WRITINGS

DESCRIBING A PERSON

1. Conjugación del verbo to be en presente y en pasado.

2. Conjugación del verbo to have en presente y en pasado.

3. El orden de los adjetivos en la oración.

Opinion – size – age – shape – colour – origin – material + noun
A beautiful large ancient squared green Scottish wooden kilt.

4. Adjetivos útiles para las descripciones:

Tall (Alto) Straight hair (Pelo Liso/Lacio)
Short (Bajo) Curly hair (Pelo Rizado)
Fat (Gordo) Blonde hair (Rubia)
Well-Built (Corpulento) Fair hair (Rubio/A)
Thin (Delgado) Dark hair (Moreno)
Slim (Delgado) Red haired (Pelirrojo)
Elegant (Elegante) Ginger hair (Pelo Anaranjado)
Good- looking (Bien Parecido/Guapo) Bald (Calvo)
Beautiful (Maravilloso) Round-faced (Cara Redonda)
Handsome (Guapo) Thin-faced (Cara Delgada)
Pretty (Guapa) Dark-skinned (Moreno De Piel)
Lovely (Encantador) Healthy (Sano)
Ugly (Feo) Pregnant (Embarazada)
Attractive (Atractivo) Deaf (Sordo)
Unattractive (Poco atractivo) Blind (Ciego)
Untidy (Desarreglado) Weak (Débil)
Wavy hair (Pelo Ondulado) Injured (Herido/Lesionado)

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Wounded (Herido)

5. Vocabulario para describir la personalidad

Impatient (Impaciente) Impolite (Mal educado)
Generous (Generoso) Educated (Culto/Educado)
Patient (Paciente) Polite (Educado)
Envious (Envidioso) Wise (Sabio)
Careful (Cuidadoso) Well Behaved (De buen comportamiento)
Mean (Tacaño) Clever (Listo)
Careless (Descuidado) Shy (Tímido)
Jealous (Celoso) Intelligent (Inteligente)
Charming (Encantador) Confident (Seguro de sí mismo)
Arrogant (Arrogante) Bright (Brillante)
Charmless (Sin Encanto) Calm (Tranquilo)
Innocent (Inocente) Sensible (Sensato)
Glad (Contento) Nervous (Nervioso)
Guilty (Culpable) Sane (Cuerdo)
Happy (Feliz) Insane (Loco)
Sociable (Sociable) Relaxed (Relajado)
Cheerful (Alegre) Foolish (Tonto)
Unsociable (Insociable) Fussy (Exigente)
Angry (Enfadado) Silly (Tonto)
Imaginative (Imaginativo) Tired (Cansado)
Upset (Molesto) Stupid (Estúpido)
Annoyed (Molesto) Lively (Animado/Alegre)
Tidy (Ordenado) Dumb (Tonto/Estupido)
Rude (Grosero) Quiet (Tranquilo)
Untidy (Desordenado) Crazy (Loco)

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Talkative (Charlatán) Cruel (Cruel)
Mad (Loco) Violent (Violento)
Noisy (Ruidoso) Nice (Bonito)
Ambitious (Ambicioso) Kind (Amable)
Adventurous (Aventurero) Unkind (Antipático)
Unambitious (Sin Ambición) Tender (Cariñoso)
Cautious (Precavido) Serious (Serio)
Lazy (Perezoso/Vago) Proud (Orgulloso)
Optimistic (Optimista) Faithful (Fiel)
Hardworking (Trabajador) Sensitive (Sensato)
Pessimistic (Pesimista) Sincere (Sincero)
Selfish (Egoísta) Honest (Honesto)
Unselfish (Generoso/Desinteresado) Reliable (Fiable)

6. Estructura

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 6.1.Conectores

a) Párrafo de introducción:
I would like to describe my X (best friend, for example).
The person I would like to describe is X.
b) Cuerpo del texto:

• Orden:
First of all: primero de todo→ first of all, I would like to describe her physically.
Firstly/secondly/thirdly: en primer lugar, primeramente→ firstly, I think it is important to describe
her personality.
To continue with the description: continuando con la descripción→ To continue with the
description, it is my opinion that she is …
On the one hand: por un lado; On the other hand: por otro (lado)
Finally: finalmente → finally, regarding her hobbies and interests…

• Justificar:
Because: porque, ya que → She is my best friend, because…
Because of: a causa de, por → Because of her good temper, I love spending time with her.
So: así que → We two have dogs, so we meet to walk our dogs together very often.
As a result: como resultado → She had to move to London and, as a result, we don’t still have the
same relationship as before.

• Adición:
Also: también → she is also a very nice girl
Moreover: además → moreover, she is always by my side when I have a problem
In addition: además → In addition, she is always by my side when I have a problem
As well as: así como→ She is very nice as well as a talented girl.
Not only… but also…: no solo…sino también… → Not only is she beautiful, but also has a
precious heart.

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 • Contraposición:
However: sin embargo → She has a good heart. However, she can be rude sometimes.
Although: aunque → Although she has a good heart, she can be rude sometimes.
But: pero → She can be rude sometimes, but she has a good heart.
Even though: aunque, a pesar de que → Even though we have raised together, we don’t have a
relationship at present time
Nevertheless: sin embargo → She is not that good at Maths. Nevertheless, she is brilliant in
Biology.

c) Conclusión:
To sum up: a modo de resumen
To conclude: para concluir
In conclusion: como conclusión

• Example
Question: Write a description of someone who has had an influence on you.
The person I would like to describe is Ángela, as she is my best friend. She is 23 years old, but she
doesn’t look that old. She looks younger. Ángela and I have been friends since 2000 and we met
in our school when we were 3 years old.
Rergarding her physical appearance, Ángela has straight blond hair, big brown eyes and dark skin.
Moreover, she’s thin and she’s also taller than me. I love her style because she is always fashion
and you won’t see her dressing untidy.
Secondly, it’s important to describe her personality. Although Ángela is very nice, she can be rude
sometimes, above all in those situations when she feels uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she has a
precious heart and she is always by my side when I have problems.
Finally, some of her hobbies are going shopping and watching series on Netflix. In addition, she
has two nephews, who are siblings, and she also likes to spend time with them.
In conclusion, she has had an influence on me and still has an influence because I can count on her
when I need it and since she brings calm and brightness to my life.

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 DESCRIBING A PLACE

1. Conjugación del verbo to be en presente y en pasado.

2. Conjugación del verbo to have en presente y en pasado.

3. El orden de los adjetivos en la oración.

Opinion – size – age – shape – colour – origin – material + noun
A beautiful large ancient squared green Scottish wooden kilt.

• Vocabulary related to description of places

Ancient: antigua Expensive: cara

Beautiful: preciosa Famous: famosa, conocida
Boring: aburrida Fantastic: fantástica
Bustling: atestada (de gente) Fascinating: fascinante
Charming: encantadora Huge: grange
Contemporary: contemporánea Lively: animada, vivaz
Compact: compacta Inexpensive: económica, barata
Cosmopolitan: cosmopolita Popular: conocida, popular
Crowded: abarrotada (de gente) Picturesque: pintoresca
Exciting: fascinante Polluted: contaminada
Touristy: turística

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 • Estructura:

• Conectores

a) Párrafo de introducción:
The place (that) I would like to describe is X.
The place (that) I would like to write about is X.

b) Cuerpo del texto:

• Orden:
First of all: primero de todo→ first of all, I would like to describe…
Firstly/secondly/thirdly: en primer lugar, primeramente
To continue with the description: continuando con la descripción
On the one hand: por un lado; On the other hand: por otro (lado)
Finally: finalmente

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 • Justificar:
Because: porque, ya que
Because of: a causa de, por
So: así que
As a result: como resultado

• Adición:
Also: también
Moreover: además
In addition: además
As well as: así como
Not only… but also…: no solo…sino también…

• Contraposición:
However: sin embargo
Although: aunque
But: pero
Even though: aunque, a pesar de que
Nevertheless: sin embargo

c) Conclusión:
To sum up: a modo de resumen
To conclude: para concluir
In conclusion: como conclusión

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 • Example;
Question: Write a description of the last city or place that you have visited. 120-180 words.
Madrid is a big impressive city in the centre of Spain, about 506 kilometres from the city of
Barcelona. As it is a big city, there's plenty of sites to visit and discover. It
is lively, trendy, characterful and it has an old historic part and a new part, It is also famous for its
monuments, football stadium, food and shops.
Madrid isn't a compact town, you can go by bus, train and metro to other different places. In the
town centre there are a lot of amazing places such as parks, theatres, clubs or pubs. Here the day
and the night is surprisingly lively and crazy. You can usually find street artists, they
are incredible. One of the highlights of staying here is visiting the Retiro, it's such a beautiful park
and here you have a lot of amazing things to do, but if you prefer anything more peaceful, you can
go to a lot of beautiful cafés and museums.
The best time to visit the town is in the summer and in the winter, and the best time to visit the
villages nearby is in the summer, because at this time you can enjoy the best weather, parties,
festivals, and you will be able to value the culture and places better. Madrid is always worth
visiting!

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 INFORMAL LETTERS/EMAILS

• Registro: informal

- Contracciones: I’m, I’ve, He’s…

- Phrasal verbs y frases hechas: keep going, it was raining cats and dogs, for ages,

- Podemos hacer preguntas directas

- Pronombres personales

• Estructura:

a) Beginning the letter / Empezar la carta

Many thanks for your letter, it was really nice to hear from you again – Muchas gracias por tu
carta, me alegró mucho saber de ti de nuevo

I thought I'd better write and give you some more details about... – Pensé que sería una buena idea
escribirte y darte algunos detalles sobre…

It's been such a long time since we wrote to each other. – Hacía tanto tiempo que no nos escribimos

How are you and your family? - ¿Cómo estáis tú y tu familia?

How are things with you? - ¿Cómo te va?

How was your holiday? - ¿Qué tal tus vacaciones?

How are you? /How are things? /How’s it going? I’m fine. - ¿Cómo estás? / ¿Cómo te va? Yo
estoy bien

It was good to hear from you. – Me encantó saber de ti

I’m sorry I haven’t written for such a long time. – Siento no haberte escrito durante tanto tiempo

Thanks for your last letter. It was waiting for me when I got home from school on Friday. Great
news about your exams. – Gracias por tu última carta. La vi en el buzón cuando llegué del colegio
el viernes. Enhorabuena por tus exámenes.

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 b) Introducing the topic/Providing information – Presentar el tema / Dar información

I know you're longing to hear all about... – Sé que estás deseando saber sobre…

You remember I told you in my last letter... – Recuerda que te dije en la última carta…

You asked me to recommend some (places to stay in my country) – Me pediste que te recomendara
algunos (lugares donde ir en mi país)

I’ve managed to find out some information about (language schools) for you. – He conseguido
encontrar información sobre (academias de idiomas) para ti

About your planned visit... – Sobre la visita que tienes planeada…

c) Ending the letter / Terminar la carta

Once again, thanks very much for... – De nuevo, muchas gracias por…
Give my love/regards to... – Dale un abrazo / recuerdos a…
Please write/drop me a line soon – Por favour escríbeme pronto
I’m looking forward to... – Estoy deseando…
Well, got to go now.- Bueno, me tengo que ir 12
Give my love to…… / Say hello to ….. /
See you soon! – Dale un abrazo a…/ Saluda a…/ ¡Hasta pronto!
Write back soon. – Respóndeme lo antes posible
Look forward to seeing you soon. – Estoy deseando verte pronto.
Give my regards to your parents. – Dale recuerdos a tus padres.
Get in touch soon /Please keep in touch – Seguimos en contacto

d) Último renglón
Love,
All the best,
Kisses,

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 • Example:
Question: You have received a letter from your friend inviting you for a visit in July. Write a letter
to your pen friend, accepting the invitation, suggesting something you would like to do and asking
what you should bring with you. Write your letter. Do not write any postal addresses.
(You should write between 120-180 words.)

Dear Carla,
Thanks for your letter – it was great to hear from you. I’m sorry I haven’t written for ages, but I’ve
been really busy preparing for my exams. It’s really good news that you’ve passed your driving
test. Congratulations!
Thank you so much for your invitation to stay with you for a week in July – I’d love to come. I
know you have a wonderful beach near your house and I’d really enjoy spending some time there.
I expect that the weather will be hot, so I hope we can go swimming.
You said that I don’t need to bring much with me. What sort of clothes should I pack? Casual or
formal? Would you like me to bring anything for you? I would like to bring something special for
you and your family from my country.
I’d better stop now and get on with my studying. I hope you’re enjoying driving your car, and I’m
looking forward to seeing you in July!
Thanks again for the invitation.
All the best,
Irene

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