Practice listening and speaking English for daily communication – Describing Things

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Describing Things

Some things are different shapes. 

They can be described by their shape. 

A circle is round. 

A compact disc is a circle. 

A square has four equal sides. 

A rectangle is similar, but two of the sides are longer. 

A triangle has only three sides. 

Have you ever seen anyone play a triangle in an orchestra? 

The word “triangle” can stand for an instrument or a shape. 

An oval is rounded, but it is not round. 

An egg is an oval shape. 

The floor is flat. 

If something is smooth, it has no bumps or lumps 

Silk is smooth. 

Some things are rough. 

Sandpaper is rough.  

If something is dull, it is not sharp or pointed. 

A dull knife will not cut bread because the blade is not sharp. 

If something is pointed, it has a sharp end. 

A sharp pencil has a pointed end. 

A pencil that has been used a lot, and hasn’t been sharpened has a dull end. 

Some things are soft. 

A teddy bear is soft. 

It feels good to touch. 

Some things are hard. 

A rock is hard. 

Soft can also represent a noise level. 

If you have a soft voice, it is not very loud. 

If someone tells you to speak softly, they want you to speak quietly. 

“Loud” is the word used to describe noises that hurt your ears. 

A big truck will make a loud noise. 

Sometimes your mother will tell you that your music is too loud.