DESCRIBING A PHOTOGRAPH

INTRODUCTION
Where was the picture taken? What is the main topic?
This photo was taken in/at…
The picture shows…
It’s a coloured/black and white photograph.

GIVING DETAILS
Try to give as many details as possible.
In this picture there is/there are…
On the left/on the right there is/the are…
In the foreground/background you can see/there is/there are...
In the middle/centre there is/there are...
At the top/At the bottom there is/there are...
Behind/In front of ... you can see...
Between the... there is/there are...

DESCRIBING PEOPLE
Describe the people in the photo. Talk about their physical appearance and
their clothes.
The man is tall/short/overweight/slim…
He’s got blue eyes and dark hair.
He’s wearing jeans, a white shirt and brown shoes.

Use a tactful and polite language!

overweight NOT fat not very good looking NOT ugly

Say what they are doing. Use the present continuous.

He’s running/swimming/eating/writing…
The man is standing next to the table.

Be careful with NON-PROGRESSIVE VERBS! (be, like, love, hate, know, own,
belong, believe, etc.)
The car belongs to the family. NOT The car is belonging to the family.
The girls know each other well. NOT The girls are knowing each other well.

SPECULATING AND DEDUCTING

If you are not sure about something, you can speculate using these
expressions:
He seems very happy.
It looks like an animal, but I’m not sure.
It could be a cheetah or a leopard, but I can’t tell.

If you can’t name something in the photograph, don’t worry! Try to describe
it.
I don’t remember the name of this object in English now, but it’s something you use to
cut/eat/write with… and it’s usually made of wood/glass/steel/plastic.
I don’t remember the name of his job right now, but it’s very dangerous. He puts out
fires.

COMPARING AND CONTRASTING TWO PHOTOGRAPHS

Learn how to compare and contrast two different pictures that are related to
the same topic.

Start by giving a brief description of the topic

The two photographs show people doing sport/were taken in a restaurant.
The people in these pictures are studying in different situations.

Make factual statements about the photos, including the most obvious
similarities and differences.
In the first photograph/In photograph A there is/there are…
The second picture shows…
These photographs are very similar because they both show people reading but in
very different situations. In the first picture there are two women reading on a
crowded train, but the man in the second picture is reading on a deserted beach.

Use contrast linking words and phrases

On the one hand in this photo… on the other hand in the second photo…
Photo 1 shows a lion in a cage whereas photo 2 shows a group of lions in the jungle.
The woman in picture A is enjoying herself but the woman in picture B looks very
unhappy.

Use comparatives and superlatives, if possible

The room in the first photo is bigger and more spacious.
The people that are sitting on the bench are the most overweight.

Make comments which involve opinion and speculation

In my opinion, the lion in photo 1 looks a bit depressed.
The lion in this photo is probably in a zoo or in a circus.
It looks like a London underground, but I’m not sure.
The man could be somewhere like Jamaica.