Finding Better Deals

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Learners: Korean 3 year high school students
Learner level: High Intermediate
Class size: 30
Time: ~15min
Learning outcomes: Students will practice and be able to discuss and debate using
irregular comparatives.

Examples of irregular comparatives: better, worse, less, more

In a sentence:
This deal is better than that deal.
This deal is worse that that deal.
This backpack is less expensive than that backpack.
I like that backpack more than this one.

MATERIALS

• Handouts of different deals online for the same product (or of the same base

price) the students are interested in (such as a phone or stylish backpack).

• Calculators/ Phones using calculator app

A quick Google search has yielded some examples of sales you could print out and use

(as of 4/27/19):

https://shop.nordstrom.com/sr/backpack-sale
https://www.macys.com/shop/handbags-accessories/sale-clearance/Handbag_style/Backpack?id=28273

BACKGROUND

The theme of the current lesson is shopping. The students have been learning

about comparatives. The content of this activity will be specifically talking about types of

deals using the irregular comparatives. Being able to compare deals is a good life skill as

well as providing an opportunity to practice the grammar point. In this particular activity,

students will be participating in small group discussions to choose and agree on the best

deal.
 PROCEDURES

1. Begin class with a small review. Ask students what the irregular comparatives are

and write them on the board as students say them aloud.

2. Introduce today’s activity. Tell the students they will be practicing the irregular

comparatives through small group discussions. Explain to students that they will

be looking at some shopping deals and figuring out in their groups what they

believe the best deal is. They will need to use these words in their discussion and

each group will present their “purchase” and why they chose it at the end of the

activity.

3. Explain what deals are and give students a chance to provide a couple example

sentences to you that you can write on the board so they know how to use the

irregulars in this discussion.

Some example you could provide are:

This deal is better than that deal.

This deal is worse than that deal

This backpack is more expensive than that backpack.

This backpack is less expensive than that backpack.

4. Break students off into groups of 3-4 students by giving students a number from 1

to 7 and asking students to get in the group with people of the same number as

them. Having a few groups with one extra or one less person is fine.

5. Before passing out the handouts, teach students how to calculate percentage off in

order to compare deals between products where percentage off is not included.
 You can do this by asking if any students know first and have them explain while

you write their method on the board.

You can calculate the percentage off an item by dividing the original price by the sale

price and moving the decimal place one to the right.

6. Put one person in charge in each group who will do the calculations. This can be

done simply by saying that number 3 in each group will do the calculations.

Students can use their calculators and phones if they do not have a calculator.

7. Pass the handouts out. As students work with their group, walk around and

provide additional support if needed, but mostly make sure that students stay on

task.

8. With the last 4-5min remaining, go around the class and have students say which

product they “purchased” and why. You can also ask students if any other factors

beside price made them choose a certain product. For example, some students

may have picked a more expensive product because it was prettier.

9. If there’s time ask students how these skills can be used in their own lives or if

they would even use these skills at all or have before.