop students' use of double comparatives (the + comparative ..., the + comparative), progressive comparatives (-er and -er, more and more), comparative adverbs, and emphatic structures (nowhere near / nothing like as ... as, considerably, a great deal).

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can discuss how life has changed over three generations, e.g. Life is getting faster and faster. The more technology we have, the less time we seem to have. Our grandparents' lives were nowhere near as stressful.

  • Subsidiary aim. To develop fluency in discussing social change.
  • Subsidiary aim. To practise the rhythm of double comparatives.

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

StructurePatternExample
Double comparativethe + comparative (+ clause), the + comparative (+ clause)The more you practise, the better you get. The sooner, the better.
Progressive comparativecomparative + and + comparativePrices are getting higher and higher. Life is becoming more and more stressful.
Comparative adverbs-er / more + adverb (+ than)He drives more carefully than his father. She works harder than anyone.
Emphatic (big difference)nowhere near / nothing like + as ... as; considerably / a great deal / way (informal) + comparativeLife was nowhere near as busy. Phones are considerably cheaper now.
Emphatic (small difference)marginally / fractionally + comparativeRents are marginally lower this year.
Similarity / differencethe same as, similar to, different from, likeMy life is completely different from my grandmother's.

Meaning and use

  • Double comparatives show that two changes are connected: when one increases or decreases, the other changes too.
  • Progressive comparatives show continuous change over time.
  • Emphatic structures make comparisons stronger or more precise.

Pronunciation

  • Double comparatives have a balanced rhythm with stress on both comparatives and a slight pause in the middle: The MORE you practise, | the BETter you get.
  • more and more /ˌmɔːr ən ˈmɔː/.

Concept-checking questions

  • The more you practise, the better you get. Are practising and getting better connected? (Yes.) · If you practise a little, do you get much better? (No.)
  • Prices are getting higher and higher. Is this a single change or a continuous change? (Continuous.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

ProblemSolution
Missing the in double comparatives (More you study, better you get).Board both the's in colour.
Wrong word order (The more I study hard).Show: the + comparative + subject + verb.
Adjective for adverb (more careful).Contrast careful driver / drives more carefully.
different than / toTeach different from as the safest form in British English.

Board plan

Left: vocabularyCentre: patternsRight: pronunciation
generation · lifestyle · stressful · convenient · isolated · affordable · traditional · community
the + comparative ..., the + comparative ... · The more you earn, the more you spend. · The sooner, the better. · -er and -er / more and more + adj · He drives more carefully (adverb). · nowhere near / nothing like as ... as · considerably / a great deal + comparative · different from
The MORE you practise,

CEFR B2 · 60 minutes · Teenagers and adults

Procedure: Advanced Comparative Structures, step by step

Warm-up5 minutes · Pairs, then whole class

Aim: To introduce the topic of change across generations.

Ask: "How is your life different from your grandparents' lives when they were your age?"

Pairs list three differences (2 minutes). Take ideas.

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class

Aim: To present the structures in context and clarify their form, meaning and pronunciation.

Part A: Reading (6 minutes)

Give out Handout 1. Say: "Read the interview with three generations of the same family. Who is the most positive about modern life? Three minutes."

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

Part B: Noticing (4 minutes)

Say: "Underline every comparison. Find a sentence with the ... the, a sentence with -er and -er and a sentence with nowhere near." Pairs compare.

Part C: Clarification (10 minutes)

Double comparatives. Board The more you practise, the better you get. Ask the CCQs. Elicit the pattern; show the short form The sooner, the better.

Progressive comparatives. Board Prices are getting higher and higher. and Life is becoming more and more stressful. Ask the CCQs.

Adverbs. Board He drives more carefully than his father. Contrast adjective and adverb.

Emphatic structures. Draw a scale: marginally → considerably → nowhere near / nothing like.

Pronunciation. Drill the rhythm: The MORE you earn, | the MORE you spend. The SOONer, | the BETter.

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

Aim: To practise the structures accurately.

Give out Handout 2. Say: "Read the reference box. Exercise A: join the ideas with the ... the. Exercise B: complete the sentences. Seven minutes."

Pairs check. Check as a class.

Fast finishers do Handout 3 (further practice); otherwise set it for homework.

Freer practice18 minutes · Groups of four, then whole class

Aim: To use the structures fluently in discussion.

Give each group a set of discussion cards (Handout 4). Students take turns to read a card and give their opinion using at least one structure from today; others agree or disagree (10 minutes).

ICQs: "Do you just answer, or do others respond too?" (Others agree or disagree.)

"The more ..., the more ..." chain (4 minutes). Groups make a chain: The more you use your phone, the less you sleep. → The less you sleep, the more tired you are. → The more tired you are, ...

Groups share their longest chain (4 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: "Which structure did you find most useful?"

Set the homework.

Homework Complete Handout 3. Then write an article (180 words): Is life better now than in our grandparents' time? Use at least two double comparatives, two progressive comparatives and two emphatic structures.

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

Differentiation

Support
Give weaker students the patterns on a card. Provide sentence frames: The more ..., the more ... · ... is getting ... and ...
Stretch
Stronger students use double comparatives with nouns: The more money you have, the more problems you have. They use all the more and none the wiser: It made me all the more determined.

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. Run ""The more ..., the more ..." chain" once, with two pairs reporting, rather than hearing every pair. 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 2: Language Focus and Practice on the board for learners to copy into their notebooks, and read any text aloud twice instead of printing it. Handout 4: Discussion Cards (cut up) 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 more ..., the more ..." chain" 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

5 out of 6 or better on Handout 2, Exercise A. In discussion, students use double and progressive comparatives accurately. Students use comparative adverbs (not adjectives) where needed.

Teacher's reflection

Did students manage the word order in double comparatives? Did the discussion cards generate real disagreement?

Handout 1: Three Generations

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

THEN AND NOW: one family, three views

Grandmother Sumana, 78: "When I was young, life was nowhere near as busy as it is now. We didn't have much, but we had time for each other. Nowadays, everyone is getting busier and busier. The more things people buy, the less happy they seem."

Father Nimal, 48: "Life is considerably more comfortable now. Travel is easier, and phones are far cheaper than they were. But prices are getting higher and higher, and children spend less time outside. The more time my son spends on his phone, the less he talks to us!"

Son Kavindu, 17: "My life is completely different from my grandmother's. I can learn anything online, and the more I learn, the more I want to know. Technology is becoming more and more important. Maybe we're more stressed, but we're nothing like as isolated as people think: my friends are always online!"

Answer the questions.

  • According to Sumana, how has life changed? ______________________________
  • What does Nimal say about prices? ______________________________
  • What happens when Kavindu learns more? ______________________________
  • Who is the most positive about modern life? ______________________________

Handout 2: Language Focus and Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Language reference

A. Join the ideas with the ... the ...

B. Complete the sentences.

  • You exercise more. You feel healthier. → ______________________________
  • The film was long. It became boring. (longer / more boring) → ______________________________
  • You leave early. You arrive early. (earlier) → ______________________________
  • You earn more money. You spend more. → ______________________________
  • He waited a long time. He became angry. (longer / angrier) → ______________________________
  • We start soon. It's better. → ______________________________
  • The traffic in Colombo is getting ______________ and ______________ (bad).
  • My grandfather drives ______________ (slow) than my father.
  • Exams are becoming ______________ and ______________ (difficult).
  • The new bus is ______________ near as comfortable as the old one.
  • This year's results are ______________ (considerable / good) than last year's.
StructureExample
the + comparative, the + comparativeThe more you practise, the better you get.
comparative + and + comparativeIt's getting hotter and hotter. Life is more and more stressful.
comparative adverbsShe speaks more fluently than me.
nowhere near / nothing like as ... asIt's nowhere near as cold as last year.
considerably / a great deal / marginally + comparativePhones are considerably cheaper now.

Handout 3: Further Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Rewrite each sentence using the words in brackets.

  • If you read more, your vocabulary gets better. (The more) → ______________________________
  • Life is more expensive every year. (and) → ______________________________
  • The new phone is much, much better than the old one. (nothing like) → The old phone ______________________________
  • She sings more beautifully than anyone in the choir. (No one) → No one ______________________________
  • My town is very different from yours. (from) → ______________________________
  • As it got darker, it got colder. (The darker) → ______________________________
  • The price is only a tiny bit higher than last year. (marginally) → ______________________________
  • The test wasn't nearly as hard as I expected. (nowhere) → ______________________________

Handout 4: Discussion Cards (cut up)

Useful language: I couldn't agree more. · I see your point, but ... · That's nothing like as simple as it sounds. · The more I think about it, the more I agree.

The more technology we have, the happier we are.Life is getting more and more stressful for teenagers.
Our grandparents' lives were nowhere near as difficult as people think.The more money you earn, the more you spend.
Cities are getting bigger and bigger. Is this good or bad?Children today are considerably more intelligent than children 50 years ago.
The older you get, the wiser you become.People are becoming lonelier and lonelier.

Answer Key

Handout 1

Handout 2, Exercise A

Handout 2, Exercise B

Handout 3

Common errors to watch for

  • It's much busier now; people have less time for each other. · 2. They are getting higher and higher. · 3. He wants to know more. · 4. Kavindu.
  • The more you exercise, the healthier you feel. · 2. The longer the film was, the more boring it became. · 3. The earlier you leave, the earlier you arrive. · 4. The more money you earn, the more you spend. · 5. The longer he waited, the angrier he became. · 6. The sooner we start, the better.
  • worse and worse · 2. more slowly · 3. more and more difficult · 4. nowhere · 5. considerably better
  • The more you read, the better your vocabulary gets. · 2. Life is getting more and more expensive. · 3. The old phone is nothing like as good as the new one. · 4. No one in the choir sings as beautifully as she does. · 5. My town is very different from yours. · 6. The darker it got, the colder it got. · 7. The price is marginally higher than last year. · 8. The test was nowhere near as hard as I expected.
ErrorCorrection
More you study, better you get.The more you study, the better you get.
The more I study hard, the more I learn.The harder I study, the more I learn.
He drives more careful than me.He drives more carefully than me.
It's getting more hot and more hot.It's getting hotter and hotter.

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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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