Here’s a few ideas about how to structure your

picture description:

1. SUMMARY SENTENCE
Say in 1 or 2 sentences what the picture
depicts. Say it in a way that even a blind
man can imagine the scene. Start like this:
”The picture depicts ...”
”In the picture I can see ...”
”In the picture there are ...”

2. MORE DETAILS
Now is the time to describe the picture in
more detail. Talk about where each cat is,
and what it is doing. You may make guesses
about what they’re about to do next, e.g.
”There is a cat on the right hiding behind
the bed, looking at the husband. It may
have been thrown off by the husband
a while ago, and now it’s thinking of
jumping back on again.”

3. INTERPRETATION
Interpret the scene. Go beyond what you
can actually see, and decide what is really
Task: Circle the correct choices. happening.
 Who is saying the line below the
SUMMARY SENTENCE: picture?
 Why does one of them want a
(1) By/On/In/At the picture I can see a woman and a man (2)
divorce?
surrounded/surrounding/are surrounding/surround by cats.
 What happened before this scene?
The two people must be a couple since they (3) are laing/are Perhaps they already had a lot of
lying/are lie/lie in bed next to each other. arguments?
 Why is there no better solution than
MORE DETAILS: a divorce?
The woman is reading a newspaper. She (4) perhaps
reading/might reading/may be reading/maybe reading some
gossip in a tabloid about a cheating celebrity. Her husband is holding a cat in his hands, as if (5) he
trying/he tries/trying/to try to put it off the bed. He looks (6) like shocked/as if shocked/shocked/
shocking, which may be because there are cats all over the bed, and he just cannot deal with the
situation. Two of the cats are lying on the bed, (7) which one/and the one/one of them/one of whom is
eying the yarn ball, looking as though it (8) is waiting/waits/is to be waiting/may waiting for someone to
throw it. Another cat is hiding on the right behind the bed, (9) he is looking/he looking/to look/looking at
the husband. It (10) may be thrown/have been thrown/may threw/may thrown off by the husband a
while ago, and now it’s thinking of jumping back on again. Two more cats are sitting on the back of the
bed. One of the two is reaching down with one paw, like it was trying to play with either the woman’s hair
or the newspaper.

INTERPRETATION:
The caption below the picture (11) reads/is reading/reading/is read “Here’s a new cure for my cat
allergies. Divorce.” In my (12) sight/opinions/view/eyes, it’s the husband who is saying it, since he’s (13)
who/that one who/that who/the one who looks uneasy about the situation. At this point the couple (14)
may have had/may have/may had/may be have countless arguments over the woman’s cats, but she may
have ignored her husband’s complaints about the cats. (15) Because/As/That’s why/Since the husband
may feel resigned because of his wife’s stubbornness. Eventually, the husband announces that he wants a
divorce, because he can’t take it anymore. Again, the woman (16) seems to ignore/is seeming to
ignore/seems to ignoring/seems ignoring him and his threat. She might feel confident that her husband
is just bluffing. But who knows, (17) maybe/may be/possible/potential this time he will stand up for
himself.
Download more ESL worksheets at http://islcollective.com
 Here’s a few ideas about how to structure your
picture description:

1. SUMMARY SENTENCE
Say in 1 or 2 sentences what the picture
depicts. Say it in a way that even a blind
man can imagine the scene. Start like this:
”The picture depicts ...”
”In the picture I can see ...”
”In the picture there are ...”

2. MORE DETAILS
Now is the time to describe the picture in
more detail. Talk about where each cat is,
and what it is doing. You may make guesses
about what they’re about to do next, e.g.
”There is a cat on the right hiding behind
the bed, looking at the husband. It may
have been thrown off by the husband
a while ago, and now it’s thinking of
jumping back on again.”

3. INTERPRETATION

SOLUTION
Interpret the scene. Go beyond what you
can actually see, and decide what is really
happening.
 Who is saying the line below the
picture?
SUMMARY SENTENCE:
 Why does one of them want a
In the picture I can see a woman and a man surrounded by cats.
divorce?
The two people must be a couple since they are lying in bed next  What happened before this scene?
to each other. Perhaps they already had a lot of
arguments?
MORE DETAILS:  Why is there no better solution than
The woman is reading a newspaper. She may be reading some a divorce?
gossip in a tabloid about a cheating celebrity. Her husband is
holding a cat in his hands, as if trying to put it off the bed. He
looks kind of shocked, which may be because there are cats all over the bed, and he just cannot deal with
the situation. Two of the cats are lying on the bed, one of whom is eying the yarn ball, looking as though
it is waiting for someone to throw it. Another cat is hiding on the right behind the bed, looking at the
husband. It may have been thrown off by the husband a while ago, and now it’s thinking of jumping back
on again. Two more cats are sitting on the back of the bed. One of the two is reaching down with one paw,
like it was trying to play with either the woman’s hair or the newspaper.

INTERPRETATION:
The caption below the picture reads “Here’s a new cure for my cat allergies. Divorce.” In my view, it’s the
husband who is saying it, since he’s the one who looks uneasy about the situation. At this point the couple
may have had countless arguments over the woman’s cats, but she may have ignored her husband’s
complaints about the cats. That’s why the husband may feel resigned because of his wife’s stubbornness.
Eventually, the husband announces that he wants a divorce, because he can’t take it anymore. Again, the
woman seems to completely ignore him and his threat. She might feel confident that her husband is just
bluffing. But who knows, maybe this time he will stand up for himself.

Download more ESL worksheets at http://islcollective.com