DESCRIBING THINGS

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Characteristics: linking verbs 
Firstly, we use the linking verb ‘be’ to describe things. It is called a linking verb because it links the subject to a description, for example: 
The iPhone is a smartphone.           

My car is a Toyota.          

My books are interesting.   

Secondly, we use the verb ‘have’ to describe the features that belong to something.

For example: 

My telephone has a camera. My telephone has a USB port. My telephone has a large memory. My telephone has many uses. My telephone has a headphone socket.

Things can be described in the following ways: 

a) size: enormous, huge, very large, large, big, quite big, medium-sized, quite small, small, very small, tiny

 
b) weight: very heavy, heavy, quite heavy, not very heavy, light, very light

 
c) shape: round, square, oval, flat, rectangular, oblong, egg-shaped, diamond-shaped...
d) colour: black, gray, brown, blue, purple, green, yellow, orange, red, white

 
e) materials: wooden, steel, plastic, glass, brick, stone, pottery

 f) flavours: sweet, sour, salty, spicy, rich, oily, buttery, creamy, bland

 
g) appearance: ugly, beautiful, cute, lovely, sweet, attractive, modern

 
h) age: new, quite new, not very old, quite old, old, very old, antique, ancient



There are some other ways to describe things too: 

a) It’s a kind of… / a type of

A Magnum is a kind of ice cream.

b) It looks like...

A briefcase looks like a suitcase, but it's smaller.

c) It is made of… / It is made from…

We use ‘It is made of’ to identify the material of something, for example:

A bottle is made of glass.  (It is still glass)

The chair is made of wood. (It is still wood)

We use ‘it is made from’ to describe the ingredients that are used to make something new or different.

Wine is made from grapes 

(It is now wine. It has been changed into something else)

Paper is made from wood. 

(It is now paper. It is not wood any more.)

A cake is made from flour, eggs and sugar. 

(It is now a cake)

 What is ice cream made from?

Ice cream is made from cream, eggs and sugar.

What is your shirt made of?

My shirt is made of cotton and polyester. (It is still cotton and polyester)

Utility and Function

When we describe the function of something we use: 

‘It is used for’/ ‘it can/could be used for’ (passive voice).

For example:

What is that sponge used for? (passive) 

What do you use that sponge for? (active)

A knife is used for cutting things. (‘for’ with a gerund)

*They used a knife to carve their names on the tree.  

                                         (‘to’ with an infinitive)