SPEAKINGDescribing pictures

1.GENERAL TOPIC

• All these pictures show …

• This set of pictures shows …

• Here we have X pictures, all related to …

• The main topic here is …

• The topic illustrated here …

• The pictures are about …

• In these pictures I can see …

2. GUESS WHERE EACH PHOTO WAS TAKEN

• I think this photo was taken in______ because (of) _________

• This photo must have been taken in___ because (of) __________

3. DESCRIBING WHERE THINGS ARE

• In the foreground / background.• On the left / right.• In the middle.• At the top / bottom.• In the distance.• In this picture / these pictures here

(pointing)• In the first / second, etc. picture.• At the top/bottom-left/right picture.

4. SAY WHAT YOU CAN SEE IN THE PICTURE

4.1. SAY WHAT THE PEOPLE/ANIMALS ARE DOING

•I can see a woman in a traditional costume dancing with other women.

• I can see some people with books hurrying to class.

• I can see a leopard hidden behind a tree stalking his prey

• I can see a monkey swinging with the branches of trees in a forest

4.2 DESCRIBING PEOPLE

• I think / It seems + present continuous to describe actions.

• He’s about X / in his Xs (age).

• He’s quite / rather / extremely + adj.

• She looks / seems + adj.

• She looks like + noun.

• He might be + ing / noun.

• They remind me of + noun.

5.MAKING GUESSES ABOUT THE PHOTO

1. If you don´t know exactly what´s happening in the photo, use modal verbs.COULD, MAY, MIGHT• He might be waiting for someone because he is looking at his watch .• She could be asking for directions because she has a map in her hand• They may be queuing to get tickets for a football match because I can see the stadium

2. You can also use: SEEM TO be + ing: They seem to be birdwatching because they´re holding binoculars. LOOK AS IF/THOUGH+ clause+ ing: He looks as if he is inspecting tickets

6. PARAPHRASING

When you don´t know a word ,try to to make yourself understood

• It´s a type/kind/sort of tool used for making holes (a drill)• It´s a domestic appliance used for heating liquids fast (microwave)• Its how you feel when you say something inappropriate (embarrassed)• It´s what you do /how you feel /what happens when you

7. MAKE SOME DEDUCTIONS: MUST/ CAN´T

• The people in this photo must be blue collar workers because they´re wearing overalls

• This photo can´t have been taken in the summer because the people are wearing winter clothes .

8. IF YOU CAN´T SEE VERY WELL• It´s hard to see, perhaps…..• I can´t see clearly what he is doing. Maybe he´s…• Is it perhaps ……?

9. COMPARING (1)• While this picture …, this one …• … . In contrast / On the other hand, …• This other picture shows a very similar/different

situation.• Both pictures show/ Neither of these pictures

show…• This one is far / a lot / much + comparative than • A little (bit) / slightly + comp. than ….• It is(n’t) as + adj + as …• It is similar to/different from/the same as …

9. COMPARING (2)

• The people in this photo look (healthier) than the people in the other one

• The village in this photo looks cleaner than the village in the other one

• The people in this photo must be nice to work with, whereas the people in the other photo might be more difficult to work with.

10. FACTS AND OPINIONS

• Everybody knows that …

• Many people believe that …

• I find it (a bit) + adj.

• I’m (not) interested in + noun/ing.

• I’m (not) very fond of / keen on + noun/ing.

• In my opinion, …

• I believe/think that …

• It seems to me that …

11. DEVELOP A CONVERSATION FROM THE PHOTO

• You can/can´t see things like these in my country because….• It reminds me of my childhood because …….• This makes me think of the unemployed because ……• I don´t know much about this but I know about….

Practise developing a conversation that interests you about one of the photos

12.SOME ADVICE

• Talk in sentences. Don’t produce a list of items you see.

• Organise your description. Don’t describe the same thing more than once.

• Start with a general idea of the subject before going into details.

• Give some personal reaction to the picture.

DO

• Look carefully. Think about how to describe what you can see• Be as precise as you can when describing• Use the present continuous to describe what´s happening• Direct the conversation towards something you are interested in and can talk about easily

DON´T• Don´t give yes/no answers. Develop a speech.• If you don´t know the exact words , use alternatives. You´ll be given marks for fluency as well as for accuracy.• Don´t use the simple present tense to describe what´s happening.

• If you don´t know what´s happening, use modal verbs: may, can, could, might. e.g. I don´t know exactly. They might be arguing about sports

MEETINGPEOPLE

Describe the pictures: main topic, who you see, what they’re doing,the situation, etc.

LEISURE TIME

JUNE 2009

DAILY LIFELook at these photographs.Describe and compare them.

FAMILY AND FRIENDSDescribe and compare the following pictures. Talk about friends, different types of families, and your own.

Describe, compare and contrast these photos. Make sure you talk about the type of art you most enjoy.

Look at these photographs and compare them. Make sure you talk about the following: type of students, clothes, classrooms, new technologies …

TRAVELLING

Describe the pictures. Make sure you talk about means of transport,accommodation, etc.

MEANS OFTRANSPORT

LIFE EVENTS

Describe the pictures. Talk about different types of sports, equipment, etc.

STEREOTYPES

June 2009

Describe the pictures and talk about the place you live in and your ideal house