Many English learners think describing a person or a place means listing facts.
So you often hear things like:
My father is tall.
My father wears glasses.
My father has black hair.
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Or when describing a hometown:
My hometown is small.
It is near the sea.
There are many shops.
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There is nothing wrong with these sentences as such.
The problem is that together, they don’t sound natural.
They just sound like notes, not communication.
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Good descriptions are not lists.
Good descriptions move.
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In this guide, I want to show you how to turn flat descriptions into something more interesting by focusing on two simple ideas:
Telling a story
Using basic conjunctions to connect ideas
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You don’t need advanced vocabulary.
You don’t need fancy grammar.
You just need to start joining your ideas together.
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Ready? Let’s go!
1. Why Lists Feel Boring (Even When They Are Correct)
First, let’s examine why list answers don’t work.
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Look again at this description:
My father is tall.
He wears glasses.
He has black hair.
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Each sentence is fine on its own.
The grammar is correct, and the meaning is clear.
But together, they don’t interact with each other.
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There is:
no movement
no contrast
no reason for the reader to keep reading
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It feels like ticking boxes!
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Real communication isn’t like that.
When people speak or write naturally, ideas are connected. One idea leads to another.
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That’s where conjunctions come in.
2. The Power of Small Words: and, but, so, because
Many students think they need advanced words to sound interesting.
But they don’t.
What they really need are four very simple conjunctions.
These four words do most of the work in natural English:
and – adds information
but – creates contrast
so – shows a result
because – explains a reason
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When you use them, your sentences begin to flow.
They add flavour and, quite naturally, description starts to turn into story.
3. From Description to Story: A Simple Example
Let’s take the original sentences and connect them.
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Before (a list):
My father is tall.
He wears glasses.
He has black hair.
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After (connected):
My father is tall and he wears glasses, so people often think he looks very serious, but he is actually quite funny.
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Notice what changed:
We didn’t add difficult vocabulary
We didn’t change the grammar level
We added relationships between ideas
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Now the reader learns something human, not just physical facts.
That’s the beginning of a story.
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Two more examples
Example 1 – a teacher
Before:
My teacher is old.
He speaks slowly.
He smiles a lot.
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After:
My teacher is old but he smiles a lot, so his lessons feel relaxed and everyone listens carefully.
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Example 2 – a friend
Before:
My friend is quiet.
She studies a lot.
She gets good grades.
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After:
My friend is quiet and she studies a lot, so she usually gets good grades, but she never talks about them.
4. Describing a Place the Same Way
Students often describe places like this:
My hometown is small.
It is near the sea.
There are many cafés.
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Again — correct, but lifeless.
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Now let’s connect the ideas.
Before:
My hometown is small.
It is near the sea.
There are many cafés.
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After:
My hometown is small but it is near the sea, so in the evenings people sit in cafés and watch the sunset.
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Now the place feels:
lived in
visual
real
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The description has turned into a moment.
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Another example (using different conjunctions)
Before:
The city is noisy.
It has many markets.
People go out late.
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After:
The city is noisy because it has many markets, and people often go out late, so it never really feels quiet.
5. A Simple Rule for Students
Here’s a rule that works very well in class:
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If you have three short sentences, try to turn them into one longer sentence.
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Students don’t need to do this all the time — but it’s a powerful exercise.
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For example:
My teacher is strict.
She speaks quietly.
Everyone listens.
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Becomes:
My teacher is strict but she speaks quietly, so everyone listens when she talks.
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Same information.
Much more impact.
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Two more examples
Example 1 – a place
Before:
The park is big.
There are many trees.
Families go there.
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After:
The park is big and there are many trees, so families often go there at the weekend.
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Example 2 – a person
Before:
My brother is young.
He plays football a lot.
He is always tired.
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After:
My brother is young but he plays football a lot, so he is always tired in the evening.
6. Encourage Students to Think in Moments, Not Facts
When students describe someone or somewhere, ask them questions like:
When do you see this person or place?
What usually happens there?
How does it make you feel?
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Even one small moment can turn description into story.
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For example:
My grandfather is old but he wakes up early every morning and walks to the park, so everyone there knows him.
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This is still a description — but now it moves.
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Another example
My local café is small but it gets very busy in the morning because people stop there before work.
7. Why This Matters for Real English
In real life, people don’t say:
My friend is friendly.
My friend is funny.
My friend is helpful.
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They say things like:
My friend is funny but he’s very shy, so he only talks a lot when he feels comfortable.
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That’s real communication!
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Another real-life example
My neighbour is quiet and keeps to himself, but he always says hello, so everyone likes him.
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When students learn to connect ideas, they:
sound more natural
express personality and emotion
begin writing stories without realising it
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And once students can tell small stories, longer writing becomes much easier.
Conclusion
You don’t need better vocabulary to write better descriptions.
You need movement.
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Use:
and to add
but to contrast
so to show results
because to explain reasons
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And most importantly:
Don’t describe everything — describe something happening.
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That’s where interesting English begins.
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