Lesson 2: Picture Description Challenge

Find three interesting photos from magazines, family albums, or online. Describe each picture in detail using at least five sentences.

• Materials: Photos, paper
• Focus: Descriptive vocabulary, present continuous tense
• Example: “In this picture, a boy is playing with his dog in the park. The dog is brown and white. The boy is wearing a red shirt…”
• Extension: Record yourself describing the pictures and listen to identify areas for improvement.

Lesson 2: Picture Description Challenge

Overview

This engaging visual lesson helps you develop your descriptive vocabulary and practice using the present continuous tense. By describing pictures in detail, you’ll improve your ability to express what you see in English and build confidence in your writing skills.

Learning Objectives

• Use present continuous tense correctly (is/are + verb+ing)
• Apply descriptive adjectives to people, places, and objects
• Practice spatial prepositions (in, on, under, next to, between)
• Build observation and detail communication skills

Materials Needed

• 3-5 interesting photos or pictures from:
  • Family photo albums
  • Magazines or newspapers
  • Printed images from online sources
  • Advertisements or postcards
• Paper or notebook for writing descriptions
• Pencil, pen, or digital device for writing
• Dictionary or online translation tool
• Optional: Voice recording app on phone or computer

Preparation (15 minutes)

1. Select 3-5 pictures that are interesting and have plenty of details. Good options include:
   • People engaged in activities
   • Outdoor scenes with multiple elements
   • Busy street scenes or marketplaces
   • Family gatherings or celebrations
   • Interesting rooms or buildings
2. Create a vocabulary reference page with these categories:
   • People descriptions: tall, short, young, old, happy, sad, excited, tired, busy
   • Clothing terms: wearing, dressed in, hat, shirt, dress, pants, shoes, uniform, jacket
   • Colors: red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, black, white, gray, brown
   • Locations: in the background, in the foreground, on the left, on the right, in the center, behind, in front of
   • Present continuous verbs: is/are walking, talking, smiling, running, sitting, standing, eating, playing, working, looking

Picture Description Activity (30 minutes)

1. Choose your first picture and study it carefully for 2-3 minutes.
2. As you look at the picture, make mental notes about:
   • Who is in the picture?
   • Where was it taken?
   • What are people doing?
   • What objects can you see?
   • What colors are present?
   • What might be happening?
3. Write a description of at least 5 sentences. Try to include:
   • A sentence about the overall scene/setting
   • At least 2 sentences using present continuous (is/are + verb+ing)
   • At least 3 adjectives to describe people or objects
   • At least 1 preposition of place (in, on, under, next to, between)
4. Repeat with your other pictures, trying to use different vocabulary each time

Example Picture Description

Challenge Levels

Try these progressively more challenging approaches:

1. Beginner: Write 5 simple sentences about what you can see in the picture.
2. Intermediate: Write 7-10 sentences, including people’s possible feelings and more detailed descriptions of the setting.
3. Advanced: Write a short story (10+ sentences) inspired by the picture, imagining what happened before and what might happen next.

Extension Activities

1. Audio Recording: Record yourself reading your descriptions aloud. Listen and identify areas for pronunciation improvement.
2. Grammar Focus: Highlight all the verbs in your descriptions and check that you’ve used the correct tense.
3. Vocabulary Builder: For each picture, list 5 additional words you could have used in your description.
4. Picture Comparison: Choose two pictures and write about their similarities and differences.
5. Question Formation: Write 3-5 questions you might ask someone in each picture.

Self-Assessment Checklist

After completing all your descriptions, review your work using this checklist:

• Did I use present continuous tense correctly?
• Did I include details about people, objects, colors, and actions?
• Did I use different vocabulary for each picture?
• Did I include location words to describe where things are?
• Are my sentences clear and complete?

Tips for Success

• Start with the big picture, then focus on details
• Look for action in the picture – what are people doing?
• Don’t worry about knowing the exact words for everything – use simple terms you know
• Try to “walk through” the picture from left to right or front to back
• If you’re stuck, imagine you’re describing the picture to someone who cannot see it

Real-World Application

This skill is useful for:

• Describing photos to friends on social media
• Travel situations when describing places you’ve visited
• School assignments that involve image analysis
• Future job interviews where you need to describe visual information

Remember, the more details you include, the more vivid your descriptions will be. Practice regularly with different types of pictures to expand your descriptive vocabulary and become more confident in your English writing!