🏞️ Speaking: Storytelling & Narrative Skills B1 - Lesson 3: Describing Characters & Settings Simply
Welcome! A good story paints a picture in the listener's mind. To do this, you need to describe the people (the characters1) and the places (the settings2). Today, you'll learn simple ways to make your stories more vivid3.
Conversation Scenario: A Visit to the Countryside
Listen to Sreyneath tell her colleague Bora about a recent weekend trip. Notice the simple words she uses to describe her grandmother and her grandmother's house.
Bora: You seem so relaxed today, Sreyneath. Did you have a good weekend?
Sreyneath: I did! I visited my grandmother in her village just outside Takeo.
Bora: Oh, how is she? I've never met her.
Sreyneath: She’s great. She’s a very kind and energetic woman, even though she is nearly 70. She always has a big, warm smile for everyone.
Bora: That sounds lovely. Is her house nice?
Sreyneath: It is. It’s a traditional wooden house on stilts. Inside, it's simple but very clean. The best part is the garden; it's so peaceful and full of fruit trees. The whole place has a very calm atmosphere4.
How to Describe Settings
You don't need complicated words. Use simple adjectives related to the senses to describe the place where your story happens.
- What did it look like? (big, small, colourful, dark, bright, modern, traditional)
- What did it sound like? (quiet, noisy, peaceful, loud)
- What was the feeling? (busy, calm, friendly, welcoming, crowded, empty)
- Example: "We ate at a small cafe. It was very busy and a little noisy, but the atmosphere was friendly."
How to Describe Characters
Give your listener a basic idea of the people in your story. Focus on one or two key details.
- What did they look like? (tall, short, young, old, had a friendly smile, wore glasses)
- What was their personality like? (kind, funny, strict, generous5, shy, talkative, serious, energetic)
- Example: "My new manager is a young woman. She seems very serious, but she is also very kind."
🎤 Pronunciation: Stressing Adjectives
When you use an adjective to describe something, you should put a little extra stress on that word. This tells the listener that the descriptive detail is important.
Listen to the difference:
"She lives in a house." (Neutral)
"She lives in a beautiful house." (The stress on "beautiful" adds emotion and detail.)
Practice: "He was a very kind man." / "The room was so bright."
🧠 Practice Quiz: Describe the Scene
Fill in the blanks with the best adjectives from the box to complete the story.
huge delicious friendly crowded
Last weekend, I went to a new restaurant near the riverside. The restaurant itself was very (1) ________, so we had to wait for a table. Inside, it was beautiful, with a (2) ________ window overlooking the water. Our waiter was a very (3) ________ young man who helped us choose our food. And the food was absolutely (4) ________!
→ Answers:
1. crowded, 2. huge, 3. friendly, 4. delicious
📝 Your Mission: Describe a Person and a Place
Your mission this week is to bring a short story to life with description.
- Think of a person you know well (a friend, family member, or colleague). Choose two simple words to describe their personality (e.g., funny, kind).
- Think of a place you know well (your home, office, a favourite park). Choose two simple words to describe its atmosphere (e.g., quiet, busy).
- Combine them! Tell a friend a short story that includes this person and place. For example: "Yesterday, I had coffee with my friend Nita. She's so funny. We went to our favourite cafe, which is always so busy and welcoming."
Vocabulary Glossary
- Character: (Noun) - តួអង្គ (tuə ong) - A person who is in a story, play, or movie. ↩
- Setting: (Noun) - ទីកន្លែងและเวลา (tii kɑnlaeng nɨng veiliə) / បរិយាកាស (bɑriyaakaah) - The place and time where the events of a story happen. ↩
- Vivid: (Adjective) - រស់រវើក (ruəh rɔ'vəək) - Seeming very real and producing a clear picture in your mind. ↩
- Atmosphere: (Noun) - บรรยากาศ (bɑriyaakaah) - The mood or feeling that a place has. ↩
- Generous: (Adjective) - ใจกว้าง (cai kwang) / ចិត្តទូលាយ (chət tuuliiəy) - Happy to give money, help, or kindness more than is usual or expected. ↩