Describing people – guide

A description of a person should consist of:

· an introduction where you give some brief information about the person (his/ her
name, time or place you met/saw him/her, how you heard about him/her);
· a main body where you describe physical appearance, personality characteristics and
hobbies, interests, everyday activities in separate paragraphs; and
· a conclusion which includes your comments and/or feelings about the person.
Such descriptions can be found in articles, letters, witness statements, novels, etc.

Points to consider
Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence which introduces the subject of the paragraph.
A variety of linking words should be used to connect ideas.

To describe physical appearance, details should be given as follows: height or build, age,
facial features, hair, clothes, moving from the most general aspects to the more specific
details, e.g. John is a tall, slim man in his mid forties. He has a thin face, blue eyes
and a large nose. His short hair is greying at the temples. He is usually casually
dressed.

To describe character and behaviour you can support your description with examples, e.g.
Sally is very sociable. She loves going to parties and dances. If you want to mention
any negative qualities, use mild language (tends to, seems to, is rather, can occasionally
be, etc.). e.g. Instead of saying Sally is arrogant, it is better to say Sally tends to be rather
arrogant.

Variety in the use of adjectives will make your description more interesting, e.g. good-
natured, well-behaved, gorgeous, etc.

Present tenses can be used to describe someone connected to the present, e.g. someone
you see every day. Past tenses can be used to describe someone related to the past, e.g.
someone who is no longer alive, someone whom you won't meet again... etc.
Narrative techniques
Narrative techniques (use of direct speech, weather description, use of dramatic language
to create mystery, suspense, reference to feelings, moods etc) can be used when
describing people. This will make your composition more interesting to the reader. See
how an ordinary beginning can be made more exciting:

Instead of saying: I first met Steven, the secretary of the manager of Sunnington Ltd,
last Monday, you could say:

A cold wind was blowing down the street last Monday morning as I pushed open the
heavy glass door of Sunnington Ltd. Chilled and nervous I walked up to Mr Tibbs'
secretary. A pair of friendly dark eyes met mine. So this was Steven! (weather
description, your feelings, suspense)

"Mr Tibbs is at a meeting. Would you like to wait? He'll be about ten minutes." He had a
sharp clear voice, and a narrow intelligent face. I could see why Mr Tibbs, the manager of
Sunnington Ltd, spoke so highfy of Steven. (direct speech, mystery)

Describing people - example

My Next-door Neighbour

Mavis has been my neighbour for six years. I first met her when she knocked on my
door and asked for a spade because she hadn't yet unpacked hers. She had only moved in
two days before.

Physically, Mavis looks younger than most other women in their late sixties. She is of
average height, neither fat nor thin. Her plump round face is framed by a mass of wavy
white hair and her sparkling blue eyes show her humour and friendliness. She prefers
wearing casual, comfortable clothes. I don't think I have ever seen her in a perfectly
ironed suit.

As for her personality, Mavis's most striking characteristic is her generosity. My house,
as well as most of our neighbours', nearly always has a vase of flowers from her garden
in the living room. Mavis is very good- natured and always has time for a chat. She is
also patient. She hardly ever gets annoyed about anything, except when children pick her
favourite roses and lilies. However, she tends to be quite stubborn - once she has made a
decision, nothing can change her mind.

Mavis always seems to be busy doing something. She spends a lot of her time looking
after her garden and often participates in local flower shows. When she is not in her
garden she is usually off somewhere raising money for one charity or another.

All in all, Mavis is the perfect next-door neighbour. Since the day she moved in, we
have grown very close and I am very fond of her, even if I am woken up by the noise of
her lawnmower early in the morning!

From Foreign Languages Teacher Training College

Deskripsi seseorang harus terdiri dari:

· Pengantar di mana Anda memberikan beberapa informasi singkat tentang orang tersebut
(nama, waktu atau tempat Anda bertemu / melihatnya, bagaimana Anda mendengar
tentang dia);
· Badan utama di mana Anda menggambarkan penampilan fisik, karakteristik kepribadian
dan hobi, minat, kegiatan sehari-hari dalam paragraf terpisah; dan
· Kesimpulan yang mencakup komentar dan / atau perasaan Anda tentang orang tersebut.
Deskripsi seperti itu dapat ditemukan dalam artikel, surat, pernyataan saksi, novel, dll.

Poin yang perlu dipertimbangkan

Untuk menggambarkan penampilan fisik, detail harus diberikan sebagai berikut: tinggi
atau badan, usia, fitur wajah, rambut, pakaian, pindah dari aspek yang paling umum ke
detail yang lebih spesifik, mis. John adalah seorang pria jangkung dan langsing berusia
pertengahan empat puluhan. Dia memiliki wajah kurus, mata biru dan hidung besar.
Rambut pendeknya beruban di pelipis. Ia biasanya berpakaian santai.
Untuk menggambarkan karakter dan perilaku Anda dapat mendukung uraian Anda
dengan contoh, mis. Sally sangat ramah. Dia suka pergi ke pesta dan tarian. Jika Anda
ingin menyebutkan kualitas negatif apa pun, gunakan bahasa yang ringan (cenderung,
agak, kadang-kadang, dll.). misalnya Daripada mengatakan Sally sombong, lebih baik
mengatakan Sally cenderung agak sombong.

Variasi dalam penggunaan kata sifat akan membuat deskripsi Anda lebih menarik, mis.
baik hati, berperilaku baik, cantik, dll.

Present tenses dapat digunakan untuk menggambarkan seseorang yang terhubung dengan
present, mis. seseorang yang kamu lihat setiap hari. Bentuk lampau dapat digunakan
untuk menggambarkan seseorang yang terkait dengan masa lalu, mis. seseorang yang
tidak lagi hidup, seseorang yang tidak akan Anda temui lagi ... dll.

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