Describing people: appearance She’s got straight hair and she’s thin-faced (or she’s got a thin face). She’s got long, wavy hair and she’s round-faced (or she’s got a round face). She’s got curly hair and is dark-skinned (or she’s got dark skin). He’s got a crew-cut. taglio (di capelli) a spazzola He’s bald and has freckles. He’s got a beard and moustache and has a chubby face. He’s got receding hair and a few wrinkles. He used to have black hair but now it’s gone grey, almost white. What sort of person would you find attractive? Blonde, fair, dark or ginger-haired / red-haired. She has such beautiful auburn hair. /ˈɔ:bən/ [red-brown - castano chiaro con riflessi ramati] Fair and dark can be used for hair, complexion or skin. Height and build
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Describing people: appearance She’s got straight hair and she’s thin-faced (or she’s got a thin face).
She’s got long, wavy hair and she’s round-faced (or she’s got a round face).
She’s got curly hair and is dark-skinned (or she’s got dark skin). He’s got a crew-cut. taglio (di capelli) a spazzola
He’s bald and has freckles.
He’s got a beard and moustache and has a chubby face.
He’s got receding hair and a few wrinkles.
He used to have black hair but now it’s gone grey, almost white.
What sort of person would you find attractive? Blonde, fair, dark or ginger-haired / red-haired.
She has such beautiful auburn hair. /ˈɔ:bən/ [red-brown - castano chiaro con riflessi ramati]
Fair and dark can be used for hair, complexion or skin.
Height and build
a rather plump or stout robusto man
a slim woman [positive] a skinny person [rather negative]
an obese couple [negative, very fat] Fat may sound impolite. Instead we often say a bit overweight. If someone is broad and solid, we can say they are stocky tarchiato; tozzo. A person with good muscles can be well-built robusto, ben piantato or muscular. If someone is terribly thin and refuses to eat, they may be anorexic.
General appearance She’s a very smart and elegant woman, always well-dressed; her husband is quite the opposite, very scruffy and untidy-looking / messy-looking. He’s very good-looking, but his friend’s rather unattractive. Do you think beautiful women are always attracted to handsome men? I don’t. I think personality matters most. First impressions are always important. [your first reaction to someone] Tip: The suffix -ish is useful for describing people. She’s tallish. He has brownish hair. He must be thirtyish.
There are many ways to talk about physical appearance.
Age My grandfather is quite old. In fact, as he has a pension, he is an old age pensioner, or a senior citizen. His daughter, my aunt, is 55, and middle-aged. She has three sons. One is a young adult, at 24 years of age, and the other two are both teenagers. They are 16 and 17. My sister also has two children – one toddler who is a two-year old, and a baby who is 6 months old.
Build People are built in all shapes and sizes. There are those who are fat and overweight. Some people are extremely overweight and are obese. Other people are naturally slim, but others look have absolutely no fat on them and are thin, or skinny. Personally, I am stocky – small, but well-built. My father is tall and lean – with very little fat. My sister is short, but wiry – she is quite thin, but muscular. Both my brothers are athletic and well-proportioned. My mother looks like a 1940's film star. She is curvaceous, with an hour-glass figure. My grandfather is fit for his age and takes plenty of exercise. He doesn't want all his muscles to get flabby.
Colouring My sister is an English rose – she has fair hair and fair skin. She doesn't tan easily and has to be careful in the sun. My mother is blonde, also with a fair complexion. I am a red-head – with red hair. Like many other people with a pale complexion, I get freckles from the sun – small brown dots on my face and arms. In contrast, my father has dark-brown hair and he is quite dark-skinned. You are born with a colour – white or Caucasian, black or Asian. People whose parents are of different ethnic origin are mixed-race. Southern Europeans are sometimes described as Mediterranean.
Face Faces, like build, vary a lot. Some people have oval faces – their foreheads are much wider than their chins. Other people have heart-shaped, square or round faces. Features also vary. My grandfather has bushy eyebrows (he has lots of hair!), a hooked nose and high cheekbones. His eyes are large and set quite far apart. My mother has a broad nose, which she hates, as she prefers narrow noses. But she is lucky to have even or regular teeth. My sister corrected her crooked teeth by wearing a brace which straightened them. She has rosy cheeks, small ears and a snub nose, which goes up at the end. I have long, curly hair, though my sister is the opposite, with short, straight hair. Her hair is fine and doesn't weigh very much, but mine is thick and heavy. My mother's hair is wavy – in between straight and curly. It's cut in a bob and she also has a short fringe, where it is cut horizontally across her forehead. My father is losing his hair – in fact he is going bald, which makes him very sad. My brother looks like he is going to lose his hair too – it is receding.
EX 1 Answer these remarks with the opposite description.
EXAMPLE A: I thought you said he was the short, chubby one.
B: No, no, no, not at all, he’s the tall, thin-faced one.
1 A: Was that his brother, the dark-skinned, wavy-haired one?
B: No, completely the opposite, his brother’s … the fair, bald / straight-/curly-haired man / guy.
2 A: She’s always quite well-dressed, so I’ve heard.
B: What! Who told you that? Every time I see her, she’s scruffy and untidy-looking/messy-looking.
3 A: So Charlene’s that rather plump, fair-haired woman, is she?
B: No, you’re looking at the wrong one. Charlene’s … that slim, dark-haired woman over there.
4 A: So, tell us about the new boss; good looking?
B: No, I’m afraid not; rather … unattractive, in fact.
he/she is neither attractive nor unattractive
he/she is 'rather plain' / 'rather ordinary' 'Ugly' is a very strong word indeed, and could be offensive.
5 A: I don’t know why, but I expected the tour-guide to be middle-aged or elderly anziana; attempata.
B: No, apparently she’s only … a teenager / in her twenties.
she's a youngster. ragazza; ragazzotta
EX 2 Write one sentence to describe each of these people, giving information about their hair
and face, their height and build and general appearance.
1 you yourself 2 your best friend 3 a neighbour
4 your ideal of a handsome man / a beautiful woman
Now, in the same way, describe somebody very famous, give some extra clues about them,
e.g. He’s/She’s a pop star/politician. Can someone else guess who you are describing?
The author who wrote this exercise is tall, with brown hair which is going grey; he's white, in
his early fifties and thinks he's good-looking! What about you?
EX 3 From these jumbled words, find combinations for describing people, as in the example.
Not all of the words are on the left-hand page. Some of the combinations are hyphenated.
Use a dictionary if necessary. You can use the words more than once.
EXAMPLE good-looking
looking middle stocky long over round haired well faced good mixed
complexion aged red build dressed weight race legged tanned
well-dressed mixed-race tanned complexion (tanned = brown from the sun) red-haired
red-faced
(*) BUILD [singular, uncountable] = the shape and size of someone's body
COLLOCATIONS
slim/slender build
slight build (=a body shape that looks thin)
stocky/sturdy build (=a body shape that looks broad and heavy) muscular build
medium/average build
strong build
athletic build
She’s a woman of slim build
He was of medium build and about my height.
You're a surprisingly strong swimmer for one of such a slight build.
I wanted a more athletic and muscular build.
EX 4 WANTED! MISSING! Complete the gaps in these police posters.
WANTED FOR MURDER
Ian Prowse
White, height 6ft, (1 feet = cm 30,48)
........thin-faced,
....... dark, curly hair,
........fair skin
Wanted for
Armed Robbery
Sandra King
White, height 5ft 4,
........ dark, wavy hair,
........ stocky build,
.......... round-faced
Missing
Louise Fox
age 7,
Asian appearance
straight, dark hair.
Wanted dead or alive
Jack ‘Dagger’ Flagstone
6ft, bald, with beard and moustache;
...... muscular build.
Follow-up:
Make a collection of descriptions of people from newspapers and magazines. Court/crime
reports, celebrity and gossip pages of magazines, and the personal columns where people are
seeking partners are good places to start.
If your student is an EXTRAVERT, it is likely that he or she:
1. chooses to work with others, with large groups
2. plunges into new experiences
3. is relaxed and confident
4. readily talks over events and ideas with others
5. is interested in other people and their doings
6. readily offers opinions
7. shares personal experiences
8. wants to experience things so as to understand them
9. is enthusiastic about activities involving action
10. has a relatively short attention span
11. dislikes complicated procedures and gets impatient with slow jobs
12. is interested in the results of the job, in getting it done, and in how other people
do it
13. acts quickly, sometimes without thinking
14. likes to work by trial and error
15. communicates well and greets people easily
If your student is an INTROVERT, it is likely that he or she:
1. chooses to work alone or with one person
2. holds back from new experiences
3. chooses written assignments over oral presentations
4. performs better in written work than in oral presentations
5. pauses before answering, and shows discomfort with spontaneous questioning
6. is quiet and shy; seems "deep"
7. is intense, bottling up emotions
8. spends time in thought, before and after actions
9. has a small number of carefully selected friends
10. likes quiet space to work
11. works on one thing for a long time
12. prefers jobs that can be done "inside the head"
13. dislikes interruptions
14. may spend too much time in thought and neglect to get into action
If your student prefers SENSING, it is likely that he or she:
1. is realistic and practical
2. is more observant than imaginative
3. wants to have senses fully engaged and satisfied
4. prefers memorizing to finding reasons
5. is aware of environment and changes moods as physical surroundings change
6. learns best from an orderly sequence of details
7. interested in facts and what is really true
8. keeps accurate track of details, makes lists
9. is patient
10. is good at checking, inspecting, and precise work
11. likes to know the "right way" to solve problems
12. likes an established routine
13. enjoys using skills already learned more than learning new ones
14. works steadily, not in fits and starts
15. is impatient or frustrated with complicated situations
If your student prefers INTUITION it is likely that he or she:
1. seems to like something new all the time
2. is more imaginative than observant
3. attends more to the whole concept than to details
4. is aware only of events that relate to current interests
5. becomes restless, impatient with routines
6. is an initiator, promoter, inventor of ideas
7. sees possibilities that others miss
8. is quick with finding solutions
9. likes to have and do things differently from others
10. likes problems that require new ways of being solved
11. dislikes precise work with many details
12. enjoys learning a new skill more than using it
13. finds reading easy
14. readily grasps meanings of words and symbols
If your student prefers THINKING, it is likely that he or she:
1. wants logical reasons before accepting new ideas
2. tries to be fair; is impersonal, impartial
3. finds ideas and things more interesting than people
4. is more truthful than tactful, if forced to choose
5. is brief and businesslike
6. takes very seriously facts, theories, and the discovery of truth
7. takes seriously the solution of objective problems
8. treats emotional relationships and ideals quite casually
9. contributes intellectual criticism
10. is offended by illogic in others
11. holds firmly to a policy or conviction
12. hurts other people's feelings without knowing it
13. is upset by injustice
14. seems not to know how his or her own actions affect other people's feelings
If your student prefers FEELING, it is likely that he or she:
1. likes warm personal relationships
2. is more interested in people than things or ideas
3. is more tactful than truthful, if forced to choose
4. is likely to agree with others in the group
5. thinks as others think, believing them probably right
6. finds it difficult to be brief and businesslike
7. takes emotional relationships and ideals very seriously
8. may comply or conform to avoid disharmony
9. permits feelings to override logic
10. forecasts how others will feel
11. arouses enthusiasm
12. is upset by conflicts; values harmony; is sympathetic
13. dislikes telling people unpleasant things
14. relates well to most people
If your student is a JUDGING type, it is likely that he or she:
1. likes to have things decided and settled
2. likes assignments to be clear and definite
3. is more decisive than curious
4. lives according to plans (is uneasy with unplanned happenings)
5. tries to make situations conform to his or her own standards, "the way they
ought to be."
6. bases friendship upon beliefs, standards and tastes which are assumed to be
shared
7. has enduring friendships
8. sets up "shoulds" and "oughts" and regularly judges self against these
9. aims to be right
10. is self-regimented, purposeful and exacting
11. is orderly, organized and systematic
12. has settled opinions
13. may be tolerant of routine procedures
If your student is a PERCEPTIVE type, it is likely that he or she:
1. is more curious than decisive
2. lives according to the situation of the moment
3. may not plan things, acts spontaneously
4. is comfortable in handling the unplanned, unexpected, or incidental
5. looks for new experiences, expects to be interested
6. takes a "live and let live" attitude
7. bases friendships on propinquity and shared experience
8. takes on friendships easily; may also neglect, drop, and resume them easily
9. aims to miss nothing
10. is flexible, adaptable and tolerant
11. leaves things open
12. has trouble making decisions
13. starts too many projects and has difficulty in finishing them
14. postpones unpleasant jobs
Human resource department - This is a real test given by the human relations
department at many of the major corporations today.
1. When do you feel your best?
a. In the morning b. During the afternoon and early evening c. Late at night
2. You usually walk
a. Fairly fast, with long steps b. Fairly fast, with short, quick steps c. Less fast, head up,
looking the world in the face d. Less fast, head down
e. Very slowly
3. When talking to people you
a. Stand with your arms folded b. Have your hands clasped c. Have one or both your hands
on your hips d. Touch or push the person to whom you are talking e. Play with your ear,
touch your chin, or smooth your hair
4. When relaxing, you sit with
a. Your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side b. Your legs crossed c. Your legs
stretched out or straight d. One leg curled under you
5. When something really amuses you, you react with
a. A big, appreciative laugh b. A laugh, but not a loud one c. A quiet chuckle d. A sheepish
smile
6. When you go to a party or social gathering you a. Make a loud entrance so everyone notices you b. Make a quiet entrance, looking around
for someone you know c. Make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed
7. You're working very hard, concentrating hard, and you're interrupted. Do you.. a. Welcome the break b. Feel extremely irritated c. Vary between these two extremes
8. Which of the following colours do you like most?
a. Red or orange b. Black c. Yellow or light blue d. Green e. Dark blue or purple f. White
g. Brown or grey
9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep, you lie
a. Stretched out on your back b. Stretched out face down on your stomach c. On your side,
slightly curled d. With your head on one arm e. With your head under the covers
10. You often dream that you are
a. Falling b. Fighting or struggling c. Searching for something or somebody d. Flying or
floating e. You usually have dreamless sleep f. Your dreams are always pleasant
Add up your points using the table below:
A B C D E F G
1 2 4 6
2 6 4 7 2 1
3 4 2 5 7 6
4 4 6 2 1
5 6 4 3 5 2
6 6 4 2
7 6 2 4
8 6 7 5 4 3 2 1
9 7 6 4 2 1
10 4 2 3 5 6 1
Analysis
Over 60 points: Others see you as someone they should "handle with care" You're seen as
vain, self-centred, and who is extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they
could be more like you, but don't always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply involved
with you.
51 to 60 points: Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality; a
natural leader, who's quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see
you as bold and adventurous, someone who will try anything once; someone who takes
chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the
excitement you radiate.
41 to 50 points: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always
interesting; someone who's constantly in the centre of attention, but sufficiently well-
balanced not to be make other people feel annoyed. They also see you as kind, considerate,
and understanding; someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out.
31 to 40 points: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful and practical. They see you as
clever, gifted, or talented, but modest...Not a person who makes friends too quickly or
easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends and who expects the same loyalty in
return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your
friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over it if that trust is ever broken.
21 to 30 points: Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very
cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It would really surprise them if you
ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine
everything carefully from every angle and then, usually decide against it. They think this
reaction is caused partly by your careful nature.
Under 21 points: People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone who needs
looking after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions and who doesn't want
to get involved with anyone or anything. They see you as a worrier who always sees
problems that don't exist. Some people think you're boring. Only those who know you well
know that you aren't.
Symbol Test
Choose the symbol that you like best and then the one that you like second best.
Don't allow any intellectualization about it, just make a quick and simple choice.
Afterwards read the analysis and explanations.
Squares feel most comfortable with a stable environment and clear directions on
what to do. They are conservative and like things that are regular and orderly. If
given a task they will work on it until it is finished, even if it is repetitious,
cumbersome and lonely.
Rectangles like structure and regularity. But they will better establish it with
organization, meetings, committees and so forth. This will have to be done the
proper way, taking all rules and regulations into consideration. If given a task they
will start organizing it to be sure it can be done the most systematic way.
Triangles are goal oriented. They enjoy planning something out and then doing it.
They get motivated by the accomplishment. They will tend to look at long-term
issues, but might forget the details. When given a task they will set a goal and work
on a plan for it.
Circles are social and communicative. No hard edges. They handle things by talking
about them and smoothing things out with everybody. Communication is the first
priority, and making sure there is harmony. When given a task they will talk about it.
Squiggles are off-the-wall and creative. They feel best doing new things and get
bored with regularity. When given a task they will come up with bright ideas about
it.
The square, rectangle and triangle are all convergent.
They are working towards something specific and finite, and they do it in a logical
and systematic way. But they might be lacking in personal creativity.
The circle and squiggle are divergent.
They are creative, extroverted, and intuitive. They will reach out around them into
new areas and to other people. But they aren't particularly systematic or dependable.
This categorization is very useful for evaluating people for job positions or for
finding out how well people will work together.
If you really need something specific done, the square is most likely to do it exactly
as specified. Squares will work great in the accounting department.
If things need to be organized amongst a group of people, then the rectangle is most
likely to make that happen.
A triangle might be a good executive, setting goals and making sure they are met.
The circle will be good at public relations. If anything new is needed a squiggle is the
person for the job. Advertising, problem solving etc.
The different categories of people might often get into conflicts with each other if
they don't realize that they work differently.
The convergent people might get frustrated that the divergent ones don't care about
deadlines.
The divergent people might find the convergent ones cold and narrow minded, not
taking human factors and new possibilities into consideration.
These categorizations can tell us a person's preferred method of working with
something.
A square will need fairly specific instructions. They are not happy just floating
around, not knowing where they are going. A square will feel good about being
presented with a technique and carrying it through until it is done. It doesn't matter
much if it is repetitious, regularity is a source of comfort. For a square it is a good
idea to have more of a formal routine, certain rituals that are repeated.
A rectangle needs to see how things are organized. Rectangles enjoy understanding
the principles of what they are doing. The rectangle will feel comfortable knowing
and noticing that systematic techniques are being used and that they have names and
so forth.
A triangle needs to make goals and accomplishments. They would appreciate making
a list of tasks and then checking them off. It should always be clear what the
underlying intention is for each task. If the direction is agreed upon, the triangle can
be quite flexible on how the task is to be accomplished.
A circle doesn't need a plan or a system. They prefer to talk about whatever is at
hand. Achieving harmony is more important than using the right procedures or
techniques.
A squiggle must be presented with new and different things. Unexpected perspectives
and angles are what motivates them. It is perfectly fine if no procedure is defined and
every session is different. They are flexible and avoid preconceived ideas about
where they will end up.
If it isn't already apparent, there is no value judgment connected with each category.
None of them are better than the other. Each one is a somewhat fragmented package
and has qualities that are better for certain purposes.
Handwriting analysis
Here's a test to see what your handwriting says about you. To take this test, please
write a few lines as you normally would, and keep the paper in front of you so that
you can answer the questions.
1. What is the size of your writing? large bold? - medium sized? - small?
2. How would you say your letters slope? Backward? Vertical? Forward?
Varying?
3. Are the letters in your words fully connected, with clear breaks between the
words? - partially connected, depending on the letters? - unconnected, like
printing?
4. Between words, do you leave wide spaces? - narrow spaces? - no spaces, words
are connected, pen doesn't leave paper?
5. How close together are your lines of writing? Very far apart? - Apart far enough
that the letters do not touch? - Close enough that the descenders (like y and g) of
the top and the ascenders (like h and t) of the bottom overwrite each other?
6. What colour ink did you choose? (If you used another colour, which of these three
would you prefer?) Blue-black - Red - Light Blue
7. How large was your capitol I in the sample? Larger than the other capitol letters -
About the same size as the other capitol letters - Smaller than the other capitol
letters
8. What do your t bars look like? (The crossbars on your letter t) - They tend to be
to the left of the stem of the t - They cross the t more or less in the middle -
They tend to be to the right of the stem of the t
9. Is your writing rising? - normally straight? - falling? - erratic?
10. Which takes the most space vertically in a line of your writing? - The
ascenders? (the tops of t and h) - The middle zone? (letters like a and e and n) -
The descenders? (the bottoms of j and y and g)
11. How much pressure does your writing show? Fine and spidery? - Firm and
even? - Heavy?
Check your answers with the analysis below.
1. The size of the writing indicates the writer's desire to be noticed. Large bold writing
indicates that you like being noticed, that you stand out in a crowd. You have broad
perspective, make an impression, you are bold, ego driven, action oriented and often
egocentric. || Medium sized writing indicates a desire to fit in. You work well with
others, you are practical, realistic and balanced. || Smaller writing indicates that you
do not seek attention, you pay attention to detail, you are introverted, modest,
cerebral and often selective.
2. Backward: shy and afraid to show your feelings, hesitant. || Vertical: practical,
independent, head rules over heart, self sufficient, controlled and not emotional. ||