We use “What does he look like?” to ask about appearance: height, hair, face, clothes. For people who cannot see, we can also use it to ask about what others describe: He is tall, with short dark hair.

We use “What is she like?” to ask about character and personality: She is kind, calm and funny. Do not mix them: “What is he like?” is NOT about his face.

Another useful question is “What does he sound like?” — it asks about the voice.

These words go before an adjective and show how strong the description is. Very is strong: She is very kind. Quite is medium: He is quite tall. A bit (or a little) is small: I am a bit shy.

We can also say really (very strong) and not very (weak): He is not very tall. A bit is often used for small problems: The music is a bit loud.

We use have or has for parts of the body and things that belong to a person: She has long hair. He has a beard. I have a quiet voice. With he / she / it we use has.

Negative: He doesn’t have a beard. Question: Does she have curly hair? Be careful: “He is tall” (be + adjective), but “He has dark hair” (has + noun).

• What is your name, and who gave you your name?
• Do you have a best friend? Who is it?
• Is your best friend tall or short?
• Does your mother have a soft or a loud voice?
• Who in your family has curly hair?
• Do you know someone with a very deep voice?
• Who is the kindest person you know?
• Do you like talkative people or quiet people?
• Who is the funniest person in your family?
• Do you have a friend with a nice laugh?
• Who do you talk to every day?
• Is your neighbour friendly?

• What is your best friend like?
• Describe the voice of someone you love.
• What does your grandmother or grandfather sound like?
• Who in your family do you look like? Why do you think so?
• What is the first thing you notice about a new person?
• Describe a person who is very patient.
• How do you know that someone is happy when you talk to them?
• What kind of person do you want to sit next to on a bus?
• Tell me about a teacher you really liked.
• What is a person with a kind heart like?
• Do you think you are quite shy or quite open? Why?
• Describe your favourite singer or actor’s voice.

• Is appearance important when you meet a person? Why or why not?
• What makes a person nice to be around?
• How can you describe a person well without using any pictures?
• Can a voice tell you about someone’s character? Give an example.
• What does a good friend do, and what is a good friend like?
• Do you agree that “first impressions are often wrong”? Why?
• How is it different to learn about people by listening and by seeing?
• If you could change one thing about your character, what would it be?

• What does your best friend sound like?
• Is your father tall or short?
• Does anyone in your family have a beard?
• What is your mother like?
• Who is quite funny in your family?
• Who is a bit shy in your group of friends?
• What does a good teacher look like and what is he like?
• Do you have a friend who is very talkative?
• Who in your life has a warm voice?
• What kind of hands does your grandmother have?
• Who is the most generous person you know?
• How would your neighbour describe you?

• Do you think it is easy to describe a person in English?
• Which is more important: how a person looks or how they are?
• Would you like to have a very famous friend? Why?
• If you could have any voice, which one would you choose?
• What if everybody had the same voice? Would it be a problem?
• What would you say if a friend asked, “What am I like?”
• Is it good to be quite shy? Why?
• Which three words describe your family best?

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