A1 WritingA1 Elementary

Describing a photograph – A1 English writing

Exercise 2

Exercises:1 2 3

Choose the correct option for each gap.

Describing a photograph

In this lesson, you will learn important things that will help you write a description of a picture.

Read the instructions carefully

When you write a description of a photo, the first step is to read the instructions carefully. The instructions tell you exactly what you need to include in your description, so it’s important to follow them closely.

Here’s an example of instructions for a photo description:

✍ You took the following picture. You will post it on your social media. Describe the photo for your social media friends. Write complete sentences. Write around 150 words.

If you read the instructions carefully, you will see these important points:

You took the photo.
This description is for a social media post.
You must write approximately 150 words.

Introduction

You can introduce your description with phrases like ‘This is a photo of…’ or, ‘In this photograph, there is…/you can see…’

This is a photo of a day at the beach with my friends.
In this photo, you can see my friends at the beach.

You can then use the past simple to answer these questions: When did this happen? Who took the photo? Where were you?

I took this picture last weekend.
We were on the beach last weekend.

Describing the photograph

Where in the picture

Diagram showing how to describe positions in a photograph using English phrases like "on the left," "in the centre," "on the right," "at the top," "in the background," and "in the corner," with an example of a group of friends at a rooftop dinner table.

Use the phrases above to describe where something or someone is in the photo.

On the right is a woman with a dog.
Shayne is in the middle of the photo.
There are tall buildings in the background.

You can use two phrases together.

Todd is in the middle, on the right.
There are some buildings in the top-right corner.
There is some food in the centre, at the bottom of the photo.

There is, there are + prepositions of place

You can use there is/are with prepositions of place (next to, over, under, opposite, etc.) to say where things or people are in the picture.

There is a chair next to the table.
A girl is standing between the two boys.
There is a man opposite the door.

What is happening in the photograph?

Use the present continuous to talk about what is happening or what the people are doing.

My friends and I are having a picnic.
Laura is smiling.
They are sitting on the beach and eating sandwiches.

Use conjunctions

It’s important to use conjunctions (and, but, or, because, or so) to connect the sentences.

OK: John is standing on the left. He is smiling.
BETTER: John is standing on the left, and he is smiling.

Use adjectives

Use adjectives to describe people and things. Remember, adjectives are always singular, and they go before the nouns they are describing or after the verb be.

It was a beautiful, sunny day.
She has long blonde hair.

You can also use adjectives after look or seem.

She looks happy.

Example of a photo description

Check this example of a photo and a description. We are going to use the language in this lesson.

Group of friends enjoying a picnic on the beach, with food and drinks on a picnic blanket. One man is taking a photo, a woman is smiling, and two people in the background are laughing and talking.

This is a photo of a picnic on the beach. I took the photo last weekend. My friends are sitting on the sand, enjoying the sunny day.

In the middle of the picture, on the left, my friend Emma is smiling and holding some food. She has long blonde hair and looks very happy. On the right, my friend Jack is holding his phone and taking a picture of her.

In the background, you can see Lily and Tom. Lily is wearing a purple top and holding some food. Tom is wearing a yellow shirt, and he is opening his mouth to eat the food in Lily’s hand. On the picnic blanket, there is some fruit, plates, and drinks. There is also a basket with coffee and tea next to Emma.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and there were colorful kites flying in the sky. Everyone was so happy and relaxed. It was a great day, and I’m glad I captured this moment!

Ready to practice?

Put your knowledge to the test with interactive exercises (3 exercises available).