Spark to Speech · Describe

Describe it

Pick a place, a person or a thing — and paint it in words, from a single noun to a vivid two minutes.

1

Your spark

What do you want to describe? A place, a person, an object — anything you can picture.

…or grab one of these to get going:

my kitchen my best friend the view from my window my favourite café my grandmother an old photo my street my phone a market I love my childhood bedroom
📚 Your word bank
Stuck for words — or want to sound sharper? Find your level, then steal the rung above.
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Focus a level: A2 B1 B2 C1 C2
Say you like it▸
A2I like it. / I really like it.
B1I'm really into it. / I'm a big fan.
B2I've got a soft spot for it. / I'm rather partial to it.
C1It's right up my street. / I find it genuinely captivating.
C2There's something about it I find quietly irresistible.
Say you don't▸
A2I don't like it. / I'm not a fan.
B1It's not really my thing. / I'm not into it.
B2I'm not particularly keen on it. / I can take it or leave it.
C1It leaves me cold. / It does nothing for me.
C2It's never quite won me over.
Give your reason▸
A2because it's good. / because I like it.
B1the main reason is that…
B2what does it for me is… / what makes it special is…
C1it comes down to… / it's largely a question of…
C2if I had to put my finger on it,…
Say how it makes you feel▸
A2It makes me happy. / It makes me feel good.
B1It really cheers me up. / It puts me in a good mood.
B2There's something comforting about it. / It gives me a real sense of calm.
C1It never fails to lift my spirits. / It stirs something in me.
C2It fills me with a quiet sort of contentment.
Compare it▸
A2It's better than X. / It's nicer than X.
B1It's far better than X. / There's no comparison.
B2It's in a different league from X. / X isn't a patch on it.
C1X doesn't hold a candle to it. / It leaves X standing.
C2To compare it with X is to do it a disservice.
Emphasise it▸
A2It's very ___. / It's really ___.
B1It's incredibly ___. / It's so ___.
B2It's remarkably ___. / It's ___ beyond words.
C1It's strikingly ___. / It's hard to overstate how ___ it is.
C2There's a ___ to it that almost defies description.
Say "that said…" (the other side)▸
A2but… / but it's not perfect.
B1that said,… / on the other hand,…
B2admittedly,… / to be fair,…
C1granted,… / I'll happily concede that…
C2for all its faults,…
Sum up▸
A2So, I like it. / In the end, it's great.
B1All in all,… / Overall,…
B2On balance,… / When it comes down to it,…
C1When all's said and done,… / If nothing else,…
C2If it comes down to a single thought, it's this:…
2

Grow your topic

One word holds a lot. Answer these out loud — jot a word or two only if it helps. Don't write sentences yet.

In one simple phrase, what is it?
What does it look like — shape, colour, size?
What do you notice first about it?
What can you hear, smell or feel near it?
What is it like — what does it remind you of?
How does it make you feel?
3

Say it

Now pour those ideas into ready-made sentences. Read each one aloud and finish it your way.

It is a kind of …
The first thing you notice about it is …
It's the sort of thing that …
What I love about it is …
If I had to describe it in one word, it would be …

4

Join it into a flow

Five lines and you have a whole turn. Start each line with the words in purple and keep going about your topic.

So, picture this —
The first thing you notice is
It's the kind of thing that
What I really love about it is
All in all, it is

5

Talk about your topic

Use everything you built. Start the timer and keep going until it ends — fill the time with detail rather than escaping it.

Time left: 2:00
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