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Adjectives for Describing Objects- Opposites Games

A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Describing things with adjective opposites games, including drawing, TRP, jigsaw tasks and memory games.

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Lesson Plan Content:


Adjectives for describing objects opposites games

Instructions for teachers

Adjectives for describing objects opposites jigsaw and reversi games

If you want to play both games, you will need two copies of the worksheet per group to cut up in different ways (see below). Then make one copy per student for them to check their answers with and keep for reference/ revision.

 

Adjectives for describing objects jigsaw game

Make one copy per group of two to four students. Cut down the middle vertically to make two columns with opposite adjectives in different columns. Cut up each column so that each card is made up of at least two or three cells of the table, e.g. “bent/ curved”, “bright” and “broad/ wide” all on one card together. For groups who are likely to find matching the words difficult, you can make (some) bigger cards of four or even five boxes each. Don’t cut (most of) the cards up into individual boxes. As much as possible, try to make the places where you cut the cards different for each column, e.g. four cards on the left and three cards on the right each time.

Give out the cards and ask students to put them together so that each row has words with opposite meanings. They can do this even if they don’t know all the words, because if they find one match then the words above or below must also match. The finished jigsaw will form a nice rectangle shape.

If they get stuck you can:

  • Tell them that most of them they are organised into categories, in this order:

Size

Dimensions

Shape

Other appearance

Touch (texture etc)

Operation

Age

Selling points

Current state

  • Tell them which words should go on the left
  • Give them a few key matches
  • Read out the answers in order while they listen without touching, then let them try again

Let them check their answers by reading out the whole list or by giving out the worksheet, then they can test each other in pairs by:

  • Reading out two cards from anywhere on the worksheet and seeing if their partner can spot if they are opposites or not
  • Reading out two synonyms (from the very same box) or two antonyms, and seeing if their partner can work out if they have the same meaning or opposite meanings
  • Reading out one and seeing if their partner can say the opposite back
  • Explaining, drawing and/ or miming opposites without saying either word until their partner says one or both forms


Adjectives for describing things reversi games

Cut along the worksheet horizontally (only), so that the cards are joined in opposites pairs, e.g. with “bent/ curved” and “straight” next to each other on the same card. Students spread the cards across the table and then fold them so that opposite words are on opposite sides of the card, with either word top.

Students take turns trying to think of what is on the other side of the cards, turning them over to check each time. If their guess is right, they leave that card turned over (so that next time the transformation has to be done the other way round) and try the next card. You can let students choose which cards they want each time, or for more challenge get them to put the cards in a column and start from the bottom of the column each time. The winner could be the first person to reach a certain number of correct guesses in a row without making a mistake (e.g. seven in a row), the person with the highest number of correct guesses throughout the game, or the person who manages the longest string of correct guesses in a row during the whole game (without needing to keep a total score). 

 

Adjectives for describing objects drawing and miming games

See instructions for students on each worksheet.

 

Adjectives for describing objects opposites jigsaw and reversi cards to cut up 

 

big/ bulky/ large

 

 

compact/ little/ small

  

 

enormous/ huge/ massive

 

 

tiny/ miniscule/ microscopic

 

deep

 

 

shallow

 

 

broad/ wide

 

 

narrow

  

 

thick

  

 

thin

 

 

pointed/ pointy/ sharp

  

 

rounded/ blunt

 

 

bent/ curved

 

 

straight

 

 

bright

 

 

dim/ dark

 

clean/ spotless

 

 

dirty/ dusty/ filthy/ muddy

  

 

neat/ tidy

 

 

messy/ untidy

 

 

upside down

 

 

the right way up

 

 

attractive

 

 

ugly

 

 

beautiful/ gorgeous/ stunning

 

 

hideous

 

 

bumpy/ dented/ rough/ bobbly

 

 

flat/ smooth

 

 

 

 

firm/ hard/ solid

 

 

soft/ spongy/ squashy

 

 

sticky

 

 

slippery

 

 


cold

 

 

hot

 

 


boiling

  

 

freezing

 

 

cool

  

 

warm

 

 

loose

 

 

(skin)tight

  

 

heavy

  

 

(feather)light

 

 

bendy/ flexible

 

 

stiff

 

 

loud/ noisy/ ear-splitting

 

 

quiet/ (nearly) silent

  

 

complex/ complicated

  

 

simple/ user friendly

  

 

reliable

 

 

unreliable

  

 

efficient

  

 

inefficient

  

 

automatic

 

 

manual

  

 

disposable

 

 

reusable

  

 

moving/ portable

 

 

fixed/ stable/ steady/ stationary

 

 

 

 

broken/ out of order

 

 

fixed/ mended/ repaired/ working

 

 

breakable/ fragile

 

 

hard-wearing/ hardy/ sturdy

  

 

heat sensitive

  

 

heat resistant/ heatproof

 

 

conducting

 

 

insulating

 

 

modern/ up-to-date/ cutting edge

 

 

old-fashioned/ out-of-date

 

 

ancient/ antique

 

 

brand new/ cutting edge/ the latest

  

 

deflated/ flat/ burst

 

 

inflated

  

 

well designed

 

 

badly designed

  

 


custom-made/ tailor-made

 

 

off-the-shelf/ standard

  

 

cheap/ reasonable

  

 

expensive/ pricey

  

 

common/ popular

 

 

rare/ exclusive

  

 

empty

  

 

full

  

 

closed/ shut

 

 

open

  

 

horizontal/ lying down/ lying flat

  

 

vertical/ sticking up

  

 

Adjectives for describing objects opposites drawing games

Choose one of the rows from below and draw something to represent adjectives on both sides. If your partner can’t guess, keep on drawing. If they still can’t guess, give other hints such as first letters, or let them look at the list of options below.

 

big/ bulky/ large

  

 

compact/ little/ small

  


 

enormous/ huge/ massive

  

 

tiny/ miniscule/ microscopic

  

 

deep

  

 

shallow

  

 

broad/ wide

  

 

narrow

  

 

thick

  

 

thin

 

 

pointed/ pointy/ sharp

  

 

rounded/ blunt

 

 

bent/ curved

 

 

straight

  

 

clean/ spotless

 

 

dirty/ dusty/ filthy/ muddy

  

 

neat/ tidy

  

 

messy/ untidy

  

 

upside down

  

 

the right way up

  

 

attractive/ gorgeous/ stunning

  

 

ugly/ hideous

  

 

bumpy/ dented/ rough/ bobbly

  

 

flat/ smooth

  

 

cold/ freezing

  

 

hot/ boiling

  

 

 

 

loose

  

 

(skin)tight

  

 

heavy

  

 

(feather)light

  

 

loud/ noisy/ ear-splitting

  

 

quiet/ (nearly) silent

  

 

complex/ complicated

  

 

simple/ user friendly

  

 

automatic

  

 

manual

  

 

broken/ out of order

  

 

fixed/ mended/ repaired/ working

  

 

modern/ new

  

 

old(-fashioned)/ antique

  

 

deflated/ flat/ burst

  

 

inflated

  

 

cheap/ reasonable

  

 

expensive/ pricey

  

 

empty

  

 

full

 

closed/ shut

  

 

open

  

 

horizontal/ lying down/ lying flat

  

 

vertical/ sticking up

  

 

Adjectives for describing objects miming games

Choose a row from below and mime the adjectives on both sides until your partner guesses what words you are acting out. Start by not speaking and without your partner looking below, but if they can’t guess you can give them a first letter, let them look at the options below, etc.

 

bent/ curved

  

 

straight

  

 

bendy/ flexible

 

 

stiff

  

 

bright

  

 

dim/ dark

  

 

broad/ wide

  

 

narrow

  

 

bumpy/ dented/ rough/ bobbly

  

 

flat/ smooth

  

 

big/ bulky/ large

  

 

compact/ little/ small

  

 

enormous/ huge/ massive

  

 

tiny/ miniscule/ microscopic

  

 

neat/ tidy

  

 

messy/ untidy

  

 

thick

  

 

thin

  

 

pointed/ pointy/ sharp

  

 

rounded/ blunt

  

 

firm/ hard/ solid

  

 

soft/ spongy/ squashy

  

 

heavy

  

 

(feather)light

  

 

sticky

  

 

slippery

  

 

 

 

hot/ boiling/ warm

  

 

cold/ freezing/ cool

  

 

loose

  

 

(skin)tight

  

 

loud/ noisy

  

 

quiet/ silent

  

 

moving

  

 

fixed/ stable/ steady/ stationary

  

 

closed/ shut

  

 

open

  

 

disposable

  

 

reusable

  

 

broken/ out of order

  

 

fixed/ mended/ repaired/ working

  

 

deflated/ flat/ burst

  

 

inflated

  

 

horizontal/ lying down/ lying flat

 

 

vertical/ sticking up

  

 

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