To master ‘describing people’ you need to know: a) three key verbs and how to conjugate them, b) a few tips, c) see some examples, d) you need to know the vocabulary (we share quizlet units).

a) Key verbs for describing people:

In the present tense we use ‘yo soy’ (I am) or ‘él/ella es’ (he/she is) to describe the person himself/herself. We use ‘yo tengo’ (I have) or ‘él/ella tiene’ (he/she has) to describe the kind of hair or eyes…someone has. We use ‘yo llevo’ (I wear) or ‘él/ella lleva’ (he/she wears) to express what someone is wearing on them (cloths, glasses, a moustache).

b) Key tips for describing people

Tip 1: Remember to use ‘el’ before ‘pelo’, and remember to use ‘los’ before ojos.

Tip 2: When we describe in the past, we use the imperfect tense. Therefore we say ‘yo/él/ella era’ (he/she/I was), ‘yo/él/ella tenía (he/she/I had), ‘yo/él/ella llevaba’ (he/she/I wore).

Tip 3: When someone asks you ‘¿Cómo eres?’ you have to describe what you look like and your personality. When someone asks you ‘¿Cómo estás?’ you have to talk about your mood or your health (state).

Tip 4: To get higher marks use intensifiers (un poco delgada, bastante alta, …) and use comparatives and superlatives (mi hermana es más alta que yo).

c) Examples describing people

Mi madre es española y tiene cuarenta años. Ella es alta, bastante delgada y me parece muy joven. Mi madre tiene el pelo rubio, bastante largo y ondulado. Ella tiene los ojos verdes y una nariz pequeña y muy bonita. Mi madre lleva gafas.

d) Quizlets you can use to learn the vocabulary

Physical description 1: (the screen bellow is a free learning app called quizlet, it is not an advert):

Physical description 2: (the screen bellow is a free learning app called quizlet, it is not an advert):

Tip a) Learn verb LLEVAR and LLEVARSE and reflexive conjugation. Verbs about relationships and partnerships are reflexive (ex. me caso, me comprometo): see this video

A continuación puedes practicar con estos juegos online gratuitos creados para ti:

You can practice the family topic and descriptions on our book for beginners (nivel A-1) which includes exercises and flashcards: libro en Amazon todo el mundo. You can also read ‘Kate en las Fallas‘ which includes a lot of description examples, relationships, dialogues and it is an easy reader. Also check the workbooks, exam practice books and revision books we recommend here.

To learn more………

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