TEACHER’S NOTES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Opposites 2

Activity Type Introduction

Reading, writing, This multi-purpose worksheet activity helps to increase students'
listening and speaking knowledge of more advanced adjectives and their opposites.
activity, group and pair
work Procedure
Start the activity by reading out each adjective on the worksheet
Language Focus and eliciting examples of the adjective's meaning and possible
synonyms.
Adjectives and their
opposites
Next, divide the class into teams of four.

Give each student a copy of the worksheet.

Aim
To practice more Tell the teams that you are going to read an adjective at random
advanced adjectives and from the worksheet and the first team to call out the opposite of
their opposites. the adjective scores a point.

The winning team can then score an extra point by making an

Preparation appropriate sentence with the adjective opposite.
Make one copy of the
Afterwards, all the students in the class write down the adjective
worksheet for each
opposite on their worksheet.
student
This continues until the worksheet is complete.
Level
The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Intermediate
Working alone, the students then write ten sentences, using two
adjectives from the worksheet in each sentence, e.g. 'The peaceful
Time atmosphere was broken by the sound of a terrible scream'.
50 minutes
When the students have finished writing, divide them into pairs
and have the students exchange sentences.

The students read their partner's sentences, changing the

adjectives in the sentences to their opposites, e.g. 'The noisy
atmosphere was broken by the sound of an awesome scream'.

Finally, ask the pairs to create a short story using ten adjectives
from the worksheet. Have the pairs read their stories to the class
and give feedback.

"Answer key on the next page"

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 TEACHER’S NOTES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Opposites 2

Activity Type Answer key

Reading, writing,
listening and speaking
activity, group and pair
work
normal - strange brave - afraid
future - past loose - tight
alive - dead different - same

Language Focus public - private wise - foolish

Adjectives and their
opposites asleep - awake certain - unsure

tender - tough rough - smooth

Aim
regular - irregular cruel - kind
To practice more
advanced adjectives and close - distant narrow - wide
their opposites.
bright - dull calm - nervous
Preparation complete - incomplete dark - light
Make one copy of the
worksheet for each well - ill/unwell raw - cooked
student
special - ordinary awesome - terrible

Level deep - shallow internal - external

Intermediate casual - formal amateur - professional

ancient - modern domestic - foreign

Time
50 minutes graceful - clumsy careful - careless

absent - present singular - plural

clockwise - counterclockwise peaceful - noisy/chaotic

lazy - energetic pleasant - disagreeable

humble - proud minimum - maximum

honest - dishonest crazy - sane/rational

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 ADJECTIVES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Opposites 2

normal ___________________ brave ____________________

future ___________________ loose ____________________

alive ___________________ different ____________________

public ___________________ wise ____________________

asleep ___________________ certain ____________________

tender ___________________ rough ____________________

regular ___________________ cruel ____________________

close ___________________ narrow ____________________

bright ___________________ calm ____________________

complete ___________________ dark ____________________

well ___________________ raw ____________________

special ___________________ awesome ____________________

deep ___________________ internal ____________________

casual ___________________ amateur ____________________

ancient ___________________ domestic ____________________

graceful ___________________ careful ____________________

absent ___________________ singular ____________________

clockwise ___________________ peaceful ____________________

lazy ___________________ pleasant ____________________

humble ___________________ minimum ____________________

honest ___________________ crazy ____________________

Teach-This.com © 2017 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.