This document provides advice and language for describing pictures in an exam. It recommends taking time to look at the picture before speaking, using all the time given to talk, and practicing useful language. Some useful language includes describing what can be seen in the picture, what is happening, and the location of objects using terms like "at the top," "in the middle," "on the left." It also provides phrases for when something is unclear like "it looks like" or "it might be." The document includes example descriptions of pictures and questions teachers could ask students to describe pictures.

1. Describing pictures
CFE
19-20

2. Important advise when describing
pictures
Do:
• Look at your picture carefully and take a few moments to
think before you start talking.
• Talk for all the time you are given. If you have one minute to
do the task, use every second.
• Practice the useful language below so you can explain which
part of the picture you are talking about.
Don’t:
• Panic if you don’t know the words for all the things in the
picture. You don’t need to know all the words for everything
in the picture if you know what to say when you don't know
an exact word.
• Get distracted and start talking about something else. Focus
on the photo or picture.
• Panic if your mind goes blank. Take a deep breath, look at the
picture and start again.
• If you are asked to describe a photo or a picture in the exam,
here is some language you can use:
• What is in the picture?
• In the picture I can see ...
There’s / There are ...
There isn’t a ... / There aren’t any ...
Say what is happening with the present continuous
• The man is ...ing
• The people are ...ing
• It’s raining.
Where in the picture?
• At the top/bottom of the picture ...
• In the middle of the picture ...
• On the left/right of the picture ...
• In the background / in the foreground
• next to
• in front of
• behind
• near
• on top of
• Under
If something isn’t clear
• It looks like a ...
• It might be a ...
• He could be ...ing
• Maybe it’s a ...
Describing holidays

4. Describing Pictures
• Watch the video, take notes and then describe
the pictures you have seen to your classmates.
• Work in pairs and take turns. Help each other
to remember the useful vocabulary you have
learnt

5. Describing pictures
The girl with the wavy hair
is staring at the camera
She is wearing
a big black
bow, layered
over a white
shirt
The midday summer
sun shinning over a
rippled sea

6. Describing pictures
The out of focus background
makes the humble pink flowers in
the foreground stand out
The jagged
mountains in the
background
range in the stuff
of fairytales
Spotted
fabric
Stripped
fabric

7. Why is music
important to
the different
groups of
people?

8. What would
you feel to
grow up in
these families?

9. Why do you
think
people
enjoy
watching
this kind of
programme
?

10. What might the
people find
interesting about
visiting these
different
museums?

11. These two
photos show
people who
have done
something
special.
Which person
do you think has
worked harder?
Have you ever
done something
special?

12. How are
people feeling
in these
situations?
Do you thing
being a manual
worker is really
hard?

13. Is your room usually tidy or untidy?

14. What are the
people enyoying
about spending
time in these
rivers?
Did you usually go on a
picnic with your
parents when you were
younger?

15. What is difficult about
preparing meals in
these situations?