Why start with these words?
We often need to describe a person: a new colleague, a friend, or someone in the family. At A2 level you do not need difficult words. You need clear adjectives that you can use every day. This article gives you ten. Three describe how a person looks, and seven describe personality. Each word has a meaning, two example sentences and a short usage note.
The basic pattern: be + adjective
In English we usually describe a person with the verb be (am / is / are) and then the adjective. We do not say She has tall. We say:
- She is tall.
- They are friendly.
- I am shy.
Adjectives in English do not change for masculine or feminine, or for singular and plural. So we say a tall man, a tall woman and two tall boys.
The ten words
1. tall
Meaning: having a lot of height.
- My father is tall.
- She is a tall woman with long hair.
Note: You can use tall for people, buildings and trees. The opposite for people is short.
2. short
Meaning: not tall.
- My brother is short, but he plays basketball well.
- The new teacher is short and has dark hair.
Note: For an adult, say short, not small, when you mean height. Short is also used for hair and for things, such as a short film.
3. slim
Meaning: thin in a pleasant, healthy way.
- My cousin is slim and likes running.
- He was slim when he was young.
Note: Slim is positive or neutral. Thin can sound less kind. When you talk about people’s bodies, be polite and avoid comments that are not needed.
4. friendly
Meaning: nice to other people and easy to talk to.
- Our neighbour is very friendly.
- The waiter was friendly and helpful.
Note: Friendly ends in ly, but it is an adjective, not an adverb. Say She is friendly, not She is friendlily.
5. shy
Meaning: nervous or quiet with people you do not know well.
- My daughter is shy with new people.
- He is shy, but he is very nice when you know him.
Note: Shy describes a feeling. It is not a bad quality.
6. kind
Meaning: caring, generous and happy to help others.
- My grandmother is kind to everyone.
- It was kind of you to help me.
Note: Here kind is an adjective. The same word is also a noun meaning type, as in What kind of food do you like? The context tells you which one it is.
7. funny
Meaning: making people laugh.
- My friend is very funny.
- He tells funny stories at dinner.
Note: Funny can also mean strange, as in That is funny, my keys are gone. Add context so your meaning is clear.
8. quiet
Meaning: not talking much and not making much noise.
- Omar is a quiet student.
- She is quiet in meetings, but she has good ideas.
Note: Quiet has two syllables. Do not confuse it with quite, which means fairly or completely.
9. polite
Meaning: having good manners and speaking respectfully.
- The children are polite and say thank you.
- He is always polite to his customers.
Note: The opposite is rude. We often say polite to someone.
10. lazy
Meaning: not wanting to work or make an effort.
- I feel lazy on Fridays.
- He is not lazy; he works hard every day.
Note: This is a strong, negative word. Do not use it about someone to their face. It is fine to use it about yourself in a light, joking way.
Looks or personality?
| Looks | Personality |
|---|---|
| tall | friendly |
| short | shy |
| slim | kind, funny, quiet, polite, lazy |
Some words, like quiet and shy, can be seen in behaviour, but they still describe personality. The first three describe what we see.
Word order: before the noun or after be
In Arabic the adjective comes after the noun. In English it comes before the noun:
- a tall man (not a man tall)
- a kind teacher (not a teacher kind)
- two quiet girls
When we use be, the adjective comes after it: The teacher is kind.
Common mistakes for Arabic speakers
| Mistake | Correct | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| She has tall. | She is tall. | Use be with an adjective, not have. |
| He is a shy. | He is shy. | Do not put a before an adjective alone. |
| They are talls. | They are tall. | Adjectives do not take s in the plural. |
| a woman kind | a kind woman | The adjective comes before the noun. |
| He is small. | He is short. | Say short for height. |
| She very friendly. | She is very friendly. | Do not drop is in English. |
Make your description more exact
Small words such as very, a bit and not very make your sentence more precise:
- My boss is very polite.
- My brother is a bit shy.
- She is not very tall.
This is also a kinder way to speak. Instead of He is lazy, you can say He is not very active. To join two adjectives, use and: He is kind and funny.
A model paragraph
Read this short description, then write one about a person you know:
My friend Sara is tall and slim. She has long dark hair. She is very friendly and kind. She is a bit shy with new people, but she is funny with her close friends. She is also polite, and she is never lazy.
Steps: start with looks, move to personality, join ideas with and or but, and check that every sentence has is or are.
Quick summary
You have learned ten adjectives: tall, short, slim, friendly, shy, kind, funny, quiet, polite and lazy. Remember two rules: be + adjective, and the adjective comes before the noun. Then try the practice questions after the article.