Descriptions of people

So, we’re back to square one. Yep! I’m afraid we have to revisit the one area that we tackle every year: descriptions of people. When you’re a beginner you learn how to say that some people are tall and some are short. Some are blond and others are dark-haired. You then realize that physical appearances are not enough and you are taught some terms that describe psychological traits, words like easy-going, shy, etc. So far so good, right? The problem, of course, is that many students seem to get stuck in that level. They won’t hesitate to say that someone has curly hair or is quite smart but that’s about it. And that, let's face it, tends to be a bit boring.

It is on the bumpy road to B2 that students wake up to alternative ways of talking about other people (I keep myself to myself) which show that a sentence is a perfect way to describe a person. Then comes the advanced level, in which certain labels are presented. Expressions like sponger, party crasher, the life and soul of the party become part of their vocabulary. Why this gradual process? The answer is rather obvious. Students must first make sure the learn the verb to be in order to master structures like she is generous. Then they are ready to deal with phrases like he is a bit of a nerd. Only when your English is idiomatic does it make sense to tackle nouns that refer to social types (i.e. lone wolf).

In the interview below you’ll hear actress Eva Green characterize herself in several different ways. In the first 15 seconds of the clip she says that she was not popular and shy (adjectives), a geek (a noun), I couldn't speak (a short sentence) and I was blushing when the teacher was asking me a question (a long sentence). So now you know: if you want to start to sound natural (and more interesting) just do what Eva Green does: mix it all up.