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Describing Products

This document provides guidance on describing products, including their features, physical description, shape, size, weight, and materials. It lists 60 adjectives that can be used to describe product features, such as adjustable, affordable, attractive, best-selling, brand-new, built-in, compact, convenient, cost-effective, customized, easy-to-clean, easy-to-maintain, economical to run, efficient, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, expandable, fully automatic, functional, hands-free, hard-wearing, high-performance, high-quality, high-speed, high-tech, innovative, integrated, labour-saving, limited edition, long-lasting, low-

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Anocha Suphawakun
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813 views2 pages

Describing Products

This document provides guidance on describing products, including their features, physical description, shape, size, weight, and materials. It lists 60 adjectives that can be used to describe product features, such as adjustable, affordable, attractive, best-selling, brand-new, built-in, compact, convenient, cost-effective, customized, easy-to-clean, easy-to-maintain, economical to run, efficient, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, expandable, fully automatic, functional, hands-free, hard-wearing, high-performance, high-quality, high-speed, high-tech, innovative, integrated, labour-saving, limited edition, long-lasting, low-

Uploaded by

Anocha Suphawakun
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Describing products

Features

Physical description of a product

The features of a product are its selling points. Here


is a list of 60 adjectives that can be used to talk about
product features.

ln addition to describing the features of a product, you


may also have to describe it physically, in particular
its shape(= the form that it has), size(= dimensions),
weight and materials.

adjustable
affordable
attractive
best-selling
brand-new
built-in
compact
convenient
cost-effective
customized
easy-to-clean
easy-to-maintain
econornical to run
efficient
energy-efficient
environmentally friendly
expandable
fully automatic
functional
hands-free
hard-wearing
high-performance
high-quality
high-speed
high-tech
innovative
integrated
labour-saving
limited edition
long-lasting

low-cost
low-risk
made-to-measure
man-made
mass-produced
modular
off-the-shelf
one-touch
optional
portable
practical
real-time
reliable
revolutionary
secure
shock-absorbent
sophisticated
state-of-the-art
sh;lish
tailor-made
time-saving
trouble-free
ultra-light
.
unique
up-to-date
user-friendly
waterproof
well-built
well-designed
well-made

Our financial products offer a secure home for your money,


and are tailor-made to your oivn personal needs.
Our ner.v range of clothing for the summer is attractive,
affordable and stylish.
It's a revolutionary, state-of-the-art home cinema
system. A useful feature is the built-in iPlayer access.
These running shoes are waterproof and shockabsorbent. They are available in a full range of sizes.

1 Read the text for general understanding.


2 Read it again and underline the words you don't know.
Check their meaning.

22

To talk about shape we can use adjectives or nouns.

It's square, circularI round, rectangular, L-shaped,


star-shaped.
It's in the shape of a square, circle, rectangle, letter 'L'.
To talk about dimensions we can use adjectives or
nouns.

The product is 8mm long/ wide/ high/ deep.


The length/ width/ height/ depth of the product is 8mm.
Lt's 8111m in length/width/height/depth.
It's 40crn in diameter.
Jt ranges in height from 2m at one end to 3m at the other.

height
length

We might want to talk about area and volume.

It measures 60cm by 20cm. So that's 1,200 square


centimetres (written as crn 2) .
It measures 2m by 2ni by 1.Sm. So that's 6 cubic metres
(written as m 3 ).
To talk about weight we say:

It weighs six kilos.


It's six kilos in weight. (NOT six ef kilos)
To talk about materials we say:

It's made of aluminium, reinforced concrete, copper,


fibreglass, glass, leather, moulded plastic, nanomaterials,
rubber, steel, wood (US: lumber), etc.
It's a composite material. (=made of several things)
It's a new type of polymer.
Note these questions that a customer may ask:

What shape is it? What size is it?


How long is it? Hoiv wide is it?
Can you give me the dimensions?
How much does it 1.veigh?
What's it niade of?

3 Highlight words you know passively, but don't use


actively. Choose some to write sentences of your own.
4 Check pronunciation at macmillandictionary.com

9 DESCRIBING PRODUCTS

Exercises
9.1 Match the adjectives 1-15 with the words a-o
with a similar meaning.
1
2
3
4
5

fun ctional
ultra-light
expandable
state-of-the-art
built-in

6 innovative
7 off-the-shelf
8 tailor-made
9 integrated
10 hard-wearing

11 labour-saving
12 water-proof
13 affordable
14 sophisticated
15 modular

a
b
c
d
e

weighing very little


integral /fitted
high-tech /the newest
useful I practical
able to include other things in
the future

f available to buy without being


ordered specially
g strong/ long-lasting
h new I original
customized I personalized
J already combined in order to
be more effective
k water cannot pass through
advanced in design
m parts can be bought separately
and then joined together later
n reasonably priced
o makes it easier to do the job

9.4 Underline the correct word in italics.

1 The features I characteristics of a product are the


important and interesting things that help to sell it.
2 Dimensions of a product include I don't include weight.
3 What form I shape is it?
4 What dimension I size is it?
5 How length/ long is it?
6 What is its length! long?
7 How much does it weigh I weight?
8 What is the weigh !weight?
9.5 Complete the sentences by writing one word in
each space.

1 How long is it?


~ It's 120 centimetres long.
~ It's 120 cen t'1met res 1
n --------'
length
---- .
2 How wide is it?
~ It's 15 centimetres wide.
~ It's 15 centimetres in ----------- .

3 HOW
~

9.2 Match the adjectives 1- 5 with the products a-e


they are most likely to describe.

attractive, practical, stylish


labour-saving, reliable, economical to run
secure, low-risk, convenient
revolutionary, state-of-the-art, ultra-light
low-cost, functional, expandable

[ill

D
D
0
D

a financial product where you pay in money every month


and get a guaran teed return after five years
b simple wine rack for storing nine wine bottles, with clips
at the side to attach other units
c washing machine
d plate to hold sushi with a place to put chopsticks,
designed by a top Japanese designer
e amazing new compact camera

9.3 Find three adjectives from the Features list


opposite for each product below. Do not choose
adjectives already given in Exercise 9.2.
1 a product aimed at 'green' consumers who want to
save energy; protect the environment; and who hate the
throw-away society.
2 a product aimed at parents with young children whose
children make a mess with food and paint; who want to
carry the product when they visit friends and relations;
and who want a high quality of construction so that it
doesn't break.
3 a product aimed at teenage boys who want something
that works by itself without them doing anything; is very
fast and powerful; and is produced in small numbers so
that none of their friends have it.

It's just 25 millimetres high .


It's just 25 millimetres in .............___ .
How --------- is the hotel swimming pool?
~ It's around 2 metres in _ _ _ __
~ It ranges .
... __ depth from 1 metre at one
end to 2 metres at the other.
How much does it weigh?
~ It
a little over 2 kilos.
~ It's a little over 2 kilos in _ _ _ __
What area of 9round does it need?
~ Well, it measures 1O metres _ _ _ _ _ 1O
metres when it's constructed, so it will need 100
--------------- metres of ground.
of the tank?
What is the
~ Let me see. It's 1. 5 metres long by 1.5 metres wide by
4 metres deep. So that's 9
metres.

'

1
2
3
4
5

. ' ?
-------------------- IS It.

8 What's it made -----------......... ?


Well, like most modern bicycles it's made of a
_ _ _ _ _ material - plastic rein forced wit h
carbon fibre.

'

9.6 Write the name of the material next to the object


it is most likely to be made from .

reinforced concrete
copper leather
moulded plastic nanomaterials steel
- - ---- --- 1
2
3
4
5
6

washing machine, bridge


fizzy drink bottle, cheap toy
pipe to carry water, wire, coin
seat of a luxury car, shoe
computer memory, high-tech clothing
walls and floors of a tall building

stPPf

See page 146 for some discussion topics.

Markets, products and customers

23

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