How do you describe a person?

Answer 1

Supervisors - this question is part of a learning hub that teaches how to write better paragraphs - please do not delete alternate questions or responsesWhen writing a description of a person, you should observe that person carefully. A good writer uses more than just sight to create a vivid mental image for the reader. You should also try to tie in emotions as much as possible. Notice: Writing about yourself is writing about a person!Here are some ideas that you can use to describe someone.

• Sight - talk about how the person looks. Describe physical statistics (height, weight, coloration, etc) and outward appearance (clothing, jewelry, body art, etc). Talk about body language (gestures they use, how they stand and walk, how they move). Describe how you feel when you see the person.
• Sound - talk about how the person speaks, what their voice sounds like, and any other sounds they make (singing, humming, annoying noises, etc). Describe how you feel when you hear the person.
• Touch - talk about how it feels when you touch the person. Is their skin smooth or rough? Is their handshake firm or wimpy? If you hug them, do they hug back enthusiastically or stiffen up? Are their hands calloused or smooth? Is the person muscular or flabby? Describe your emotions when you touch this person.
• Smell - talk about how the person smells. To be polite, unless the person truly has an offensive body odor, you should avoid saying that they stink - talk about any perfume they might wear, or how their shampoo smells. If they smoke, they will always smell like cigarettes, for instance. People who cook a lot often smell like spices or the other ingredients that they use in the kitchen. Woodworkers might smell like sawdust. Describe how you feel when you smell the person, or when you smell something that reminds you of the person.
• it is usually best to avoid talking about how the person tastes unless you are their lover - or unless you are a cannibal!
• Personality - talk about the inner person. What are their hopes and dreams? What are their fears and worries? How to they respond to problems? Do they have an optimistic outlook on life or a pessimistic one? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Describe how you feel about their personality.
• Behaviour - talk about how the person acts. Are they outgoing and friendly or shy and fearful? Do they joke all the time or stay serious? What to they do in different situations? Describe how you feel about the person's behaviour.
• Interests - talk about any hobbies and interests the person has. Describe what they do for fun, and how you feel about their interests.
• Job/Daily Activities - talk about what the person does for a living, or about their career plans. Going to school is the same as a job, so if they are a student, you can talk about what classes they take and what their day is like at school. Describe how their career makes you feel.

Here is an example of a paragraph describing someone you will probably recognize: Nicholas is an old man, chubby and soft. His belly shakes like a bowl full of jelly when he laughs, and he laughs a lot. His hair is snow-white, and so is his beard. When you see him, and hear his loud "Ho, ho, ho!" you feel happy, as if you are with the world's most loving grandfather. His life's goal is giving gifts to children all over the world. Most of his time is spent making the gifts, although nobody really knows where his workshop really is or what goes on there! It's all a little mysterious, but somehow he manages to give every child something once a year. Nicholas has a very positive attitude, and is usually in a good mood, although he can be quite firm if he thinks that you have been naughty. He smells exactly like Christmas should smell, and whenever you smell peppermint and evergreens, you think of him.

Here are more tips from our Wiki Contributors:

• When you are asked to describe someone, here are some things you should include: * physical description - age, gender, height, weight, coloring (eyes, hair, skin), any unusual traits or characteristics * background - where they were born, where they live, what their family is like (siblings, pets, parents, other relatives), where they go to school, what their house is like * community - what organizations do they belong to (church, clubs, other groups), what jobs they have, what role they play in their neighborhood or community * personality - likes and dislikes, hobbies, amusements, traits they might show or inner traits that might not show, hopes and dreams, fears, favorite things * your opinion of him or her eg she is a kind person.