Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about describing things, places, and experiences.
Example: The beach was very ___. (beautiful / noise / crowd)
Answer: The beach was very beautiful.
Describing Things, Places and Experiences
When you travel to a new city, visit a friend's home, or talk about a holiday, you need words to describe what you see, feel, and experience. In English, using the right adjectives and expressions makes your conversations much more interesting and natural.
Read this short situation:
Maria has just returned from a weekend trip to Edinburgh. Her friend asks, "How was it?" Maria wants to describe the city, the weather, and how she felt. She needs good vocabulary to do this well.
In this lesson, you will learn the most useful words and phrases for describing things, places and experiences at A2 level. You will learn how to talk about size, appearance, atmosphere, and personal feelings — all in natural, everyday English.
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Describing Places
These adjectives help you talk about cities, towns, buildings, streets, and areas.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| beautiful | adjective — very nice to look at; attractive | The old town was absolutely beautiful. | a beautiful view, a beautiful place, beautiful scenery |
| busy | adjective — full of people and activity | The market was very busy on Saturday morning. | a busy street, a busy city centre, busy with tourists |
| quiet | adjective — not noisy; calm and peaceful | We stayed in a quiet village near the mountains. | a quiet area, a quiet restaurant, quiet and relaxing |
| crowded | adjective — full of many people, often uncomfortably so | The train station was very crowded at rush hour. | a crowded place, crowded with tourists, crowded streets |
| modern | adjective — new; built or made recently | The shopping centre was very modern and clean. | a modern building, modern design, modern city |
| historic | adjective — old and important; connected to history | Edinburgh has many historic buildings in the city centre. | a historic town, historic site, historic castle |
| lively | adjective — full of energy, excitement, and activity | The harbour area was very lively in the evening. | a lively atmosphere, a lively neighbourhood, lively music |
| peaceful | adjective — calm and relaxing; without noise or trouble | The park was peaceful and perfect for a walk. | a peaceful place, peaceful surroundings, feel peaceful |
| dirty | adjective — not clean; having marks or waste | Unfortunately, the beach near the port was quite dirty. | a dirty street, dirty water, look dirty |
| clean | adjective — free from dirt or mess | The hotel room was very clean and comfortable. | a clean city, clean air, clean and tidy |
2. Describing Things and Objects
Use these adjectives to describe everyday objects, food, clothes, and other things around you.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| large / big | adjective — great in size; not small | They had a large selection of souvenirs in the shop. | a large room, a big bag, large portion |
| tiny / small | adjective — not big; little in size | The café was tiny but very cosy inside. | a small town, a tiny flat, small details |
| comfortable | adjective — pleasant and relaxing to use or be in | The bed in our hotel was very comfortable. | comfortable seat, comfortable shoes, feel comfortable |
| cheap | adjective — low in price; not expensive | The local market sold cheap and fresh vegetables. | cheap tickets, cheap food, cheap and cheerful |
| expensive | adjective — costing a lot of money | The restaurant near the castle was quite expensive. | expensive hotel, expensive taste, too expensive |
| delicious | adjective — very good to taste; very enjoyable to eat | We had a delicious dinner at a small Italian restaurant. | delicious food, delicious meal, smell delicious |
| colourful | adjective — having many bright or different colours | The market stalls were full of colourful fabrics. | colourful clothes, colourful decorations, colourful display |
| traditional | adjective — typical of a place or culture; following old customs | We tried some traditional Scottish food for dinner. | traditional music, traditional costume, traditional style |
| unusual | adjective — different from what is normal or expected | The museum had some very unusual exhibits. | unusual design, unusual experience, look unusual |
| ordinary | adjective — normal; not special or different | It looked like an ordinary street, but the café was wonderful. | ordinary day, ordinary people, nothing ordinary |
3. Describing Experiences and Feelings
These words help you say how an experience made you feel or what it was like overall.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| amazing | adjective — very impressive or wonderful | The view from the castle was absolutely amazing. | amazing experience, amazing food, truly amazing |
| terrible | adjective — very bad; unpleasant | The weather on Sunday was terrible — cold and rainy. | terrible weather, terrible idea, feel terrible |
| interesting | adjective — making you want to know more; holding your attention | The guided tour was really interesting. | interesting place, interesting story, find interesting |
| boring | adjective — not interesting; making you feel tired or unexcited | The second museum was a bit boring for the children. | boring film, boring lesson, get bored |
| exciting | adjective — making you feel happy and full of energy | It was so exciting to visit a new country for the first time. | exciting trip, exciting news, feel excited |
| relaxing | adjective — making you feel calm and rested | The boat trip was very relaxing. | relaxing holiday, relaxing atmosphere, relaxing walk |
| unforgettable | adjective — so special that you cannot forget it | Seeing the Northern Lights was an unforgettable experience. | unforgettable moment, unforgettable trip, truly unforgettable |
| disappointing | adjective — not as good as you hoped or expected | The main square was a bit disappointing — it was under construction. | disappointing result, feel disappointed, rather disappointing |
| worth it | expression — good enough or valuable enough for the time or money spent | The entrance fee was expensive, but the museum was worth it. | definitely worth it, worth visiting, worth the wait |
| recommend | verb — to suggest something to someone because you think it is good | I would highly recommend the old town to any visitor. | strongly recommend, recommend a place, recommend trying |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
Collocations are words that go naturally together in English. Learn these common pairs for describing things, places and experiences.
absolutely + strong adjective
Use absolutely with adjectives like amazing, beautiful, terrible, and fantastic — not with words like good or bad.
The scenery was absolutely beautiful.
really / very + adjective
Use really or very with most adjectives to make them stronger.
The hotel was really comfortable. The streets were very busy.
a bit + adjective
Use a bit to make a negative adjective softer and more polite.
The room was a bit small, but it was clean.
have + a great / good / wonderful time
We had a great time in the city. I had a wonderful experience at the festival.
take + a photo / a walk
We took lots of photos near the river. We took a walk through the old part of town.
visit + a place
We visited the castle on our first day. Have you visited the national museum yet?
look + adjective
Use look when describing appearance (what something looks like).
The building looked very old. The food looked delicious.
feel + adjective
Use feel to describe a personal experience or sensation.
I felt really relaxed on the boat trip. She felt excited about the visit.
worth + -ing verb
The old quarter is definitely worth visiting. The local food is worth trying.
remind someone of + place / thing
This little street reminds me of the village where I grew up.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Big vs Large vs Huge
All three words describe size, but they are used in slightly different ways:
- Big — the most common, everyday word for size. Use it in most situations.
It's a big city. That's a big bag! - Large — a little more formal than big. Common in descriptions of rooms, portions, and areas.
The hotel had a large swimming pool. We had large portions at dinner. - Huge — much bigger than normal; very emphatic. Use it for strong effect.
The cathedral was huge — I couldn't believe how tall it was.
Interesting vs Excited vs Exciting
This is a very common area of confusion for A2 learners:
- Interesting — describes a thing or place that holds your attention.
The exhibition was very interesting. - Exciting — describes a thing or experience that makes you feel energy and enthusiasm.
The boat trip was really exciting. - Excited — describes how a person feels (not a thing!).
I was really excited about the trip. (NOT: The trip was excited.)
Beautiful vs Pretty vs Lovely
- Beautiful — strong and impressive; very attractive. Often used for scenery, buildings, and places.
The lake was absolutely beautiful. - Pretty — nice and pleasant to look at, but less strong than beautiful. Often used for smaller things like flowers, villages, or clothes.
It's a pretty little village near the coast. - Lovely — warm and pleasant; used for places, people, weather, and experiences. Very common in British English.
We had a lovely afternoon in the park.
Quiet vs Calm vs Peaceful
- Quiet — describes a place or situation with little noise.
The library was very quiet. - Calm — describes a relaxed atmosphere, or a person who is not stressed or worried. Also used for weather and water.
The sea was calm that morning. She felt calm after her holiday. - Peaceful — similar to quiet, but with a positive feeling of harmony and relaxation.
The garden was so peaceful — perfect for reading.
Common Mistakes
❌ The trip was very excited.
✅ The trip was very exciting. — Use exciting to describe a thing, not excited.
❌ I was absolutely tired after the tour.
✅ I was very tired after the tour. — Use very with normal adjectives like tired, good, and bad. Use absolutely with strong adjectives like exhausted, amazing, or terrible.
❌ The city was absolutely good.
✅ The city was really good. — Good is not a strong enough adjective for absolutely. Say absolutely wonderful or absolutely fantastic instead.
❌ Edinburgh is a very historic and beautiful city. It have many old buildings.
✅ Edinburgh is a very historic and beautiful city. It has many old buildings. — Use has (not have) with it, he, and she.
❌ The food was worth to try.
✅ The food was worth trying. — After worth, always use the -ing form of the verb.
❌ The museum was a bit interesting.
✅ The museum was quite interesting. — Use a bit only with negative or neutral adjectives (e.g. a bit boring, a bit cold). Use quite or rather with positive adjectives.
❌ I recommend you to visit the old quarter.
✅ I recommend visiting the old quarter. or I recommend that you visit the old quarter. — After recommend, use the -ing form or that + subject + verb. Do not use recommend + someone + to + verb.
Describing Things, Places and Experiences: Quick Summary & Review
In this lesson, you have learned a wide range of vocabulary for describing things, places and experiences in English. Here are the key takeaways:
- Use adjectives like busy, lively, historic, peaceful, and crowded to describe places.
- Use adjectives like large, colourful, traditional, cheap, and delicious to describe things and objects.
- Use adjectives like amazing, exciting, relaxing, disappointing, and unforgettable to describe experiences.
- Use absolutely with strong adjectives (e.g. absolutely amazing) and very or really with ordinary adjectives (e.g. very comfortable).
- Use a bit to soften negative descriptions (e.g. a bit crowded, a bit disappointing).
- Remember: use exciting for things and excited for people.
- After worth, always use the -ing form: worth visiting, worth trying.
Now practise describing things, places and experiences vocabulary in the exercises below.
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