Describing People

1. Hair, Face and Complexion

straight black hair, long wavy hair, Afro hairstyle, a crew cut a buzz cut bald with freckles a fringe; thin-faced a round face dark-skinned (black)

Beard and moustache, bobbed hair, with receding hair, short curly blond hair, shoulder-length swarthy complexion a double chin wrinkles fair complexion gray hair

1. How would you describe your hair color?

 Blond / a blonde  Red-haired / a red-head  Dark-brown / a brunette  Black

2. Use the Internet or your dictionary to find out what these hair colors are:

 Strawberry blond  Dark blond  Ash blond  Platinum blond  Chestnut

3. Do you dye your hair? If yes, what colors do you prefer and why?

4. What type of hairstyle do you typically wear? Is your hair long? Short? Shoulder-length? Straight? Curly? Wavy?

5. What kind of complexion do you have? Pale? Fair? Tan? Swarthy? Dark?

2. Height and Build

Saying someone is fat or thin can be rude. Instead of saying someone is thin or skinny we might say, ‘S/he is slim’ or ‘slender’. Instead of saying someone is fat we might say, ‘S/he is a bit overweight’ or ‘S/he’s plump’. If someone is broad and solid, we say that they are stocky or heavyset. A person with good muscles can be called well-built, muscular or athletic. If someone is very thin and refuses to eat, they may be anorexic.

A plump / heavyset man a slim woman a chubby baby an obese person (positive) (negative)

3. General Appearance and Age

1. Translate the following sentences:

1. She is a very stylish and elegant woman, always well-dressed; her husband is just the opposite, very scruffy and messy/sloppy-looking. 2. He is very good-looking, but his friend is rather unattractive. 3. Do you think beautiful women are always attracted to handsome men and vice versa? – No, I don’t. I think personality matters more. 4. He is an African American in his late sixties, tall and broad-shouldered. 5. She looks fortyish but she may be in her early fifties – it’s hard to tell, because she takes good care of herself. 6. No, I think they are younger than my parents; they are thirty-something, 7. Some middle-aged women look much better than they did in their teens. 8. I have two elderly parents so I don’t want to move too far from them. 9. My boss is an older gentleman, rather distinguished-looking. 10. Harriet was not pretty, but she was what they call striking-looking. 11. This Digital Literacy Club provides training for senior citizens and people with disabilities. 12. Now many young adults in their mid-twenties talk about their quarter-life crisis. What is it?

2. Answer these remarks with the opposite description:

E.g. A: I thought you said he was the short, chubby one. B: No, just the opposite: He is the tall, skinny one.

1. A: Wasn’t he the dark-skinned, wavy-haired man? B: No, just the opposite: …

2. A: I’ve heard that she is always well-dressed. B: What? Who told you that? Every time I see her she…

3. A: Is Mary that plump, blond-haired woman over there? B: No, you’re looking at the wrong person. Mary is…

4. A: I don’t know why but I expected the tour guide to be middle-aged or elderly. B: No, apparently she is only…

2. Write a sentence to describe each of these people, giving information about their hair and face, height and build, age group and general appearance.

a) you yourself b) your best friend c) neighbor d) your ideal of a man / woman

3. Think of a famous (and recognizable) film star and describe him or her to your classmates so that they could guess who you are talking about.

4. Give people’s ages in English – approximately

She is 47-48 ______He is 17-18 ______This man is 30-35 ______This lady is 23-26 ______Пожилой мужчина ______Женщина средних лет ______Ему тридцать с хвостиком ______Ей лет шестьдесят ______

5. WANTED!!!! MISSING!!!! Fill in the blanks in these posters:

Wanted for Forgery Wanted for Wanted! Missing Armed Robbery Dead or Alive!

Name: Will Prouse Name: Sandra King Name: Jake Dagger Name: Louisa Yin Height: 6 ft. Height: 5 3 Height: 6 5 Age: 12, Chinese ______-faced ______-faced ______build ______-faced ______hair ______build ______and ______hair ______complexion ______hair ______-faced ______complexion

6. Make a collection of descriptions of people from newspapers and magazines. Court / crime reports, celebrity pages or gossip columns, and personal ads by people seeking partners are good places to start.

Hair

Read the following dialog and do the exercises

Jill: You know, Lisa, I love you hair! It’s so thick and curly. Are those curls natural, or did you get your hair permed? Lisa: Are you kidding? I can’t afford a perm. This is all natural. But I’ll tell you something funny. As a kid I, hated curly hair. I always wanted to have straight hair, or wavy hair like yours. And I always wished I were blond, like you. Jill: Really? You must be crazy. Your hair is great. I wish my hair weren’t so light, and I wish it were curlier. And your hair is so thick and mine is so thin! Oh, dear, I just never know what to do with my hair. Should I have it cut really short, or should I have it medium length? Or do you like it long like this? Lisa: How about a punk haircut? You could have it very short at the sides and long at the back and on top, and then you could put some red, blue and green in it. Jill: Very funny! But you’re right about one thing, Lisa. I really should dye my hair. Do you know I have a few gray hairs already, and I am only twenty-six. Lisa: Well, at least we women don’t have to worry about going bald. There is baldness in my family, you know: my father hasn’t got a hair on his head. He went bald at thirty. Jill: Hmmm… I don’t know…. Maybe I’d look nice bald… What do you think?

1. Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the dialog.

1. ____ Jill likes curly hair. 5. ____ Jill thinks she would look good with a punk haircut. 2. ____ Lisa’s hair is curly 6. ____ Jill has twenty-six gray hairs. 3. ____ Lisa has a perm. 7. ____ Jill has long hair. 4. ____ Jill has wavy hair. 8. ____ Jill wants to change the color of her hair. 5. ____ Jill has thick hair. 9. ____ Lisa’s father is bald.

2. Match words in column A (describing things we do to our hair) with words in column B (things we use to do hair). Check your answers in the dictionary.

1. ____ cut it a) a towel 2. ____ wash it b) a razor 3. ____shave it off c) shampoo 4. ____ dry it d) scissors

3. Study all the different kinds of hair by looking at the pictures. Provide transcription for the following words:

clean-shaven [ ] dreadlocks [ ] cornrows [ ] French braid [ ] spiky [ ] chignon [ ] ponytail [ ] pigtails [ ] crew cut [ ] sideburns [ ] goatee [ ] layered [ ] bald [ ] perm [ ] stubble [ ]

4. Translate the following sentences:

1. I know many bald men who wear a small moustache and a goatee. 2. I think it’s time for you to get a trim: your hair looks scruffy and very untidy. 3. Dr. Gregory House possessed a permanent stubble and dressed informally in jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers. 4. I don’t think a ponytail is a very good look for a thirty-something woman. 5. A common misconception is that those who have dreadlocks do not wash their hair, but this is usually not the case. 6. She would like to get a stylish layered haircut and dye her hair blue. 7. Emma Thomson, a famous British actress, has a very noticeable widow’s peak. 8. Could you teach me how to get my hair up into a French twist? I can’t seem to get the hang of it. 9. Are you going to wear your hair up or down for your wedding? – I don’t know. George likes my hair down, but the veil looks so much better with my hair up. 10. Tom got a buzz cut before joining the army. 11. The actress had to lose a lot of weight and shave off all her hair to play that part in the film.

Things to Think About

1. What kind of hairstyle do you have now? Can you describe the different hairstyles you have had in the past? 2. Which hairstyles can you suggest for your classmates and friends? 3. Which hairstyles are popular and fashionable at the moment? 4. “Hairstyle is a very important way for people to say something about who they are and what they believe.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?