Describing people – character

Intellectual abilityAbility: Lacking ability: Clever, in a negative way, using brains to trick or deceive :

gifted intelligent crafty bright foolish clever smart brainless (colloq) daft (colloq) shrewd able sly talented half-witted brainy (colloq) stupid simple silly dumb (colloq) cunning dim (colloq)

Attitudes towards life (Match!)Looking on either the bright or the black side of things : sensible down-to-earthOutward-looking or inward-looking : extroverted introvertedCalm or not calm with regard to attitude to life : sensitive Practical, not dreamy in approach to life: relaxed tense Feeling things very intensely: optimistic pessimistic

Attitudes towards other people (Match!)Enjoying others' company: honest trustworthy reliable sincereDisagreeing with others: sociable gregarious Taking pleasure in others' pain: jealous enviousRelaxed in attitude to self and others: easy-going even-temperedNot polite to others: cruel sadisticTelling the truth to others: quarrelsome argumentativeUnhappy what others have: impolite rude ill-mannered discourteous

One person's meat is another person's poisonSome characteristics can be either positive or negative depending on your point of view. The words in the right-hand column are rather negative. Write the words in the left-hand column that have rather positive connotations.

_______________ -- obstinate stubborn pig-headed_______________ -- miserly mean tight-fisted_______________ -- self-important arrogant full of oneself (colloq)_______________ -- aggressive bossy (colloq)_______________ -- peculiar weird eccentric odd_______________ -- blunt abrupt brusque curt_______________ -- unprincipled permissive_______________ -- inquisitive nosy (colloq)_______________ -- extravagant_______________ -- naive_______________ -- pushy (colloq)

1 Match these words with their opposites.

1 clever introverted

2 extroverted tight-fisted3 rude courteous 4 cruel gregarious5 generous kind-hearted6 unsociable half-witted

2 Match the words to the question which aims to decide whether a person is like that.Example: If you arrange to meet at 7 p.m., do you arrive at 7 p.m.? Reliable

pessimistic argumentative sensitive sociable extravagant assertive inquisitive1 Do you prefer to be in the company of other people?2 Do you think 'the glass is half empty'?3 Do you find it easy to tell your boss if you feel he or she has treated you badly?4 Do you always look out of the window if you hear a car draw up?5 Do you often buy your friends presents for no particular reason?6 Do you frequently disagree with what other people say?7 Do you lie awake at night if someone has said something unkind to you?

3 What questions could you ask to try to find out whether a person is the following:1 thrifty 2 blunt

3 sensible4 intelligent

5 even-tempered6 original

7 obstinate

4 Put the suitable adjective in the sentence.

1 John is always telling people how well he plays the guitar. He's so _______________ .2 Many girls of 16 and 17 are far too _______________ to get married and have children.3 I see Clive's passed all his exams again. It must be wonderful to be so _______________ .4 The trouble with Jane is that she's so _______________ . One minute she's laughing, the next she's sulking. You just don't know where you are with her.5 One of the things I like about Pamela is that she's so _______________ . If you have a problem you know you can go to her and that she'll listen to you and try to help all she can.6 Mrs Green's children are so _______________ . They never say "Please" or "Thank you" and only last week I heard them swearing at the postman.7 My son's very _______________ . He doesn't want to work in an office all his life. In fact he keeps telling me that one day he's going to be Prime Minister.8 My uncle is very _______________ . No matter what the weather, he always wears a bright red cape when he goes out and a matching pair of boots. Everyone stares at him, but he doesn't mind. He likes being different.9 My husband never sees my point of view. He has his opinions and nothing I say will ever change them. He's so _______________ .10 When I was a teenager, my father was very _______________ . He'd never allow me to wear make-up or have a boyfriend, and if I went out with friends I always had to be home by 10 o'clock.