Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about personality and character.
Example: She is very _____ and always helps her friends. (kind / rude / lazy)
Answer: She is very kind and always helps her friends.
Personality and Character: Describing People in English
When we meet new people, we often want to talk about what they are like. Are they friendly or shy? Are they funny or serious? In English, we use personality and character words to describe how people behave and feel. Learning these words will help you talk about yourself, your friends, and your family.
Mini Situation: A New Classmate
Read this short conversation. Notice the words in bold.
"This is my new classmate, Maria. She is very friendly and always says hello to everyone. She is also quite hard-working — she studies every evening! Her brother is the opposite. He is a little lazy and sometimes rude to people. But Maria is different. She is very kind and always helps her friends."
Now let's look at these words — and many more — in detail.
Key Vocabulary and Meaning Breakdown
1. Positive Personality Words
These words describe people in a good way. We use them as compliments.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| friendly | adjective — kind and easy to talk to; likes meeting people | My neighbour is very friendly. She always smiles and says hello. | a friendly person; friendly smile; very friendly |
| kind | adjective — caring and generous; likes to help others | He is so kind. He helped me carry my bags to the car. | be kind to someone; a kind gesture; very kind |
| hard-working | adjective — puts a lot of effort into work or study | She is a hard-working student. She always finishes her homework. | a hard-working person; hard-working student/employee |
| honest | adjective — always tells the truth; does not lie | Tom is very honest. He always tells you the truth, even when it is difficult. | be honest with someone; an honest answer; completely honest |
| cheerful | adjective — happy and positive; often smiling | Lucy is always cheerful in the morning. She makes everyone feel good. | a cheerful person; cheerful mood; always cheerful |
| confident | adjective — believes in their own abilities; not shy | He is very confident. He speaks in front of the class without any problems. | feel confident; a confident speaker; very confident |
| patient | adjective — can wait calmly; does not get angry easily | A good teacher must be patient with their students. | be patient with someone; a patient person; very patient |
| generous | adjective — likes to give things, money, or time to others | My aunt is very generous. She always brings gifts for everyone. | a generous person; generous with money/time; very generous |
| funny | adjective — makes people laugh; has a good sense of humour | My friend Jake is really funny. He always tells the best jokes. | a funny person; very funny; funny joke/story |
| creative | adjective — good at making new ideas, art, or things | She is very creative. She makes beautiful paintings and jewellery. | a creative person; creative ideas; very creative |
2. Negative Personality Words
These words describe people in a less positive way. We use them carefully, as they can be unkind.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| lazy | adjective — does not like to work or make effort | He is quite lazy. He never does his homework on time. | a lazy person; feel lazy; a bit lazy |
| rude | adjective — not polite; speaks or behaves badly to others | The waiter was rude to us. He did not say please or thank you. | be rude to someone; very rude; a rude comment |
| selfish | adjective — only thinks about themselves; does not share | He is quite selfish. He never shares his food with anyone. | a selfish person; very selfish; selfish behaviour |
| impatient | adjective — gets angry quickly when waiting; cannot wait calmly | She is very impatient. She always gets angry in traffic jams. | feel impatient; an impatient person; very impatient |
| bossy | adjective — always tells other people what to do | My older sister is quite bossy. She always tells me how to do everything. | a bossy person; a bit bossy; sound bossy |
| moody | adjective — feelings change quickly; sometimes happy, sometimes angry | He is very moody. Sometimes he is happy, but then he is suddenly angry. | a moody person; feel moody; quite moody |
3. Neutral Personality Words
These words simply describe a person's character. They are not always positive or negative — it depends on the situation.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| shy | adjective — nervous or quiet around new people; does not talk much in groups | Anna is quite shy. She does not like to speak in big groups. | a shy person; feel shy; quite shy; shy smile |
| quiet | adjective — does not talk very much; calm and not loud | He is a quiet person. He prefers to listen rather than talk. | a quiet person; very quiet; quiet nature |
| serious | adjective — does not joke much; thinks carefully about things | She is a serious student. She thinks carefully about every answer. | a serious person; very serious; take something seriously |
| sociable | adjective — enjoys being with other people; makes friends easily | My cousin is very sociable. He loves going to parties and meeting new people. | a sociable person; very sociable; sociable nature |
| sensitive | adjective — has strong feelings; can be upset easily | She is very sensitive. She cried when she heard the sad news. | a sensitive person; quite sensitive; emotionally sensitive |
| ambitious | adjective — wants to be very successful; has big goals | He is very ambitious. He wants to become a doctor one day. | an ambitious person; very ambitious; ambitious goal/plan |
Collocations and Useful Expressions
In English, we often combine personality adjectives with certain verbs or phrases. Here are the most common and useful patterns for A2 learners:
be + personality adjective
She is very kind. He is quite shy. They are really sociable.
This is the most common pattern. Use be to describe personality.
quite + adjective (a little, but not completely)
He is quite lazy. She is quite bossy.
Use quite to soften a description — it means "a little bit".
very + adjective (a strong description)
She is very generous. He is very hard-working.
Use very to make the description stronger.
a bit + adjective (informal; similar to "quite")
He is a bit moody today. She is a bit shy with strangers.
Use a bit in informal, spoken English to soften negative descriptions.
seem + adjective (your impression of someone)
She seems very friendly. He seems a bit shy.
Use seem when you do not know the person well — it shows it is your opinion.
look + adjective (based on appearance or behaviour in one moment)
You look very confident today. He looks a bit nervous.
Use look when something is visible in that moment.
be known for being + adjective
She is known for being very kind. He is known for being hard-working.
Use this expression to describe someone's well-known personality.
have a good sense of humour
My dad has a great sense of humour. He always makes us laugh.
This is a very common English expression. We do NOT say "he is funny sense of humour".
get on well with + someone
I get on well with my colleagues because they are friendly and sociable.
Use this to say you have a good relationship with someone.
Important Differences and Confusing Words
Shy vs Quiet
These two words are similar but not the same.
Shy means you feel nervous or uncomfortable around new people or in social situations. It is about a feeling of anxiety.
She is shy at parties because she does not know many people.
Quiet means you simply do not talk very much. You may be calm and relaxed — not nervous at all.
He is quiet by nature. He prefers reading to long conversations.
A person can be quiet but NOT shy — for example, a calm, relaxed person who just prefers silence. A shy person often wants to talk but feels too nervous.
Funny vs Fun
Funny means someone makes you laugh. It describes a sense of humour.
She is so funny. Her jokes always make me laugh.
Fun means something or someone is enjoyable and entertaining. It is not only about jokes.
He is really fun to be with. We always do exciting things together.
We say: "She is funny" (she makes jokes) and "She is fun" (she is enjoyable to be around). Both are positive, but they mean different things.
Sensitive vs Sensible
These two words look similar but have very different meanings. Students often confuse them!
Sensitive means you have strong emotions and can be hurt easily.
He is very sensitive. He was upset by the comment for the whole day.
Sensible means you make good, practical decisions. You are reasonable and logical.
She is very sensible. She always thinks carefully before she spends money.
Kind vs Nice
Kind has a stronger meaning. It suggests the person actively does good things to help others.
She is so kind — she stayed late to help me finish the project.
Nice is more general and informal. It just means the person is pleasant or agreeable.
He is a nice person. I enjoy talking to him.
Common Mistakes
❌ She has very friendly.
✅ She is very friendly. — Use the verb be with personality adjectives, not have.
❌ He is very fun — he tells great jokes.
✅ He is very funny — he tells great jokes. — Use funny for someone who makes you laugh, not fun.
❌ She is a sensible person. She cried when she heard the sad news.
✅ She is a sensitive person. She cried when she heard the sad news. — Sensible means practical; sensitive means easily affected by emotions.
❌ He has a good humour.
✅ He has a good sense of humour. — The correct fixed expression is a good sense of humour.
❌ She is very hardly-working.
✅ She is very hard-working. — The correct adjective is hard-working, with a hyphen and no "-ly".
❌ My friend is very sociable. He doesn't like meeting new people.
✅ My friend is very sociable. He loves meeting new people. — Sociable means the person enjoys social situations, so the description must match.
❌ He seems friendly with me.
✅ He seems friendly. or He gets on well with me. — We do not say "friendly with me" in this structure. Use get on well with for relationships.
Personality and Character: Quick Summary and Review
Here is a quick review of what you have learned in this lesson about personality and character in English:
- We use personality adjectives to describe how people behave and what they are like inside.
- Positive words include: friendly, kind, honest, hard-working, cheerful, confident, patient, generous, funny, and creative.
- Negative words include: lazy, rude, selfish, impatient, bossy, and moody.
- Neutral words include: shy, quiet, serious, sociable, sensitive, and ambitious.
- Always use the verb be with personality adjectives: She is kind. He is shy.
- Use quite or a bit to soften a description, and very or really to make it stronger.
- Remember key differences: shy vs quiet, funny vs fun, and sensitive vs sensible.
- The common expression for humour is: have a good sense of humour.
Now practise personality and character vocabulary in the exercises below.
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