Task 7 – Description (People / Buildings / Places)
Description：
Use appropriate descriptive words to talk about a person, a building or a place and “paint” a mental picture in the mind of the listener and make your listener “see” what you described.
Key: Use nouns and colors to describe.
(1) Describe a Person
Describe a person, including the following information:
(1) Who he/she is;
(2) Prominent physical features;
(3) Personality;
(4) Hobbies;
(5) Similarities or differences between you two.
(2) Describe a Building
Describe a house, a room, or a public place (i.e. a library, a restaurant, a theatre, etc.).
Be sure to include outside appearance and layout inside, plus measuring words, nouns for furniture, colors and shapes, facilities and appliances.
(3) Describe a Place
Describe a public place (i.e. a park, a street, a farmer’s market, etc.).
Be sure to describe the surroundings that can make the listener feel like being in the same place with you.
Structural Strategy
- Introduction → General impression → Specific details → Conclusion
- For describing a person: move from outside to inside — appearance (figure type, height, facial features) → clothing style → personality → hobbies.
- Use descriptive vocabulary to create a clear mental image.
- Use spatial sequencing (从左到右 / 从上到下 / 里面 / 外面 / 周围)
- Use cohesive connectors (首先 / 其次 / 此外 / 总体来说)
- Avoid vague statements (很好 / 很漂亮 / 很大)
- Vary sentence structures
Task Types
A. Describe a Person
- Identity and relationship
- Physical appearance
- Clothing style
- Personality traits
- Habits or hobbies with one example
B. Describe a House
- Location and neighborhood
- Size and structure
- Architectural style and materials
- Exterior features
- Interior layout and furniture placement
- Conclusion with overall feeling
C. Describe a Place
- Name and type of place
- Location
- Purpose and frequency of visits
- Exterior description (3–4 sentences)
- Interior description (8–10 sentences)
- Surrounding environment
Common Ceiling Problems
- Lack of clear structure or organization
- Too general without concrete details
- Missing spatial markers (从左到右 / 从上到下 / 里面 / 外面)
- Overuse of simple sentence structures
- Limited descriptive vocabulary (colors, shapes, measurements)
- Excessive pauses that interrupt discourse flow
- A large number of grammar mistakes
- Memorized-sounding delivery
Practice Prompts
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- 描述一下你的父亲／母亲／哥哥／姐姐／弟弟／妹妹
Describe your father, mother, brother, or sister.
- 描述一下你的丈夫／妻子／女朋友／男朋友／朋友／同学／老师
Describe your spouse, partner, friend, classmate, or teacher.
- 描述一下你常去的餐馆／图书馆／咖啡馆／酒吧／你家的房子／你的宿舍／你的教室／你们的教学楼
Describe a restaurant, library, café, bar, your house, dorm, classroom, or school building you often visit.
- 请描述一下你常去的农贸市场／渔人码头／情人角／旧金山中国城
Describe a farmer’s market, Fisherman’s Wharf, Lover’s Point, or San Francisco Chinatown.
- 请描述一下婚礼的现场／毕业典礼的会场／约会的地点／是什么样的。
Describe what a wedding venue, graduation ceremony site, or dating location looks like.
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