How to Describe a Picture in English - Spoken English Lesson

Summary

In this Oxford Online English lesson, Michael teaches viewers how to describe pictures in English, a skill useful for exams like FCE and TOEIC. The lesson guides learners to start with a summary, detail the picture's content, and speculate about unseen context. Key phrases and examples are provided to help build clear, detailed descriptions, encouraging practice for better English proficiency.

Takeaways

• 😀 Describing a picture in English is a valuable skill for various exams like FCE, TOEIC, and PTE.
• 📚 Start your description with a summary to give a general idea of the picture's content.
• 👀 Assume the listener cannot see the picture and provide necessary details for them to visualize it.
• 📝 Practice using phrases like 'There is…' or 'The picture shows…' to begin your summary.
• 🔍 After summarizing, provide more detail by discussing the location of elements within the picture.
• 🗣️ Use language such as 'On the left,' 'In the middle,' and 'In the background' to describe positions.
• 🏞️ Focus on the most important parts of the picture when adding detail, rather than describing everything.
• 🤔 Engage in speculation to discuss possibilities about the picture and make your description more detailed.
• ❓ Ask yourself questions about the picture to guide your speculation, such as 'Why' and 'Who' questions.
• 🌍 Speculate not only about what is visible in the picture but also about the context, like location and time.
• 📈 Combine all elements: summary, detail, and speculation to create a comprehensive description.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the lesson in the transcript?

The main focus of the lesson is to teach students how to describe a picture in English, which is useful for English exams like FCE, TOEIC, or PTE, and also for practicing general English skills.

Why is it important to start with a summary when describing a picture?

Starting with a summary is important because it gives a general description of what's in the picture, making it easier for the listener to understand the overall content without seeing the picture.

What is the suggested approach to begin describing a picture?

The suggested approach is to start with a simple summary, then give more detail about what you see in the picture, focusing on the most important parts, and finally speculate about what is in the picture and its context.

What phrases can be used to begin a description of a picture?

Phrases such as 'There is…', 'There are…', and 'The picture shows…' can be used to start describing a picture.

How can you describe the location of objects within a picture?

You can describe the location of objects by using phrases like 'On the left, there is…', 'In the middle, there is…', 'At the bottom, we can see…', 'In the foreground…', and 'In the background…'.

What is the purpose of adding detail to your description after the summary?

Adding detail to your description after the summary helps to provide a clearer and more vivid image of the picture to the listener, enhancing their understanding of the specifics within the picture.

Why should you not try to describe everything in the picture?

You should not describe everything in the picture because it's not necessary or useful; instead, focus on the most important parts to create a concise and impactful description.

What does the term 'speculating' mean in the context of describing a picture?

In the context of describing a picture, 'speculating' means discussing possibilities, providing opinions, and answering questions about the picture to create a longer and more detailed description.

How can you speculate about the context of a picture?

You can speculate about the context of a picture by asking and answering questions about where and when it was taken, who took it, and what the photographer was doing there.

What are some useful phrases for speculating about a picture?

Useful phrases for speculating about a picture include 'I suppose…', 'Maybe…', '[It] must…', '[He] might…'.

What is the final step suggested after describing and speculating about a picture?

The final step suggested is to practice making longer, fluent descriptions by combining all the elements learned throughout the lesson, such as giving a summary, detailing the picture, and speculating about its content and context.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Introduction to Describing Pictures in English

Michael from Oxford Online English introduces a lesson on how to describe pictures in English, a skill useful for exams like FCE, TOEIC, or PTE, and for general English practice. The lesson aims to teach clear and detailed descriptions step-by-step. It starts with creating a summary of the picture's content, suggesting to imagine the listener cannot see the picture. Examples are given, such as describing a beach with boats or people cooking in a kitchen. The lesson encourages viewers to pause the video and practice making summaries themselves.

05:03

📌 Adding Details to Picture Descriptions

The script continues with advice on adding details to picture descriptions, emphasizing focusing on important parts rather than describing everything. It suggests describing the appearance and actions of people or objects in the picture. Examples are provided, such as describing unhappy people at a kitchen table or wild horses running through grass. The lesson encourages viewers to practice this skill with a pause in the video, aiming to enhance their ability to provide rich, detailed descriptions.

10:04

🤔 Speculating About the Picture

The video script introduces the concept of speculating when describing pictures, which involves discussing possibilities and giving opinions about the picture's content. It suggests asking questions about the scene to generate speculative statements. Examples are given, such as hypothesizing about the purpose of umbrellas hanging in the air or footprints on a mountain. The lesson prompts viewers to practice speculating with provided pictures, encouraging the use of phrases like 'I suppose,' 'Maybe,' and 'must be' to enrich their descriptions.

15:09

🌟 Wrapping Up the Picture Description Lesson

The final paragraph summarizes the lesson's key points: providing a summary, discussing the location of elements in the picture, adding details, and speculating about both the content and context of the picture. A longer example answer is constructed to demonstrate how to combine these elements effectively. The lesson concludes with an invitation for viewers to practice with additional pictures and to share their work for feedback on the Oxford Online English website. The script ends with a reminder to visit the website for more free English lessons and a farewell until the next session.

Keywords

💡Describe

To 'describe' means to give an account of the features, qualities, or attributes of something in detail. In the context of the video, describing a picture involves using clear and detailed language to convey what is seen in the image. For instance, the script suggests starting with a summary, which is a general description of the picture's content.

💡Summary

A 'summary' is a brief statement or account of the main points of a piece of content. In the video script, a summary is recommended as the initial step in describing a picture, where one provides a general overview of the scene or objects depicted, such as 'There are several small boats next to a beach.'

💡Detail

'Detail' refers to the individual features or elements that make up a whole. The script emphasizes the importance of adding detail to a description by focusing on important parts of the picture and providing specific information, like the appearance and actions of the people or objects in the image.

💡Vocabulary

Vocabulary pertains to the words and phrases that one knows or uses. The video aims to help learners practice their speaking skills and expand their vocabulary by introducing new words and phrases necessary for describing pictures in English.

💡Positional Language

Positional language is used to describe the location or arrangement of objects in space. The script provides examples such as 'On the left, there’s a girl with dark, curly hair' to help learners accurately describe where elements are in relation to each other within a picture.

💡Speculate

To 'speculate' is to form a theory or conjecture about something not yet known or proven. The video encourages speculating as a way to expand a description by considering possibilities and offering opinions about the picture's content or context, such as 'I suppose it might be some kind of art project.'

💡Context

Context refers to the circumstances or setting in which something occurs. The script suggests speculating about the context of a picture, like where and when it was taken, or who took it, to enrich the description beyond what is directly visible.

💡Fluency

Fluency in language refers to the ability to speak or write smoothly, easily, and coherently. The video aims to help learners practice until they can describe pictures fluently, using the language and structures taught throughout the lesson.

💡Practice

'Practice' is the action of repeatedly performing an activity or exercise to improve or maintain one's skill in it. The script encourages learners to practice describing pictures using the techniques discussed, such as summarizing, detailing, and speculating.

💡Feedback

Feedback is the response or reaction to a piece of work or performance, often used to suggest improvements. The video script mentions that learners can leave their answers in the comments for feedback, indicating the importance of receiving constructive criticism to improve English skills.

Highlights

Describing a picture is useful for English exams like FCE, TOEIC, or PTE.

Describing a picture helps practice general English skills.

Start with a summary to give a general description of the picture.

Imagine the listener can't see the picture to guide your description.

Use simple summaries to convey the general contents of the picture.

Provide more detail by discussing the location of elements within the picture.

Use phrases like 'On the left', 'In the middle', and 'At the bottom' to describe locations.

When talking about photos, use 'In the foreground' and 'In the background'.

Focus on the most important parts of the picture when adding detail.

Describe the appearance and actions of people in the picture.

Speculating involves discussing possibilities and giving your opinion about the picture.

Use questions like 'Why are the umbrellas there?' to guide your speculation.

Speculate about what you can't see in the picture, such as the location or photographer.

Combine all learned techniques to create a longer, fluent description.

Structure your description by giving a summary, detailing locations, adding specifics, and speculating.

Practice with different pictures to improve fluency and comfort in describing.

Get feedback on your descriptions by sharing them in the comments.

Visit Oxford Online English for more free English lessons.

Transcripts

HI, I'm Michael.

Welcome to Oxford Online English.

In this lesson, you can learn how to describe a picture in English.

Describing a picture is useful in many English exams; you need to describe a picture in English

for exams like FCE, TOEIC or PTE.

It’s also a good way to practise your general English skills.

Take an interesting picture, and try to describe it in English.

You can practise your speaking and learn some new English vocabulary!

In this lesson, you can learn how to describe a picture in English in clear, detailed language.

We’ll show you how to build an answer step-by-step.

What’s the best way to start your description?

Start with a summary, giving a general description of what’s in the picture and what you can

see.

It’s useful to imagine that the person you’re talking to can’t see the picture.

Think: what does the other person need to know?

What do you need to say so that other people can understand what’s in the picture?

Let’s do an example.

You want to summarize what you see in one or two simple sentences.

How could you do that?

You could say:

There are several small boats next to a beach.

Or, The picture shows a beach, with many small

boats in the water nearby.

Simple summaries like this make it easy to understand the general contents of the picture.

Let’s do one more: What could you say here?

Here are some possible answers:

There are three people cooking in a kitchen.

Or, The picture shows three young friends cooking

together.

Okay, now it’s your turn.

Here’s another picture: You need to make a summary of what you see.

You can use these phrases:

There is… or, There are…

The picture shows…

Pause the video, and make one or two sentences.

You can write down your answers if you want.

Okay, after your summary, you can start giving more detail about what you see in the picture.

To start giving detail, you can talk about where things are in the picture.

Here’s some useful language to help you do this:

Let’s do an example.

You could say:

On the left, there’s a girl with dark, curly hair.

She’s holding half a cauliflower.

In the middle, there’s a man who’s chopping vegetables.

At the bottom, we can see a counter with many different vegetables on it.

When talking about photos, you might also need the phrases:

In the background…

In the foreground…

For example: In the foreground, there’s a sandy beach

with three metal anchors on it.

In the middle, there are several small boats, which are close to the beach.

In the background, we can see the blue sea stretching to the horizon.

Let’s put all of this language together in another example:

Think first: what could you say about this picture?

Okay, let’s look at what you could say:

On the left, there’s a cat sitting on a table.

On the right, there’s a man standing, though we can’t see his face.

In the background, we can see blue sky and snowy mountains.

Now it’s your turn!

Here’s a picture:

Pause the video, and make at least three sentences.

Use the useful language you saw in this section.

Again, you can write your sentences down if you want to!

Okay?

What’s next?

Now, the person you’re talking to should have a good general idea about what’s in

the picture you’re describing, and where things are.

Next, you should start describing your picture in more detail.

Let’s look at a picture you’ve seen before: When adding detail, don’t try to describe

everything in the picture.

It’s not necessary or useful.

You should add details to the most important parts of the picture.

So, for this picture, what do you think the most important parts are?

Probably, the person who took this photo took it because of the people.

So, you should focus your description on the two people.

Think: what do they look like, and what are they doing?

You could say:

The two people both look unhappy or irritated.

They’re sitting at the kitchen table together, but they aren’t talking to each other.

The man is staring down at the table, while the woman is stirring her tea with a spoon.

That’s just three sentences, but they add a lot of detail to your description.

Let’s try one more: In this picture, what do you think you should

focus on in your description?

Fairly obviously, you should talk about the horses.

Let’s try:

The horses are running through the grass.

Two of them are black, but the one in the middle is white and grey.

They don’t have saddles or anything, so they could be wild horses.

Again, you can see that you can do a lot with just a few sentences.

Alright, now it’s your turn!

Let’s take a picture you’ve already seen: Pause the video and make at least three sentences

to describe the picture in detail.

Try to include as much information as you can.

How was that?

If you want more practice, you can do the same exercise with other pictures from this

lesson, or you could use your own pictures!

At this point, you’ve described the picture in detail.

So, what else can you do?

Speculating…

What does that mean?

Speculating means talking about possibilities.

For example, look at this picture: Think about some questions:

Why are the umbrellas there?

Who put them there?

By trying to answer questions like this, you are speculating; you’re talking about possibilities

and giving your opinion about the picture.

Speculating can help you to make a longer, more detailed answer when talking about a

picture.

Let’s do an example:

I suppose it might be some kind of art project.

Maybe one person put an umbrella up there as a joke, and then other people started doing

it, too.

Let’s look at one more picture:

Think, if you wanted to speculate about this picture, what could you say?

Another way to think about it: what questions could you ask yourself about this picture?

Possible ideas are: who made the footprints, and why?

Where were they going?

Where is the person who made the footprints now?

There are other possibilities, of course, so feel free to use your own ideas, too!

Okay, so what could you say to speculate about this picture?

Here are some examples:

The footprints must have been made by a climber or a mountaineer.

The person who made the footprints might be standing on top of the mountain now.

In our examples, you’ve seen some useful language which you can use to speculate about

a picture.

Do you remember?

You can use language like:

I suppose…

Maybe…

[It] must…

[He] might…

Let’s practise using these once more with another picture:

Could you make four sentences, using the useful language we just saw?

Let’s do an example together:

I suppose the guy is a climber, or he’s on an adventure holiday.

Maybe he climbed something, and now he’s on the way down.

He must have a lot of experience, because his body language is quite relaxed.

He might be focusing on what he’s doing, but he might just be enjoying the view!

Okay, now it’s your turn.

Can you make four sentences to speculate about this picture, using the language you’ve

learned in this section?

Pause the video and think about your answers!

Now, you have one more thing to do.

When you speculate, you can speculate about what you can see in the picture.

However, you can—and you should—speculate about what you can’t see, too.

How’s this possible?

Well, think about this picture: You can think about questions like: where

and when was the picture taken?

Who took the picture?

What was the photographer doing there?

For example:

I think this could be in the USA, or maybe Russia.

It’s a good photo, so perhaps it was taken by a professional nature photographer.

You see?

Talking about what you can’t see in the picture can be very useful, and can help to

add details to your answer.

Let’s do one more example: What could you say about this picture?

Let’s do this one together.

You could say:

This must be somewhere tropical, like the Caribbean or the Maldives.

Perhaps it was taken by a tourist who came to the beach on one of those boats.

Okay, one more.

This time, you have to do it yourself!

Here’s your picture: Make at least two sentences to speculate about

the context of the picture.

Think about where and when it was taken, who took it, and what the photographer was doing

there.

How was that?

Hopefully you feel more confident describing pictures in English now.

Let’s put everything you’ve learned together and practise making longer, fluent descriptions.

When you describe a picture, you should:

Give a summary of what you see.

Talk about where things are in the picture.

Add details.

Speculate about what’s in the picture.

And, Speculate about the context of the picture.

Let’s make a longer answer together.

We’ll start with a picture we’ve used already:

Here’s a possible longer answer:

In the picture, there are two people sitting at a table, looking unhappy.

There’s a woman on the left and a man on the right.

In the middle of the picture, we can see some things on the table, like cups of tea, biscuits,

milk and so on.

The two people look sad or irritated, and they aren’t speaking to each other.

They’re both looking down at the table.

I suppose they had a fight and now they aren’t talking to each other, or they might just

be bored and not have anything to talk about.

I guess it’s a stock photo because otherwise, why would the photographer be in the kitchen

with them?

Do you think you could make an answer like this?

Remember, all the language you need is in this lesson.

You just need to take the things you practised in each part, and then put them together.

Let’s do one more example together:

The picture shows umbrellas hanging in the air.

In the foreground, we can see a streetlight, and the umbrellas fill the picture from left

to right.

The umbrellas are of many different colours, mostly bright colours like pink, yellow or

green.

They’re hanging from wires.

I can see at least four lines of umbrellas hanging down in this way, but there could

be even more.

Maybe this is some sort of art project.

It might also be a festival or tradition, that people decorate the street with colourful

umbrellas like this.

I suppose the picture was taken in a city or town, though I can’t tell where exactly.

Perhaps the photographer was a tourist, and was just walking around the city when he saw

this amazing and strange scene.

Alright, now it’s your turn.

We’ll give you a new picture:

Pause the video and try to make a longer answer, like we just did.

Follow the same structure.

Finished?

I don’t think so!

You should practise as much as you can.

Take the other pictures from the lesson, and make longer answers about them, too.

Practise your answers several times, until you can do it fluently and comfortably.

If you want, you can leave one of your answers in the comments and we'll give you feedback

on your English.

Don't forget to check out Oxford Online English.com for more of our free English lessons.

Thanks for watching!

See you next time!