Describing places

• Tenses: You can use various tenses. The choice depends on how the question is set. You can use Present tenses if, for example, you have been asked to describe a place for a tourist brochure. You can use Past Tenses if you describe a visit to a place which happened some time ago. You can use conditionals if you describe your dream house, ideal city, etc.

• Adjectives: Use a wide variety of factual adjectives (huge, enormous, etc.) and opinion adjectives (fabulous, charming, etc.). Try to avoid using only common ones such as good, nice, etc. This will make your composition more interesting and you will catch the reader's attention.

• Senses: Use your senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) when you describe a place or building to make your description more vivid (e.g. the sweet smell of cakes in the baker's).

NB. Use narrative techniques to start (set the scene) and finish your composi­tion. You can start or finish it by:

1. using your senses to describe the weather, the surroundings etc. e.g. Black clouds hung overhead and the wind howled through the trees. Flashes of lightning seemed to tear open the sky giving the old castle a magical appearance.

2. using Direct Speech e.g. “Welcome to Castle Carreg”, a voice said, as the old heavy wooden door creaked open.

3. asking a rhetorical question e.g. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend the night in an old haunted castle?

4. describing people's feelings or reactions about the place, e.g. Though the huge castle on the hill had been empty for over a hundred years, many people claimed to have heard strange noises coming from it late at night.

5. writing a quotation about the place e.g. "An English man's home is his castle."

6. creating mystery, suspense or anticipation e.g. As she looked up at the old castle, it seemed as though icy fingers gripped her heart. Had she really experienced all that, or was it her imagination?

Layout

I. Introduction. Set the scene. (give the name and location of the place/ reasons for choosing the place)

II. Overall look and specific details. (the main aspects of the place (e.g. sights, atmosphere, details about the place, etc.) should be analysed in detail)

III. Conclusion (feelings and final thoughts about the place) Give recommendations if it’s worth to visit the place or not.

Useful structures:

Position Structure Size and weight

A is …B A is …to B by C A is 6 cm high/long/wide

Alongside nailed A is 6 cm in height/length/etc. below fixed The length of A is 6 cm beyond fastened facing (diagonally) tied parallel to connected underneath attached Shape opposite in the middle of A consists of B A is square/round/rectangular/ on the right of A contains triangular/semi-circular/conical/ on the left of spherical in shape near close to A is shaped like a square/circle touching behind in front of under on top of above below diagonally above vertically below

Useful expressions:

to live on the outskirts

to have a fine view of

to look out onto

the thing I appreciate most is…

to face smth.

to make smth. look homelike

“Home, sweet home”

to move in

to furnish/to decorate

to be papered/tiled

to be crammed up with furniture

to be lost beneath

to lead

to lie in heaps

to be worth seeing

to be famous for

to be built under Peter I

to be impressed by …

to be rich in …

to date back to … (the foundation of the city dates back to the 14th century)

Adjectives:

old, ancient

quiet

safe

clean

beautiful, wonderful

sunny/bright

excellent

exciting

famous

cosy

modern

busy, noisy, (over)crowded,

dangerous

dirty, polluted

ugly

gloomy

awful

dull, depressing, boring

notorious

spacious

elaborate

amazing

unique

huge

classical

solid

picturesque

historic

elegant

magnificent

hectic

deserted

bustling

shabby

Model Composition

Our house is in a quiet neigbourhood Oakridge. Every time I walk into it, I feel an immediate sense of warmth and security.

It is the most noticeable house in the street because of its colourful garden. There is a long driveway which leads to the house and even before you enter through the old oak front door you can hear the sound of the happy voices of the large family that lives within.

The front door opens into a spacious hall. Downstairs there’s a bright kitchen with an open fireplace and a large wooden table where we all sit chatting for hours on winter evenings. The air is usually filled with the delicious smells of my mother’s cooking. Next to the kitchen is the living room which is usually untidy as this is the place where we go to relax, watch TV or listen to music. As you go upstairs you can see doors leading to five bedrooms and two bathrooms. My bedroom has an antique four-poster bed and a dressing table next to the window. This is where I wake up every morning.

When my friends come to my house they often describe it as a dream house, but for me it’s just “home sweet home”.

NB. When we write an article describing a visit to a place, we use past tenses to describe what we saw, what we did there, the weather and our impressions of the place. We use present tenses to say where the place is and what it is like.

Layout

1. Introduction. (where the place is and why you went there)

2. Further details about the place/weather conditions

3. What you saw and what you did there

4. Conclusion (how you feel about the place and whether you recommend it or not

Model Composition

The famous Black Forest and the picturesque town of Baden Baden are in south western Germany. I went there recently in search of a peaceful, relaxing holiday and I certainly wasn't disappointed.

The town is surrounded by marvelous scenery, clear lakes and tall mountains. The weather during my visit was so cool and misty that it created a wonderfully mysterious atmosphere.

There are plenty of interesting places to visit including the town's delightful 15th century palace and the Roman baths. I also explored the shady Black Forest where all I could hear was the gentle sound of flowing streams. The food was excellent. I tried several tasty local dishes. I also bought some cuckoo clocks as souvenirs.

I had the holiday of a lifetime in Baden Baden. With its friendly people, and fantastic natural surroundings, I would certainly recommend it to anyone who wants to go on holiday in the near future.