Descriptive writing (people)

Hi Paul,

Charlie told me you are looking for a new singer for your band. If so, I think my friend might be perfect. Her name is Bella and she’s my neigbour and classmate.

Bella’s our age, though she looks like she’s already in her early twenties. She’s very pretty. She’s about medium height and slim, and she’s got long, straight, dark hair. She dresses fashionably, though usually in black.

She’s very easy-going and I think she has a great sense of humour – we get on really well. She has an incredibly warm personality. She’s supportive and knows how to encourage people when they are feeling down.

She’s also a very creative person and a fantastic singer. She plays the piano and writes her own songs and has even made a video to go with one of them. She’s into all sorts of music, from classical to punk and I think she;s the sort of person who is open to new ideas.

I think she looks a bit like a Hollywood film star because she’s very glamorous. And she’d make a great singer for the band.

Watch her video (attached) and let me know what you think.

Best wishes,

Max

Descriptions of / Articles about people should consist of:

Descriptions of people can be found in articles, letters, narratives etc.

We usually use present tenses to describe someone we know well/see often (a relative, a good neighbour) and past tenses to describe someone who is no longer alive or who we don’t see any more (our best friend from primary school, a grandparent who has died).

Now look through the letter again and match the headings to the paragraphs:

A personality and justifications

B comments and feelings

C name and where/when/how met

D physical appearance

E interests

When describing someone’s physical appearance you can use the following sentences.

Mention age.

He’s (about) my/your/our age.

He’s in his teens/early/mid/late twenties.

Describe hair, eyes, skin and face.

He’s got cool, short, medium length dark hair.

She’s got beautiful, long, straight, curly, thick, blonde hair.

She’s got a kind/friendly/unusual smile/face.

He’s dark-skinned/wrinkled/freckled/tanned.

He’s got deep blue/light brown/sparkling/expressive/lively eyes.

She’s got long/hooked/straight/upturned nose.

Mention height/build.

She’s short/medium height/tall.

He’s fairly well-built/slim/skinny/overweight.

Describe clothes.

She dresses casually, smart/well/in black.

He always wears casual /scruffy/fashionable/stylish/designer clothes.

He never wears a tie.

Use adjectives from the list to complete Susan’s description.

Susan is quite good-looking.

She’s slim with …and … hair.

She’s pale-skinned with a ….  nose.

She always looks well-dressed in … clothes.

When describing someone’s personality, use a variety of character adjectives and justify them with an explanation or example.

For example: She’s supportive. She knows how to encourage people when they are feeling down.

Some adjectives in English can sound negative when used to describe a person. Replace them with neutral expressions like: tend to, seem to, is rather, etc.

For example: Jo is a bit too slim.       NOT Jo is skinny.

Harry is not interested in fashion.      instead of    Harry is scruffy.

Now match the adjectives to their justifications.

1. Optimistic – always looks on the bright side of life.

2. Talkative – never stops chatting

3. Bossy – is always telling people what to do.

4. Selfish – only cares about himself.

5. Energetic – is always on the go.

6. Popular – has lots of friends and is liked by everyone.

7. Lazy – doesn’t like working.

8. Ambitious – has a strong desire to be successful in life.

9. Hot-tempered – gets angry really easily.

10. Easy-going – isn’t easily annoyed, worried or upset.

11. Shy –  looks down at the floor and blushes when speaking to unfamiliar people.

12. Confident – looks people in the eye and smiles when meeting them for the first time.

13. Sensitive – her/his eyes often fill with tears while watching sad movies.

14. Moody – often sits with his arms folded and with a grumpy expression on his face.

15. Impatient – taps the foot and sighs when he has to wait.

16. Nervous – bites the nails constantly and often fidgets a lot.

Fill in: aggressive, pessimistic, generous, hard-working, outgoing, arrogant, sensitive, cheerful.

1. Sam is so hard-working. He believes that a job isn’t worth doing unless it’s done properly.

2. Maggie is quite aggressive. She often picks fights with people and gets angry really easily.

3. Jake is outgoing. He’s the life and soul of the party and loves meeting new people.

4. Greg is pessimistic. He always expects the worst.

5. Kate is cheerful. She’s always got a smile on her face and never lets anything get down.

6. I’ve never met anyone as generous as Nancy. She’s always buying people gifts.

7. John is so arrogant! He thinks he’s more important and better than everyone else.

8. Sam is a sensitive guy. He’s a great listener and seems to understand when you’re feeling down.

Linking words and phrases

We can join descriptions of similar personal qualities by using: in addition, also, and, both … and, moreover, as well as etc.

E.g. She is both kind and helpful. Moreover, she never loses her temper.

We can join descriptions of contrasting qualities by using: but, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, in spite of this, although etc.

E.g. She is independent and knows her own mind. However, she is sometimes very stubborn.

Now it’s time to practise the rule.

You’ve recently received an email from your English friend, William.

Read part of his letter and write your reply to William.

While writing your email, remember to follow these steps:

·                   Thank your friend for offering to show your sister round London.

·                   Mention your sister’s age.

·                   Describe her physical appearance and clothes.

·                   Describe her personality (mention something negative).

·                   Mention some of her interests.

·                   Thank your friend again.

·                   Say goodbye.