Lesson 1 – Describing Personalities (B2/C1)

Lesson 1: Describing Personalities

1. Topic Discussion

Understanding how to describe personalities is essential for effective communication. Adjectives and adverbs are critical components in creating vivid descriptions. This lesson will cover how to correctly use adjectives and adverbs to describe people and their personalities.

2. Generic Questions

3. Key Examples

She is incredibly smart. (adverb + adjective)
He speaks clearly. (adverb + verb)
They are extremely generous. (adverb + adjective)
She hardly ever gets angry. (adverb + adverb)

4. Structure Explanation

Adjectives describe nouns, while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Adjectives typically come before the noun they describe, such as in "She has a kind heart." Alternatively, adjectives can follow a linking verb and describe the subject, as in "The food tastes delicious."

Adverbs, on the other hand, can modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. For example, an adverb can modify a verb, like in "He runs quickly," or it can modify an adjective, such as in "She is very talented." Adverbs can also modify other adverbs, as in "He works extremely hard."

It is essential to understand the correct usage of adjectives and adverbs to avoid common mistakes. For example, using an adverb instead of an adjective can lead to incorrect sentences like "She is a beautifully singer," which should be corrected to "She is a beautiful singer." Similarly, using an adjective instead of an adverb can result in errors like "He drives careful," which should be "He drives carefully."

5. Common Mistakes

Incorrect: She is a beautifully singer.

This sentence is incorrect because it doesn't describe how she sings, but describes her appearance. For this sentence to be correct it would have to describe how she sings (She sings beautifully).

Correct: She is a beautiful singer.

Now the sentence is correctly describing the appearance of the singer.

Incorrect: He drives careful.

This sentence is incorrect because "careful" is an adjective and should be used to modify a noun. To describe how he drives, we should use the adverb form "carefully".

Correct: He drives carefully.

Now the sentence correctly describes the manner in which he drives.

6. Exercises

                    Example: She sings (beautiful / beautifully).
                    Answer: She sings beautifully.
                

He is a (quick / quickly) runner:

They acted (brave / bravely):

The children played (happy / happily):

She completed the task (efficient / efficiently):

The dog barked (loud / loudly):

He looked at her (strange / strangely):

The weather is (awful / awfully) today:

They arrived (early / earlier):

The baby sleeps (peaceful / peacefully):

                    Example: She handled the situation __________ (calm).
                    Answer: She handled the situation  calmly.
                

The movie was __________ (excite):

He spoke __________ (clear):

The journey was __________ (long):

She danced __________ (graceful):

The teacher explained the lesson __________ (simple):

He answered the question __________ (quick):

The garden looks __________ (beautiful):

She sings __________ (sweet):

He worked __________ (hard):

                    Example: She is extremely a good dancer.
                      Answer: She is an extremely good dancer.
                

He plays the piano goodly:

They spoke to us very polite:

She cooks the food excellent:

The artist painted the picture beautiful:

He solved the problem easy:

The child behaved bad in class:

She completed the exam successful:

The speaker talked to the audience confident:

He writes his assignments neat:

                    Example: The student finished the exam __________ (rapid).
                    Answer: The student finished the exam rapidly.
                

This solution is __________ (easy) than the previous one:

He responded __________ (quick) to the email:

The cake tastes __________ (delicious):

She ran the marathon __________ (fast):

The music sounds __________ (wonderful):

The athlete performed __________ (amazing) in the competition:

The lecture was __________ (informative):

The children laughed __________ (loud):

He works __________ (diligent) every day:

7. New Reading Task

Reading Passage

In our daily interactions, we often describe people's personalities to provide more context about their behaviors and characteristics. For instance, saying someone is extremely generous gives us an understanding of their willingness to help others and share their resources. Describing someone as incredibly smart highlights their intellectual abilities and problem-solving skills. It's not just about the adjectives we choose, but also how we use adverbs to enhance these descriptions.

Consider a leader who is highly respected. This indicates that they have earned a great deal of admiration from others, likely due to their consistent actions and behaviors. On the other hand, someone who speaks clearly and confidently can be seen as effective in communication, making it easier for others to understand and trust them.

Using precise adjectives and adverbs helps paint a clear picture of someone's personality. For example, describing a friend as "kind" is good, but saying they are "genuinely kind" or "deeply kind" adds more depth to the description. Similarly, saying someone "works hard" is effective, but saying they "consistently work hard" provides more insight into their dedication.

8. Generic Questions for Review

9. Homework

You live in a room in college which you share with another student. However, there are many problems with this arrangement and you find it very difficult to work.

Write a letter to the accommodation officer at the college. In your letter:

Describe the situation.
Explain your problems and why it is difficult to work.
Say what kind of accommodation you would prefer.