(How to) Describe People (Characters)?
The people in the story are the characters. There may be just one main character or a few. A good description of the person(s) brings the story to life, connects the reader to the plot and enables one to ‘feel’ for the characters. It is quite common for students to just gloss over the character(s) without sufficient details which can be improved upon with just a little more effort.
Here are some examples:
a man
– with a sallow and dull complexion framing a cold and expressionless face
– an unusually slim face with sunken cheeks covered with a sea of pockmarks
– beneath his T-shirt were broad muscular shoulders resting on a well built body
a boy
– in a stained T-shirt with clumps of damp hair in a tangle mess, partly hiding his face
– grinning ear to ear was a chubby and adorable school boy with an angelic face
– a bespectacled and shy boy looking smart in neatly pressed pants and shirt
a woman
– looking elegant and sophisticated with sparkling jewellery like a Christmas tree
– with visible strands of white hair and wiry wrinkles betraying years of toiling
– her snow white complexion and almond shaped eyes attracted many stares
Further Reading:
(i)Introduction
(ii) Describe the Scene
(iv)Describing Action(s)
(v)Dscribing Feelings (Emotions)
(vi)Using Dialogues
(vii)Be Different (Beginning & Ending)
(viii)Detecting Errors (Nothing Is Perfect)
(ix)Conclusion
Mr. James Chow (Nov 2013)
English Tutor
Kent Ridge Tutors @ Jurong
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