Describing Location, People, and Things in English: A B1 Guide

Welcome to your B1 English lesson focused on a super practical skill: describing location, people, and things! Being able to describe your surroundings, the people you meet, and the objects around you is essential for clear and effective communication. Whether you’re traveling, chatting with friends, or just want to express yourself better in English, this lesson is for you.

In this lesson, we will explore useful vocabulary and phrases to help you confidently describe:

Locations: Where things are situated using prepositions and descriptive language.
People: Their appearance, personality, and characteristics.
Things: Their physical attributes, functions, and details.

Improving your ability to describe location, people, and things will significantly boost your spoken English practice and make your conversations much more interesting and detailed. Let’s get started and learn how to describe the world around you in English!

Describing Location: Where is it?

When we describe location, we are answering the question “Where is it?”. This is incredibly useful when giving directions, explaining where you live, or simply describing a scene. The key to describing location effectively is using prepositions of place.

Common Prepositions for Location

Here are some essential prepositions of place that you’ll use frequently:

in: Used for enclosed spaces, countries, cities, and neighborhoods. Example: The book is in the bag. She lives in London.
on: Used for surfaces, streets, and floors. Example: The pen is on the table. The shop is on Main Street. He lives on the second floor.
at: Used for specific addresses, points, and places. Example: Meet me at 5 PM. She is at the bus stop. We are at 10 Downing Street.
under: Below something else. Example: The cat is sleeping under the chair.
next to: Beside something else. Example: The bank is next to the post office.
behind: At the back of something. Example: The car is parked behind the building.
in front of: Opposite the back of ‘behind’. Example: There is a garden in front of the house.
between: In the space separating two things. Example: The park is between the library and the school.
above: Higher than something else. Example: The picture is hanging above the sofa.
below: Lower than something else. Example: The temperature is below zero.
near: Close to something. Example: Is there a supermarket near here?
far from: A long distance from something. Example: The beach is not far from the hotel.
opposite: Facing something else. Example: The cafe is opposite the museum.

Example Sentences – Location

Let’s see these prepositions in action with some example sentences to help you practice describing places in English:

“The keys are in my pocket.”
“The cat is sitting on the windowsill.”
“The meeting is at the conference room.”
“The children are playing under the big tree.”
“My house is next to the bakery.”
“The garage is behind the house.”
“There’s a beautiful fountain in front of the museum.”
“The small village is between the mountains and the sea.”
“The clouds are above the city.”
“The basement is below the ground floor.”
“Is there a pharmacy near your office?”
“My hometown is quite far from here.”
“The bookstore is opposite the train station.”

Describing People: Who are they?

Describing people is about painting a picture with words! We can describe their appearance (what they look like) and their personality (what they are like inside). This is useful when introducing someone, telling stories, or simply chatting about friends and family. Mastering this skill will significantly improve your English speaking practice, allowing you to engage in more detailed and personal conversations.

Describing Appearance

When describing someone’s appearance, you can talk about:

Age: young, old, middle-aged, in their twenties, elderly. Example: “She is a young woman.”
Height: tall, short, medium height. Example: “He is quite tall.”
Build: slim, thin, average build, overweight, muscular. Example: “He has a muscular build.”
Hair: long, short, curly, straight, wavy, blonde, brown, black, red, gray, bald. Example: “She has long, blonde hair.”
Eyes: blue, brown, green, hazel, big, small. Example: “He has big, blue eyes.”
Clothes: casual, smart, formal, stylish, wearing jeans, wearing a dress, etc. Example: “He is wearing casual clothes.”
Other features: beard, mustache, glasses, tattoos, etc. Example: “He has a beard and wears glasses.”

Describing Personality

Describing someone’s personality is about their character and how they behave. Here are some common adjectives:

Friendly: Kind and approachable. Example: “She is very friendly and easy to talk to.”
Funny: Makes you laugh. Example: “He is a funny guy, always telling jokes.”
Kind: Caring and helpful. Example: “She is a very kind and generous person.”
Shy: Quiet and reserved. Example: “He is a bit shy at first, but very nice once you get to know him.”
Outgoing: Sociable and confident. Example: “She is very outgoing and loves meeting new people.”
Serious: Not joking or playful. Example: “He is a serious person and very focused on his work.”
Helpful: Willing to assist others. Example: “She is always helpful and ready to lend a hand.”
Polite: Having good manners. Example: “He is very polite and respectful.”
Intelligent: Smart and clever. Example: “She is an intelligent and quick learner.”

Example Sentences – People

Let’s put it all together with sentences describing people:

“She is a tall woman with long, brown hair and green eyes. She is very friendly and outgoing.”
“He is a middle-aged man of medium height and average build. He has short, black hair and a beard. He seems quite serious but polite.”
“My friend is young and thin with curly, blonde hair. She is incredibly funny and always makes me laugh.”
“The teacher is elderly and a little short. She has gray hair and wears glasses. She is very kind and helpful to her students.”

Describing Things: What is it like?

Describing things is all about giving details about objects. This could be anything from your phone to a piece of furniture to a landmark. When describing things, we focus on their physical attributes and their function. This skill is essential for everyday conversations, shopping, and describing objects around you to improve your English vocabulary location and overall descriptive abilities.

Describing Physical Attributes

Think about these aspects when describing things:

Size: big, small, large, tiny, huge, medium-sized. Example: “It’s a small box.”
Shape: round, square, rectangular, triangular, oval, circular. Example: “The table is round.”
Color: red, blue, green, yellow, black, white, etc. Example: “The car is red.”
Material: wood, metal, plastic, glass, paper, cotton, leather. Example: “The chair is made of wood.”
Weight: heavy, light. Example: “The suitcase is very heavy.”
Texture: smooth, rough, soft, hard, bumpy. Example: “The fabric is very soft.”

Describing Function

What is the purpose of the thing? What is it used for?

“It’s used for…”
“It’s for…”
“It helps to…”
“You use it to…”

Example Sentences – Things

Let’s combine physical attributes and function in sentences:

“This is a small, rectangular, black box. It’s made of plastic and it’s very light. It’s used for storing pens and pencils.”
“That’s a large, round, wooden table. It’s quite heavy and has a smooth surface. We use it for eating dinner.”
“This is a tiny, square, silver object. It’s made of metal and feels a bit rough. It’s a key – you use it to open the door.”
“I have a big, blue, cotton bag. It’s very soft and quite light. It’s for carrying groceries from the supermarket.”

Let’s Practice!

Now it’s your turn to practice! These exercises will help you solidify your understanding of describing location, people, and things in English. This is great English speaking practice location focused.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks (Prepositions of Place)

Choose the correct preposition of place to complete each sentence.

The cat is sleeping ______ the sofa. (on / under / in)
The bank is ______ the post office and the library. (between / next to / opposite)
My house is ______ Main Street. (on / in / at)
The picture is hanging ______ the fireplace. (below / above / next to)
Are there any shops ______ here? (far from / near / behind)

Exercise 2: Describe the Picture (People & Things)

Imagine you are looking at a picture of a park. In the park, there is a woman sitting on a bench, reading a book. Next to the bench, there is a small, round table with a cup of coffee on it. Behind the bench, there are tall trees. Describe the scene, focusing on:

The location of the woman, bench, table, and trees.
The appearance of the woman (you can imagine details!).
The description of the book, bench, and table (physical attributes).

Try to use as much vocabulary from this lesson as possible! This is excellent practice for talking about people in English and describing objects in English.

Answers

Exercise 1:

under
between
on
above
near

Exercise 2: (Example Answer)

In the park, a woman is sitting on a wooden bench. She is a young woman with long, brown hair. She is wearing casual clothes and reading a small, blue book. Next to the bench, there is a small, round table. On the table, there is a cup of coffee. Behind the bench, there are tall, green trees.

Speak with Confidence!

Congratulations on completing this lesson on describing location, people, and things! You now have a great foundation for describing the world around you in English. Remember, practice is key! The more you practice describing things, the more natural and confident you will become in your spoken English.

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