picture description

(C) Eduardo Munoz, Greenpeace. March 2022. Greenpeace USA boats protest the New York City arrival of a 50,000-ton oil tanker carrying Russian fossil fuel products, financing Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

How to

Describe a picture

in four easy steps

click here to Start

(C) Eduardo Munoz, Greenpeace. March 2022. Greenpeace USA boats protest the New York City arrival of a 50,000-ton oil tanker carrying Russian fossil fuel products, financing Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Describe a picture in four easy steps!

3. What is happening?

Describe what the people in your picture are doing and what else is happening in the picture.

2. What is where?

Describe the position of persons and things.

What's in the picture? What kind of picture is it? Where was is taken? When was is taken? Who took it?

1. Introduction

4. Interpretation

Talk about your speculations, your feelings and your opinion.

click here to try it!

Have you looked at all the details and information carefully? ? click on the arrow to go to the next page.

First of all: Take a minute to look at the picture. Look at all details. Then read the caption

(C) Eduardo Munoz, Greenpeace. March 2022. Greenpeace USA boats protest the New York City arrival of a 50,000-ton oil tanker carrying Russian fossil fuel products, financing Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

on the next pages you will get to know the four steps of a picture description and useful vocabulary. Try to apply them to the picture!

WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED ONE STEP, YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER A QUESTION TO GO ON WITH THE NEXT STEP. READ THE INFORMATION CAREFULLY.

(C) Eduardo Munoz, Greenpeace. March 2022. Greenpeace USA boats protest the New York City arrival of a 50,000-ton oil tanker carrying Russian fossil fuel products, financing Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

1. Introduction

Give a general description of the picture. Can you answer the wh-questions below? Try it!

Hover your mouse over the quotation marks ( ) to see useful phrases.

What can you see in the picture?

What type of picture is it?

Who made it when and where?

(C) Eduardo Munoz, Greenpeace. March 2022. Greenpeace USA boats protest the New York City arrival of a 50,000-ton oil tanker carrying Russian fossil fuel products, financing Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Complete the sentence: "The picture was taken by ..."

enter the full name

2. What is where?

Describe the position of persons and things. Where is the tanker? What else can you see?

Hover your mouse over the quotation marks ( ) to see useful phrases.

(C) Eduardo Munoz, Greenpeace. March 2022. Greenpeace USA boats protest the New York City arrival of a 50,000-ton oil tanker carrying Russian fossil fuel products, financing Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Complete the sentence: "In the ... there is a boat."

enter the missing word

3. What is happening?

In this step, describe what is happening and what the people in the picture are doing.

Use the present progressive! Hover your mouse over the quotation marks ( ) to see example sentences.

(C) Eduardo Munoz, Greenpeace. March 2022. Greenpeace USA boats protest the New York City arrival of a 50,000-ton oil tanker carrying Russian fossil fuel products, financing Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

complete the sentence: "Two people .... on the boat."

enter the missing phrase

4. Interpretation

Talk about your speculations, your feelings and your opinion.

Hover your mouse over the quotation marks ( ) to see useful phrases.

What do you think/speculate?

How would you describe the atmosphere?

Do you like the picture? Why/why not?

(C) Eduardo Munoz, Greenpeace. March 2022. Greenpeace USA boats protest the New York City arrival of a 50,000-ton oil tanker carrying Russian fossil fuel products, financing Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Now you know the four steps of a picture description. Do you want to test your knowledge in a quiz?

Go to the quiz

Congratulatiions!