Useful Phrases to Talk about Yourself and other People

Phrases to Talk about Yourself and other People

In this section we will cover the following topics:

Height and Weight
Physical Descriptions
Opinion Adjectives
Age
Look like
Speaking Tips
Grammar Notes
Use of Have got
Use of Have

Let’s explore the above topics that will help you to talk about yourself and other people in the English language.

Height and Weight

A: How tall are you?
B: I’m about 1 metre 70. (1.70m)

A: How tall is your brother?
B: He’s almost 2 metres! (2.0m)
A: Wow, that’s tall!

A: Can you describe the man you saw in the bar?
B: Well, he was average build – maybe a bit overweight. He was quite tall.

Notes

1. In American English the spelling is “meter”. In other countries, the spelling is “metre”.
2. In both the UK and the USA, people often give their height in “feet” and “inches”. For example, “He’s five foot nine” or “He’s five nine”.

(One foot = about 30 cm; 5 foot nine = 1.75m)

Physical Descriptions

Here is some common vocabulary to give simple physical descriptions of yourself and other people.

Descriptions

“I’m tall.” (1.95m)
“I’m short.” (1.50m)
“She’s slim.” (1.75m and 70 kg)
“She’s overweight.” (1.75m and 120 kg)
“I’m muscular.” (I’m a bodybuilder!)
“I’m athletic.” (I play a lot of sport)
“I’m average build.” (normal height, normal weight)

Hair, Eyes and Skin

I’ve got long hair.

I’ve got short hair.

I’ve got shoulder-length hair.

Hair Length and Colour in American

She’s got long, brown hair.
She’s got short, blonde hair.
She’s got long, straight, brown hair.
She’s got short, curly, blonde hair.
She’s got long, wavy, red hair.
He’s got short, straight, black hair.

Eye Colour

He’s got blue eyes.
She’s got green eyes.
She’s got brown eyes.
She’s got hazel eyes.
She’s got grey eyes. (”gray” in American English)
He’s got dark eyes.

Opinion Adjectives

She’s
My younger sister is very
Her husband is really
My brother is
They’re a very attractive

Age

My father is in his
My sister is still a
Her brother is a
Her children are grown

Example Conversations

”Look like”

A: What do you look like?
B: Well, I’m average build. I’ve got short, blonde hair and hazel eyes.

A: What’s your brother like?
B: He’s tall and muscular. He’s got short, wavy, brown hair and brown eyes.

A: Are you like your sister?
B: No I’m not! She’s small and fair, and I’m tall and tanned!

Vocabulary Notes

Shoulder-length = hair that goes to your shoulders
Straight = in a perfect line (not curly or wavy)
Curly = like a circle (opposite of straight)
Wavy = like the sea
Hazel = a mix of green and brown We say “dark eyes” – not “black eyes”!
Fair = pale skin (white / pink colour)
Tanned = dark colour from the sun
Black = black colour skin
Asian-looking = like a person from a country in Asia We say “beautiful” or “pretty” for girls, but “handsome” (and often “good-looking) for men and boys. For both men and women we can say “attractive”.
In his / her / their 50s (from 50-59)
In his / her / their 40s (from 40-49)
Teenager = from age 13 – 19
Grown up = adult

Speaking Tips

Some words are quite negative in English. For example, to say that someone is “fat” , “thin” or “old”. Instead, you can say “She’s a little / a bit overweight” (not “fat”) or “She’s quite slim” (not “thin”). You can also say “He’s about 50 / 60” (not “he’s old”).

Grammar Notes

1. Like and look like: When we ask for a description of a person we can ask: “What is he/she or “What does he / she look

You can answer: “He’s … (tall / short, etc)”

When we ask about similarity, we can use the adjective “like”:
“Are you like your brother?”
“I’m like my sister. We both have red hair.”

2. Adjectives and Adverbs
We put adjectives before the noun: “She’s got long

When there are two or more adjectives before the noun, use a comma (not “and”):

“She’s got long, straight
“She’s got long, brown, straight

When you have two or more adjectives, the first one is the most general (long / short); the second is colour (brown, blonde, red, etc) and the third is the texture (straight, curly, wavy, etc.)

You can also put the adjective after the noun and use the verb “to be”: “Her hair is

When there are two or more adjectives after the noun, use “and”:

“Her hair is long and
“Her hair is long, brown and

Adverbs add more information to an adjective.

For example:

“She is pretty!”
“She is very
“She is really
“She is quite
“He’s a bit

Very and really = adjective + 1

Quite = more or less

A bit = negative meaning. “A bit overweight” because overweight is not a positive thing. (We can’t say “a bit pretty” because “pretty” is a positive adjective.)

3. Have / Have got
When you talk about your hair, eyes or skin, you can use “have got” or “have” – verbs that we use to talk about possessions.

got long, red hair.”
“She has big, blue eyes.”

The meaning is the same, but the grammar is different.

Use of Have Got

Positive
I have got
You have got
He / She / It has got
We have got
They have got

Negative
I haven’t got
You haven’t got
He / She / It hasn’t got
We haven’t got
They haven’t got

Questions
Have I got…?
Have you got…?
Has he / she / it got…^
Have we got…?
Have they got…?

Use of Have

Positive

I have
You have
He / She / It has
We have
They have

Negative

I don’t have
You don’t have
He / She / It doesn’t have
We don’t have
They don’t have

Questions

Do I have…?
Do you have…?
Does he / she / it have…?
Do we have…?
Do they have…?

Remember: with the verb “have got” you can use “have” (or “has” for he / she / it) to make questions, and “haven’t” / ”hasn’t” to make negatives.

But, for the verb “have” you use “do” (or “does” for he / she / it) to make questions, and “don’t” / “doesn’t” to make negatives.

Practice Exercise

Can you complete the sentences?

Vocabulary

1. How __ are you? (1,65m)

2. My father isn’t tall. He’s quite __

3. He weighs more than 200 kg. He’s very __

4. He plays lots of sport. He’s very __

5. I’m not slim or overweight. I’m __ __

6. She’s got long, wavy __ and blue __

7. He’s __ from the sun

8. How old is she? In __ 30s, I think.

9. Both her sons are __ . One is 14 and the other is 17.

10. Her hair isn’t wavy or curly. It’s __

Grammar

1. I’m __ my mother. We’re both tall and slim.
2. What does your mother __ like? (She’s tall and slim.)
3. What __ he like? (He’s very good-looking.)
4. He __ got brown hair.
5. Has she __ long hair?
6. He is in __ 60s.
7. __ you look like your father?
8. __ you like your father?
9. I __ got blue eyes.
10. She __ have long hair.

Vocabulary Answers

1. How tall are you? (1,65m)
2. My father isn’t tall. He’s quite short
3. He weighs more than 200 kg. He’s very overweight
4. He plays lots of sport. He’s very athletic
5. I’m not slim or overweight. I’m average build
6. She’s got long, wavy hair and blue eyes
7. He’s tanned from the sun
8. How old is she? In her 30s, I think.
9. Both her sons are teenagers . One is 14 and the other is 17.
10. Her hair isn’t wavy or curly. It’s straight

Grammar Answers

1. I’m like my mother. We’re both tall and slim.
2. What does your mother look like? (She’s tall and slim.)
3. What is he like? (He’s very good-looking.)
4. He has got brown hair.
5. Has she got long hair?
6. He is in his 60s.
7. Do you look like your father?