Describing a picture Preliminary English Test PET (B1).
a) Introduction
The photo/picture shows ...
It was taken by/in ...
It's a black-and-white/coloured photo.
b) What is where?
In the foreground/background you can see/there is/there are ...
In the middle/centre
At the top/At the bottom
On the left/right (side)
In the top/bottom left/right (hand) corner
Behind/In front of /Between
c) Who is doing what?
Here you´ll have to decribe the persons in the picture or you say what is
happening just now. Use the Present Progressive.
You can also use physical descriptions ans describe the clothes they´re
wearing.
d) What I think about the picture
It seems as if ...
The lady/man seems to ...
Maybe/Perhaps ...
I think ...
It might be a symbol of ...
The atmosphere is + adjective...
I (don't) like the picture because ...
It makes me think of ...
MORE LINKS TO HELP YOU:
http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/sites/teens/files/describe_a_phot
o_or_picture_-_tips_1.pd
https://www.clgranada.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/PET-SPEAKING-
PART-3-DESCRIBING-A-PHOTO.pdf
http://www.cristinacabal.com/?page_id=4906
http://www.autoenglish.org/oralexams/exampledescriptions.htm
Samples Of Picture Description
Fashion (B1)
These pictures are related to fashion and clothes. To begin with, the photo on the left
shows a group of young people wearing eccentric clothes, with a very particular style:
most in black, large boots, fishnet stockings.Many people would say they look
scruffy.Probably, they are in a music festival or in a concert and they seem as if they
are having fun.
In the other photo, we can see a catwalk, in which high-heeled models are wearing
very expensive garments, probably from famous designers. Maybe, such events are
more targeted towards shopaholics, who are always trying to be in the limelight and
constantly renew the way they dress.
From some years up to now, clothes have become a distinguishing factor.
There are multiple urban tribes, some of them wearing outrageous clothes, others with
colourful and bright garments, but each one with its own particularity, and they don’t
care what others may think about them. They dress in the way they want. I am more
keen on how the “skins” dress: shaved hair, tight jeans, suspenders, military boots. On
the contrary, most of the teenagers are very fashionable because they are influenced by
the media and constantly being fed with “tips” about what it’s cool to wear or not.
I would say fashion is cyclic and so are trends. Styles from the past are re-invented by
designers or they just return in the same way they were many years ago: for that,
vintage clothes, patterns, accessories and colours have become trendy nowadays.
One of the most widespread stereotypes is that women pay more attention to their
appearance than men do. I think that used to be so in the past, yet today more men are
worried about how they are seen by the opposite sex. So therefore, most fashion ads are
directed to both sexes.
I believe everyone has to wear those clothes which match their own styles, their
thoughts and moral convictions. If you think the most expensive shirt, the old-fashioned
skirt or the most ragged jacket fits you, that’s what matters. Dressing well or badly is
something subjective and if you feel comfortable with that garment, go ahead.
Global Warming (B1)
The first picture shows a group of people sitting on chairs, in the middle of San
Marcus square in Venice. The square is full of water, so they are wearing
swimsuits. They look pretty funny and carefree, despite being in the water.
The second picture shows a child with his back to us. It looks as if he is staring at the
dry landscape in front of him. Maybe, he is worried, thinking about his future and the
horrible scenery , although it is difficult to say, because I can’t see his face.
In the third picture I can see a modern city with skyscrapers.It looks like quite a
polluted city. Its sky is completely full of thick smog. Currently, carbon pollution is the
main reason our planet is getting hotter, increasing the risk of weather disasters, drought
and flood, and damaging our health.Since the past century scientists are warning us
about the dangers of global warming.
In fact, lately, in the north of Spain, winter is being especially hard and extreme. For
example, three years ago it was freezing for months with temperatures below six or five
degrades. Two years ago it was pouring from November until June, and last winter was
very windy and rainy. Even some people, who live on the coast, had to leave their
houses because huge waves had flooded them.
Personally, I think that global warming not only affects the climate change but also
the economic problems. So far, governments have spent a lot of money dealing with the
damages caused by weather disasters. However, the most affected, the poorest
countries, hardly ever receive enough help.
To sum up, from my point of view , if we want to stop global warming we should
change our life habits, for example: we should share our vehicle, take more often public
transport, have a shower instead of a bath, and above all, we should teach the future
generations to take care of our environment and to protect it.
Finally, in my opinion, perhaps the most difficult and necessary thing to do is
changing how we produce energy. We’d better reduce the fossil fuels and use clean and
renewable energies, so that if governments don’t take the climate change seriously, in
the future, the earth will end up being a big ball of smog.
Holidays in the City or on the Beach
(Elementary Level)
In both photos we can see two very different holiday destinations: a big city and a
solitary paradise beach.
The picture on the right was taken at the famous street of New York Times Square.
This street is always crowded with tourists, and in this photo I think there are too many.
They are carrying photo cameras, video cameras or taking photos with their mobile
phones. They are wearing summer clothes because it might be July.
In the other photo, there is a beach with clean sand and clear calm water without
waves. In the foreground we see five sunbeds and palms.
In my opinion, the perfect vacation is a mixture of both destinations, a few days in the
city to visit museums and emblematic buildings, to see a musical or a theater, to do
some sightseeing and to make all the activities that you can, and then, other days at a
resort to relax and enjoy the sun, the beach, sleep and enjoy the food.
If you’re looking forward to going to New York ,you need to save money because it is
the most expensive city in which I have been, but it seems as if you are in a movie with
all the famous places and you think ” I know this and that”.
Picture Description: Beaches
Both photos show a beach, but they are very different.
I suppose it’s summer, because the weather is nice and sunny and everyone is wearing
summer clothes.
In the photo on the right, the beach is next to the city. There are a lot of people
sunbathing. It’s really crowded. In the background I can see many high buildings. The
sea is on the left and it’s full of bathers. The sand is on the right and there are a lots of
colourful beach umbrellas. I think it’s a modern big city, it seems a lively place.
On the other hand, in the photo on the left, the beach is far from the city, and there
are few people. At the back you can see green mountains and some little houses. The
sea is on the right, there is no one bathing. On the right corner, there are two women
next to rocks, they seem very relaxed, they are sunbathing in sun beds and they are
reading a book. They look like friends, it looks as if they are having a great time.
The scene in the photo on the right looks very noisy and it’s packed with people,
while in the photo on the left, it looks very peaceful and quiet.
Personally, I prefer the photo on the left, because it looks like a perfect place to spend
a summer’s day. I love going to the beach and swimming in the sea, but I don’t like
beaches which are close the city, and the crowds.
A Firefighter (Elementary)
In this photo I can see a man, I think he looks about thirty-five. I can’t see his hair
because he is wearing a helmet to protect his head. He is wearing a firefighter uniform
which is black and has long sleeves with yellow stripes. He is also wearing black
gloves and has a radio around his waist, perhaps to talk to his colleagues. He looks
worried and tired. He might be working, because behind him there is a
building destroyed by the fire. He is holding a brown cat; I think he has rescued it
from the fire.I think this work is very dangerous and hard, but it is very important too,
and you must feel a very important person when you have rescued other people.
