Vanity hypocrisy pomposity stubbornness

obstinacy selfishness dishonesty pettiness

arrogance snobbishness timidity possessiveness

shyness meanness rashness aggressiveness

Ladies and gentlemen, which of these qualities is most important to you in a partner? Place them in order of importance.

compassion vivacity frankness self-assurance

tolerance patience generosity ambition

sincerity imagination passion humility

modesty sensitivity courage creativity

Exercise 2

Discuss in pairs the personal characteristics (good or bad) that you would expect to find in these people.

A. a) a nurse

b) the chairman of a multinational company

c) an actor

d) a politician

e) a teacher

f) an interpreter

B. a. How do you think your character has changed or developed over the years? Are there any aspects of your personality you still don’t like?

b. Describe the character of the best friend of yours.

c. Say what features of character have pessimists, optimists.

d. What is more important to you: a person’s look or his/her personality?

Exercise 3

Guess this person’s personality:

1. someone who likes to work

2. someone who can’t decide at once

3. someone who thinks and cares about other people

4. someone who is afraid of nothing

5. someone who tells you everything he thinks about you

6. someone who can’t wait for a long time

7. someone who is ready to share the last chocolate with you

8. someone you can rely on

9. someone who is extremely rude

10. someone who believes everything you tell him

11. someone who tells lies

12. someone who thinks too much of himself

13. someone who tells much about his good traits

14. someone who is easy to get on with

15. someone who is not very intelligent

16. someone who wants to get to the top

17. someone who doesn’t panic

Exercise 4

Give the opposite:

1. carefree

2. open

3. strong-willed

4. self-confident

5. energetic

6. sincere

7. stupid

8. cold-blooded

9. rude

10. hard

Exercise 5

We often use prefixes to form the opposite of an adjective. The most common prefixes are un-, in-, im-. Complete the columns. Write one opposite adjective using a prefix and another opposite adjective, which is a different word from the box.

Sad, out of date, stupid, ugly, arrogant, cheap, cruel, strange / rare, casual, rude, boring, wrong.

Adjective	Opposite (adj+prefix)	Opposite (different word)
happy
polite
expensive
interesting
correct
attractive
fashionable
intelligent
usual
kind
formal
modest

Exercise 6

Substitute the sentences with one of the adjectives from the table:

easy-going, open-hearted, sincere, reliable, frank, good, cheerful, greedy, shy, timid, generous, kind, courageous, a man of character, witty, skillful, energetic, gentle, merry, humble, weak-willed, self-determined, ambitious, handy.

1. Peter always has a ready answer to every remark.

2. Ann always has her own way in everything.

3. I know that he never let his friend down.

4. His gloomy remarks and sad face would spoil the mood of any company.

5. Her father never grudges her anything.

6. He often doesn’t know how to react to her remarks.

7. I don’t think there’s anything he’s afraid of.

8. He often promises and never keeps his word.

9. You can rely upon Maggie. She never let the cat out of the bag.

10. Becky easily won the hearts of all those who met her.

11. Tom never dropped any work half-way.

Exercise 7

Fill the gaps with necessary words:

1. I wonder why he is so ……. ? He has lots of money but he hates spending it.

2. It is impossible to say anything to his grandmother. One word and she starts

3. crying. She is so ……..

4. Kate is incredibly …….. She is always laughing and smiling.

5. ……. people look down on the others and think they are …… to everyone.

6. ……. students while writing tests often peep in their notes.

7. ……. People are sure that the world revolves around them.

8. He is terribly ……. . Once he has made up his mind, it's impossible to make him

change it even if it is obvious that he's ……..

9. Why do you get angry all the time? You are so ……..

10. She was so ……. when I told her about my problems, I immediately felt better.

11. Children are often really ……. . They hide behind their mothers when guests come.

Listening

Listen to the descriptions of people. Note down their characteristic features:

1. ……………………………….

2. ……………………………….

3. ……………………………….

4. ……………………………….

5. …………………………….…

Speaking

Look at the adjectives. Decide with a partner which of them you can use to describe each of the other people in your group and yourselves, too. Try to find at least 3 for each person.

Artistic

Capable

Careful

Cheerful

Considerate

Creative

Dependable

Diplomatic

Easygoing

Efficient

Energetic

Enthusiastic

Flexible

Frank

Friendly

Generous

Gentle

Good-humoured

Good-natured

Happy

Hardworking

Helpful

Humorous

Imaginative

Intelligent

Interesting

Kind

Loyal

Open-minded

Optimistic

Organised

Out-going

Patient

Perceptive

Polite

Practical

Rational

Self-confident

Sensible

Sensitive

Spontaneous

Thoughtful

Unselfish

Versatile

Witty

Exercise 8

Give English equivalents:

Доброзичливий, стриманий (3), справедливий, порядний, трудолюбивий (2), врівноважений, довірливий, брехливий, зухвалий, нещирий, нескромний, впертий (3), слабохарактерний, метушливий, жорстокий (2), серйозний (2), милосердний, комунікабельний (2), люб'язний (2), щирий (3), безтурботний, наполегливий (2), вольовий, скупий(2), підлий, неввічливий, неосвічений, злобний, грубий (3), неуважний, нестриманий, корисливий, дріб’язковий, лицемірний, імпульсивний, відданий, непередбачуваний, ніжний, нерішучий, наділений багатою уявою, терплячий, терпимий, полохливий, пишномовний, хоробрий.

Exercise 9

Translate into English:

У моїй родині 3 дітей, але двоє з них вже дорослі. Це – моя сестра та я. Моя сестра – підліток. Вона багато читає та цікавиться мистецтвом. Вона є старанною розумною людиною. До того ж, вона гарно виглядає, дуже вихована та ввічлива. Мій молодший брат – ще дитина. Йому тільки 3 роки, але він дуже товариський, веселий та відвертий як і всі діти.

Є багато рис характеру, які не подобаються всім, і ніхто не хотів би мати такі риси сам. Заздрісні, безжалісні, егоїстичні люди не подобаються нікому. Важко здогадатись, якою насправді є замкнена в собі, нетовариська, сором’язлива людина. Ми завжди поважаємо високо освічених, розумних, працелюбних людей, але іноді їм заздрять.

Exercise 10

1. Jot down ten adjectives to describe the fish you like most, and ten to describe the one you like least.

2. What three things might you say about each fish in the picture?

Fish 1_________________________________________________________________

Fish 2_________________________________________________________________

Fish 3_________________________________________________________________

Fish 4_________________________________________________________________

Fish 5_________________________________________________________________

Fish 6_________________________________________________________________

Fish 7_________________________________________________________________

Fish 8_________________________________________________________________

Fish 9_________________________________________________________________