Describe a Place Flashcards
a city ( you’ve visited) a city ( you would like to visit) somewhere you went on holiday a historic place a river, lake or sea a journey — which place —where —what you did/ cand do there –why you like there
a shop a restaurant a street market
Preparation Think of a “theme” for any place start with easy adjectives search for better words and phrases
Theme = interesting place easy : fun , lively ,,, better words: fascinating, unforgettable, the time flew by (time went very quickly)
Interesting/fun city
we can say it’s : #Lively , Bustling , Hectic, Thriving # Cosmopolitan , multicultural #fascinating, unique # has special atmosphere #sightseeing, entertainment # it was an unforgettable experience #I enjoyed every minute # the time flew by # endless things to see and do #(the visit ) It was over too quickly
Bustling
-I sat in a café, watching the (hustle and) bustle (= busy activity) of the street outside.
This used to be a bustling (= full of busy activity) town but a lot of people have moved away over recent years.
The house, usually bustling with activity, was strangely silent.
Hectic
-hectic /ˈhek.tɪk/
adjective
full of activity; very busy and fast:
a hectic schedule
The area has become a haven for people tired of the hectic pace of city life.
rate of movement
Thriving
-If someone or something thrives, they do well and are successful, healthy, or strong.
Today his company continues to thrive…
…the river’s thriving population of kingfishers.
a Historic Theme
old buildings , palaces, statues # ancient things: # monuments #landmarks (the important places in that city) #where great events took place # connection to the past #reminders of the past #everywhere you look you see these reminders #(the city is)full of history #it has a rich cultural heritage
Friendly Theme (restaurant , shop) :
Welcoming , inviting #warm ,(staff , waiters were) approachable #polite #thoughtful , attentive # great atmosphere # (staff) make you feel at home # the service was excellent #nothing was too much to ask # an unforgettable evening
Final Step : Think of examples or stories to demonstrate each theme
e.g: The city was interesting : We visited famous landmarks and attractions, such as … We lost track of time because … ( we were enjoying our self so much)
The restaurant was friendly
The waiters really made us feel special. They even surprised us with a birthday cake… (for our friend whose birthday it was)
Practice , record , improve
Check whether you used most of the vocabulary you prepared by recording
Describe a river, Lake or sea which you like. You should say What river , lake or sea is called where it is what the land near it is and explain why you like this river , lake or sea.
choose a city which allows you to a better city description :
I’m going to describe the best known river in England, the river Thames.
The river Thames is in the south of England, and it’s famous because it flows right through the centre of London. It goes winding through all of the most iconic, famous tourist attractions and landmarks of the city. For example, it goes past the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, with Big Ben, and it goes under Tower Bridge, probably the most famous bridge in London.
So the land around this river, or on either side of this river is hectic, thriving, city-centre London. It’s right in the heart of the city, and of course it’s a cosmopolitan mix of cultures, business, tourism all around. It’s where everyone goes to do sightseeing in the centre of the capital, and it’s got a lot of the history and heritage of London based around that area, in close proximity to the river itself.
The reason I like this river, the river Thames, is because it’s such an iconic location. It’s a great… it’s a backdrop to these great landmarks of the city: the historic buildings and famous tourist sites in the city. And I’ve got good memories of being there on a New Year’s Eve one year recently. In London, New Year’s Eve celebrations are all focused on the river, with the river and some of the landmarks as the backdrop to a big fireworks show. And so the river’s all lit up, and there’s a spectacular fireworks display put on, and lots of tourists and local people all watch it there together. That was really an unforgettable experience, and the river was central to it.
Describe a restaurant that you enjoyed going to. You should say
where the restaurant was why you chose this restaurant what type of food you ate
and explain why you enjoyed eating in this restaurant.
I’m going to describe a restaurant that I went to quite recently for the birthday party of a friend of mine.
The restaurant that we went to was right in the heart of London, overlooking the river Thames. It was quite near to Tower Bridge, the famous bridge in London, and we had a great view from our vantage point above the river; we had a great view of all the famous London landmarks in that area.
My friend chose the restaurant because of this location, because of the great backdrop; out of the window of the restaurant we could see all of these iconic places in London, and he thought it would be a good place to have a celebration, a place that would be memorable for everybody. But also, we’d heard that the food in this restaurant was delicious, and that the staff were warm and welcoming, and the service and the quality was all round really good.
The type of food that we ate there, well, it was a fusion restaurant I think they called it, which meant that there was a variety of food choices from all over the world. There were Mexican food choices, Mediterranean, Persian, but also hamburgers and pizzas, that kind of thing. I think I actually had a pizza with various toppings on it myself, and it was really nice - it was a fantastic meal.
The reason I enjoyed eating in this restaurant: Firstly, it was a great chance to get together with friends and chat about what we’d been up to, and catch up with some of my good friends. But also, the restaurant itself really did make the night special. The service was fantastic, the waiters and the staff really made us feel at home, they were thoughtful and attentive to all of our needs, and we were really surprised at the end when they brought us a cake to celebrate my friend’s birthday.
vantage point
From our lofty vantage point, we could see the city spread out below us.
a position from which you watch sth; a point in time or a situation from which you consider sth, especially the past:
The cafe was a good vantage point for watching the world go by. * From the vantage point of the late 20th century, the war seems to have achieved nothing.
lofty /ˈlɒf.ti/ US /ˈlɑːf-/
adjective
1 FORMAL high:
a lofty ceiling/mountain/wall
(of buildings, mountains, etc.) very high and impressive:
backdrop
(written) the scenery surrounding an event:
The mountains provided a dramatic backdrop for our picnic
