This document provides an overview of the PET Speaking test Part 3 on picture description. It outlines the objectives of describing a photo, including giving a general description of the scene, describing people and actions, and making assumptions. It then details the teaching procedures, which include a vocabulary lead-in game, watching a video example, describing a sample photo while highlighting important structures and vocabulary, and having students practice describing their own photo and providing peer feedback. The document provides examples of language and structures to use for different elements of the photo description task.

1. PET SPEAKING
PART 3: PICTURE
DESCRIPTION
Lecturer: Nguyen Thi Que
Intensive English Class K10
Nguyen Thi Que - TNUS

2. PET SPEAKING
PART 3: PICTURE DESCRIPTION
Objectives:
- state what is required to do in the task of PET speaking
Part 3
- learn structures and vocabularies related to photo
description: giving a general description of the scene,
describing a place, people and actions and making basic
guesses and assumptions about the photo.
- practice and prepare a detailed description of a photo
with the language learned.
- give comments on their partner’s picture description.

3. PET SPEAKING
PART 3: PICTURE DESCRIPTION
Teaching procedures:
1. Lead-in: Play a vocabulary game
2. Pre-teaching: Watch a video
3. While-teaching: Describe a photo
4. Post-teaching: Practice describing a photo
5. Consolidation and homework delivery.

4. LEAD-IN: VOCABULARY GAME
o 3 Teams of 10-12 students each
o Instructions:
- Read a sample text of a picture description and
complete 10 blanks with missing words which
start with a given letter.
- Each student in a team has to run quickly to the
board and write the answers in their column.
- After 3 minutes, which team has more correct
answers or finishes earlier will be the winner.

5. .
LEAD-IN: VOCABULARY GAME:
In this picture we can see a family going to
the (1) b………… together. There is a man,
a woman and two children.
The small boy on the left is wearing blue
shorts and is carrying a red beach towel. His
hair is short and fair. His mother is wearing a
(2) y …………T-shirt and is carrying a violet
bag on her (3) r……………. shoulder. There
is a smiling sun on the bag. She is carrying
a brown (4) b ………… in her left hand. Her
husband is wearing
blue (5) s………… with orange stripes. He is carrying a big blue
umbrella and he has got a hat on his head. His daughter is (6) w ………….
next to him. She is wearing a pink dress and is carrying a big (7) t…………
in her left hand. Nobody is wearing shoes. I think they feel very happy
because everybody is (8) s…………and they are (9) p…………on their
summer holiday.
In the background, the sky is blue but there are two
white (10) c…………... Some birds are flying in the sky.

6. LEAD-IN: VOCABULARY GAME:
In this picture we can see a family going to
the (1) b………… together. There is a man,
a woman and two children.
The small boy on the left is wearing blue
shorts and is carrying a red beach towel. His
hair is short and fair. His mother is wearing a
……
smiling sun on the bag. She is carrying a
……
……
with orange stripes. He is carrying a big blue umbrella and he has got a
……
Nobody is wearing shoes. I think they feel very happy because everybody
……
Some birds are flying in the sky.
each
(2) yellow……T-shirt and is carrying a violet
bag on her (3) r………shoulder. There is aight
brown (4) basket …… in her left hand. Her
husband is wearing blue (5) shorts ……
hat on his head. His daughter is (6) walking ……. next to him. She is
wearing a pink dress and is carrying a big (7) t………… in her left hand.owel
miling robablyis (8) s…………and they are (9) p…………on their summer holiday.
In the background, the sky is blue but there are two white (10) clouds ……...

7. PRE-TEACHING
WATCH A VIDEO (PET Speaking Part 3)
Nguyen Thi Que - TNUS

8. PRE-TEACHING
- Questions:
+ What do you have to do in PET Speaking part 3?
+ Who do you talk to?
+ How much time do you have to describe a photo?

9. WHILE TEACHING
a. Giving a general description of the
scene
+ This pictures shows a family having a
picnic
+ In this photo I can see a group of tourists
visiting a field.
+ This is a picture of some people queuing
in front of an ATM.
 This photo shows
 In this photo I can see + SB + V-ing ….
 This is a picture of

10. WHILE TEACHING
? What do you often describe in a photo?
b. Describing the background & existing things:
* Structure:
There is/ are + N in/ on/ at ……
In the background, I can see …….
=> Use the above structures to
describe things in the photo
and in the background?

11. In front of
under
in
on the left
behind
on the right
in between
Prepositions of place
at the top
in the middle
at the bottom
on

12. WHILE TEACHING
What do you often describe a person?
c. Describing people: (making assumptions)
+ Who are they? (relationships)
+ What are they like? (build, appearance)
+ How old are they? (age)
+ What do they do? (job)
+ What are they wearing? (clothes)
+ How do they feel? (feelings)

13. HEIGHT BUILD AGE CLOTHES
tall,short,
medium
slim,thin,
plump,fat,
skinny,well-built
young,elderly,
middle-aged,
teenager,in20s,
30s,40s
Adj:casual,
smart,tidy,
messy
Nouns:Jeans,T-
shirt,shorts
WHILE TEACHING
How do you often describe a person?

14. C. DESCRIBING PEOPLE
1- HEIGHT
Tall Medium Short

15. C. DESCRIBING PEOPLE
2- BUILD
Well-built Skinny
Thin/ slim
Fat

16. C. DESCRIBING PEOPLE
3- AGE
Young
in his 20s
Elderly
in his 70s
Middle –aged
in her 40s
Young
Teenager

17. C. DESCRIBING PEOPLE
4- HAIR
Bald straight curly spiky wavy

18. C. DESCRIBING PEOPLE
5- CLOTHES

19. dress
glasses
gloves cap coat
raincoat scarf shirt shoes shorts
skirt
sneakers socks sweater underpants
belt boots
trousers
jacket
necklace
Next
Nguyen Thi Que - TNUS

20. WHILE TEACHING
d. Describing actions:
- Which tense do you use when describing activities in
the photo?
Nguyen Thi Que - TNUS

21. WHILE TEACHING
e. Making guesses/ assumptions and giving reasons:
- WEATHER AND SEASON:
+ It probably summer because they are swimming in the pool.
+ I think it is winter because there is some snow on the
mountains and it is very foggy.

22. WHILE TEACHING
d. Making guesses and giving reasons:
- PLACE, COUNTRY:
+ This can be Europe because of the buildings.
+ It looks like …Russia…… because of the man’s
appearance and the church behind him.

23. .
WHILE TEACHING
e. Making guesses and assumptions
- RELATION BETWEEN PEOPLE:
+ I’m not sure but they can be friends
/ relatives / workmates/ classmates/…
- PEOPLE’S FEELINGS:
+ I think they are enjoying themselves
because they are smiling.
+ He seems a bit scared maybe because…
+ They look/seem (very/quite) worried/
sad/ happy/ excited/ nervous/ bored/ tired
maybe because they are lost in the mountains.

24. Remember the
question words!
What?How many? Where?
Why?When?
Who?
How?

25. PRACTICE describing a photo
Role-play: one examiner and one candidate

26. PRACTICE describing a photo
Role-play: one examiner and one candidate

27. PRACTICE describing a photo
Role-play: one examiner and one candidate
Nguyen Thi Que - TNUS

28. CONSOLIDATION
Remember:
+ What can you see in the photo?
+ Who are they?
+ Where are they?
+ How old are they? (make guess)
+ What are they wearing?
+ What are they doing?
+ What are their feelings?

29. HOMEWORK
Audio-record yourself describing a photo and send
it to T’s email before 9h00 pm on Wednesday

30. PET SPEAKING TEST
It lasts from 10 to 12 minutes.
It is taken by two candidates.
It is assessed by two examiners: one, the
interlocutor, talks to the candidates; and the other,
the assessor, just listens.
The assessor assesses the performance of the two
candidates in some detail; and the interlocutor gives
a global assessment mark.
At the end of the test, the examiners will not tell the
candidates how well they performed, but they’ll thank
them for attending.
Tiene una duración de 10 a 12 minutos.
Está tomada por dos candidatos.
Es evaluado por dos examinadores: uno, el
interlocutor, habla con los candidatos; Y el otro, el
evaluador, sólo escucha.
El evaluador evalúa el desempeño de los dos
candidatos con algún detalle; Y el interlocutor da una
marca global de evaluación.
Al final de la prueba, los examinadores no le dirán a
los candidatos lo bien que lo hicieron, pero se lo
agradecerán por asistir.

31. Part 1: Personal information (2-3 minutes)
It’s designed to help the candidates relax. It is
assessed, but the questions are quite simple.
The interlocutor asks questions to the candidates
about their daily lives, families, studies, home town,
free time, job and they also will be probably asked to
say and spell their names and surnames.
Some useful language:
Can I have your mark sheets, please?
What’s your name?
What’s your surname?
How do you spell it?
Where do you come from?
Do you work or are you a student in...?
What’s your favourite hobby? Why?
What do you enjoy doing in the evening?
Have you got any brothers or sisters?
Tell us about your family?
What other languages can you speak?
REMEMBER!
· Listen to your partner and show interest in what s/he
says
· Avoid long, prepared speeches
Está diseñado para ayudar a los candidatos a
relajarse. Se evalúa, pero las preguntas son bastante
simples.
El interlocutor hace preguntas a los candidatos sobre
su vida cotidiana, sus familias, estudios, ciudad natal,
tiempo libre, trabajo y también se les pedirá
probablemente que digan y deletreen sus nombres y
apellidos.
Algún lenguaje útil:
¿Puedo tener sus hojas de marca, por favor?
¿Cuál es tu nombre?
¿Cuál es tu apellido?
¿Cómo se deletrea?
¿De dónde es?
¿Trabajas o eres estudiante en ...?
¿Cuál es tu hobby favorito? ¿Por qué?
¿Qué te gusta hacer en la noche?
¿Tienes hermanos o hermanas?
¿Háblanos de tu familia?
¿Qué otros idiomas puedes hablar?
¡RECUERDA!
· Escuchar a su pareja y mostrar interés en lo que él /
ella dice
· Evitar discursos largos y preparados

32. Part 2: simulated situation (2-3 minutes)
In this part, the candidates talk to each other.
The interlocutor describes a situation which is
illustrated on a sheet of paper and the candidates will
have to make suggestions and discuss aternatives.
Some useful language:
HOW TO :
SHOW INTEREST:
Oh, that’s interesting. / I see. / Mm – hmmm
ASK FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS LIKE :
Architecture. Is it very difficult? /What kind of books
do you like reading?
ASK FOR SUGGESTIONS
· What shall we do tonight? · Where shall we go
tonight?
MAKE SUGGESTIONS
· How about going to the cinema?
· Why don’t we have a meal in that new restaurant?
· We could stay in and watch a video.
· Let’s invite some friends round for dinner.
En esta parte, los candidatos hablan entre sí.
El interlocutor describe una situación que se ilustra
en una hoja de papel y los candidatos tendrán que
hacer sugerencias y discutir alternativas.
Algún lenguaje útil:
CÓMO :
MUESTRA INTERÉS:
Oh eso es interesante. / Ya veo. Mmm
PREGUNTAS DE SEGUIMIENTO COMO:
Arquitectura. ¿Es muy difícil? / ¿Qué tipo de libros te
gusta leer?
SOLICITAR SUGERENCIAS
· ¿Qué deberíamos hacer esta noche? · ¿A dónde
iremos esta noche?
HACER SUGERENCIAS
· ¿Qué tal si vamos al cine?
· ¿Por qué no tenemos una comida en ese nuevo
restaurante?
Podríamos quedarnos y ver un video.
· Invitamos a algunos amigos a cenar.

33. RESPOND TO SUGGESTIONS
· Yeah, that’s a great idea.
· Yes, that sounds good.
· Well, I think I’d prefer to go to a disco.
· Yes, OK
· All right, I agree.
DISCUSS ALTERNATIVES
· Which do you think is best?
· Yes, that’s possible.
· It’s difficult to decide but …….
· I think this is more useful because …
· It would be better to go to the cinema because
…
ASK FOR OPINIONS
· What do you think about that?
· Do you agree?
· How do you feel about that?
GIVE YOUR OPINION
· I think/I don’t think that’s a good idea
because…
· Personally, I think that’s a terrible idea
because …
· In my opinion it would be better to stay in a
hotel
because
RESPONDER A LAS SUGERENCIAS
Sí, es una gran idea.
· Si, eso suena bien.
· Bueno, creo que prefiero ir a una discoteca.
· Sí OK
De acuerdo, estoy de acuerdo.
DISCUTIR ALTERNATIVAS
· ¿Cuál crees que es mejor?
· Sí, eso es posible.
· Es difícil decidir pero .......
· Creo que esto es más útil porque ...
· Sería mejor ir al cine porque ...
PEDIR OPINIONES
· ¿Qué piensas sobre eso?
· ¿Estás de acuerdo?
· ¿Cómo te sientes sobre eso?
DA TU OPINION
· Creo que no creo que sea una buena idea
porque…
· Personalmente, creo que es una idea terrible
porque …
· En mi opinión, sería mejor para alojarse en un
hotel
porque

34. AGREE AND DISAGREE
· That’s what I think too
· I agree.
· I’m not sure I agree with you.
· Yes, you’re right.
· Well, that’s true but ….
· I’m sorry but I don’t agree with you.
EXPRESS PREFERENCES
· I’d rather go to a campsite
· I’d like to stay in a youth hostel
· I’d prefer to go to a hotel
ACUERDO Y DESACUERDO
Eso es lo que pienso también
· Estoy de acuerdo.
· No estoy seguro de estar de acuerdo con usted.
· Sí tienes razón.
· Bueno, eso es cierto pero ....
· Lo siento, pero no estoy de acuerdo con usted.
PREFERENCIAS EXPRESAS
· Prefiero ir a un camping
· Me gustaría quedarme en un albergue juvenil
· Prefiero ir a un hotel

35. REMEMBER!
· Listen carefully to the examiner’s instructions
and focus on the picture in the middle,
which gives the key to the situation
· Use the pictures round the outside as ideas
for your discussion. Don’t describe them
· Think about the type of situation – is it directly
about you or a third person? If it’s about a
third person, use he or she consistently
· Start the discussion immediately, DON’T
waste time by giving the background to the
Situation
· Give reasons for your opinions/ideas
· Make sure you give your partner an
opportunity to participate equally in the
discussion. Don’t dominate
¡RECUERDA!
· Escuchar atentamente las instrucciones del
examinador y centrarse en la imagen en el
medio,Que da la clave de la situación
· Utilice las imágenes alrededor del exterior
como ideas para su discusión. No las describas
· Piense en el tipo de situación - ¿es
directamente sobre usted o una tercera
persona? Si es Sobre una tercera persona, use
él o ella consistentemente
· Inicie la discusión inmediatamente, NO pierda
tiempo dando los antecedentes a la
Situación
· Dar razones para sus opiniones / ideas
· Asegúrese de dar a su pareja la oportunidad
de participar por igual en el
discusión. No dominar

36. Part 3: Describing a photo (1-11/2 minutes per candidate)
In this part, each candidate talks on his/her own about
a colour photo for about a minute while the other
candidate just listens.
The two photos are on a shared topic but each
candidate only talks about their own photo.
Some useful language:
HOW TO :
GIVE A GENERAL INTRODUCTION
· This picture shows ….
· In this picture I can see....
· This is a picture of …..
TALK ABOUT PLACES
· They’re driving in the country/in a city/in the
mountains
· She’s sitting inside/outside a cafè
· I can see a street market/old building/square/
street/restaurant/beach ….
DESCRIBE PEOPLE’S AGE
· He’s about 50 years old.
· They’re in their twenties
· She’s a teenager/a young child/a middle aged
woman.
En esta parte, cada candidato habla por su cuenta
sobre una foto en color durante aproximadamente un
minuto, mientras que el otro candidato sólo escucha.
Las dos fotos están en un tema compartido, pero
cada candidato sólo habla de su propia foto.
Algún lenguaje útil:
CÓMO :
DAR UNA INTRODUCCIÓN GENERAL
· Esta imagen muestra ….
· En esta foto puedo ver ....
· Esta es una foto de …..
HABLA SOBRE LUGARES
· Están conduciendo en el país / en una ciudad / en
las montañas
· Está sentada dentro o fuera de un café
· Puedo ver un mercado de la calle / edificio antiguo /
plaza / calle / restaurante / playa ....
DESCRIBA LA EDAD DE LA PERSONA
· Tiene alrededor de 50 años.
Están en los veinte años
· Ella es un adolescente / un niño pequeño / una
mujer de mediana edad.

37. DESCRIBE PEOPLE’S CLOTHES
· She’s waring a pair of shorts and a red Tshirt
· They’re wearing quite casual/smart clothes
· He’s wearing a uniform
DESCRIBE PEOPLE’S ACTIONS
· He’s sitting at a desk
· She’s standing in a queue
· They’re having a meal
· Some people are sunbathing and others are
swimming in the sea
DESCRIBE PEOPLE’S ROLES IN A PICTURE
· He’s probably a shop assistant and she’s a
customer
· This person on the left seems to be a tourist guide
– he’s pointing to a building
· The man serving the drinks is a waiter
DESCRIBE PEOPLE’S FEELINGS IN A PICTURE
· You can tell they are enjoying themselves because
they are smiling
· He seems a bit frightened. Maybe this is the first time
he’s tried this
· She looks very interested in this activity – she’s
concentrating very hard
DESCRIBA LA ROPA DE LA GENTE
· Ella es waring un par de pantalones cortos y una
camiseta roja
· Llevan ropa bastante casual / elegante
· Está usando un uniforme
DESCRIBA LAS ACCIONES DE LAS PERSONAS
· Está sentado en un escritorio
· Ella está de pie en una cola
Están teniendo una comida
· Algunas personas toman el sol y otras nadan en el
mar
DESCRIBA LOS ROLES DE LA GENTE EN UNA
IMAGEN
· Es probablemente un asistente de tienda y ella es un
cliente
· Esta persona a la izquierda parece ser un guía
turístico - está señalando a un edificio
· El hombre que sirve las bebidas es un camarero
DESCRIBA LOS SENTIMIENTOS DE LA GENTE EN
UNA FOTO
· Se puede decir que se están divirtiendo porque están
sonriendo
· Parece un poco asustado. Quizás esta es la primera
vez que lo intenta
· Ella se ve muy interesada en esta actividad - se está
concentrando muy duro

38. PARAPHRASE (use these phrases to
describe words you don’t know)
· It’s something you fry food in (frying
pan)
· It’s a kind of container for flowers (a
vase)
· It’s a cupboard for keeping clothes in (a
wardrobe)
MAKE GUESSES
· It might be summer because some
people are wearing sunglasses
· It’s probably in the country, because …
· This picture could be in Northern Europe
because of the buildings
DESCRIBE POSITION
· In the middle of the picture there is a
group
of people, probably tourists because …
· In the background there is a church …
· There’s a bookshelf next to/near/behind/in
front of the door
PARAPHRASE (use estas frases para
describir palabras que no conoce)
· Es algo que freír alimentos en (sartén)
· Es una especie de contenedor para flores
(un jarrón)
· Es un armario para guardar la ropa en (un
armario)
HACER CONJETURAS
· Puede ser verano porque algunas personas
llevan gafas de sol
Probablemente esté en el país, porque ...
· Esta imagen podría estar en el norte de
Europa debido a los edificios
DESCRIBA LA POSICIÓN
· En el centro de la imagen hay un grupo
De gente, probablemente turistas porque ...
· En el fondo hay una iglesia ...
· Hay una estantería al lado de / cerca de /
detrás / delante de la puerta

39. REMEMBER!
· Talk in sentences – don’t produce lists of
items you can see
· Organise your description – don’t describe
the same thing more than once
· Start with a general idea of the subject of
the picture before going into details
· Give reasons (related to the picture) for
your ideas
· Talk about the situation as well as the
physical things you can see in the picture.
· Give some personal reaction to the picture
· Listen quietly when your partner describes
his/her photo – don’t give help or comment
¡RECUERDA!
· Hable en oraciones - no elabore listas de
elementos que pueda ver
· Organice su descripción - no describa lo
mismo más de una vez
· Empiece con una idea general del tema de
la imagen antes de entrar en detalles
· Dé razones (relacionadas con la imagen)
para sus ideas
· Hablar de la situación, así como las cosas
físicas que se pueden ver en la imagen.
· Dar alguna reacción personal a la imagen
· Escuche tranquilamente cuando su pareja
describe su foto - no le dé ayuda o comente

40. Part 4: Discussion(3 minutes)
In this part, the candidates have to talk to each other
again. The interlocutor gives them a topic which is
related to the photos they talked about in part 3 but
he/she doesn’t take part in this discussion at all.
Some useful language:
HOW TO :
TALK ABOUT PERSONAL LIKES /DISLIKES
· I love/quite like/really enjoy/don’t like/hate
camping because …
· I find (don’t find) visiting museums quite
boring/exciting/expensive/relaxing …
· I’m (I’m not) very interested in / quite keen on
sport …..
ASK FOR OPINIONS
· What do you think of Italian TV?
· What’s your opinion?
· How do you feel about going on a cruise?
EXPRESS PREFERENCES
· I’d (wouldn’t) like to live in a big house because
…
· I’d rather/prefer to live in the country because …
En esta parte, los candidatos tienen que hablar de
nuevo. El interlocutor les da un tema que está
relacionado con las fotos de las que hablaron en la
parte 3, pero él / ella no participa en esta discusión en
absoluto.
Algún lenguaje útil:
CÓMO :
HABLA SOBRE PERSONAL GUSTA / DISLIKES
· Me encanta / me gusta / realmente disfruto / no me
gusta / odio acampar porque ...
· Encontré (no encuentro) visitar museos bastante
aburridos / emocionantes / caros / relajantes ...
· Estoy (no estoy) muy interesado en / muy interesado
en el deporte ... ..
PEDIR OPINIONES
· ¿Qué opinas sobre TV italiana?
· ¿Cual es tu opinion?
· ¿Cómo te sientes acerca de ir en un crucero?
PREFERENCIAS EXPRESAS
· Me gustaría (no) como vivir en una casa grande
porque ...
Preferiría / preferiría vivir en el país porque ...

41. REMEMBER!
· Listen carefully to the instructions given
by the examiner. Usually there are
twothings to talk about.
Remember to talk about both of them
with the other candidate and give
reasons and examples for your opinions.
· Often the instructions from the
examiner will use the verb like.
Listen carefully to decide if you should
use would like + to + infinitive OR like +
the gerund in your answers.
· Respond to what the other candidate
says (show that you are listening and
interested, ask follow-up questions) and
then give your own answer
¡RECUERDA!
· Escuche atentamente las instrucciones
dadas por el examinador. Por lo general,
hay cosas que hablar.
Recuerde hablar de ambos con el otro
candidato y dar razones y ejemplos para
sus opiniones.
· A menudo las instrucciones del
examinador usarán el verbo como.
Escucha con cuidado para decidir si
debes usar quieres + a + infinitivo O como
+ el gerundio en tus respuestas.
· Responda a lo que el otro candidato dice
(muestre que está escuchando e
interesado, haga preguntas de
seguimiento) y luego dé su propia
respuesta

42. REMEMBER!
· Listen carefully to the instructions given by the examiner. Usually there are twothings to
talk about. Remember to talk about both of them with the other candidate and give
reasons and examples for your opinions.
· Often the instructions from the examiner will use the verb like. Listen carefully to
decide if you should use would like + to + infinitive OR like + the gerund in your answers.
· Respond to what the other candidate says (show that you are listening and interested,
ask follow-up questions) and then give your own answer.
NOW, SOME USEFUL LINKS...
PET speaking exam (youtube)
http//cambridgeexamsblog.blogspot.com.es/2012/05/videos-pet-exam.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MidiZ-jbB-Q
http://exams.richmondelt.com/index.php?speaking-test-video-pet3
PET speaking exam (practice)
http://writefix.com/?page_id=359#part3
http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/preliminaryenglish/speaking/pet_speaking_practice_test_part_3.htm
http://carolenglishcorner.blogspot.com.es/2013/02/blog-post_6213.html