Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about people and appearance.
Example: She has long brown ___. (hair / hand / hat)
Answer: She has long brown hair.
People and Appearance
When you meet someone new, one of the first things you do is describe what they look like. In English, we use special words to talk about people's appearance — their height, build, hair, eyes, and age. These words are very important for everyday conversations!
Read this short situation and notice the words in bold:
"This is my friend Sara. She is tall and slim. She has long, dark hair and brown eyes. She is young — she is twenty years old. Her brother Tom is short and has short, curly, blonde hair. He wears glasses."
In this lesson, you will learn essential vocabulary for describing people and appearance in English.
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Height and Build
These words describe how tall or big a person is.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| tall | adjective — a person with a great height, above average | My brother is very tall. He is 1.9 metres. | very tall, quite tall |
| short | adjective — a person with a small height, below average | Maria is short. She is only 1.5 metres. | quite short, very short |
| medium height | noun phrase — not too tall and not too short; average height | He is of medium height — about 1.75 metres. | of medium height |
| slim | adjective — thin in an attractive way; not fat | She is slim because she exercises every day. | very slim, quite slim |
| thin | adjective — not fat; having little body weight | He looks thin. Does he eat enough food? | very thin, too thin |
| fat | adjective — having a large, heavy body; a lot of body weight | The cat is very fat because it eats too much. | Note: use with care — it can be rude about people |
| overweight | adjective — heavier than is healthy or average | The doctor said he is overweight and must exercise. | slightly overweight — a politer word than "fat" |
| well-built | adjective — having a strong, muscular body | The footballer is tall and well-built. | Often used for men with strong bodies |
2. Hair
These words describe a person's hair colour, length, and style.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| long hair | noun phrase — hair that grows far down, past the shoulders | She has beautiful long hair. | very long, quite long |
| short hair | noun phrase — hair that does not grow very far; above the ears or neck | My dad has short hair. | very short, quite short |
| curly hair | noun phrase — hair that has a round, spiral shape | My sister has curly hair. It is very thick. | wavy hair = not fully curly, not fully straight |
| straight hair | noun phrase — hair with no curls or waves; flat and smooth | He has straight hair and brown eyes. | Opposite of curly hair |
| blonde hair | noun phrase — hair that is light yellow in colour | The little girl has beautiful blonde hair. | Also spelled: blond (for men) |
| dark hair | noun phrase — hair that is black or very dark brown in colour | He has dark hair and a beard. | dark brown, jet black |
| red hair | noun phrase — hair that is orange or bright red in colour | My teacher has red hair. It is very bright! | People with red hair are sometimes called "redheads" |
| grey hair | noun phrase — hair that has turned silver or grey, often with age | My grandfather has grey hair now. | Common in older people |
| bald | adjective — having no hair or very little hair on the head | My uncle is completely bald. | going bald = starting to lose hair |
3. Eyes, Face, and Other Features
These words describe a person's eyes, face, and other things we notice about their appearance.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| blue eyes | noun phrase — eyes with a blue colour | She has blue eyes and blonde hair. | Also: brown eyes, green eyes, grey eyes |
| beard | noun — hair that grows on a man's face, below the mouth and on the chin | He has a long beard and a moustache. | a short beard, a long beard, have a beard |
| moustache | noun — hair that grows above a man's top lip | My father has a small moustache. | have a moustache, grow a moustache |
| glasses | noun (plural) — a frame with two pieces of glass or plastic that a person wears to see better | My teacher wears glasses to read. | wear glasses, take off glasses |
| freckles | noun (plural) — small brown spots on the skin, especially on the face | She has freckles on her nose and cheeks. | have freckles — common with fair skin and red hair |
| young | adjective — not old; in the early part of life | She is very young — only eighteen years old. | quite young, very young |
| old | adjective — having lived for a long time; not young | My grandfather is old. He is eighty years old. | very old, quite old |
| middle-aged | adjective — between young and old; usually between 40 and 60 years old | He is middle-aged — about fifty years old. | Used for adults, not young people or elderly |
| pretty | adjective — attractive in a pleasant way; usually used for women and girls | She is very pretty with a lovely smile. | very pretty, quite pretty |
| handsome | adjective — attractive in a strong way; usually used for men and boys | The actor is tall and very handsome. | very handsome, quite handsome |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
In English, certain words go together naturally. Learn these common collocations for people and appearance:
have + hair description
She has long, dark hair.
He has short, curly, blonde hair.
have + eyes
My mother has beautiful green eyes.
He has dark brown eyes.
wear + glasses
My teacher wears glasses every day.
have + a beard / a moustache
My uncle has a long beard.
Does your father have a moustache?
look + adjective
She looks young for her age.
He looks tired today.
be + height/build adjective
She is tall and slim.
He is short and well-built.
What does he/she look like?
"What does your sister look like?" — "She is tall with long blonde hair."
This is the most common question to ask about someone's appearance.
He/She looks like + a person
She looks like her mother — they have the same eyes.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Look Like vs Look
These two expressions are easy to confuse for beginners:
What does he look like? — We use this to ask about appearance (how a person looks physically).
Answer: "He is tall with dark hair and glasses."
What is he like? — We use this to ask about personality (what kind of person he is).
Answer: "He is very kind and funny."
Remember: "What does she look like?" = appearance. "What is she like?" = personality or character.
Pretty vs Handsome vs Beautiful
- Pretty — attractive, used mainly for women, girls, and sometimes children. She is a pretty girl.
- Handsome — attractive in a strong way, used mainly for men and boys. He is a handsome man.
- Beautiful — very attractive, used for women, girls, places, or things. It is stronger than "pretty". She is a beautiful woman.
Thin vs Slim vs Skinny
- Slim — thin in an attractive, healthy way. She is slim and healthy.
- Thin — not fat; neutral word. He is quite thin.
- Skinny — very thin, sometimes too thin. Can sound negative. He is very skinny — he needs to eat more!
Old vs Elderly
- Old — a simple adjective for people or things that have existed for a long time. He is an old man.
- Elderly — a polite and respectful word for old people. She is an elderly woman who lives alone. This is more polite in formal situations.
Common Mistakes
Here are some common mistakes that beginners make when talking about people and appearance:
❌ She has a long hairs.
✅ She has long hair. — "Hair" is an uncountable noun in English. We do not say "hairs" when talking about a person's hair in general.
❌ He is wear glasses.
✅ He wears glasses. — Use the simple present tense: "wears", not "is wear".
❌ She is pretty hair.
✅ She has pretty hair. — We use "have/has" to describe features like hair and eyes, not "is/are".
❌ What he looks like?
✅ What does he look like? — Remember to use "does" in questions with "he/she/it".
❌ She looks like tall.
✅ She looks tall. — After "look" + adjective, we do NOT use "like". Use "like" only before a noun: "She looks like her sister."
❌ He has a bald.
✅ He is bald. — "Bald" is an adjective. We say "he is bald", not "he has a bald".
❌ My grandfather is very old. He is elderly.
✅ My grandfather is elderly. — Choose one word. Both mean the same thing but "elderly" is the polite choice for people.
People and Appearance: Quick Summary & Review
Well done! In this lesson, you have learned essential vocabulary for describing people and appearance in English. Here is a quick review of what you studied:
- Height and build: tall, short, medium height, slim, thin, fat, overweight, well-built
- Hair: long, short, curly, straight, blonde, dark, red, grey hair; bald
- Eyes and face: blue/brown/green eyes, beard, moustache, glasses, freckles
- Age: young, middle-aged, old, elderly
- General appearance: pretty, handsome, beautiful
- Key expressions: have hair/eyes, wear glasses, look like, what does he/she look like?
- Important grammar: Use have/has for hair and eyes. Use is/are for adjectives like tall, slim, bald.
Remember the key question: "What does he/she look like?" — This is the most useful question for asking about a person's appearance in everyday English.
Now practise people and appearance vocabulary in the exercises below.
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