Word list · Teens & Adults
Describing People and Places in English
What someone looks like, and what a place feels like.
- Age
- Ages 13+
- Level
- A2–B2
- Skill
- Vocabulary
- Format
- Interactive
- People & feelings
- 25 words
Practise
Three ways to learn the list. Nothing is saved: start again whenever you like.
0 of 25 learned
medium height
noun
The list
Tap the speaker to hear each word.
medium height
noun · A2
not tall and not short
He's of medium height, with short dark hair.
slim
adjective · A2
thin in an attractive way
She's tall and slim, with long dark hair.
curly
adjective · A2
(of hair) forming curls, not straight
My son has curly hair, just like his grandfather.
beard
noun · A2
hair that grows on a man's chin and cheeks
My dad has had a beard for as long as I can remember.
in your thirties
phrase · B1
aged between 30 and 39
I'd say the woman in the photo is in her early thirties.
good-looking
adjective · B1
attractive to look at
Her brother is so good-looking that people ask if he's a model.
well-dressed
adjective · B1
wearing nice, stylish clothes
Everyone at the wedding was very well-dressed.
freckles
noun · B1
small light-brown spots on the skin, often on the face
She has red hair and freckles on her nose.
look like
verb · A2
to have a similar appearance to someone
You look just like your mother!
wrinkles
noun · B2
lines that appear on your skin as you get older
My grandmother has lots of wrinkles around her eyes from smiling.
bald
adjective · B1
with little or no hair on the head
He started going bald in his twenties, so now he shaves his head.
elderly
adjective · B1
a polite word for old
An elderly man asked me the way to the station.
crowded
adjective · B1
full of people
The beach gets very crowded in August.
peaceful
adjective · B1
quiet and calm
We spent a week in a peaceful village in the mountains, far from any roads.
lively
adjective · B1
full of energy, activity and people
The old town is really lively at night, with lots of bars and live music.
polluted
adjective · B1
made dirty by harmful substances
The river is too polluted to swim in.
picturesque
adjective · B2
pretty, especially in an old-fashioned way, like a picture
We drove through picturesque villages full of flowers.
run-down
adjective · B2
(of a building or area) in bad condition because nobody has looked after it
The hotel looked a bit run-down, but the staff were lovely.
spacious
adjective · B2
with a lot of space inside
The flat is bright and spacious, with a big balcony.
cosy
adjective · B1
small, warm and comfortable (American English: cozy)
It's a small, warm, cosy café with armchairs and a fireplace.
suburbs
noun · B1
the areas where people live on the edge of a city
We moved from the city centre to the suburbs to have a garden.
surrounded by
phrase · B1
with something all around
The house is surrounded by fields and forests.
located
adjective · B1
in a particular place
The hotel is located just five minutes from the beach.
landmark
noun · B2
a famous building or place that is easy to recognise
The Eiffel Tower is the most famous landmark in Paris.
touristy
adjective · B2
(informal) full of tourists, or made mainly for tourists
The main square is a bit touristy, so we ate in a quiet side street.
Use it: speaking task
For pairs or small groups, about ten minutes.
Picture game in pairs. A describes a person or a place (a photo on their phone, a famous person or somewhere in town) using words from the list; B guesses or draws it. Then swap.
- Describe someone in your family. Who do you look like?
- Describe the town or neighbourhood where you grew up. Was it lively or peaceful?
- What is the most picturesque place you have ever visited?
- Would you rather live in the city centre or in the suburbs? Why?
Printable worksheet
One page of matching and gap-fill, the speaking task, and an answer key on a separate page.
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Introductions Unit: ESL Lesson for Adults
The opening unit of most adult courses: names, jobs, where people are from, and how to keep a first conversation going.
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
A. Match each word with its meaning.
- 1. medium height ____
- 2. curly ____
- 3. in your thirties ____
- 4. well-dressed ____
- 5. look like ____
- 6. bald ____
- 7. crowded ____
- 8. lively ____
- 9. picturesque ____
- 10. spacious ____
- a) full of people
- b) (of hair) forming curls, not straight
- c) to have a similar appearance to someone
- d) not tall and not short
- e) pretty, especially in an old-fashioned way, like a picture
- f) full of energy, activity and people
- g) with little or no hair on the head
- h) wearing nice, stylish clothes
- i) with a lot of space inside
- j) aged between 30 and 39
B. Complete the sentences with words from the box.
beard · cosy · elderly · freckles · good-looking · peaceful · polluted · run-down · slim · wrinkles
- 1. She's tall and , with long dark hair.
- 2. My dad has had a for as long as I can remember.
- 3. Her brother is so that people ask if he's a model.
- 4. She has red hair and on her nose.
- 5. My grandmother has lots of around her eyes from smiling.
- 6. An man asked me the way to the station.
- 7. We spent a week in a village in the mountains, far from any roads.
- 8. The river is too to swim in.
- 9. The hotel looked a bit , but the staff were lovely.
- 10. It's a small, warm, café with armchairs and a fireplace.
C. Use it: speak
Picture game in pairs. A describes a person or a place (a photo on their phone, a famous person or somewhere in town) using words from the list; B guesses or draws it. Then swap.
- Describe someone in your family. Who do you look like?
- Describe the town or neighbourhood where you grew up. Was it lively or peaceful?
- What is the most picturesque place you have ever visited?
- Would you rather live in the city centre or in the suburbs? Why?
Answer key
A. 1d · 2b · 3j · 4h · 5c · 6g · 7a · 8f · 9e · 10i
- B.
- 1. slim
- 2. beard
- 3. good-looking
- 4. freckles
- 5. wrinkles
- 6. elderly
- 7. peaceful
- 8. polluted
- 9. run-down
- 10. cosy