Speakout Advanced p 15. Commenting on the Pictures.

Speaking
Remember that in the speaking task you need to comment on the pictures relating them to the topic. And to do that, you may need to describe what you see or to speculate about it. 1. Say where people and things are in the picture In the top/bottom right/left-hand cornerOn the left-hand sideOn the right/left. At the top/bottomAt the rear In the distanceIn the middle In the foreground/backgroundIn the front/ back Between/ beside/next to/near/ close to/far from/over/above/underneath/below By the door Between/among Opposite/ in front of 2. Describe people and things The scene/picture shows/depicts/ portrays I can seeThere is/areIn this picture I can clearly see. This is a picture ofThis picture is a representation of They look excited /look like tourists/ look as if they are about to take off /look as though they belong to Barbie doll's feet You can also describe what is happening, what has just happened, what is going to happen next Physical Description Hair

He is going bald /bld/. His hair is receding. He has got a receding hairline. She wears her hair in a ponytail. She has got a ponytail. He has got a beard/a moustache/ a goatee/some stubble/ dreadlocks/ sideburns He has got cropped hair He has got a crew cut She wears her hair in a plait /plt/ /a braid /bred// a French plait/a French braid/pigtails/ a bun/cornrows She has got a plait/braid/ a French plait/a French braid/pigtails/ a bun/cornrows

She has got layered/ permed hair. Her hair is permed/layered She wears her hair in a bob. She has got ginger hair (ginger: a light brownish-orange colour) She has got curly/ straight/ wavy/ thick/ thin /dyed hair He has got greasy, unkempt hair. (Unkempt: /nkempt/ not well cared for; not neat or tidy) She has got a fringe She has highlights in her hair Height and Weight He is rather tall/ fairly short/medium height. He is quite plump/stout/ slim/skinny/bony/wiry/strong/hefty Plump: having a soft, round body; slightly fat. E.g. a short, plump woman. A plump face. Stout: /stat/ rather fat, plump. Bony: /bni/ very thin so that the bones can be seen under the skin. E.g. a bony hand. a tall bony man. Wiry: /wari/ thin but strong. Sinewy /snjui/ E.g. a wiry little ma n. Hefty: big and heavy. E.g. Her brothers were both hefty men in their forties. Clothes

He is wearing a pair of polka-dot pyjamas He is wearing a striped /strapt// check(ed) shirt He is wearing a pinstriped suit/ a business suit/ a two-piece suit/a three-piece suit (with waistcoat/vest) Pinstriped:

He is wearing a jogging suit/ tracksuit/ a sweatsuit/ a sweatshirt/ sweatpants

He is wearing a baggy/loose/tight/ a tight-fitting T-shirt She is wearing high-heeled shoes/ flat shoes/ high heels

He is wearing trainers/ wellingtons/ lace-ups/ loafers/ slippers/ flip-flops/cowboy boots He looks a little scruffy. He is wearing a scruffy pair of jeans. Scruffy: /skrfi/ dirty or untidy. Shabby. She is wearing shabby old jeans and a T-shirt. A wrinkled suit. The suit has wrinkles. Unkempt: not well cared for; not neat or tidy He looked tired and dishevelled /devld/ (very untidy) She is wearing a sober /sb(r)//bright dress A bleached/stonewashed pair of jeans. Bleach: to become white or pale. Stonewashed: washed in a special way so that the cloth loses some colour and looks older

He is wearing a polo neck/turtleneck/ V-neck/ crew neck sweater A polo shirt He is wearing tapering/ tapered/flared jeans Taper: /tep(r)/ to become gradually narrower Flared: /fled/ wider at the bottom Swimsuit (also swimming costume /bathing suit) (worn by women) Trunks/ swimming trunks (worn by men) A short-sleeved shirt/ a long-sleeved shirt a dress with short / long sleeves. He rolled up his sleeves To judge from the clothes he is wearing

3. Speculate. Make deductions about the people/things/place. Perhaps it's... Perhaps he feels Maybe it's... It makes me think (that)

maybe he/she It makes me think (that) maybe she

knows the truth.

It's difficult to say, but... I think I can see. It must be winter. It must be spring. They must beThey cant beshe may be On the other hand she might be She might simply be looking at something outside. The room/landscape might make me feel.

It might suggest (that) It might suggest (that) he is guilty.

It might/could be

He/she could be/ must be/ might be She could be lost but Im not sure.
These people could be This one could be... They seem to be

It seems like he/she / It seems to me that / It looks to me as if he/she It seems like she has no alternative. It seems to me that you have no alternative. It looks to me as if he has no alternative.
She appears to beI imagine its very satisfying to

I suppose/guess/reckon hes/shes about I suppose shes about to start. Id hazard a guess (that) Id hazard a guess (that)the meeting is at 5:30 pm. If I had to make a guess, Id say (that) If I had to make a guess, Id say (that) they will be
at home very soon. As far as I am concernedI tend to think that My personal view is that

Im fairly sureIm pretty sure he/ she Im pretty sure he will arrive late. Id say he/ she looks/ doesnt look Id say he doesnt look very surprised.
Id say they are probably If I were him, Id probably feel One possibility is thatIts also possible that he... Apparently, Judging by the fact that To judge from his posture, Similarly, As far as I can gather, he is involved in a fight. From what I can gather, theres been some kind of problem.

I wonder what he/ she I wonder what hell do now. Theres something about him / her. Theres something about him that makes me nervous. He/ she gives the impression of being He gives the impression of being very funny.
When you cant tell I cant tell who/where/what I cant tell you whether the person is a man or a woman I cant see the expression on his face, but I think he must be Im not sure whether this photo is meant to illustrate new technologies in general or the internet in particular. Advantages and disadvantages There are a number of advantages/ disadvantages to working in an office/living with your parentsOne advantage/disadvantage would be The benefits/ drawbacks of .are obvious, I think. Its easy to see the benefits of laptop computers, dont you think? Mobile phones certainly make it easier to keep in touch, wouldnt you say? The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages Im not sure whether there are any health risks associated with heating food in a microwave oven. I would find it difficult to think of any disadvantages connected with electricity. Perhaps we have to distinguish between electricity itself and the means of generating it. Swings and roundabouts: used to say that there are advantages and disadvantages whatever decision you make. E.g. If you earn more, you pay more in tax, so it's all swings and roundabouts. What you gain on the swings you may lose on the roundabouts.

4. Compare and contrast In contrast to As in the previous picture Similar to/ different from/ the same as