Comparatives Business English Lesson

OBJECTIVE & OVERVIEW

This Business English lesson on comparatives provides activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials designed for pre-intermediate A2-B1 students. In this lesson, students will:

• Talk about their jobs using comparative adjectives
• Learn some vocabulary related to management software and tools
• Watch a video commercial about a software tool designed for managers and companies
• Study and use comparative adjectives and how to form them
• Engage in a communicative task-based activity in which students have conversations about their jobs. They use comparative adjectives.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

In the first part of this Business English lesson on comparatives, students look at and read the work schedule of a marketing manager named Eli. Then, they discuss some questions about his schedule.

Then, students match some vocabulary terms with their definitions. This includes terms like “team workflow”, “company goals”, and "annual budget".

In the final activity on this page, students look at an illustration of Eli, who is stressed from his job. Students combine some provided verbs with nouns to suggest ideas on how to make Eli’s job less stressful as a manager.

VIEWING ACTIVITY

In the second stage of this lesson, students watch a commercial video of a management software called Monday.com. Students answer a few short questions about the commercial.

In the second activity, students choose whether certain statements about this management software are true, false, or not given in the video.

Finally, students do a gap-fill style activity in which they complete certain features of the software shown in the video.

DISCUSSION & GRAMMAR

The first part of the viewing follow-up includes discussion questions. Students talk about how effective they thought the ad was, and whether a similar tool might help them in their jobs.

Then, there is a section for students to learn and study the usage of comparative adjectives. Students read a description from a manager named Eli who is describing a new management software tool he’s been using. They choose the correct options in statements/rules based on his description. These sentences are based on the usage of comparative adjectives. Here is a sample from Eli’s description:

“Our company's new management software makes work less stressful. It also makes our team's communication easier.”

In the third part of the viewing follow-up, students complete sentences with the correct form of a provided comparative adjective. All of the sentences have a Business English focus. Here is an example provided in the lesson plan:

EXAMPLE: When project goals are clear, it makes tasks less complicated (complicated).

Then in the final activity, students read a set of complaints from company employees. Students say what the company should do to improve the situations for the employees. They give this advice using comparative adjectives.

JOB DESCRIPTION WORKSHOP: COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES

In this ESL activity, students will work on using comparative adjectives to talk about their jobs and workplaces. Option A starts with students picking three out of five prompts and writing ideas on their own. They use prompts like "My job is ... when ..." and "I am ... at work when...". For example, a student might write, "I am more focused at work when I put my phone on silent for a few hours." After writing, students share their ideas with a classmate or their teacher, which helps them practice speaking and comparing their thoughts.

Option B involves choosing a few discussion points, such as what could make them more satisfied at work or what could make their office more pleasant. They then talk about these topics with a classmate or teacher, using comparative adjectives to explain their points. This activity helps students practice using comparative adjectives in real-life contexts. It's designed to help improve their speaking and writing skills through engaging, relatable prompts.

BENEFITS OF USING THIS BUSINESS ENGLISH LESSON ON COMPARATIVES:

Practical Vocabulary:

Students learn important business vocabulary related to management tools, which they can directly use in their jobs.

Real-World Relevance:

The lesson focuses on discussing actual job situations and management tools. The video content is relevant and immediately useful for students, especially who work in offices.

Engaging Multimedia:

Watching a commercial video adds a fun and engaging element to the lesson. It also helps students see how the language is used in real life.

Task-Based Learning:

The lesson includes communicative tasks that get students talking about their jobs, which helps improve their fluency and confidence.

Interactive and Collaborative:

With a mix of individual, pair, and group activities, students actively participate and learn from each other. This makes the lesson dynamic and interactive.