I. Words to use
a. skinny, straight, almond-shaped, square, wavy, well-built, oval,
middle-aged, scar, curly, muscular, round, crooked, limp, heavily-built
teenage, full, tanned, spots, blond, shoulder-length, formally dressed
freckled, pale, high cheekbones, wrinkled, of medium height
b.
Height/build/age
冘 In her twenties, tall,
Facial features
冘 Oval face, small nose, thin lips, green eyes
Hair
冘 Red, shoulder-length
Clothes
冘 Fashionable tops
Character
冘 Polite, gentle, quiet
Hobbies/interests
冘 Goes to the gym, collect stamps
c. describe a person in your partner
II. Organization of a composition
冘 Introduction
Set the scene ( name of the person/ time/place you met/ saw him/ her)
冘 Main body
a. physical appearance
b. personality characteristics
c. activities he/she takes part in: hobbies, interests
冘 Conclusion
Comments / feelings about the person
III. Points to remember
冘 When describing physical appearance you should give details in the following order: height/built/age, facial features, hair, clothes moving from the most general adjectives to the most specific ones, e.g. Ann is a tall, thin woman. She has got a long face, blue eyes and an upturned nose. She wears her long blond hair loose. She is often casually dressed in a T-shirt and jeans.
冘 When describing character and behaviour, support your description with examples. E.g. Tom is very reserved. He never talks about his feelings.
冘 Make your composition more interesting by using a wide range of adjectives (fabulous, superb, etc.) instead of a limited one (good, big, nice, etc.)
冘 Be careful with the use of tenses. You can use present tenses when you describe someone in the present, and past tenses when you describe someone related to the past, e.g. someone you had met before you moved to this city, someone who is no longer alive, etc.
冘 Avoid writing simple short sentences. More complex sentences joined with connectors make your composition more eye-catching. E.g. Instead of saying: John is thin. He has large blue eyes. He has long curly hair. He has full lips. He wears his hair loose. You can say: John is a tall thin man with large blue eyes and full lips. He wears his long curly hair loose.
冘 When you describe someone for official purposes e.g. a police report, you emphasize the physical features and try to give the most accurate description possible. When you write a letter to recommend someone for a job you write only about his/ her personality characteristics.
IV. Exercises
1. Read the following composition and put it in the right order.
A Julie is quite short and slim. She ˉs got a round face with beautiful almond-shaped eyes and a slightly upturned nose. She often wears her shoulder-length fair hair in a pony-tail. Julie prefers comfortable clothes and can often be seen wearing a blue jumper, a pair of denim jeans and trainers.
B Over the years, I have shared many good times with Julie. She has been one of m best and most trusted friends. I feel fortunate to have met her.
C I have known Julie since my first day at school, when we were only five. I can remember her smiling face as the teacher, Mrs Snow, asked me to share the same desk with her.
D One of Julieˇs favourite hobbies is cycling. She also enjoys reading peopleˇs horoscopes and trying to predict what will happen in the future. Julie likes going to the cinema and is especially fond of adventure films.
E
Although Julie is quite reserved, she is a kind person who will listen to your problems and try to help you. She is also quite active and enjoys outdoor activities.
2. The following models describe a relative of yours who is no longer alive. Read the compositions and compare and contrast them. Which is purely descriptive? Which involves narrative techniques? Underline the narrative parts.
MODEL A
My grandmother died two years ago, but I still have fond memories of the time we spent together when she was alive.
She used to live in Australia but she moved back to England to live in a little house, She was a sweet, plump lady and she was rather short. She had a round face, short grayish curly hair and friendly green eyes. Her rosy cheeks gave her wrinkled face a childlike appearance. She always used to wear perfectly-ironed dresses.
My grandmother was a very generous and understanding woman. She always had something for everyone and listen to us without intruding into our lives.
My grandmotherˇs main interest was writing and she managed to publish several books of poetry while she was alive. As well as that, she had many other hobbies and interests in there was always something to talk about.
My grandmother was a fantastic woman who gave me comfort, advice and support whenever I needed it. I shall never forget her.
MODEL B
I ˉll never forget the first time I met my grandmother. She had been living in Australia, but decided to move back to England.
When she arrived I stood nervously pulling on my fatherˇs coat, half hiding behind him. It had never occurred to me that this sweet, plump, elderly lady would be so excited to meet me. She was shorter than I had imagined and had a round face, short, grayish curly hair and friendly green eyes. Her rosy cheeks gave her wrinkled face a childlike appearance, and when she smiled at me I couldnˇt resist giving her a big hug, ignoring her perfectly-ironed dress.
It wasnˇt long before I realized how generous and understanding she was. She always had something for everyone and was there to listen to us without intruding into our lives.
She was determined to buy a little house of her own so she could find the peace and quiet that she needed to write her poetry. She had so many hobbies and interests that there was always something to talk about.
That meeting with my grandmother led to a close relationship which lasted until her death two years ago. She was a fantastic lady and I shall always be grateful for the comfort, advice and support she gave me whenever I needed it.
3. Write any of the following compositions using 100 ~ 150 words.
a. A youth magazine is running ¨The Best Mum of the Year〃 competition and has asked its readers to submit their compositions describing their mothers. Write your composition for the competition.
b. Write a composition describing the person who has influenced your life the most.
c. A TV channel has asked its young viewers to submit a description of their favorite film star.