Describing People – theenglishpk

English Lesson: Describing People

Level: Beginner to Pre-Intermediate (A1–A2)

Topic: Physical Appearance, Character Traits, & Clothing

Lesson Objective

Learn how to describe how people look and act using clear adjectives, proper grammar structures, and everyday English vocabulary.

1. Introduction: How to Describe Someone in English

Describing people is one of the most useful skills in daily conversation. You need it when introducing friends, talking about family, identifying someone in a crowd, or discussing your favorite characters.

To build a full description, we generally combine three key areas:

Physical Appearance: Height, build, age, hair, eyes, and distinguishing features.
Personality & Character: Words that describe how a person acts or feels.
Clothing & Style: What the person is wearing right now.

2. Key Grammar Structures: BE vs. HAVE / HAVE GOT

Before learning vocabulary, master the two core grammar rules used for describing people:

Rule 1: Use BE (am / is / are) for Adjectives

Use the verb to be when following up with a descriptive adjective (height, age, personality, general looks).

Subject + AM / IS / ARE + Adjective

He is tall.
She is friendly and polite.
They are young.

Rule 2: Use HAVE / HAS for Nouns & Features

Use have / has (or have got / has got) when naming specific physical features like hair, eyes, or beard.

Subject + HAVE / HAS + Adjective + Noun

She has long brown hair.
He has blue eyes and a mustache.
They have curly dark hair.

Common Beginner Mistake: Do not say "He is brown hair." Hair is a thing, so use has: "He has brown hair."

3. Core Vocabulary: Physical Appearance

A. Height & Build (Body Type)

Category	Words & Adjectives	Example Sentence
Height	tall, average height, short	My brother is quite tall, but I am average height.
Build	slim, thin, athletic, average build, well-built	He plays basketball, so he has an athletic build.
Age	young, middle-aged, elderly, in their 20s/30s	My teacher is a middle-aged woman in her 40s.

B. Hair (Length, Type, and Color)

When describing hair, put adjectives in this natural order: Length → Type → Color.

She has [Length] + [Type] + [Color] hair.

Example: She has long, wavy, dark brown hair.

Length: short, shoulder-length, long, bald (no hair)
Type: straight, wavy, curly, coily/kinky
Color: blonde (fair), brown, dark, black, red, gray, white

C. Eyes and Facial Features

Eye Color: brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes, hazel eyes, dark eyes
Beard / Mustache: "He has a short beard and a mustache."
Glasses: "She wears reading glasses."
Freckles: "He has freckles across his nose."
Smile: "She has a warm, beautiful smile."

4. Core Vocabulary: Personality & Character

Personality adjectives explain how a person behaves, thinks, or treats others.

Subject + IS / ARE + Personality Adjective

Trait	Meaning	Example Sentence
Kind / Friendly	Nice to others, warm	Sarah is very friendly; she welcomes everyone.
Polite	Has good manners, says "please" & "thank you"	The cashier was polite and helpful.
Shy	Quiet, uncomfortable with new people	My cousin is shy around strangers.
Outgoing / Extroverted	Energetic, loves talking to people	Mark is outgoing and makes friends easily.
Hardworking	Works with effort and dedication	She is a hardworking student who studies daily.
Funny	Makes people laugh, has a good sense of humor	Uncle Joe is funny; he always tells jokes.
Calm / Patient	Peaceful, does not get angry easily	Our teacher is patient when explaining lessons.

5. Clothes & Style (What Are They Wearing?)

To describe what someone is wearing right now, use the Present Continuous Tense:

Subject + AM / IS / ARE + WEARING + Clothing Item

He is wearing a blue t-shirt and jeans.
She is wearing a dark jacket, sneakers, and a watch.

6. Complete Paragraph Examples

Example 1: Describing a Friend (Formal/Casual Mix)

"My best friend's name is Daniel. He is in his early 20s and is average height with an athletic build. Daniel has short, straight brown hair and clear green eyes. He usually wears casual clothes like a dark hoodie, denim jeans, and white sneakers. Daniel is very outgoing and funny, so he always makes people smile. He is also a hardworking student who is always ready to help his classmates."

Example 2: Describing a Family Member

"My grandmother is an elderly woman in her late 60s. She is short and has soft white hair, which she keeps tied back. She has warm brown eyes, a kind smile, and wears elegant silver glasses. Today, she is wearing a comfortable navy blue sweater and dark pants. She is extremely patient, sweet, and loves telling stories to her grandchildren."

7. Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose BE or HAVE / HAS

Fill in the blanks with is, are, have, or has.

1. My sister _______ short curly hair.
2. They _______ tall and very friendly.
3. Alex _______ wearing a red jacket today.
4. My uncle _______ a thick mustache and brown eyes.
5. She _______ very hardworking and polite.

Answers: 1. has | 2. are | 3. is | 4. has | 5. is

Exercise 2: Put the Hair Adjectives in Order

Reorder the words in brackets to form correct descriptions.

1. She has (brown / long / straight) hair.
2. He has (short / black / curly) hair.
3. My friend has (wavy / shoulder-length / blonde) hair.

Answers:
1. She has long, straight, brown hair.
2. He has short, curly, black hair.
3. My friend has shoulder-length, wavy, blonde hair.

Exercise 3: Complete the Description

Use words from the box to complete the passage: [glasses, friendly, tall, wearing, curly]

"My teacher, Mr. Robert, is very ____________. He has dark ____________ hair and wears black ____________ for reading. He is quite ____________, so he stands out in the classroom. Today, he is ____________ a grey suit and a blue tie."

Answers: friendly | curly | glasses | tall | wearing

8. Summary Checklist for Writing Descriptions

When writing a description of a person, check that you have included:

Height, age, and general build (using is / are).
Hair length, type, and color in correct order (using has / have).
Eye color and special features like beard, glasses, or freckles.
2 to 3 personality adjectives that show their character.
What clothing they are currently wearing.