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Supplementary Material 005

Describing Physical Appearance

What does she look like? (What + do/does ... look like?)- She has blue eyes and brown hair.- She’s a woman with blue eyes and brown hair.- She’s a blue-eyed, brown-haired woman.

HAIR long, medium-length, shoulder-length, bobbed, short, straight, curly, wavy, frizzy,permed, thinning, bald, receding, blonde, fair, dark, brown, black, red, auburn, goinggrey, white, dyed, bleached

EARS big, small, pierced

FACE oval, round, square, long, chubby, thinFOREHEAD high, lowEYEBROWS bushy, thick, plucked, straightEYES green, blue, brown, greenish-blue, grey, hazel

small, big, round, slitty, almond-shaped, dreamy, close-set, narrowNOSE long, turned-up, pointed, sharp, roman, boxer’s, aquiline, snubCHEEKS high cheekbones, thin, plumpMOUTH wide, generous, small, tight-lippedLIPS thin lips, full lips, cupid’s bow lipsCHIN pointed, firm, weak

COMPLEXION pale, fair, white, dark, black, olive, tanned

SKIN pitted, freckled, wrinkled, lined, smooth

SHOULDERS broad, narrow, round, square

BUILD thin, slender, slim, muscular, well-built, heavily-built, plump, stout, stocky,overweight, (-) skinny, very thin, (-) fat, obese, (-) very fat

HEIGHT tall, of medium height, short, average

AGE young, middle-aged, elderly, old, in his / her teens, school-aged, in his / her earlythirties, in his / her mid-fifties, in their late forties

EXPRESSION serious, cheerful, worried, friendly

GENERAL good / nice / pleasant looking, pretty, beautiful, handsome (masc.), attractiveAPPEARANCE plain,well / casually dressed

(-) scruffy, untidy-looking, unattractive, ugly

OTHERS (to have) a mole, dimples, pimples, a scar, freckles, wrinkles, crow’s feet, a tattoo,a hairy chest, bangs, sideburns, a side / center parting, a beard, a moustache, adimple in the chin, a double-chin, to look old, to look like a businessperson.

*(-) These words have a negative connotation

DESCRIBING PEOPLE(Supplementary Material for GLM)

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Supplementary Material 005

Describing Character

What is he like? (What + to be ... like?)- He is usually quite relaxed and easy-going about most things.- He seems a bit unfriendly at first, but when you get to know him you realise he’s very warm and kind.- When it’s sunny he feels more cheerful and optimistic, but when it’s cold and raining he gets really

miserable.

INTELLECTUAL (+) intelligent, bright, clever, smart, sharp, able, gifted, talented, brainyABILITY (-) stupid, foolish, half-witted, simple, silly, brainless, daft, dumb,dim,(intelligent

in a negative way) cunning, crafty, sly

ATTITUDES TOWARDS optimistic, pessimistic, extroverted, introverted, relaxed, tense, practicalLIFE dreamy, sensible, sensitive, serious, to have drive / initiative

ATTITUDES TOWARDS sociable, gregarious, shy, quarrelsome, quick-tempered, argumentative,OTHER PEOPLE cruel, sadistic, easy-going, even-tempered, moody, impolite, rude, ill-

mannered, discourteous, honest, trustworthy, reliable, sincere, kind-hearted,jealous, envious

Some characteristics can be either positive or negative depending on your point of view. The words in column‘B’ mean roughly the same as the words in column ‘A’ except that they have negative rather than positiveconnotations.

A Bfocussed, determined obstinate, stubborn, pig-headedthrifty / economical mean, tight-fistedconfident, self-assured self-important, arrogantassertive agressive, bossyoriginal peculiar, weird, strange, eccentric, oddfrank, direct, straightforward blunt, abruptbroad-minded, liberal unprincipled, permissiveinquiring inquisitive, nosygenerous extravagantinnocent naiveambitious pushy

Exercise I. What questions do you need to ask if you want to know about:

a) someone’s general appearance?

b) someone’s weight?

c) someone’s height?

d) someone’s character?

Exercise II. Replace the underlined words in the sentence with a more polite one.

1. She’s very nice but ugly.

2. He was so tight-fisted. He never bought me anything.

3. Paul is getting really fat since he got married, isn’t he?

4. Don’t you think Jim’s really nosy?

5. Most of the men they met at the party were self-important.

6. Sam can be really aggressive at times.

7. She’s so elegant and her husband so scruffy.

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Supplementary Material 005

Exercise III. Look at the sentences in column A and match them with the words in column B.

A B1. He usually disagrees with what other people say. ___ pessimistic

2. Her sister is terribly skinny. ___ assertive

3. Do you think ‘the glass is half empty’? ___ elderly

4. He wants to date a ginger-haired woman. ___ sociable

5. It’s easy for me to tell people ___ argumentativeif I feel they have treated me badly.

6. We expected the tour guide to be old. ___ slim

7. She likes to be in the company of other people. ___ red-haired

Exercise IV. a) What do these people look like?.b) Now based on their physical appearance, what do you think they are like?

1. 2.

3.

4. 5.

6.

7. 8.

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Supplementary Material 005

Exercise I. What questions do you need to ask if you want to know about:

a) What does she / he look like?b) How much does she / he weigh?c) How tall is she / he?d) What’s she / he like?

Exercise II. Replace the underlined words in the sentence with a more polite one.

1. She’s very nice but plain.2. He was so economical. He never bought me anything.3. Paul is getting really stout since he got married, isn’t he?4. Don’t you think Jim’s really inquiring?5. Most of the men they met at the party were self-assured.6. Sam can be really assertive at times.7. She’s so elegant and her husband so casual.

Exercise III. Look at the sentences in column A and match them with the words on column B.

1. He usually disagrees with what other people say. argumentative2. Her sister is terribly skinny. slim3. Do you think ‘the glass is half empty’? pessimistic4. He wants to date a ginger-haired woman. red-haired5. It’s easy for me to tell people if I feel they have treated me badly. assertive6. We expected the tour guide to be old. elderly7. She likes to be in the company of other people. sociable

Exercise IV.a) What do these people look like?.b) Now based on their physical appearance, what do you think they are like?

ASK YOUR LAB TEACHER TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

Describing peopleKEY CHECK