A discriptive essay/article about a person should consist of:
a) an introduction in which you give general information about the person, saying when, where and how you first met them;
b) a main body in which you describe their physical appearance, personal qualities (giving justification) and hobbies/interests. You start a new paragraph for each topic;
c) a conclusion in which you write your comments and /or feelings about the person.
When you describe someone's physical appearance you start with the general features (i.e. height, build, age) and move on to the more specific ones, such as hair, eyes, nose, etc. You can also add a description of the clothes the person likes to wear.
e.g. Laura is a tall, slim woman in her early twenties. She has got red hair, green eyes and freckles. She usually wears smart suits.
When you describe someone's personal qualities you should support your description with examples and/or justifications.
e.g. Wayne is very shy. For example, he finds it difficult to make new friends.
You can also describe someone's personality through their manneirisms by:
a) referring to the way they speak
e.g.He speaks in a soft voice as if he were whispering.
b) describing the gestures they use
e.g. She constantly uses her hands when she speaks.
c) mentioning a particular habit they have.
e.g. Jason always bites his nails when he is nervous.
When you mention someone's negative qualities you should use mild language (seems to, can be rather, etc). For example, instead of saying Paul is lazy, it is better to say Paul can be rather lazy at times.
LINKING WORDS AND PHRASES
To make your piece of writing more interesting, you can use a variety of linking words and phrases to join sentences or ideas together.
e.g. Joyce has got red hair. She's got freckles.
Joyce has got red hair and freckles.
David is a tall man. He is in his late forties.
David is a tall man who is in his late forties.
Bridget is an attractive woman. She's got shoulder-length hair.
Bridget is an attractive woman with shoulder-length hair.
She is tall. She is thin.
She is both tall and thin.
BEFORE WRITING:
- Plan ahead your writing before putting pen to paper.
- Make sure you use the grammar structures: used to, would, "causative: have sth done"
- Make sure you use vocabulary items such as: clothes descriptions, dependent prepositions (SB. p. 69, 73), phrases with like, Looks vocabulary, etc.
MODEL:
Jacques Prion has been known for ages as the world's most eligible bachelor followed closely by ex-bachelor Prince William. I first met him on a charity event promoted by the Duke of Wellington when he was dating Princess Lea. At the end of the event, celebrities gave a few interviews and I was lucky to get my first upper class international interview.
Jacques is quite good-looking. He's tall and slim with olive skin and straight dark hair. Like many French people, he has a great sense of style, so he always looks well-dressed even in casual clothes. When I first met him, he was wearing an Armani suit - I guess he has a taste for designer clothes. He used to wear a goatee and would always have a cigarette between his fingers. I met him again by chance during his stay in Brazil and that's when I realised that he has had his arm tatooed but it doesn't really go with his stylish looks.
Besides being absolutely charming, Jacques is very outgoing, but it didn't always use to be that way. He is always friendly and loves to have fun. He's got a fantastic sense of humour and he always makes people around him laugh, which is the reason why he is in trouble with his business associate. Besides, he can be a bit immature at times. For example, when he doesn't get what he wants, he acts childishly which, in my opinion, is one of the reasons he hasn't been able to keep a steady relationship.
Jacques is very keen on water sports. He likes sailing and he spends a lot of time on his boat. He would always set sail with his late grandfather Jacques Cousteau. He enjoys scuba diving, too, and loves exploring life under the sea.
All in all, I'm glad to have met Jacques on several occasions and enjoyed his company. Though he is always on the move, I'm confident that one of these days we'll meet again, and who knows, we might end up talking about more than just his feats.
Here are some pictures for you to choose from. Copy and paste them to your work, or look for a picture in a magazine and glue it to your writing. Have fun!
