TOEIC SPEAKING AND WRITING ONLINE COURSE

DAY 2: TOEIC SPEAKING

QUESTION 3: DESCRIBE A PICTURE

Homework:
- Read the document and review the lesson.
- Do exercise:
o Choose 2 out of 5 pictures in B. Tactic Practice and C. Mini Test.
o Write the description for these 2 pictures and upload to Google
Drive.
o (Chọn 2 trong số 5 bức hình ở phần B. Tactic Practice và phần C.
Mini Test. Viết đoạn miêu tả và tải lên google Drive để Cô sửa ý
cho các bạn. Các bạn sẽ tự luyện tập thêm ở nhà các bứa hình còn
lại).

Thank you
 A Focus: Describing the people and the scene; how to
plan and organize your response

In the test
~Sample test pp18-19
Speaking Test Question 3
• In this part of the test, you wi ll be given a picture to describe in as much detail as you ca n.
• You wi ll have 30 seconds to pr.epa re your response .
• You wi ll have 45 seconds to speak about the picture .
• Speak clearly, but say as much as you can in the time allow ed.
• The focus of the picture may be of one of the fo llowing areas: free-time activities, eating,
drinking, entertainment, health, household tasks, shopping, travel, or street scenes .
• In this unit, we w ill practice how to describe the scene and the people, and how to plan
and organize you r response.

1 Language building: How to describe the people and the scene

1. 2.

3. 4.

Test tip
Use the present
continuous or
there is/are + -ing A Match sentences 1- 6 to the pictures 1-4 they are describing.
Use the present
continuous or there is 1. The waiter is serving some food.
!there are + -ing to
2. People are shopping at a street market.
describe activities you
can see in the picture. 3. The dog is lying on the grass.
(e.g. The dog is
walking down the 4. One of the boys is leaning against the rail ing .
steps. There is a 5. She is painting a landscape picture.
woman buying some
vegetables.) 6. There is a woman handing something to another woman.

Unit 2 I Speaking Test Question 3 47

 B Take turns making two more sentences each for pictures 1-4 using the present
continuous or there is I are + -in g. Ask your partner to guess which picture you
are describing. Use these words to help you.

hold paint smile stand walk look buy give sit

Test tip C Match sentences 1-4 to the pictures 1-4 they describe. Underline the
prepositions.
Use prepositions
to describe 1. There is a bike near the steps.
location
Use prepositions to
2. She has a paintbrush in her right hand.
say where the object 3. Vegetables are for sale at the market.
or person is located,
e.g . I can see a dog 4 . There is some salt and pepper on the table.
nex t to the woman .
D Match the prepositions to sentences 1-5 to describe the pictures.
Test tip
behind in next to on at
Use the present
simple or there
1. There is a dog _____ the woman.
is/are
Use the present 2. The two women are the table.
simple of the verb to
3. There are some flowers the garden.
be and to have or
there is I there are to 4. I can see two boys and a dog _____ the steps.
ta lk about objects and
people in t he picture, 5. The vendor is the stand.
e.g . The woman on
the right is the E Take turns making two more sentences for each picture 1-4 using the present
customer. There are simple of the verb to be, there is I are and a preposition where appropriate. Use
lots of vegetables for these words to help you.
sale at the market.
dog skateboard bicycle saltshaker vegetables
steps basket restaurant fence

next to with at in on in front of behind

F Look at the pictures again and brainstorm as many words as you can to add to
each category below.

Adjective Color Adverb

Test ti sunny green quietly
Use modifiers to
make your G Complete sentences 1-5 using the prepositions and the adjectives and adverbs.
description more
precise and from fresh pink between yellow quietly at orange
interesting
1. The dog is lying on the grass.
Make use of
adjectives (e.g. big, 2. I can see some , and _____ flowers growing
expensive), colors
in front of the fence.
(e.g. bright red, gold,
dark blue), and 3. The dog is walking the two boys.
adverbs (e.g. carefully,
slowly), to add detail 4 . The women are looking the plate of food.
to your descriptions .
5. The woman is buying some vegetables _____ the vendor.

48 Unit 2 I Speaking Test Question 3

:nt H Take turns making two more sentences for each picture 1-4 using similar words
)U to describe location and I or distinguishing features .

Describe picture 5 using the present simple, present continuous, prepositions,

.it and modifiers to describe the scene, the people, and the action.

5.

n Follow up: Listen to a sample answer.

2 Test tactic: Planning and organizing your description

A With your partner add as many nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs as you can
to the lists for pictures l and 2.

se
1
1. 2.

Verbs Adjectives/ Nouns Verbs Adjectives /

Adverbs Adverbs
diagram look at closely money insert quickly
e

Test tip
Start by brainstorming vocabulary
You will have 30 seconds to study the picture before you speak. Start
by quickly picking out all the nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs you
r.
can see in the picture.

Unit 2 I Speaking Test Question 3 49

Test tip B Take turns making sentences using the words from A, e.g. They are looking
Think of an closely at the diagram.
introduction that
answers the Wh- C Look at picture 3 and the sentences that could be used to start your description .
questions What question does each sentence answer? The first one is done for you.
During the
This picture shows a cafe.
preparation time,
e.g. Where is this?
think of introductory
sentences that answer
questions such as:
Where is this? Who
are these people?
What are they doing?
Why are they here?
These answers will
form the basis of your
introduction .

This picture shows a cafe. We can see a waiter and some customers.
The waiter is serving coffee to them.

D Now make similar introductory sentences about pictures 4-6 by answering the
three questions you formulated in C.

5. 6.

50 Unit 2 1 Speaking Test Question 3

Test tip E Match location words a-g to the arrows 1-7 on the picture .
Be clear about
7.
where things are
in the picture
It is important to help
your listener quickly
find the things you are
describing . One way
to do this is to
describe their location
in the picture, e.g. on
the left, in the
background, or use a
separate phrase to
pick out distinguishing
features, e.g. The girl
with the red skirt is ...
The man with the
beard is. Location words
a. in the foreground e. at the bottom right of the picture
b. in the background f . at the top left of the picture
c. at the left of the picture g. in the middle
d. on the right-hand side of the picture

F Complete sentences 1-6 describing picture 8. Use the location words in E or the
descriptive phrases below.

8.

Descriptive phrases
. . . in the white shirt .. . . . . sitting on the counter ... ... standing up ...

1. The man _ _ __ is next to the woman.

2. I can see a bed.
3. The man _ _ __ is talking to the other people .
4. _ _ there is a doorway.
5. There is a table with a bowl of fruit _ _ _ __
6. ___ there is a vase of flowers.

Unit 21 Speaking Test Question 3 51

 G Take turns making sentences about picture 9. Your partner should point as
quickly as possible to the thing being described.

9.

0 Follow up: Listen to a sample answer.

Test technique 8 Tactic practice

[Z] Brainstorm
vocabulary (20 Describe each of the pictures 1-4 following the steps in the Test technique.
seconds- After each step, compare your answers with your partner.
Preparation).
[Z] Plan introductory 2.
sentences that
answer Where,
Who, What, Why
(1 0 seconds-
Preparation).
[Z] After your
introduction, focus
on details and
clearly signa l w here
they are (using
location phrases
and descriptive 3.
clauses) .
[Z] Add adjectives/
adverbs and
prepositions to give
more information .

0 Using natural English

In natural spoken En glish, sounds are sometimes changed, comb ined , or dropped. Listen to a
native speaker saying the fo llowing sentences and w rite in the word s they say.

_ _ _ shopping at a street market.

The two next to the table.
The sitting on the step .

Check your answers in t he Key on page 7.

Li sten again and practice t hese sentences w ith t he correct sound and rhythm .

52 Unit 2 I Speaking Test Question 3

 C Mini-test
Now apply the Test tactics to draft an outline for the following question.
Use the recommended test time for Question 3.
Question 3: TOEIC Speaking "' '
Describe a picture
-4

Question 3: Describe a picture

Directions: In this part of .the test, you will describe the picture on your screen in
as much detail as you can. You will have 30 seconds to prepare your response.
Then you will have 45 seconds to speak about the picture.

TOEIC Speaking oc ·.;~'

Question 3 of 11 ''7;.·

If you want to do the follow-up unit to this

test item now, please go to Unit 8, page 93.

Unit 2 I Speaking Test Question 3 53