MODULE 1
26
• Descriptions in stories
Stories may include descriptions of the people,
objects or places involved in the event(s).
Describing People
• When you describe
physical appearance
,
remember to include details of:
height
,
build
,
age
,
facial features
,
hair
,
clothes
,
moving from general adjectives to more
specific ones.
e.g. John was a tall, well-built
man. He had an oval face with bright blue
eyes and a big nose. His short, fair hair
made him look sophisticated. He always
dressed smartly in a well-cut suit and tie.
• When you describe a
person’s character
, you
should always justify the qualities you mention
each time.
e.g. He was so reliable, he would
never let you down.
The negative qualities should be written using
mild language
e.g.
Instead of saying:
He was
aggressive
,
you can say:
He
had/showed/
displayed a tendency
to be aggressive
or
He
could be
aggressive at times
.
1
a) The following adjectives describe people’s
physical characteristics. List them as in the
example. Compare with your partner.
•
blue
•
short
•
oval
•
tiny
•
straight
•
freckled
•
dark
•
of medium height
•
slim
•
upturned
•
muscular
•
brown
•
wavy
•
overweight
•
blond(e)
•
almond‒shaped
•
long
•
plump
•
wrinkled
•
ugly
•
shabby
•
crooked
•
elegant
•
attractive
•
fashionable
•
slanting
•
tall
•
casual
•
curly
•
green
•
well‒built
b) Find pictures of people from magazines.
Describe them to your partner.
Height
short
Build
tiny
Face
oval
Eyes
blue
Nose
straight
Hair
brown
Clothes
shabby
2
a) Fill in:
lazy
,
intelligent
,
practical
,
reliable
,
patient
,
lively
,
unstable
,
generous
,
boring
,
optimistic
.
1
Mary was a very . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . person. You could
always count on her to do what you asked her to.
2
He tended to be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . His mood was
likely to change at any time.
3
He was a very . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . person. He did
nothing but watch TV most of the day.
4
Mike could often be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . He had a
tendency to repeat the same old stories.
5
She had a very . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . outlook on life.
She always looked on the bright side. She never
expected anything to go wrong.
6
The teacher was very . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . with her
students. She always explained things several
times.
7
The little boy was so . . . . . . . . . . . . . . he could learn
things quickly and easily.
8
Her uncle was very . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . He always
gave money to charity.
9
Josh was very . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . He was full of
energy and high spirits.
10
Her husband was very . . . . . . . . . . . . . . He repaired
everything around the house.
b) Use appropriate adjectives to describe a
friend of yours to your partner.
3
Make sentences with the following
personality traits. Justify the adjectives when
describing a person.
•
pleasant
•
reserved
•
sensible
•
selfish
•
helpful
•
na
ï
ve
•
unreliable
•
silly
•
honest
•
unpredictable
•
serious
•
curious
•
dishonest
•
pessimistic
•
sociable
•
witty
•
amusing
•
dull
Her children
were very
pleasant. They
always
behaved in a
polite and
friendly manner.
