Desccriptions

Describing a person

GENERAL

FACE

BODY

CLOTHES

PERSONALITY

POSTURE

(ADVANCED)

GO TO THE ELEMENTARY VERSION

Susan is my neighbour and she is a very good artist. She is a tall and slim woman. She's probably in her thirties, maybe 34 or 35, and she has dark skin.

GENERAL

HEIGHT

WEIGHT

AGE

SKIN

WHO?

Relationship: my mother / father / grandmother / grandfather / sister / brother / cousin / aunt / uncle / niece / nephew / step-brother... a friend a neighbour a classmate Profession: a teacher / scientist / sports(wo)man / artist / singer

HEIGHT: My friend is (very) tall / towering / gigantic. My friend is (quite) short. My friend is (relatively) normal / (above / below) average / medium height. My friend is petite / tiny. My friend is 183 cm tall / 6' (feet) tall.

WEIGHT: My friend is skinny / underweight / thin. (negative ) My friend is slim / slender. My friend is well-built. My friend is fat / overweight. (negative ) My friend is plump / bonny. He has a beer belly.

AGE: My friend is a baby / a toddler / a child / a teenager / an adult. My friend is young / middle-aged / old / (fairly) elderly. My friend is 8 months old / under 18 / over 18 / 38 years old / almost 60. My friend is a fourteen-year-old teenager. My friend will be turning 20 next week. My friend is in his early thirties / in his mid-forties / in her late twenties. My friend is the same age as (me) / very athletic for his age / old enough to be my father / young at heart. My friend doesn't look his age.

My friend has pale / fair / olive / (lightly) tanned / light-brown / dark skin. My friend has dry / oily / smooth / rough / leathery / wrinkled skin. My friend has a dark / pale / light / sallow / ruddy / olive / swarthy / clear complexion. My friend has flawless skin.

Other features:head, moustache, beard, chin. forehead, nostrils, wrinkles, sideburns, goatee

Susan’s hair is long, wavy and grey, and she has a side parting. She has wide almond-shaped brown eyes, thin eyebrows and long thick eyelashes. She has a bulbous nose and rosy cheeks. As regards her mouth, she has thin cracked lips, a beautiful smile and perfect teeth. She also has laughter lines around her mouth, a scar in her wide forehead and a pointed chin.

Click on the part you want to describe

FACE

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My best friend has short straight black hair. My friend’s hair is short, straight and black. long shortmedium-lengthshoulder-length cropped / shaved neatly combed straightwavycurlyspikybushy / thick frizzy thin / fine / thinning soft / silky dry greasy / shiny blackdark brown / light brownfair / blond(e) / goldenauburnred / gingergreyMy best friend is a blonde / a brunette / a redhair. He is bald / partly bald / balding. The hair is permed / bleached / dyed / highlighted / neatly-combed / parted in the middle / side parted / shaven / loose. My friend has a bun / pigtails / a ponytail / braids / a fringe / ringlets / no hair / a receding hairline / a bald patch / a bald spot / a centre parting / a side parting. My friend has a new haircut / hairstyle.

My best friend has arched bushy black eyebrows. My friend’s eyebrows are arched, bushy and black. archedraisedroundedbushythickthinblackdark / light brownfairblonderedgreywhite

My friend has big brown eyes. My friend has big / small / thin / wide eyes. My friend has almond-shaped / round / bulging / protruding / deep-set / sunken eyes. My friend has made-up / short-sighted / piercing / penetrating / steely / bloodshot / watery / puffy eyes. My friend has expressive / sweet / smart / wide / bright / sparkling / twinkling / beady / lively / sorrowful eyes. My friend has (dark/light) grey / green / blue / brown / hazel / black eyes. My friend has a black eye. (ojo morado)

My best friend has long / short / dark / thick / curly / false eyelashes. My friend’s eyelashes are long / short / dark / thick / curly / false.

My friend has a flat / bulbous / pointed / sharp / snub nose. My friend has a straight / hooked / Roman / aquiline nose. My friend's nose is flat...

My friend has full / thick / thin / pouty lips. My friend has dry / chapped /cracked lips. My friend has a big / small mouth. My friend has white / perfect / crooked / protruding teeth. My friend has a wide / beautiful / nice / friendly / warm smile. My friend's lips are full... My friend's mouth is big... My friend's teeth are white... My friend's smile is wide...

My friend has flushed / rosy / ruddy / pale / soft / chubby / sunken cheeks. My friend's cheeks are flushed...

My friend is good-looking, attractive, pretty, handsome, unattractive My friend has deep / fine / little / facial wrinkles. My friend has laughter lines / crow's feet My friend has a wrinkled face. My friend has a scar / spots / pimples / freckles. My friend has a clean shaven face. My friend has a square / oval / round / triangular / heart-shaped face. My friend has a massive / big / small head. My friend has a large / high / broad / wide / sloping forehead. My friend has a strong / weak / pointed / double chin. My friend has a long / full / bushy / wispy / goatee beard. My friend has a long / thin / bushy / droopy / handlebar / pencil moustache.

Other features:back, figure, build

BODY

Click on the part you want to describe

G

Let’s continue with Susan’s slender figure. She is of athletic build and has a straight back. Her neck is long and she has thin arms, small manicured hands and bony fingers. Her chest is small, her waist is slim, but her hips are wide. Finally, she has muscular legs and small feet.

My friend has a long / short / thick / slender / (disapproving) scrawny neck. My friend's neck is long...

My friend has a bare / broad / muscular / small / large chest. My friend's chest is bare...

My friend has a flat / swollen / bulging stomach. My friend has a small / tiny / narrow / slim / slender / 28-inch waist . My friend has big / wide / narrow / slim hips. My friend's stomach is flat... My friend's waist is small... My friend's hips are big...

My friend has thin / slender / muscular arms. My friend has big / large / small / manicured / calloused / gloved hands. My friend has long / short / fat / slender / delicate / bony fingers. My friend's arms are thin... My friend's hands are big... My friend's fingers are long...

My friend has long / muscular / hairy / shapely / skinny / spindly legs. My friend has muscular / chubby / flabby thighs. My friend has big / little / small / dainty / wide / narrow / bare feet. My friend's legs are long... My friend's thighs are muscular...My friend's feet are big...

My friend has a straight / bent / arched / broad / hairy back. My friend has a good / slim / slender / an hourglass figure. My friend is of slim / medium / average / large / athletic / stocky build. My friend's back is straight... My friend's figure is good...

POSTURE

G

Click on the image of the posture you want to descibe

In this picture, you can see him lying on the floor.

He is waiting / sitting / standing with his arms folded. He is arms folded.

He is waiting / sitting / standing with his hands on his hips. He has his hands on his hips.

He has his hands clasped. He is standing / kneeling with hands clasped. His hands are clasped.

He is waiting / standing with his hands by his sides. He has his hands by his sides.

He is waiting / sitting / standing with his hands in his pockets. He has his hands in his pockets.

He is standing.

He is lying (on the floor).

She is seated. She is sitting.

ACCESSORIES

CLOTHES

G

SHOES

CLOTHES

ADJECTIVES

STYLE

Regarding her clothes, she normally wears casual clothes, but today, she is dressed for a special occasion. She is wearing a lovely dark blue dress, high-heeled silk shoes, long silver earrings, an elegant silver necklace and a stylish flowered headband.

belt  watch  earrings  bracelet  necklace  ring  piercings  bow  tie  tattoo  glasses  mobile phone  umbrella  bag  headband CLOTHES: smart  baggy  loose  tight  long  short-sleeved  woollen  cotton  denim  handcrafted  conventional  stylish  multi-coloured CLOTHES PATTERNS: checked  striped  plain  spotted  flowered  print  tartan SHOES: well polished  leather  comfortable  high-heeled  flats  sports  barefoot

She (normally) wears ... Today / In the picture, she is wearing... jewellery / a belt / a watch / earrings / a bracelet / a necklace / a ring / piercings / a bow / a tie / a tattoo / glasses / contact lenses / a mobile phone / an umbrella / a bag / a headband / perfume

belt  watch  earrings  bracelet  necklace  ring  piercings  bow  tie  tattoo  glasses  mobile phone  umbrella  bag  headband CLOTHES: smart  baggy  loose  tight  long  short-sleeved  woollen  cotton  denim  handcrafted  conventional  stylish  multi-coloured CLOTHES PATTERNS: checked  striped  plain  spotted  flowered  print  tartan SHOES: well polished  leather  comfortable  high-heeled  flats  sports  barefoot

belt  watch  earrings  bracelet  necklace  ring  piercings  bow  tie  tattoo  glasses  mobile phone  umbrella  bag  headband CLOTHES: smart  baggy  loose  tight  long  short-sleeved  woollen  cotton  denim  handcrafted  conventional  stylish  multi-coloured CLOTHES PATTERNS: checked  striped  plain  spotted  flowered  print  tartan SHOES: well polished  leather  comfortable  high-heeled  flats  sports  barefoot

belt  watch  earrings  bracelet  necklace  ring  piercings  bow  tie  tattoo  glasses  mobile phone  umbrella  bag  headband CLOTHES: smart  baggy  loose  tight  long  short-sleeved  woollen  cotton  denim  handcrafted  conventional  stylish  multi-coloured CLOTHES PATTERNS: checked  striped  plain  spotted  flowered  print  tartan SHOES: well polished  leather  comfortable  high-heeled  flats  sports  barefoot

belt  watch  earrings  bracelet  necklace  ring  piercings  bow  tie  tattoo  glasses  mobile phone  umbrella  bag  headband CLOTHES: smart  baggy  loose  tight  long  short-sleeved  woollen  cotton  denim  handcrafted  conventional  stylish  multi-coloured CLOTHES PATTERNS: checked  striped  plain  spotted  flowered  print  tartan SHOES: well polished  leather  comfortable  high-heeled  flats  sports  barefoot

well polished / leather / comfortable / high-heeled / flat / sportsShe normally wears well-polished shoes. Today / In the picture, she is wearing well-polished shoes. She is barefoot.

She normally wears T-shirts. Today / In the picture, she is wearing a T-shirt.

She normally wears lovely handcrafted cotton T-shirts. Today / In the picture, she is wearing a big flowered Indian scarf. OPINIONSIZESHAPECOLOURPATTERNORIGINFABRIClovelystylish sophisticated smart conventional practical sensible casual designer fancy fashionable old-fashioned elegant longshortbigsmalllong-sleevedshort-sleeved3/4 lengthform-fittingloose-fittingbaggyloosetightnarrowyelloworangepinkred(dark) green(light) bluepurplebrowngreyblackmulti-colouredcolourfulcheckedstripedplainspottedfloweredprintanimal-printtartanplaingeometrical polka dotstartanhandcrafted second-handItalianSpanishScottishEnglishFrenchChineseThaiIndianlinenwool / woollencottondenimsilkcorduroytweedpolyesterlycra / spandexleathernylon

She is (normally) formally-dressed / casually-dressed / neatly-dressed / untidily dressed. She is trendy / old-fashioned / scruffy / glamorous / sexy She normally wears trendy / smart / casual / old-fashioned / vintage / scruffy / glamorous / sexy clothes. She has good / great / terrible / awful taste in clothes. Today / In the picture, she is wearing trendy / old-fashioned / vintage / scruffy / glamorous / sexy clothes. She is dressed in leather / jeans / blue. She is dressed for work / school / dinner / a special occasion. She is dressed as a man / clown / pirate.

PERSONALITY

ADJECTIVES

DEGREE ADVERBS

IDIOMS / SIMILES

TYPES OF SENTENCES

To conclude, just a few words about her personality. I find her to be very helpful. She is always there when I need her. Some people say that she is a bit proud, but I know that this isn't true. In fact, she is really shy, but she has a great sense of humour.

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OPPOSITES attentive absent-minded adventurous, courageous unadventurous, cowardly affectionate, loving hateful agile, athletic, coordinated clumsy behaved, obedient naughty bright, brilliant, smart dull, slow calm aggressive, nervous careful, fussy careless cautious, cowardly incautious, bold, brave charitable greedy charming repulsive cheerful, happy gloomy, grumpy, moody clever, intelligent unclever, silly common, conventional, ordinary strange, peculiar, weird communicative, open secretive, enigmatic, taciturn compassionate cruel, spiteful confident unconfident considerate careless, inattentive cooperative uncooperative creative uncreative curious, nosy incurious, indifferent determined undetermined, irresolute easygoing quick-tempered energetic, lively inactive, lazy, apathetic extrovert, outgoing introvert funny, humorous boring, serious generous mean grateful rude happy sad helpful, sympathetic, sensitive cold, unsociable, insensitive honest, reliable dishonest, unreliable humble, modest proud, arrogant, vain imaginative realistic independent dependent loyal, trustworthy disloyal, untrustworthy lucky unlucky mature, sensible, rational childish, irrational modest bossy nice, good, gentle, kind bad, evil, wicked, unkind optimistic, positive pessimistic, negative organised, tidy, systematic messy, untidy patient impatient peaceful violent pleasant, friendly, lovely unpleasant, unfriendly polite impolite, rude popular unpopular, unknown quiet, silent noisy reasonable stubborn refined coarse respectful disrespectful responsible irresponsible satisfied, modest ambitious, pushy shy arrogant sociable lonely straightforward sly strong weak studious ignorant, lazy successful unsuccessful, hopeless sweet nasty tactful thoughtless talented, accomplished, skilful clumsy tolerant, flexible intolerant, strict undoubting jealous unselfish, kind selfish well-behaved cheeky, audacious wise ignorant

En la siguiente tabla podemos ver los adverbios que podemos usar para modificar/intensificar el significado de los adjetivos que queremos usar. Las tres primeras columnas se usan con adjetivos que se pueden graduar (He is remarkably bold.), mientras que la cuarta columna se usa con adjetivos absolutos, es decir, que no se pueden graduar (He is absolutely brilliant). MILD+MEDIUM++STRONG+++ABSOLUTE++++a littlea bitslightlynot especiallynot particularlyscarcely barely (not) at all fairlyprettyquiterathersomewhatamazingly awfully certainly deeply enormously especially extremely greatly highly incredibly insanely particularly really remarkably spectacularly strongly terribly uncommonly unusually very wonderfully absolutely completely entirely perfectly thoroughly totally utterly Cuando queremos rebajar el significado del adjetivo, bien porque es negativo o porque no llega a ser así del todo, usamos advetbios de las dos primeras columnas: He is slightly mean. En este caso, podemos empezar la frase con expresiones como I'm afraid he is... / He can be... sometimes para rebajar lo negativo del comentario.

Describe personality using examples: Tom is confident, outgoing, and very adventurous. Whenever the teacher asks for a volunteer, he is the first to raise his hand. I find him to be very helpful, he always tries to encourage people to do their best, which is one of the things I admire about him. Even though we don’t see each other as much as we used to, I really appreciate our wonderful friendship. She is very calm and easy-going. She never loses her temper. I admire her for being very broad-minded. We can ask her questions about lots of subjects that some other teachers would refuse to discuss. He has a great sense of humour too … he’d laugh at our jokes as well as make us laugh. She tends to be thick-skinned … she doesn't let people or problems affect her too much. He is enormously empathetic, he really understands emotion and is a great and generous listener. People have often said that he has many striking resemblances with me. I’d say we are both caring, empathetic, loving and hard-working. He is a bit moody. He frequently loses his temper. She enjoys being the life and soul of the party. What I mean is that she can make people laugh a lot in every party that she joins in. He is very helpful. When I am in trouble, he will consistently be there for me and help me out. Express your opinion: In my opinion, ... At the first glance,... I know him well enough to say that ... If I know him well enough, I think that... I believe that we are quite similar. We are both the kind of people who... I think, believe, feel... He is probably... She is inspiring in her attention to detail. I would say that...

To be... a bookworm: a person who loves to read. a night owl: a person who goes to bed late and wakes up late. an early bird: a person who goes to bed early and wakes up early. a hard nut to crack: a person who is difficult to know well (Jan is a hard nut to crack. I can’t figure her out). a tough cookie: a tough, strong person, both in life and physical strength (My mom is one tough cookie. She raised my brothers and me all by herself, and still managed to get her college degree). a shoulder to cry on: someone who is willing to listen to your problems and give you sympathy, emotional support, and encouragement (I wish you'd been here when my mother died and I needed a shoulder to cry on). SIMILES: as tough as nails / old boots "Victor is tough as nails, man. He could lift a car, I swear. I wouldn’t mess with him." “I never worry about my grandfather’s health. He’s as tough as old boots.”as bold as brass = to be unafraid of the reaction you’ll get if you do something“So John went up to his boss, as bold as brass, and asked for a pay raise.”as dull as ditchwater = to be very boring“I had to attend a company dinner. The conversation was as dull as ditchwater.”as good as gold = to be very well-behaved“It’s always a pleasure to babysit her children. They’re as good as gold.”as daft as a brush = to be silly or forgetful“I’m getting as daft as a brush. I managed to lose my glasses twice today.”as cool as a cucumber = to not show any emotion“He told me he was nervous in the meeting, but he looked as cool as a cucumber!”as sharp as a tack = very quick to understand“Her son is as sharp as a tack. They’ve moved him up a class at school.”as regular as clockwork = to be very regular in your habits“There’s John again, walking his dog. He’s as regular as clockwork.” as busy as a bee "I am trying to complete my assignment by the weekend and am as busy as a bee". as brave as a lion "As brave as a lion, Mr A jumped into the river to save the drowned boy." as cunning as a fox "He thought he was being cunning as a fox in the way he had been skimming money from the cash registers, but management caught up with him eventually." as free as a bird "Now that I've got my divorce, I feel as free as a bird". as gentle as a lamb "Brian was as gentle as a lamb and wouldn't hurt anyone". as happy as a lark "She's happy as a lark with her ten dollar pay raise, even though the long-term prospects for the business are not good". as mad as a hatter "The way he dressed for the event, he must be as mad as a hatter." as stubborn/obstinate as a mule "You'll never get him to change his opinion—he's obstinate as a mule." as proud as a peacock "He was as proud as a peacock when he passed his driving test at the first attempt." as wise as an owl "You'd need to be as wise as an owl to be able to solve it".