Superlative Adjectives- Reversi Memory Games

Superlative adjectives reversi memory games

Instructions for teachers

Choose which set of cards you want to use with your class and cut up one set per group of two to four students. Cut off the left-hand column with the explanations (to keep and use later), but don’t cut between the two other columns, i.e. leave the opposites or synonyms connected to each other. Give out the cards and ask students to fold them so that there are synonyms or antonyms on each side, taking a quick look at both sides as they do so, then laying them on the table (either side up).

To play the game, students must choose a card and guess what is on the other side, then turn over and check. They must get exactly what is on the other side, but if there is more than one option (divided by a slash) just one of the options is enough (i.e. they don’t need to say all the words that are written there). If they guess correctly, they can do the same with other cards, continuing until they make a mistake. If they guess something which isn’t on the other side of the card, play passes to the next person. The next person can do the same cards as the previous person did, different cards, or (probably) a mix of the two. Cards which were guessed correctly stay turned over, to be guessed in the opposite direction the next time.

There are three different ways of scoring the game:

• Students choose any cards they like each time, and the longest string of correct guesses in a row during the game (e.g. one player doing seven cards in a row before making a mistake) wins the game
• Students choose any cards they like each time, and the total number of correct guesses over the whole game wins the game (added up together, with each correct guess of the same card also counting as a point, e.g. 23 correct guesses over the length of the game)
• Students lay the cards in a single column on the table to represent a ladder, and must start at the bottom of the ladder each and every time, with the person who first reaches the top or gets highest before the teacher stops the game winning

If students get stuck, you can give them a minute or two to look at both sides of all the cards and/ or work together rather than competing (but with the same game rules). 

After finishing the game, ask students to unfold the cards and group together cards which make the superlative in the same way (just looking at the words in italics, because the other ones follow different rules). Then give them the descriptions in the left-hand column of the table to match to each of those groups to help. Students check with an un-cut-up version of the worksheet, then test each other (orally) in pairs.

 

Cards to cut up/ Suggested answers

Opposites version

one syllable + est	the broadest/ the widest	the narrowest
	the longest	the shortest
	the most powerful/ strongest	the weakest
	the highest/ tallest	the lowest
	the loosest	the tightest
	the bluntest	the most pointed/ sharpest
	the gentlest/ smoothest	the roughest
one syllable + double letter + est	the biggest/ largest	the smallest
	the coolest/ coldest	the hottest/ warmest
	the thickest/ fattest	the thinnest
	the driest	the wettest
the most + one syllable	the most boring	the most fun/ most interesting
	the most fake	the most real
	the most bored	the most excited/ most interested
two syllables + est	the noisiest	the quietest
	the most complicated/ most difficult/ hardest/ trickiest	the easiest/ the simplest
the most + two syllables	the most local	the most cosmopolitan/ most international
	the most relaxing	the most stressful
	the most careful	the most careless
	the most tiring	the most energising
	the most worthwhile	the most pointless
the most + three or more syllables	the cheapest	the most expensive
	the most dangerous/ riskiest	the safest
	the most personal/ most private	the most public
	the most modern	the most traditional/ old-fashioned

-y changes to –iest	the earliest/ soonest	the latest
	the happiest	the unhappiest/ saddest
	the cleanest	the dirtiest
	the most serious	the silliest
	the nastiest	the nicest
	the most beautiful/ best looking/ most handsome/ prettiest	the ugliest
Irregular	the best	the worst
	the closest/ nearest	the farthest/ furthest
	the eldest/ oldest	the youngest

 

Synonyms version

one syllable + est	the broadest	the widest
	the fastest	the quickest/ speediest
	the highest	the tallest
	the neatest	the tidiest
	the most powerful	the strongest
one syllable + double letter + est	the hottest	the warmest
	the biggest	the largest/ bulkiest
the most + one syllable	the most entertaining	the most fun
	the most confused	the most lost
two syllables + est	the simplest	the easiest
the most + two syllables	the most tiring	the most exhausting
	the most afraid	the most frightened/ most scared
	the kindest	the most caring
	the most concerned	the most nervous/ most worried

the most + three or more syllables	the priciest	the most expensive
	the most important	the most significant
	the most disgusting	the most revolting
	the most delicious	the tastiest
	the most fashionable	the trendiest
-y changes to –iest	the noisiest	the loudest
	the richest	the wealthiest/ most loaded
	the angriest/ most irritated	the most annoyed
	the most dangerous	the riskiest
	the most amusing	the funniest
Irregular	the furthest	the farthest
	the oldest	the eldest
	the best looking/ prettiest	the most beautiful
	the best known	the most famous
	the best value	the most reasonable