Describing People – Engaging ESL Lesson Plan on Adjectives with free printable PDF worksheet
Describing People
Describing People
Are you looking for a fun and interactive ESL lesson plan to teach adjectives for describing people? This engaging lesson will help students learn how to use adjectives effectively while developing their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Plus, we have a free printable PDF worksheet to support your teaching!
Why Teach Adjectives for Describing People?
✅ Expands students’ vocabulary for talking about people’s appearance and personality
✅ Improves grammar skills by focusing on adjective placement and word order
✅ Encourages creativity through fun activities, discussions, and games
✅ Builds confidence in using descriptive language in everyday conversations
Full ESL Lesson Plan: Describing People
1️⃣ WARM-UP ACTIVITY: Adjectives in Poetry and Music
Start the lesson with familiar and engaging examples of adjectives.
📌 Step 1: Read & Identify Adjectives in a Poem
Show students this traditional Valentine’s Day love poem:
👉 Roses are red,
👉 Violets are blue,
👉 Sugar is sweet,
👉 And so are you.
✅ Ask students to identify and underline the adjectives (red, blue, sweet).
✅ Discuss: What do these words describe? How do adjectives make the poem more expressive?
📌 Step 2: Analyze Adjectives in an Anthem
Next, display the first stanza of the American national anthem (The Star-Spangled Banner).
✅ Ask students to highlight the adjectives in the lyrics.
✅ Discuss: What do the adjectives describe? How do they enhance the meaning of the song?
📌 Step 3: Watch a Fun Grammar Video
🎬 Show the “Grammar Rock Adjectives” video to reinforce the concept of adjectives in an engaging way.
Watch here → Grammar Rock Adjectives
2️⃣ MAIN LESSON: Describing People with Adjectives
📌 Step 1: Introduce Adjectives for Appearance & Personality
Make a list of common adjectives used to describe people’s physical appearance and personality:
🧑 Appearance Adjectives:
- Tall, short, slim, chubby, handsome, beautiful, curly-haired, blonde, dark-skinned, freckled, etc.
😃 Personality Adjectives:
- Friendly, shy, funny, kind, talkative, hardworking, lazy, brave, serious, etc.
✅ Practice: Ask students to describe a famous person using these adjectives.
📌 Step 2: Sentence Structure Practice
Explain the correct word order for adjectives (e.g., opinion + size + age + shape + color + material + noun).
✅ Example: A beautiful, tall, young woman with curly brown hair.
✅ Practice: Give students jumbled adjectives and have them put them in the correct order.
3️⃣ INTERACTIVE CLASS ACTIVITIES
📝 Activity 1: Describe a Classmate
- Students write a description of a classmate without saying their name.
- Read the descriptions aloud, and classmates guess who it is!
🎲 Activity 2: Adjective Charades
- Write adjectives on slips of paper.
- One student picks a word and acts it out while classmates guess.
🖼️ Activity 3: Celebrity Guessing Game
- Show pictures of famous people.
- Students take turns describing them using adjectives.
4️⃣ WRAP-UP & HOMEWORK
📌 Wrap-up Discussion:
- Ask: Why are adjectives important? How do they make our language more interesting?
- Have students share one new adjective they learned today.
📌 Homework:
- Students write a short paragraph describing a friend or family member using at least 5 adjectives.
🎁 Free Printable PDF: Adjectives for Describing People Worksheet
Make your lesson easier with this free downloadable worksheet to reinforce adjectives and descriptions!
Why ESL Teachers Love This Lesson Plan
✔️ Student-centered & engaging
✔️ Builds confidence in speaking & writing
✔️ Interactive games make learning fun
✔️ Supports multiple learning stylesice
🔹 Classroom icebreakers and warm-ups
Try this Describing People ESL lesson in your classroom and watch your students’ confidence grow! 🎉✨
📩 Want more free ESL grammar lesson? Share this post with other teachers and let us know how it worked in your classroom!
💬 What other grammar topics would you like? Drop your ideas in the comments!
DOWNLOAD THE PDF FOR FREE
More ESL Classroom Games & Activities
Looking for more fun grammar activities for your English class? Check out these ideas:
✅ ESL Speaking Games to improve fluency
✅ Grammar Board Games for practicing sentence structures
✅ Interactive Writing Activities for ESL learners
