WORKSHEET

Describing People

A Which adjectives in the box describe someones appearance? Which ones

describe someones personality? Write each adjective in the correct box.

affable

bold

gawky

genial

hirsute

lean

obnoxious

outgoing

petite

reserved

slim

stout

APPEARANCE

PERSONALITY

Use some of these adjectives to describe a famous person. Can your partner guess
who they are?
B The two words in each pair below have similar meanings but show different
attitudes when you use them. Which adjective in each pair is the more
positive or complimentary word? Circle it.
1 childlike childish 8 simplistic uncomplicated
2 obstinate steadfast 9 impulsive spontaneous
3 discerning judgmental

10 cunning clever

4 arrogant self-confident

11 feisty argumentative

5 skinny slender

12 lenient soft

6 assertive aggressive

13 blunt plainspoken

7 thrifty cheap

14 consistent rigid

Photocopiable worksheet Pearson Education Limited 2009

Teachers Notes for Worksheet 4:

Describing People

Objectives:
A To understand meaning and use of descriptive adjectives for a persons
appearance versus a persons personality

B To understand the connotations of particular descriptive adjectives
Dictionary skills:

Finding, interpreting, and categorizing word meanings; Using dictionary

labels to inform your understanding of word meanings

Tasks:
A Sort adjectives by use (to describe someones appearance or personality)

B Identify which of two adjectives with similar meanings has the more
positive connotation

Procedure

A Students work alone or in pairs. If they are sure of the meaning of a word, they can write it in the
appropriate column. If they need to look it up, they can use their dictionary or DVD-ROM.
Follow-up: Ask the students to circle the words that they think have a positive meaning.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Answers:
Appearance: gawky, hirsute, lean, petite, slim, stout

Personality: affable, bold, genial, obnoxious, outgoing, reserved
B Explain to students that some headwords in the dictionary have labels that show you if a word is
used in informal, formal, literary, legal or technical English. The labels impolite, taboo, and vulgar warn
you against using the word. Some labels such as humorous say something about the attitude of the
speaker.
Definitions can also tell you that using a word communicates a particular attitude:
childish - used to show disapproval
consistent - usually used to show approval
assertive - confident in a positive way
plainspoken - especially in a way that people think is honest rather than rude
Other ways of communicating the attitude of the speaker:
cunning - good at deceiving people
discerning - the ability to make good judgments
obstinate - even when other people think you are being unreasonable
For this task, sometimes students will need to compare the definitions for two adjectives to determine
which is more complimentary. Students work in pairs for this activity.
Time: 15-25 minutes
Answers:
1 childlike

6 assertive

11 feisty

2 steadfast
7 thrifty
12 lenient

3 discerning
4 self-confident 5 slender
8 uncomplicated 9 spontaneous 10 clever
13 plainspoken
14 consistent

Photocopiable worksheet Pearson Education Limited 2009