We humans are social creatures and, naturally, we think and talk a lot about each other! Think about some of your most recent conversations. Most likely, you spent at least some time talking about other people. When it comes to describing those people, you can share an endless amount of details about them.
Breaking Down the Descriptions
For the most part, though, you can break down those details into 4 main categories:
- Appearance: Use adjectives to share details about the other person’s appearance and talk about how they look. You could describe what they are wearing, the color of their hair, or whether they are short or tall.
- Mannerisms: Use verbs to convey how someone acts or speaks. Do they enjoy exercising or do they read the newspaper every day? If a person has a habit of speaking or behaving a certain way, you might call that a “mannerism.” For example, “Comedians study celebrities’ mannerisms by watching their interviews very closely. That way, they can mimic those habits and convey to everyone who they’re impersonating.”
- Character: How would you describe someone’s character, or who they are as a person? For example, are they friendly, smart, outgoing or shy? You could even describe a person by saying where they are from or the job they do. For example, “He is an engineer from Turkey” or “I am a teacher from England.”
- Feelings: Lastly, you can talk about someone’s feelings. Are they sad or happy, stressed or relaxed? Are they going through an exciting or challenging time in their lives right now?
Suggestions to Get Started Describing People
Enchanted Learning has a wonderful list of suggestions when it comes to describing people and their personal qualities: https://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/adjectivesforpeople.shtml
Good luck!
Author: Amanda Settle, Cambly Tutor
If you’d like to keep this conversation going with Amanda, give her a call on Cambly or check out her schedule: https://www.cambly.com/en/student/tutor/Amanda%20Se