The Cities Fighting for the World's Best Air
Grammar: Comparatives and superlatives
A Level 4 English lesson exploring environment.
What's in this lesson
A Level 4 (upper intermediate) ESL lesson on environment, practising comparatives and superlatives. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary, a grammar reference with practice and discussion questions.
From the reading: The Cities Fighting for the World's Best Air
In 2023, Delhi recorded an air quality index of over 400 on several days — a level considered hazardous even for healthy adults. Meanwhile, cities like Zurich and Helsinki regularly scored below 20, placing them among the cleanest urban environments on the planet. The gap between these cities is not simply a matter of geography or luck. It is the result of decades of policy decisions, and some cities are now catching up faster than anyone expected.
Vocabulary
- cycle network
- dramatic improvements
- public investment
- urban environment
- catch up
- cut down on
- phase out
- set up
- take on
Grammar: Comparatives and Superlatives
- Comparative adjectives
- Delhi's air is much worse than Helsinki's. — use than to compare two things
- Superlative adjectives
- Ulaanbaatar has some of the worst winter air in the world. — use the before superlatives
Discussion questions
- How clean is the air where you grew up?
- Should governments fine people for polluting behaviour?
- Which matters more to you: a city's beauty or its air quality?
The Cities Fighting for the World's Best Air
Grammar: Comparatives and superlatives
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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