S26: Part 2: describe a person

"Describe a person who inspired you." "Describe a friend you've known for a long time." "Describe someone who is good at their job." Person cards are among the most common in Part 2. The good news is that you know lots of people. The bad news is that most students describe them in the same flat way: "He is very kind. He is very helpful. He is a good person."

Why this matters

Person cards are a great chance to show a wide range of vocabulary: appearance, personality, relationships and feelings. If you only use "kind", "good" and "nice", you waste that chance.

Four parts of a strong person description

1. Who they are and how you know them

• "I'd like to talk about my uncle, my mother's younger brother."
• "We've known each other since we were in class six."
• "I first met her when I joined my coaching centre."

2. What they're like (personality)

Instead of "good" or "kind", try these:

3. Show, don't just tell

This is the most important part. Don't just say someone is generous. Give a moment that proves it.

Telling: "My uncle is very generous."

Showing: "My uncle is the kind of person who pays for everyone's tea at the tong without making a big deal of it. When I couldn't afford my admission fee, he quietly paid it and told me not to tell anyone."

The second version is more memorable, and it uses much richer language.

4. How you feel about them

• "I really look up to him."
• "She's had a huge influence on the way I think."
• "I owe a lot to her."
• "I hope I can be like him one day."

Describing appearance (only if the card asks)

Most person cards don't ask about appearance. If they do, keep it brief:

• "He's in his fifties, fairly tall, with grey hair and glasses."
• "She always wears a cotton sari and has a really warm smile."

One person, many cards

Pick two or three people you know well. One person can answer many cards:

• a person who inspired you
• a person who helped you
• an older person you admire
• a teacher who influenced you

Lesson S29 shows how to use this trick for all kinds of cards.

Try it yourself

Make notes for this original card in 1 minute, then speak for 2 minutes:

Describe a person you know who is very good at their job.

You should say:

who this person is

what their job is

what makes them good at it

and explain how you feel about this person.

Honest note

It's fine to describe an ordinary person. Your mother, your rickshaw puller neighbour, your school guard. The examiner isn't scoring how famous or impressive the person is. Ordinary people often make the best stories.

Your task today

Choose two people from your life. For each, write three personality words from the table and one short story that shows each word.