Describing people: character and personality
Nbsp; Vocabulary and Writing Handout Unit 1
Describing people: physical appearance
Write the numbers 1 to 17 next to the correct words.
Bald ___ freckles___ scar___
Beard ___ fringe___ side-parting___
Bun___ middle-parting___ stubble___
Chubby cheeks___ moustache___ tattoo___
Double chin___ plait___ wrinkles___
Earring___ pony tail___
The following words can be used to describe people. Write each word in the correct box. To help you, there area some words already in the boxes.
above average height muscular
attractive of medium build
below average height plump
dark-haired pretty
dark-skinned quite old
fair-haired quite tall
going bald quite young
good-looking shoulder length
just turned fifty with a parting
handsome skinny
has a beard straight
has a moustache swept back
in his early twenties thick, black
in her mid thirties tanned
in his mid to late sixties with a fringe
| Age About (thirty) elderly old young |
| Height about (160) cm of average height short tall |
| Figure/Build fat has a good figure slim well-built |
| Hair curly grey long, short wavy |
| Other words wears glasses well-dressed is wearing (describe clothes) |
Use the pictures and descriptions below to work out a person´s character:
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Physical description
Height and build
Match the adjectives with the definitions:
| frail | overweight. | ||
| stocky | attractively thin. | ||
| Someone who is | slim | is | (old and) weak-looking. |
| plump | unattractively thin. | ||
| skinny | shortish but well-built. |
Age
What ages do these words and expressions describe?
A. elderly B. in your teens C. a youth D. a pensioner E. middle-aged
F. a toddler G. in your early/mid/late thirties
Face
1 Find people in your class who have got round, oval and square faces.
2 What are scars, moles, wrinkles, lines and freckles?
3 What colour of skin do people have if they are pale, tanned or sallow?
Eyes
When we describe people´s eyes we normally start with their size, followed by shape and colour. e.g. She has got big round blue eyes.
SIZE + SHAPE + COLOUR
Put these sentences into the correct order.
1 Susan has got brown/large/round eyes
2 Klaus has got blue/bright/eyes/small
3 Mary has eyes/gree/large
4 Mariko has almond-shaped/large/dark brown/eyes.
What are bushy eyebrows and long eyelashes?
Hair
When we describe people´s hair, we normally give length first followed by colour and style.
e.g. He has got long dark hair in a pony tail.
LENGTH + COLOUR + STYLE
Match the adjectives with the pictures.
a balding 2 straight 3 curly 4 bald 5 spiky 6 wavy
How is hair if it is in a bun or in pigtails?
Is a man blond or blonde?
Clothes
Match the adjectives with the definitions:
1 casual A old/worn a lot
2 scruffy B carefully dressed
3 shabby C well (expensively) dressed
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4 smart D informal
5 neat E untidy/dirty
Compound adjectives
Compare these sentences.
Jane has blue eyes and fair hair.
Jane is blue-eyed and fair-haired.
Jane is a blue-eyed, fair-haired girl.
Change the sentences below and make two more sentences using the structures given.
1. Bob has brown eyes and dark hair.
2. Paul is a broad-shouldered, bald headed man.
3. Julia is thin-faced and red-haired.
4. Caroline is straight-backed and long-legged.
5. Hevin has a pale face and thin lips.
Look at this short description of a character from a book. It is very effective but how is it different from the description on the previous page?
Word bank
| age | build | height |
| baby toddler infant child teenager adolescent young man / woman youth middle-aged (man / woman) elderly (man / woman) teens early mid late about/around thirty twentyish thirty something | fat overweight large heavy slim thin chubby skinny plump stocky well built | average height medium height above average below average petite short tall |
| hair | facial features on men | complexion |
| long short medium length shoulder length black fair/dark/red/gray going gray light brown blond white curly spiky straight wavy bald receding hairline | moustache clean-shaven beard | fair dark olive pale tanned clear good spotty pimpled freckles spots pimples |
Describing people: character and personality
EXERCISE 1: Here are twenty adjectives to describe a person´s character or personality. Complete the sentences below with a suitable adjective from the list. Use each word only once.
| affectionate | cheerful | forgetful | lively |
| bad-tempered | childish | friendly | materialistic |
| big-headed | clever | greedy | modest |
| bossy | cruel | honest | optimistic |
| brave | easy-going | impulsive | pessimistic |
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1. The Brown children were very __________________ at school, so i´m not a bit surprised that they did so well at the university.
2. Frank will never steal anything. You can trust him completely. He´s so __________________
3. She won the race easily. But instead of boasting about it, she just said she was lucky. That´s typical of her. She´s so _______________________
4. They´re a very __________________ couple. They´re always showing their fondness and love for each other.
5. As a child he was very ____________________ and used to hit and kick animals – especially cats.
6. She always wants a bigger share than anyone else. She´s so ____________________
7. Gloria is always expecting the best to happen. She´s such an ______________________ person.
8. Paul is always so angry and irritable. I´ve never met anyone else quite as __________________ as him.
9. My cousin is always happy and smiling. She´s such a ___________________ person.
10. We had such a warm welcome whene we were in Denmark. I had no idea that Danes wer so _________________
11. Most people are far too _________________ nowadays. All they seem interested in is buying more and more things such as cars, TVs, and so on.
12. My grandfather always expects the worst to happen. He´s really _____________________
13. Don´t keep telling Sharon how wonderful and talented she is. She´ll get ___________________!
14. You´d better write his phone number down, Dave. You won´t remember it otherwise. You know how __________________ you are.
15. I could never be a childminder. Children are far too ________________ for me. i´d be exhausted just watching them running around.
16. He loves telling people what to do. He´s so ___________________.
17. Peter never worries very much or gets annoyed. He´s a very _______________ person.
18. My husband´s very __________________ If he sees something he just buys it without thinking about whether we can afford it or not.
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19. Oh, grow up Simon! Stop being so _______________!
20. The police told her she was very ___________________ to jump into the river to rescue her sister.
EXERCISE 2: Here are another twenty adjectives to describe a person´s character or personality. Again, complete the sentences below with a suitable adjective from the list. Use each word only once.
| arrogant | kind | self-conscious | sympathetic |
| cautious | proud | selfish | talkative |
| cowardly | punctual | sensitive | vain |
| dishonest | reliable | strict | well-behaved |
| frank | self-confident | stubborn | witty |
1. He is very sure he is going to succeed. He is extremely __________________
2. Everyone thought it was _______________of him not to help his friend when he was being attacked.
3. They say that women are generally more ________________ than men. They often find it easier to understand and be aware of other people's problems.
4. It wasn't easy to have a conversation with George because he wasn't very _______________. Not a bit like his sister, Emily, who never stopped talking.
5. Swedes and Germans have a reputation for being ________________. If you arrange a meeting with them they are always on time.
6. He's so __________________! He behaves as if he's so much better or more important than the rest of us! I can't stand him!
7. Maureen's so ___________________ . She's always coming out with clever and amusing remarks. I wish I could make people laugh the way she does.
8. Once his mind is made up, he won't listen to a word you say. He's so ________________________
9. You only care about yourself, don't you? You never think about me or anyone else. You're so _____________________
10. My neighbour is always so friendly and helpful. I don't think I've ever met such a _______________ person as her.
11. Joanna spends hours looking at and admiring herself in the mirror. She's so _______________
12. He always wore a hat because he was very _________________ about his bald patch.
13. It's a pleasure to look after my cousin's children. They're so ___________________. I wish my children had their good manners.
14. Mark is a very _______________ person and never makes any decisions without looking into things very carefully first.
15. If Simon says he'll do it, then he will. You can trust him. He's very _____________
16. Although she was poor, she was very _________________, and refused to accept any form of charity.
17. I wouldn't trust him with anything. He's so __________________. He's always trying to cheat people.
18. Maureen was very __________________when I told her that my grandfather had died.
19. Years ago, teachers were very ___________________ and pupils weren't allowed to speak in class or ask a question without putting their hands up first.
20. I always try to be ________________ with my friends. If they ask for my opinion, then I give it to them straight, even though they might not like it.
Finding a roommate
EXERCISE 3: Fill in the blanks with one of these words:
| snored alcohol cruel enjoys messy noisy diligent share overnight |
Are the sentences true about yourself? Why Why not?
Think of answers to the following questions:
1. What kind of roommate would you like?
2. What type of behaviour would annoy you?
3. What would you be willing to share? (e.g. food, clothes, housework, mobile phone, etc)
4. What things wouldn´t you share?
5. What would make you kick out a roommate?
EXERCISE 4:
EXERCISE 5: Look at the two groups of adjectives below. Those in group A are favourable, those in group B are unfavourable. Pair the adjectives in group A with their opposites in group B.
EXERCISE 6: Describe the people below using adjectives from the box.
| clumsy cynical dynamic elegant genuine gullible illiterate intellectual intimidating skillful superstitious tolerant tough versatile weird |
| 1 Dustin Hoffman can take on almost any kind of role – comic, tragic, bizarre characters, everything. | |
| 2 My daughter believes absolutely everything you tell her. But she´s only five. | |
| 3 My grandfather can´t read or write. He worked on the family farm from the age of 7. | |
| 4 In my family we say that my brother has two left hands. He breaks everything. | |
| 5 My wife only wears designer clothes and they look perfect on her. | |
| 6 My mother is a thinker, always discussing issues and reading. | |
| 7 My brother in law makes beautiful furniture. It´s great to watch him working. | |
| 8 My aunt spends her life reading horoscopes; she carries lucky charms around with her, and she never, ever walks under a ladder! | |
| 9 My father is an old style communist, but he seems to get on with everybody, whatever their politics. | |
| 10 My niece is a bit strange. She goes around wearing all black clothes and purple lipstick. She listens to old heavy metal bands. | |
| 11 My sister in law has lots of trouble in her life, but she survives and nobody pushes her around. | |
| 12 With my uncle “what you see is what you get”. He never says anything unless he means it, and he really cares about people. | |
| 13 My eldest son is always creating something. He is full of energy. | |
| 14 My cousin Vinnie always suspects everyone´s motives. | |
| 15 My godmother has terribly strong views on things, and not many people dare to contradict her. |
EXERCISE 7: Use the words in the box to describe the people below.
| absent-minded bossy generous impulsive indecisive laid-back punctual reliable shy witty |
- Andrew can never make up his mind about anything. Just don´t offer him a choice!
- Carlos is not rich but he always buys us drinks.
- Claudia has never been late for a class – not once in seven months!
- I can´t believe that guy Klaus. One day he just walked out of the class and went to Peru.
- Jana doesn´t seem to worry about anything. I wish i was more like her!
- Milie tries to dominate the class. She really pushes everyone around!
- Poor Sandra! Recently she left her laptop computer at a bus stop.
- Ruth is very sweet, but she never speaks unless you speak to her first.
- When the teacher asks questions, Naseem always has a funny answer.
- You can always depend on Ashok.
EXERCISE 8: Make these adjectives negative in meaning by choosing the correct prefix and writing the words in the correct column.
| logical legal correct friendly regular possible emotional sympathetic sincere practical honest responsible patient agreeable sensitive |
| un- | dis- | il- | ir- | in- | im- |
Now use one of the negative adjectives to complete these sentences.
- This answer is ................................. Six times five equals 30 not 25.
- Sally is really ................................... She never wants to talk to anybody.
- Did you know that it is .............................. in this country to talk on your mobile phone when you are driving a car?
- It´s ............................. for me to come to the meeting on Friday. Could we change it to Monday?
- I was always told it was .................................... to hide the truth.
- Don´t be so ....................................... I´m sure Ted will phone soon. Maybe he hasn´t arrived home yet.
- I explained my problem to Susan but she was very ......................................... and didn´t seem to understand how I felt at all.
- I think it is very .................................. of you to think you can do just what you like.
EXERCISE 9: Match the words with their definitions.
| Spontaneous | a person who is amusing and fun to be with |
| Down-to-earth | a person who enjoys, and is good at, being with and talking to other people |
| Chatterbox | that you can rely on to be good, honest, sincere, etc. |
| A good laugh | being careful about what you say or do, especially to avoid danger or mistakes; |
| A people person | a person who talks a lot, especially a child |
| A geek | acting in an open and natural way, without worrying what you say and do |
| Happy-go-lucky | trying to appear important, intelligent, etc. in order to impress other people; trying to be something that you are not, in order to impress |
| Pretentious | sensible and practical, in a way that is helpful and friendly |
| Eccentric | not caring or worrying about the future |
| Cautious | considered by other people to be strange or unusual |
| Genuine | a person who is boring, wears clothes that are not fashionable, does not know how to behave in social situations, etc. |
| Sympathetic | able to change to suit new conditions or situations |
| Moody | kind to somebody who is hurt or sad; |
| Flexible | having moods that change quickly and often |
| Trustworthy | sincere and honest |
EXERCISE 10: Expressing yourself
Try to complete the following expressions about yourself.
I dream about _____
I think about ____
I am afraid of _____
I am interested in _____
On the weekends I like to _____
I am good at ____________
I am not good at _________
I am glad when __________
I´m sad when _____
I don´t believe in/that _____
I have difficulty with _____
I laugh when _____
I cry when _____
I get angry when _____
I love it when _____
EXERCISE 11: Crossword
The adjectives in the box below are all in the crossword. Read the clues and complete the crossword with them.
| brave generous grateful honest independent jealous lively mature miserable patient popular proud relaxed reliable sensible superficial warm weird |
Across
1 She doesn´t think about anything seriously or have any deep feelings. She´s so _____________
6 He´s always ______________________. He´s never in a hurry and he´s always calm.
8 She´s the most ____________________. person in the school. Everybody liked her.
10 He´s very _____________________. If he says he´ll do something, then he does it.
13 She´s very ____________________. She never complains about the pain she is in all the time.
14 She always tells the truth. She´s very ______________________
15 He´s a very __________________ teacher. he doesn´t get cross even when he has to repeat something three times.
17 They were very ___________________ when we said they could stay in our house while we were away.
Down
1 He never drinks and drives. He´s too __________________ to do something sille like that.
2 She´s going to travel around the world for six months on her own. She must be very _____________________
3 She always has fun at parties because she is so bright and _____________________
4 He never smiles and always looks __________________. I don´t know what his problem is.
5 She´s only seventeen but she seems much older. She´s very _________________ for her age.
7 He makes her ________________ when he looks at other girls.
9 She looks __________________. Why does she always wear such strange clothes?
11 They are very rich but they are also really ______________________ with their money. They give wonderful presents.
12 He got 100% in all his exams. His parents are really ___________________ of him.
16 She´s always _______________ and friendly. You always feel welcome at her house.
EXERCISE 12: Can you think of opposites to each of these adjectives?
EXERCISE 13: Use the phrases to describe the personality of one of your best friends. Don’t forget to explain why you think so.
· He/she is considered to…
· He/she is known to…
· He/she seems to…
· He/she tends to…
· But when you get to know him/her better he/she is appears to…
· He/she turned out to… when he/she…
· He/she is sure to…
· He/she is likely to…
· He/she is unlikely to…
· He/she can be a little/rather/a bit/not exactly… at times
EXERCISE 14: Fill the gaps with an adjective from the box. Use each word once only.
| selfish bad-tempered tough crafty sensitive sensible strict trust-worthy dull shy mean reliable stubborn silly nice cheerful sympatheric clumsy loyal gentle |
- Janet is incredibly ........................... She always arrives on time and does her job well.
- It´s impossible to say anything to his grandmother. One word and she starts crying. She´s so ...........................
- I wonder why he is so ........................... He´s got lots of money but he hates spending it.
- When she was a child her parents were incredibly ........................... Whenever she did the smallest thing wrong they would send her to bed.
- Ann is such a ........................... girl. She is always laughing and smiling.
- You can´t go on a country walk wearing high heels. Do be ........................... for once.
- I´ll give you a lift home if you are v to me.
- She was so ........................... When I told her my problems, I immediately felt better.
- In westerns the hero is always ........................... He always beats his enemies and can put up with any hardship.
- That´s the second plate you´ve broken this week. Why do you have to be so ..............................?
- I think he is an extremely ........................... boy. He laughs at stupid things and never concentrates in class.
- Children are often really ........................... They hide behind their mothers when guests come.
- Don´t be ........................... , Cathy. You´ve got to learn to share things with other children.
- She is 100% ........................... I´d leave my money, car, anything for her to look after.
- When I broke my leg, the nurse was so ........................... that she hardly hurt me at all.
- Why do you get angry all the time. You´re so ...........................
- Bob is my best friend. He remained ........................... through all my problems.
- He is such a ........................... with his boring little job and his boring little wife.
- He is terribly ........................... Once he has made up his mind, it´s impossible to get him to change it, even if it´s obvious that he´s wrong.
- The general was really ........................... Just when the enemy thought they had won the battle, he played his best card.
According to the text what colour do you mainly dress up in if you …
· express your opinions honestly even when it´s not popular to do so? ____________
· only care about yourself? ___________
· like to meet and talk to new people? ___________
· like attracting other people? ___________
· really care about feelings, needs or comfort of others? __________
· aren´t generous and hate spending money? ___________
· don´t feel confident about yourself? ____________
· work with care and energy? ______________
· behave in a way that is typical of someone much younger? ____________
· can suffer from frequent mood changes? ______________
· like making other people laugh? _________
· have lots of new ideas and imagination? __________
The Chinese Zodiac
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Rat (1972, 1984, 1996)
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Rat are very smart, friendly, playful and funny. They are good friends, and generous and caring to people who they love. Rats can be greedy. They are always curious, want to learn and like to solve problems. The Rats’ friends are the Dragon or the Monkey.
Ox (1973, 1985, 1997)
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Ox are patient, good leaders, smart, hard-working, but also boring and shy and can feel lonely. The Ox is caring to friends and family and is a kind, helpful and strong friend. The Ox’s friends are the Snake or the Rooster.
Tiger (1974, 1986, 1998)
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Tiger are mean and selfish, and they are strong leaders. They are smart, creative, courageous, caring, helpful, moody and they’re ready to attack at any time. The Tiger is friends with the Horse or the Dog.
Rabbit (1975, 1987, 1999)
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Rabbit enjoy being with their family and friends. They’re popular, generous, caring, honest, and they like to be helpful but they are sometimes seen as too nice. Rabbits enjoy being at home and being playful at home. The rabbit’s friends are the Goat or the Pig.
Dragon (1964, 1976, 1988)
A powerful sign, those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Dragon are playful and caring, creative, lucky at love, mean and selfish. They’re good leaders, good at telling people what to do. The Dragon’s friends are the Monkey and the Rat.
Snake (1965, 1977, 1989)
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Snake are creative, friendly, shy, generous, good with money, smart, hard-working but they are also selfish and a little mean. The Snake is friends with the Rooster or the Ox.
Horse (1966, 1978, 1990)
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Horse love to have fun. They have a lot of energy so they are playful, friendly and sometimes childish. They’re never boring and very smart, but they can be impatient and sometimes seen as unfriendly. The Horse’s friends are the Dog or the Tiger.
Goat (1967, 1979, 1991)
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Goat enjoy being alone. They’re creative, shy, unfriendly, smart, and quiet. They need lots of love and people to take care of them. They care a lot about appearance. The Goat is friends with the Pig or the Rabbit.
Monkey (1968, 1980, 1992)
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Monkey love to have fun and have lots of energy. They are playful, patient, caring and good at listening but sometimes childish. They like making people happy but they can be mean and selfish. The Monkey’s friends are the Rat or the Dragon.
Rooster (1969, 1981, 1993)
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Rooster are smart, honest, quiet, boring, and caring. They like things to very clean and organized. The Rooster’s friends are Ox or Snake.
Dog (1970, 1982, 1994)
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Dog are honest, good friends, caring, but can sometimes be unfriendly, impatient, and childish. Dogs are good with money but have problems finding friends. The Dog is friends with the Tiger or the Horse.
Pig (1971, 1983, 1995)
Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Pig are extremely nice, kind and smart. They enjoy helping others and are good friends until someone close makes them angry; then they can be really mean! They’re smart, and always wanting to learn. The Pig’s friends are the Rabbit or the Goat.
Practice:
1. Circle the words that are positive personalities.
2. Underline the words that are negative personalities.
3. Which sign are you? Do you agree with the description?
4. Which sign do you think best fits you?
5. Which sign do you think be the best for a teacher? Why?
6. Which sign do you think would be the best for a police officer? Why?
7. Which sign do you think would be the best for a mother? Why?
8. Which sign do you think would be a good friend for you? Why?
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