Each of these types of description has vocabulary, language structures and exponents typically associated with it.
1. Physical
It is important to decide on a hierarchy of information. Normally more general information will precede details. Begin with placing the object to be described in the best category for your purpose, e.g. an autoclave is a vessel/ a container/ a piece of apparatus - in this case, I would use the category ‘apparatus’ because the autoclave is found in laboratories. In selecting the details of the description, relevance to the reader is the guiding principle - is the size/ colour/ material/ shape/ texture significant?
An exercise I have used to raise awareness of these issues is to divide the group into two teams. Give each team enough items so that each member has one to describe -
e.g. kangaroo, thermometer, refrigerator, floppy disk, watering can, pair of scissors, camera, shark, cauliflower, egg, lightning etc.
Now ask them to produce physical descriptions of their objects. When they have done so they read them to the other team but instead of naming it they simply say, ‘my object is….’ The members of the other team have to identify the object and comment on the usefulness of the description.
Language items needed: categories; dimensions, colours, materials, shapes.
2. Composition
Description often involves analysing an object to identify its components or key features:
A book is made up of sheets of paper bound together between covers and usually containing printed information.
A molecule consists of a limited number of atoms.
A violin is a musical instrument made up of a wooden sound box and four strings that are played with a bow.
Ask students to practise by describing the composition of:
their organization, a foot, soil, water, a cube, a light bulb, a staircase etc.
Typical structures for use in describing different constituents are: X is made up of; X consists of; X comprises; X can be broken down into.
3. Position
The location of the item is often significant in descriptions:
Newcastle is the north-eastern part of England, not far from the Scottish border.
A spire is found on top of a church tower.
The railway station is in the centre of town, opposite the theatre and adjacent to the shopping centre.
