DESCRIBING PHYSIQUE

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Were youscrawny when you were a kid? Were you an active kid?
2. Were you a lanky teenager? What about your friends at school?

3. Would you mind being portly (men) or stout (women) when you are in your sixties?

4. If you want to be well built (men) or athletic (men/ women) what do you need to do?

5. What’s the best form of exercise if you want to be lean?

6. Do you think body builders look good?

plump? Are there any plump people in your family?

7. Would you rather be skinny or

8. Are middle aged men in your country usually stocky? Why/ Why not?

9. Are most young women in your country slender? What do young women in your

country do to stay in shape?

10. Do you think chubby kids are cute? Are kids in your country usually chubby?
11. Can anybody look stunning with the right clothes or make up? Are you good at

picking clothes that suit you?

12. What do you think the idiomatic expression ‘ he/ she turns heads’ means?
13. What exercises should you do if you’re getting a bit flabby around the waist?

14. Would you like to be taller or shorter? What's the best height to be in your opinion?

15. Which celebrity has the ideal physique? Why?

VOCABULARY:

scrawny (adjective): to be very thin and slender (adjective): a person (usually a

have no muscle women) who is thin, often in an attractive

lanky (adjective): to be tall and thin way

stout (adjective): to be overweight but lean (adjective): to be strong and fit,

strong (usually for women) with very little fat

plump (adjective): to be a little fat chubby (adjective): to be a little fat

stocky (adjective): a person (usually a turn heads (idiom): to be very attractive,
man) who has wide shoulders and a big unusual or interesting, so you attract a lot

chest of attention

flabby (adjective): to be soft and fat

SPEAKING TASK:

Describe a person whose appearance you like

Advice: Regularly practice
You should say:
speaking for 2 minutes. Use a

who this person is stopwatch to time yourself so

what their relationship is to you that you know what 2 minutes

what they look like feels like.

and say why you like their appearance

FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS:

Do people judge each other on physical appearance too much?

Is it acceptable for companies to require a certain physical appearance when

recruiting new employees?

Does the media present an unrealistic and unattainable image of the human body?

WRITING TASK 1:

Register: Semi-formal
Your local sports centre has started an advertising
Useful Language:
campaign in your community using very skinny female
I am writing to bring your

models. attention to...

I was disturbed to discover...

As you may be aware...

In your letter:

explain how you found out about the advertising

campaign

say what you think about the use of skinny models

explain what you think the sports centre should do

Advice: It's usually easier to

WRITING TASK 2:
choose a side and either

completely agree or
Some people argue that the image that the media
disagree. If you choose to
presents of female beauty is unrealistic and
partially agree, you must be

unattainable for most people, and should therefore very careful to make your

change. position clear.

Do you agree or disagree?