Spotlight - 10.2019

LANGUAGE 10/2019 Spotlight 45

Fotos: Nneirda, logoboom, Jacob Lund, Daniel Gale/Shutterstock.com

A holiday photo

If you have to talk about a photo in a spo-

ken test, you’ll use a different style from

when you’re talking about your own per-

sonal photos. Read the description below

and highlight the phrases you could use

to talk about a similar photo in an exam:

In this picture, you see a group of young

people playing with a ball on a beach. It

looks good fun. I think they’re probably

on holiday. They seem to be happy and

relaxed. They’re wearing shorts, T-shirts,

tops and sunglasses. It’s sunny, but also

a bit windy, and there are some clouds in

the sky. It’s a big, beautiful beach, with

soft sand. I can see the sea in the back-

ground, behind the young people.

6. Exam tips
   Read the following advice to a can-
   didate who has to describe a photo
   in a spoken test. Which statement
   is not good advice?

A. You can start with the phrase

“In this picture...” if you like.

B. Describe the picture in the

present (not the past) tense.

C. Use the present progressive to

say what’s happening.

D. You can describe the people’s

clothes (“They’re wearing...”).

E. You can describe the place

and the weather if these are rele-

vant.

F. Never use phrases like “I think”,

“probably” or “maybe” to spec-

ulate. Simply say what you can

see.

G. The verb “look” can be helpful;

for example, “It looks fun”, or

“They look happy” instead of

“They seem to be happy”.

Statement ____ is not good advice.

7. Test yourself
   Now, you can test what you’ve
   learned. Choose the right word to
   complete each of the following
   sentences about the photo below.

A. This is a close-up / an action

shot.

B. There’s a little boy in / on the

photo.

C. He looks at / is looking at an

insect.

D. The insect is at / in focus.

E. There are some green leaves in /

on the background.

F. The photographer has zoomed

in / out.

G. The photographer might have

cropped / cut the picture.

Answers

6.

Ex

am tips

Statement F is not good advice. 7.^

Test yourself

A.

a close

-up

B.

in

C.

is lo

oking at

D.

in

E.

in

F.^

in

G.

cropped