Describing People
A descriptive essay about a person should consist of:
a) an introduction in which you give general information about the person, saying when, where and how you first met them;
b) a main body in which you describe their physical appearance, personal qualities and hobbies/interests. You start a new paragraph for each topic;
c) a conclusion in which you write your comments and/or feelings about the person.
When describing someone you know well or see often (i.e. a friend, a neighbour, etc), you should use present tenses. When describing someone who is no longer alive, or someone you knew a long time ago and you do not see any more, you should use past tenses.
Descriptions of people can be found in articles, letters, narratives, etc. The writing style you use depends on the situation and the intended reader. For example, if you are writing an article for a magazine, you should use semi-formal style and a polite, respectful tone.
1. Read the rubric and underline the key words, then answer the questions:
The editor of your school magazine has requested articles for a special issue about friendship. You have been invited to write a short article about a close friend of yours. Write your article describing the person's appearance, personality and hobbies/interests.
1. Which of the following main topics must you include?
qualifications hobbies/interests personality details about his/her school timetable
physical appearance & clothes details about your friend's house
PLAN
Introduction:
Paragraph 1
name of the person when, where and how you first met him/her
Main Body:
Paragraph 2
physical appearance (facial features & clothes)
Paragraph 3
personal qualities and justification/examples
Paragraph 4
hobbies/interests
Conclusion
Paragraph 5
comments & feelings about the person
2. a) Use the points below to complete the table, then make sentences about your family members.
fantastic sense of humour, sailing, painting, good-looking, immature, great sense of style, scuba diving, outgoing, olive skin, curly dark hair, casual clothes, friendly, wavy hair, pale complexion, rude, lazy, pointed nose, shoulder-length hair, tall, slim, of medium height, generous, popular, skiing, bossy, attractive, plump, rafting
| Topic | Main Points |
| appearance | |
| personal qualities | |
| hobbies/interests |
e.g. My mother has a fantastic sense of humour,
My brother likes sailing a lot.
b) Read the article and label the paragraphs with the headings below, then replace the topic sentences with other appropriate ones.
hobbies /interests, name & when/where/how met, comments/feelings,
physical appearance & clothes, personal qualities
A Close Friend
By Jim White
Jacques has been my close friend for two years. I first met him on a school exchange trip to Calais, France. I asked him the way to the library and we started talking. We've been friends ever since.
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Jacques is quite good-looking. He's tall and slim, with olive skin and curly dark hair. Like many French people, he has a great sense of style, so he always looks well-dressed even in casual clothes.
Jacques is very outgoing. He is always friendly and loves to have fun. He's got a fantastic sense of humour and he always makes me laugh. However, he can be a bit immature at times. For example, when he doesn't get what he wants, he acts childishly and stamps his feet.
Jacques is very keen on water sports. He likes sailing and he spends a lot of time on his boat. He enjoys scuba diving, too, and loves exploring life under the sea.
All in all, I'm glad to have Jacques as my friend. It's a pleasure to be with him and I really enjoy his company. I'm sure we'll always be close friends.
NOTES:
When you describe someone's physical appearance you start with the general features (i.e. height, build, age) and move on to the more specific ones, such as hair, eyes, nose, etc. You can also add a description of the clothes the person likes to wear.
e.g. Laura is a tall, slim woman in her early twenties. She has got red hair, green eyes and freckles. She usually wears smart suits.
When you describe someone's personal qualities you should support your description with examples and/or justifications.
e.g. Wayne is very shy. For example, he finds It difficult to make new friends.
You can also describe someone's personality through their mannerisms by:
a) referring to the way they speak:
e.g. He speaks in a soft voice as if he were whispering.
b) describing the gestures they use:
e.g. She constantly uses her hands when she speaks.
c) mentioning a particular habit they have:
e.g. Jason a/ways bites his nails when he is nervous.
Note: When you mention someone's negative qualities you should use mild language (seems to, can be rather, etc). For example, instead of saying Paul is lazy, it is better to say Paul can be rather lazy at times.
3. Read the article again and circle the adjectives/ phrases used to describe Jacques' physical appearance and personality. Does Jacques have any negative qualities? Does the writer describe any of Jacques' mannerisms?
Linking Words & Phrases
To make your piece of writing more interesting, you can use a variety of linking words and phrases to join sentences or ideas together.
e.g. Joyce has got red hair. Shes got freckles.
Joyce has got red hair and freckles.
David is a tall man. He is in his late forties.
David is a tail man who is in his late forties.
Bridget is an attractive. She's got shoulder-length hair.
Bridget is an attractive woman with shoulder-length hair.
She is tall. She is thin.
She is both tall and thin.
You can join descriptions of similar personal qualities by using in addition, also, and, moreover, etc.
e.g. She is cheerful. She is always smiling. She always behaves politely.
She is cheerful and is always smiling. Moreover, she always behaves politely.
You can join descriptions of contrasting qualities by using but, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, etc
e.g. He is clever and always does well at school. He can be bossy at times. He is clever and always does well at school. However, he can be bossy at times.
4. Fill in the gaps with the correct linking word/phrase from the list below.
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And, but, with
1. Bob is a tall man in his late twenties dark hair and brown eyes. He has a beard he hasn't got a moustache. He likes wearing jeans, T-shirts trainers.
And, with, who
2. Jenny is a pretty child will soon be eight years old. She is quite tall for her age, long curly hair, big almond-shaped eyes a wide smile.
As well as, also, both
3. Helen is cheerful and friendly. She is polite kind-hearted. She never says a bad word about anyone.
However, and, also
4. Carl is very intelligent always gets fantastic marks in all his tests. He is creative and likes to write short stories. , Carl is rather shy and feels uncomfortable speaking in front of a lot of people.
5. Describe the people using a variety of structures and linking words.
Susie has dark hair, brown eyes and a small nose.
1. Susie: a red / blonde / dark hair
b blue / brown / green eyes
c pointed / small / big nose
2. Veronica: a early teens / early thirties / late forties
b wavy / curly / straight hair
c fair / pale / dark complexion
3. Gerald: a short / average height / tall
b dimples / glasses / beard
c sportswear / business clothes / casually dressed
4. Julie: a short / long / shoulder-length hair
b tanned / pale / olive skin
c friendly / aggressive / rude expression
5. Mr. Roberts: a slim / medium / heavy build
b young / middle-aged / elderly
c scar / beard / moustache
6. Match the adjectives to their justifications. Then, use your answers to talk about your friends and/or relatives, as in the example.
Adjectives
1 generous 2 talkative 3 energetic 4 intelligent 5 bossy
6 rude 7 impatient 8 popular 9 cheerful 10 lazy
11 well-dressed 12 selfish
Justifications
always buys family presents doesn't like working always tells people what to do
wears smart clothes isn't polite to other people does well at school
is very active cares only about him/herself never stops chatting
hates waiting for anything always smiles is liked by everyone
My sister is a generous person who always buys her family presents.
7. Complete these descriptions using the adjectives in the list.
moody, energetic, generous, cheerful, lazy, impatient, aggressive, selfish
1. Tom is . Whenever he visits us he brings flowers and gifts for the children.
2. Susan is . When she gets angry she starts shouting and bangs her fist on the table.
3. Paul is . When he has to wait for anything he constantly looks at his watch.
4. Alison is . She hardly ever gets tired and is enthusiastic about everything.
5. My aunt Betty is . She is always in a good mood and smiles a lot.
6. Rick is . He doesn't like working or doing sports. He would rather sit around and watch TV all day.
7. Angela is . She doesn't like sharing her toys with other children.
8. Wanda is .One minute she is happy and the next she is sad and won't talk to anyone.
8. Read the paragraphs below and cross out the unnecessary words, as in the example. What is each paragraph about? How does the writer justify Megan's description? What examples of her mannerisms does the writer give?
Megan is a very cheerful and little girl who is always happy and smiling.
However, she can to be a bit shy at times.
Whenever she will meets new people she blushes then looks down at the floor.
Megan loves doing the puzzles.
Nothing makes her the happier than
spending much hours putting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together.
9. Read the topic sentences, then write appropriate supporting sentences, as in the example.
e.g. My grandmother is a very kind-hearted person.
She cares about everyone she meets, and she is always ready to help someone in trouble.
1. Our teacher is quite handsome.
2. I like my five-year-old cousin, but he can be very naughty.
3. My friend, Jackie, is very intelligent.
4. My neighbour, Mrs Gray, takes good care of herself.
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5. My sister's friend, Simon, loves adventure and dangerous sports.
10. a) Read the rubric and underline the key words. Then, read the composition and put the paragraphs into the correct order.
Your teacher has asked you to write a composition describing a person who once helped you. Write your composition, describing the person's appearance, personal qualities, mannerisms and hobbies/interests.
A Friend in Need
In her spare time, Ruth liked to read. She loved detective stories and crime novels, and she used to bring me many of her favourite books to read. I remember she also spoke about the karate lessons she went to twice a week.
I first met Ruth when I was in hospital in Melbourne about three years ago. I was there on holiday, but had become seriously ill. Ruth was the patient in the next bed. She not only kept me company the whole time I was in hospital, but also visited me for many weeks after she recovered from her own illness.
When I returned to England, we kept in touch by letter. Then, about a year ago, Ruth got a new job and moved to another part of Australia. Sadly, we have lost touch with each other, but I will never forget her kindness and help.
Ruth had a quiet but very friendly nature. She was generous as well as kind-hearted. Whenever she visited me she always brought flowers and chocolates. She talked in a low voice because she was rather shy. She also blushed very easily, although she had a great sense of humour.
Ruth was pretty. She was tall, fairly slim and in her mid-teens then. She had a small pretty face, with smiling eyes and long straight brown hair. She liked to dress casually in bright, colourful clothes which matched her sunny personality.
