Describe Things

Lesson Plan

Sometimes you may be asked to describe something, what it looks like, and it’s function or purpose. For example, You may to talking to a person not up on the latest technological devises or telling someone about the newest time saving kitchen gadget.
When you are describing objects you use adjectives, (words that describe nouns) such as the size, color, shape, material made from, thickness, texture, etc. Look at the expressions below that can be used when asking for descriptions of things.

English Expressions

Expression: What does it look like?
Response: It’s big, with eight hairy arms.

Expression: How big is it?
Response: It’s 3 feet, by 4 feet, by 5 feet.

Expression: How much does it weigh?
Response: It weighs 75 pounds.

Expression: What color is it?
Response: It’s bright yellow, brighter than a banana. 

Expression: What’s it made out of?
Response: It’s made of plastic and aluminum.

Expression: What is it?
Response: It’s a garlic press.

Expression: What does it do?
Response: It puts a sharp point on wooden pencils.

Expression: What the purpose of a refrigerator?
Response: The purpose of a refrigerator is to keep food cold so it does not spoil.

Expression: What do you use a (… cheese grater) for?
Response: A cheese grater is used to make small strips of cheese from a larger block.

Expression: How does a (… water heater) work?
Response: Water is collected in a large tank and heated by either gas or electricity.

   

English Dialogue

Students should work together in pairs and read the following dialogue, one student reading one part, the other student reading the other. Note the expressions used in the dialogue and the progression of the conversation. The dialogue can be used as a model to have similar conversations.

Randall: Do you know what a grandfather clock is?
Horace: Yes, of course.
Randall: I assume it is a kind of clock, but what does it look like?
Horace: Well, they’re usually big, about an average person’s height, and maybe 20 to      24 inches wide.
Randall: And.
Horace: The clock face is at the top, usually a round face, and many have Roman      Numerals.
Randall: Go on.
Horace: Below the face is a pendulum which hangs from a chain, or something similar,      which swings back and forth as the clock ticks.
Randall: I’m sorry, what’s a pendulum?
Horace: A weight hanging from a chain, cable, or string.
Randall: I see.
Horace: In all the grandfather clocks I have ever seen, the cabinets were made out of      wood, usually stained brown.
Randall: Why are they called grandfather clocks?
Horace: I don’t know. Maybe because they are an old style of clock that was common      in our grandfathers’ days.
Randall: The clock in your father’s office is a grandfather clock, isn’t it?
Horace: Yes, but he calls it his grandmother’s clock.
Randall: Why?
Horace: Because his grandmother gave it to him.

After reading, close your book and tell your partner a summary of the dialogue. Then switch and have your partner tell his or her summary. Start like this: This dialogue is one person describing a clock. It is … This may seem silly, since you both already know what the dialogue is about, but the purpose is to practice using your English, not to give information or test your reading skills.

Conversation Activities

1. Pair work- discussion
    Do you or your family have a grandfather clock or any other antique items that has been
    handed down from one generation to the next? Tell your partner about it using some of
    the ideas for discussion below. Your partner should ask questions to get more
    information.  

 what is it    
 its age and its history
 why it is significant or important to your family                          
 who in your family will the item be handed down to next
 why that person will get the item

2. Pair work- discussion
    Work with a partner and describe the following items are and how they work. The
    listening partner should ask questions to get more detail or clarification.  Obviously
    most (if not all) people already know what these things are and how they work, but the
    purpose of the exercise is to practice using the language. So… the partner
    asking about the items should pretend to be very, very stupid or from a very remote,
    uncivilized location that has never been exposed to these modern conveniences.

Pencil sharpener                          Bicycle
Toaster                                            Clock
Calculator                                      Camera
Stethoscope                                  Bow and arrow


from  http://www.hotel-tefl.com/yadayadaenglish/describe-things/