One Clearer Label

Your goal

Compare small changes using comparative adjectives and explain a practical improvement.

Read the story

At a neighbourhood food cupboard, Lena organises donated tins, packets, and jars every Friday. People collect what they need from open shelves, and volunteers help them find things. The room is welcoming, but its labels are difficult to read. Some are written in tiny letters, and others describe several different foods at once. Lena often answers the same questions about where to find beans or rice. She wants to improve the system, although the team has neither the money nor the time to replace every shelf.

Lena starts with one small section beside the entrance. Before changing anything, she watches how visitors use it during a normal afternoon. Three people search behind the pasta for rice. A fourth person asks whether the jars on the bottom shelf contain sauce or soup. Lena writes down these specific problems instead of describing the whole room as confusing. Then she draws a simple plan on the back of an old delivery sheet. It shows a separate space for rice and a larger label at eye level.

Her colleague Pavel suggests using bright red paper for every label. Lena is unsure whether a new colour will help, so they compare two versions on an empty table. One has smaller writing on coloured paper; the other has larger black letters on plain white card. From the doorway, Pavel can read the white card more easily. They choose that version and make just three labels. They also move the rice to a shelf that visitors can reach without bending behind the pasta.

The next Friday, Lena checks the section again. Visitors find the rice with fewer questions, but one label falls off when someone moves a heavy bag. She attaches it more firmly and moves it away from the edge. The new arrangement is better, yet it still needs attention. Pavel reminds her that the other shelves remain untidy. Lena agrees and suggests doing one section each week. She usually has twenty quiet minutes before opening, which is enough for a small, clearly defined job.

At the monthly meeting, Lena brings her first drawing and a photograph of the changed section. She explains what is easier now and what still causes difficulty. Another volunteer offers to work on the breakfast shelf using the same process. Lena shares three steps: notice a specific problem, try a small change, and check what happens. Before the meeting ends, she writes the English words larger, clearer, and easier on a card. After covering the card, she recalls them and describes the shelf again.

A conversation to practise

Pavel: Is the red label better than the white one?

Lena: The white one is clearer from the doorway.

Pavel: Shall we change every shelf today?

Lena: A smaller job will fit the time we have.

Understand the story

1. What does Lena do before changing the shelf?
2. Why do Lena and Pavel choose the white card?
3. What problem remains after the first change?

Practise the language

1. Complete with the comparative of large: This label is ___ than that one.
2. Complete with the comparative of easy: The new shelf is ___ to reach than the old one.
3. Complete with the comparative of useful: A clear map is ___ than an empty sign.