Sunday 23 January 2011

Describing Pictures

To describe a picture or an image in English, you should follow these steps:

1. Introduction

· The photo / picture shows...

· It was taken by / in...

· It's a black-and-white / coloured photo.

2. What and where

· In the foreground/background there are... / there is... / you can see...

· On the left/right there are... / there is... / you can see...

· At the top/At the bottom there are... / there is... / you can see...

· In the middle/centre there are... / there is... / you can see...

· Behind/In front of ... there are... / there is... / you can see...

3. Who and what

To describe the persons or animals in the picture and explain what is happening, you have to use the Present Continuous: He is walking / They are sleeping / ...

4. Personal opinion

· It seems as if...

· The woman / boy / cat / child seems to...

· I think... / believe... /guess...

· I (don't) like the picture because...


For well skilled students, or those who want to improve their description skills, here you have a presentation with some exercises that could help you: