Descriptive techniques

When you describe physical appearance, remember to include: Height, Build, Age, Facial features, Hair, Clothes, moving from the most general adjectives to the most specific ones.

e.g. John is a tall, well-built man. He's got a round face with bright blue eyes and a big nose. His short grey straight hair makes him look sophisticated. He always dresses smartly in a well-cut suit and tie.

When you describe a person's character, remember to use a balanced combination of good and bad qualities. You should always justify the qualities you mention each time. e.g. He is so reliable that he will never let you down.

As for the negative qualities, they should be written using mild language e.g. Instead of saying: He is aggressive, you can say: He has/shows/displays a tendency to be aggressive or He can be aggressive at times.

MODEL 1 (wrong)

John is 20. He is my best friend and he is the person I depend on most. He is taller than me and fat. He wears jeans and sweatshirts at home, but he wears a suit for work. He has blue eyes and brown hair. John is patient, toler­ant, polite, kind, enthusiastic and relaxed, but he is sometimes aggressive, careless, shy and selfish.

John works in a bookshop. He likes it very much. In his free time he likes watching TV and reading. He sometimes goes to restaurants.

I first met John at a party at my cousin's house. I didn't like him at first, but now I do. John is also very good at sports. He plays tennis and badminton. He usually wins.

I hope that John and I are friends forever. He is my best friend.

MODEL 2 (correct)

Six years ago I went to my cousin's birthday party, and that's where I met John. I must admit that at first I thought he was unfriend­ly, because he wasn't speaking to anyone, then I realized he was quite shy.

John is now 20 years old, the same age as me. He's about 6 feet tall and a bit overweight. He has big blue eyes set in a round face. He has a small, turned-up nose and curly, black hair. He usually wears casual clothes, like jeans and a sweatshirt. For special occasions he wears a suit and tie.

What I like most about John is that he's very patient, and tolerant. He never hurries you or gets angry if he's kept waiting. He is very kind to animals and often feeds stray dogs and cats. Unfortunately, he can be careless and often makes mistakes at work.

John loves his job selling books in a large bookshop. He helps all the customers, and is never rude. In his free time John enjoys watch­ing old black and white films on TV and reading biographies. He also likes playing tennis and badminton, and he usually wins.

John and I are not very alike but we complement and trust each other and I know he will never let me down.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14