This document provides guidance on writing a descriptive composition about a person. It should include an introduction, main body, and conclusion. The main body should describe the person's physical appearance in paragraph 2 from general to specific details, and personality characteristics with examples in paragraph 3. Descriptions should use a variety of sentence structures and link sentences together. Descriptions of mannerisms can make the writing more vivid. The document provides examples of how to positively and negatively describe personality traits and gives useful phrases for describing people.

1. Writing School
Describing people

2. • A descriptive composition about a person
should consist of:
– An introduction
– A main body
– A conclusion

3. Introduction
Paragraph 1
name of the person: time you met/saw
him/her
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.

4. Main Body
Paragraph 2
Physical appearance
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.

5. Description of physical appearance should move
from the most general aspects to the most specific
details:
details
• height/build
• age
• facial features
• hair
• clothes
 Identify the details above in
Mavis’s description
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.

6. HEIGHT:
BUILD:
AGE:
COMPLEXION:
FACE:
HAIR:
EYES:
NOSE:
LIPS:
SPECIAL FEATURES:

7. HEIGHT: of medium height, tall, just over six foot, short
BUILD: slim, thin, muscular, well-built, overweight, skinny, long-
legged, round-shouldered
AGE: middle-aged, teenaged, elderly, in his teens, in his mid-forties,
in his late forties
COMPLEXION: wrinkled, tanned, pale, freckled,
FACE: round, oval, wrinkled, tanned, thin, pale, freckled
HAIR: ginger, curly, blond, thick, balding, thin, wavy, straight,
shoulder-length, short
EYES: slanted, almond-shaped
NOSE: thin, curved, crooked,freckled, straight
LIPS: thin, full
SPECIAL FEATURES: mole, scar, dimples, beard, moustache, long-
legged, round-shouldered

8. Avoid beginning all sentences in the same way
as this will make your composition boring. Use a
variety of structures, trying to link the sentences
together.
Instead of writing:
She is a pretty girl. She has an oval face.
You can write:
She is a pretty girl with an oval face.

9. He has wrinkles. They make him look older.
He has wrinkles which make him look older.
She is a beautiful woman. She wears designer
clothes.
She is a beatiful woman who wears designer
clothes.
She has long hair. She wears her hair in a pony-tail.
She wears her long hair in a pony tail.
He has a big garden. He grows vegetables in the
garden.
He has a big garden where he grows vegetables.

10. Main Body Paragraph 3 Personality
characteristics and justification
• To describe character and behaviour you can
support your description with examples:
Sally is very sociable. She loves going to parties and
dances.
• If you want to mention any negative qualities,
use mild language
Sally is arrogant.
Sally is rather arrogant.
Sally tends to be rather arrogant.
Sally seems to be rather arrogant.
Sally can occassionally be rather arrogant.

11. Revise personality adjectives
Positive Qualities Negative Qualities

12. Revise personality adjectives
Positive Qualities Negative Qualities
patient
ambitious
generous
mature
interesting
friendly
tactful
good-natured
thick-skinned
easy-going
hard-working
fair
helpful
outgoing
polite
cheerful
boring
pessimistic
mean
hostile
immature
impatient
short-tempered
deceitful
shy
aggressive
reserved

13. Sentences can be linked together in a variety of
ways.
SIMILAR QUALITIES (BOTH POSITIVE OR BOTHSIMILAR QUALITIES (BOTH POSITIVE OR BOTH
NEGATIVE)NEGATIVE)
She is kind-hearted. She is cooperative.
She is kind-hearted and also cooperative.
She is kind-hearted and cooperative as well.
She is kind-hearted, as well as (being) cooperative.
In addition to being kind-hearted, she is also
cooperative.
She is both kind-hearted and cooperative.

14. OPPOSING QUALITIES (ONE POSITIVE AND ONEOPPOSING QUALITIES (ONE POSITIVE AND ONE
NEGATIVE)NEGATIVE)
He is usually well-behaved. He can be naughty at
times.
He is usually well-behaved but he can be
naughty at times.
He is usually well-behaved; in spite of
this/nevertheless/however, he can be naughty
at times.
Although/In spite of the fact that he is usually
well-behaved, he can be naughty at times.

15. Manner and mannerism
Instead of only using adjectives to describe a
person’s character, you can also include examples
of the way they speak/look/smile, etc. in order to
give a clearer pictures and to make the description
more lively and vivid.
e.g. Instead of simply writing:
He is kind and affectionate.
You can also write:
His blue eyes light up whenever he sees his
grandchild.

16. Read the following descriptions of mannerisms and say which quality each
one describes.
• When little Tommy wants a new toy, he screams until
his parents buy it for him.
 SPOILT
• Whenever Roger got involved in an argument, he
would shout and become quite violent.
 AGGRESSIVE
• When Sarah listens to sad music her eyes fill with tears.
 SENTIMENTAL/SENSITIVE/EMOTIONAL
• She always runs her fingers through her golden hair
and admires her reflection in the mirror.
 VAIN
• Jerry is always ready with a smile and a good joke. I’ve
never seen him cross or sad.
 CHEERFUL/GOOD-HUMOURED

17. Useful phrases for describing people
• We have similar taste in clothes.
• She looks Spanish.
• She looks like a model.
• She’s the most considerate and unselfish
person I know.

18. • She has a worried expression on her face
 She looks worried
• People think I’m intelligent because I wear glasses!
 I look intelligent because I wear glasses!
• We like the same kind of music.
 We have similar taste in music.
• Can you tell me about her appearance?
 Can you tell me what she looks like?
• I don’t know anyone more talented than Paul.
 Paul is the most talented person I know.
• Jean and Kate enjoy the same type of films.
 Jean and Kate have the same taste in films.
• I have a similar face to my sister.
 I look like my sister.
• I don’t know anyone worse at driving than him.
 He’s the worst driver I know.

19. To recap:
•Paragraph 1: Introduction
•In the Main Body:In the Main Body:
– Paragraph 2: Physical appearance
– Paragraph 3: Personality characteristics
– Paragraph 4: You can also include hobbies,
interests or any activities he/she takes part in.
•In the final paragraph: Conclusion: comments &
feelings about the person.