PeopleI Know
Describing personality & appearance · friends & family
CEFR Pathway · You are here
Warm-up · Section 1
5 minGet talking
Name three people you spoke to yesterday. Who are they to you?
What's the best personality trait of your closest friend? Give an example.
Who do you usually turn to first when you have good news — family or friends? Why?
Grammar focus · Section 2
8–10 minAdjective order & 'looks like' vs 'is like'
When you stack adjectives, English follows a fixed order: opinion → size → age → shape → colour.
→ She's a lovely tall young woman. (opinion → size → age)
→ He has short curly dark hair. (size → shape → colour)
→ What does your boss look like? — He's tall, with a beard.
→ What is your boss like? — He's really patient and fair.
More detail
Also: 'What does she look like?' asks about appearance; 'What is she like?' asks about personality. Mixing these is one of the most common A2/B1 mistakes.
Question 1.Choose the correct order: She wears a ____ jacket.
Question 2.'What ____ your sister ____?' (= personality)
Question 3.He's got ____ hair.
Question 4.'What does he look like?' — '____.'
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Quick check 1.Pick the WRONG sentence.
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
Don't just read these — say one out loud, then use it about your life.
easy-going
relaxed and not easily worried
"My dad is so easy-going — nothing stresses him out."
Name one easy-going person in your life. Why?
outgoing
friendly and confident with people
"She's the most outgoing person in our team — she'll talk to anyone."
Are you outgoing or reserved at parties? Give an example.
reserved
quiet, not showing emotion easily
"I'm quite reserved with new people, but I open up fast."
Finish: 'I'm reserved when…'
down-to-earth
practical, modest, no pretensions
"He's a famous chef but really down-to-earth in person."
Who's the most down-to-earth person you know?
stubborn
refusing to change your mind
"My little brother is stubborn — he never admits he's wrong."
When are you stubborn? Tell your partner one situation.
have a sweet tooth
to love sugary food
"I really have a sweet tooth — I can't say no to dessert."
Do you have a sweet tooth? What's your weakness?
take after (someone)
to look or behave like a family member
"I take after my mum — same laugh, same temper."
Who do you take after in your family? In what way?
get on with
to have a good relationship with someone
"I get on really well with my flatmate — we never argue."
Name someone you get on with — and one person you don't.
Discuss with a partner
- →Describe a family member using 3 words from today.
- →Who in your life is the opposite of you — and how?
Finish the sentence about you
- I really take after …
- I get on best with …
- I'm not at all …
Rank & justify
Rank these qualities from most → least attractive in a friend.
- easy-going
- outgoing
- down-to-earth
- reserved
60-second write
Write 2 sentences describing yourself using at least 3 of today's adjectives.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minWord stress in personality adjectives
- • EAS-y-going
- • OUT-going
- • RES-erved
- • STUB-born
- • DOWN-to-earth (main stress on 'down')
How to say it
Stress in personality words almost always falls on the FIRST syllable: EAS-y-going, OUT-going, RES-erved, STUB-born. Getting stress wrong makes you sound less natural even when grammar is perfect.
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minMy grandmother, the legend
Everyone in my family says I take after my grandmother — and I take that as a huge compliment. She's 81, just over five foot tall, with short silver hair and bright blue eyes that don't miss a thing. People sometimes assume she's reserved because she's quiet, but actually she's incredibly outgoing once you know her. She has a sweet tooth, a stubborn streak and the best laugh I've ever heard. We get on really well, partly because we're both terrible at sitting still. Last summer she beat me at table tennis. Twice.
Question 1.What does the writer's grandmother look like?
Question 2.Why do people sometimes misunderstand her?
Question 3.What did she do last summer?
Q1.The writer is unhappy to be compared to their grandmother.
Q2.The grandmother is genuinely outgoing once you know her.
Q3.The writer and grandmother both prefer sitting still.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minDescribing a new flatmate
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Priya:So tell me about your new flatmate — what's she like?
Tom:Honestly, she's lovely. Really easy-going, super down-to-earth. I think we'll get on well.
Priya:Nice! What does she look like? I might run into her on the stairs.
Tom:Tall, short dark hair, glasses. She kind of looks like that actress — what's her name — from the new Netflix series.
Priya:Any weird habits I should warn you about?
Tom:She's a bit stubborn about the dishwasher — only she's allowed to load it. But honestly, that's the worst of it.
Question 1.How does Tom describe his flatmate's personality?
Question 2.What does his flatmate look like?
Question 3.What's her one stubborn habit?
Exam skills · Section 7
5 minCambridge PET — Listening Part 1: listening for detail
Task
Listen to a short description of three people and match each description to the correct photo / name.
Strategy
Don't try to hear every word. Listen for ONE distinctive detail per person: hair, glasses, height, or a personality keyword. Eliminate options that don't match.
Example
You hear: 'Sara — tall, curly hair, super outgoing.' Photo A: tall, straight hair ✗ — Photo B: tall, curly hair, smiling ✓ — Photo C: short, glasses ✗.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.My dad is really ____ — he never shouts, even in traffic.
Question 2.I ____ my mum — same nose, same laugh, same temper.
Question 3.She has ____ hair.
Question 4.I really ____ my younger brother — we're best friends, basically.
Question 5.What ____ your new boss ____? Is he nice?
Q1.Correct: 'She has hair short brown.'
Q2.Answer the question (personality): 'What's your best friend like?' → My best friend is ____.
Q3.Complete: 'I ____ (take) after my father.'
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a short paragraph (70–90 words) describing someone important in your life: appearance + personality + one detail or story. Use correct adjective order and at least two expressions from the vocabulary list.
Show model answer
My best friend, Hana, is the most down-to-earth person I know. She's a tall, slim woman in her early thirties, with short black hair and a big easy smile. She's incredibly outgoing — within ten minutes of meeting someone she knows their life story. We get on so well because she always tells me the truth, even when I don't want to hear it. She also has a serious sweet tooth: there's always chocolate hidden somewhere in her bag.
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
SPEAKING CARDS: Each student draws a card with a 'mystery person' (e.g. 'your favourite teacher', 'your noisiest neighbour'). Partner asks 'What's he/she like?' and 'What does he/she look like?'. Speaker describes for 90 seconds; partner draws the person.
Useful phrases
- • He's the kind of person who…
- • She's a bit + adj / really + adj
- • She has + size + shape + colour + hair
- • He looks a bit like…
- • He's not… exactly — more…
- AWhat's your new colleague like?
- B_______________
- AOh nice — and what does she look like?
- B_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Push descriptions from one-word answers to natural, layered descriptions. ~32 min total
Homework · Section 11
Take-homeTake it home
Record a 60-second voice note describing someone in your family (appearance + personality + one story).
Write 5 sentences using 5 different personality adjectives from the lesson — about real people you know.
Watch any 2-minute English interview; note how the speaker is described (clothes, manner, voice).
Recap · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- Adjective order: opinion → size → age → shape → colour.
- 'What's she LIKE?' = personality. 'What does she LOOK LIKE?' = appearance.
- 'Take after' = look/behave like family. 'Get on with' = good relationship.
- Stress personality adjectives on the FIRST syllable.
- Soften descriptions with 'a bit', 'really', 'kind of'.