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.

(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

How to

in four easy steps

click here to Start

Describe a picture in four easy steps!

1. Introduction

2. What is where?

3. What is happening?

4. Interpretation

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

Describe the position of persons and things.

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

Talk about your speculations, your feelings and your opinion.

click here to try it!

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(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.

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

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

(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

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

quotation mark

What can you see in the picture?

What type of picture is it?

Who made it when and where?

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

Who? The picture was taken by... Where? It was taken in/at... When? It was taken on (date)/in (month/year)/...

It is a ... examples: painting, colored photo, black-and-white photo, cartoon,...

The picture shows... In the picture you can see...

quotation mark

Congratulatiions!

(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.

2. What is where?

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

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

In the background there is/ there are...

In the foreground there is/there are...

Between the ... and the ... there is/ there are.... Behind the... there is/ there are...

On the left there is/there are...

On the right there is/ there are...

In the center there is/ there are...

At the bottom there is/ there are...

At the top there is/ there are ...

In the front of the ... there is/ there are...

quotation mark

Congratulatiions!

(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.

3. What is happening?

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

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

They are holding up a banner that reads OIL FUELS WAR.

Two people are standing on the boat.

quotation mark

The oil tanker is arriving at the port.

Congratulatiions!

(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.

4. Interpretation

How would you describe the atmosphere?

Do you like the picture? Why/why not?

What do you think/speculate?

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

Talk about your speculations, your feelings and your opinion.

I like the picture because... I don't like the picture because...

The atmosphere is ... examples: peaceful, depressing, lively, tense, intimate..

It seems as if ... The persons seem to ... Maybe ... I think ... It makes me think of ...

quotation mark

Congratulatiions!

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

Go to the quiz