Describing Things

A. Read this conversation and answer the questions that follow.

Julia : James, what are you doing?
James : I’m measuring my desk.
Julia : Why?
James : Well, Carl asked me to find some new desks for the office, and there’s a nice
one in this catalogue. Um, Julia, may I borrow your pen?
Julia : Here you are.
James : Thanks.
Julia : And how big is your desk?
James : Well, it’s 1 meter high, 80 centimeters long, and 75 centimeters wide.
Julia : And the one in the catalogue?
James : It’s bigger.
Julia : What is it like?
James : Well, it’s grand red and has three drawers.
Julia : Grand red? What is it made of?
James : Metal and wood, with the metal on top.
Julia : Let me see.
James : Here.
Julia : Oh, yes, it is nice. How much is it?
James : It is not really a good deal, I think.
Julia : Well, what do you think about it?
James : As you see, this desk is not big enough and it’s quite expensive.
Julia : Have you asked Carl about it?
James : I haven’t. I want to do more browsing.
Julia : Okay. Good luck, then. Oh, my pen, please.
James : Thanks. Oh, yes, here you are.
(Adapted from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggW7xipKOX4 )

Answer these questions.

1. What did Carl ask James to do?
2. Why does James browse for desks in the catalogue?
3. How does James describe the desk he finds in the catalogue?
4. What does James think of the desk in the catalogue?
5. What questions does Julia ask to James to get the description of the desk?
B. What is that?

To describe things, you can talk about:

1. Appearance
• It looks like a pen, and it has liquid inside
2. Origin
• It is made in Japan.
3. Material
• The container is made of plastic, but the liquid
is made of powder and water.
4. Function
• It is used for writing and drawing.
5. Who use it
• It is commonly used by teachers or artists.
6. Size
• It is about 15 cm long.
7. Colour
• The container is white, and the cap is black.
8. How to use it
• To use this thing, you need to remove the cap.
Place it in between your forefinger and
middle finger and hold it with your thumb.
Place the tip on a surface and start moving it
to create the pattern that you desire.

That is not a static order. You can describe things in any order and add more information in
your description.
If your purpose is to advertise the things or products, you can add the benefits or strengths
compared to its competitors.

C. Useful Expressions
These are some useful expressions to help you describe things.
1. It is + adjective
2. It has + noun
3. It can + verb
4. It is good for (something/doing something)
5. You can use it to (do something)
6. It comes in (options)
7. It is available in (options)
 Example:
Describe your phone
It is black/very advanced/thin/old/slow
It has cool features/no headphone jack/32 MP camera/3 cameras.
It can survive underwater/be used as a remote controller/play 4K videos/edit photos and
videos.
It is good for video editors/taking pictures/entertainment.
You can use it to take pictures/control your electronics/watch movies.
It comes in silver, gold, space black, and deep purple/64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB of storage.
It is available in silver, gold, space black, and deep purple/64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB of
storage.

D. Listen to this conversation about weird inventions and fill in the blanks.
Clara : On my way here, I saw a woman with 1) _______________________ and 2)
__________________. It was like a regular pushchair, but there was a kind of floor
on the bottom that she could stand on. She was absolutely flying along. The baby
looked like he had no idea what was going on!
John : I guess it’s used by people who need to 3) ______________________ as quickly as
possible. I would have to wonder how safe it is, though. There are some really
weird inventions out there. Have you seen those 4)_________________? They’re
used for getting your baby to 5) __________________. They’re one-piece suits
made of cotton for your baby to wear, but they have 6) _____________________
on the arms and legs. That means when the baby crawls around on the floor, they
effectively 7) _____________________. That’s actually not a bad idea.
Clara : Speaking of good ideas, have you seen the 8) ________________ that can be used
as an 9) _____________?
John : Wow, no I haven’t. Is that a real thing?
Clara : Yes, it’s real. It’s a regular cup, but it has 10) _____________________. The idea is
that the coffee will heat the metal and allow you to iron your shirts. It’s used for
11) __________________. You can iron your shirts and enjoy your coffee at the
same time!
John : That doesn’t sound very practical. Actually, I heard about a cool new thing
recently. It’s a 12) ___________________ washing device that you can 13)
__________directly into your computer. It’s a simple plastic container that you
can fill with water. The USB power circulates the water. It’s used for 14)
_________________ or something similar, without the inconvenience of having to
leave your desk.
Clara : And you said the coffee/iron was impractical! How often have you needed to wash
your watch while sitting at your desk?
John : Well, you never know…
(Taken from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKkZZFTZcy8 )

E. It’s your turn!

1. Tell your friends about a thing that means a lot to you.
2. Work in your group and invent something that has never existed before. Describe your
invention to the class.