Describing and Comparing Products

A. Look at the phone below. What can you say about it?

With a partner, write some notes about the phone, putting your
ideas into logical groups.

APPEARANCE:
flip-up design …

How would you describe this phone to a customer?

What would you tell them about first? Why?

Is there anything you wouldn’t tell them?

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B. Compare the two descriptions below:

This phone, the GX12, is the first of a new generation of phones. It has a

built-in camera and lots of other things. Because it’s made by Sharp, it’s got

a fantastic screen which is really big and colourful: great for using the

camera. It’s got the best Internet access of any phone, so if you sign up for

SmarToneIn, our WAP site, then you’ve really got a full multi-media

experience. It’s also got great games thanks to its own JAVA engine which

uses specially designed Japanese games from people like SEGA and Namco.

Plus it looks cool too!

GX12

SmarTone brings you the first of the new generation GSM mobile
phones - GX12. Equipped with a built-in camera and a variety of
functions, it offers you a whole new mobile multi-media experience
when combined with . You can also enjoy the ultimate
gaming experience with stunning graphics and sound.

GX12 has the following features:

- Sharp's latest LCD technology - extra-large screen displaying 65,000

colours
- Customised JAVA engine lets you enjoy the unrivalled gaming
experience with tailored games from Japan's e-games big names
such as Konami, Namco, SEGA, G-mode and Taito.
- Built-in camera with 110K pixels resolution, digital zoom and
self-portrait lens. With our service, just shoot, click and
send
- Chic exterior with flip-up dual screen design
- Built-in 16 polyphonic ringtones
- Supports xHTML, and
- Displays both Chinese and English characters

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How is the second one different?

What words or phrases are used in the first one that

have the same meaning as those below?

i. a variety of features = lots of other things

ii. it has XYZ =

iii. it supports xHTML, W@P… =

iv. it has a chic exterior =

v. the unrivalled / ultimate gaming experience =

vi. tailored games =

vii. Sharp’s latest LCD technology – an extra-large screen =

Remember:
spoken English is more informal, uses more colloquial expressions and
less jargon than written English.

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Key phrases: Describing and Comparing

1. Describing:

It has … 16 different polyphonic ring tones.

It’s got … the latest JAVA engine.

It comes with … a built-in digital camera.

There are … four different colours available.

It comes with … an extra battery.

newest
best
It’s the least handset of its type on the
expensive market right now.
most
advanced
…

2. Elaborating on and Explaining features:

That basically means that …

So you can send , which means you can send the

photos you take on your phone to your friends.

What that means is that keep using it for much longer.

(with this phone) you can send pictures.
access SmarTone IN, our
WAP site.

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C. Now describe the phone on the card to your partner.
Use the space below to make some notes before you
start.

Now listen to your partner describing the features of their

phone, and take notes on what they say:

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Key phrases: Describing and Comparing

3. Comparing

Well, the Motorola more advanced

T720 is smaller than the XXX.
lighter

It’s light
It isn’t advanced
as as the
It has much talk-time XXX.
It doesn’t have many polyphonic ring tones

Form

o The comparative form adds -er and

o the superlative form is made by using the and adding -est.

1 Adjectives with one syllable:

long longer the longest
big bigger the biggest
low lower the lowest
late later the latest

2 Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, -ow, and -le:

easy easier the easiest
narrow narrower the narrowest
simple simpler the simplest

3 Other two-syllable adjectives and longer adjectives:

reliable more reliable the most reliable
expensive more expensive the most expensive

Longer adjectives use more in the comparative and the

most in the superlative.

4 Irregular adjectives:
good better best bad worse worst
little less least much more most
far farther/further farthest/furthest

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 far

much
substantially
considerably
significantly

moderately
somewhat

slightly
a little

Note

You cannot say: ‘Rossomon are more bigger than Matushi.’ (bigger)

a little
The slightly lighter than the
Samsung a bit cheaper Motorola
T108+ is a lot T720.
quite a lot
significantly

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4. Contrast

However, the Motorola also supports JAVA (which lets you

play games) and is nearly $1000 cheaper.

Although it’s more expensive, it has more features.

Despite being cheaper, it still has a digital camera and JAVA.

5. Addition

Besides fully supporting xHTML, the GX12 also has an LCD

screen which can show 65,000 colours.

Not only is it the lightest phone of it’s type, it’s also very
competitively priced.

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D. What are the main features of the phone below?

Nokia 3650

Compare it with this phone:

Motorola T720 E.g. The Nokia is more expensive than the

Motorola …

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