When it comes to practicing your descriptive and narrative skills in English, writing about a picture can be an excellent exercise. Both simple present and present continuous tenses can be used to capture the essence of the image, turning what your eye sees into a vivid narrative.
Across all languages, people use various tenses to describe what they observe, but when it comes to English, two specific tenses come into play more frequently – the simple present and the present continuous. The simple present tense is commonly used to express habits, general truths, and unchanging situations, while the present continuous tense is typically used to describe ongoing actions, temporary situations, or future plans. By synthesizing these tenses, you can create a lively and engaging description of a picture that reflects both perpetual states and transient activities.
Here, your task will involve writing a single paragraph that describes the picture. Keep in mind the concepts of the simple present and present continuous as you do so. Consider the static elements of the picture (these would be best described using the simple present) and the dynamic elements, if any (these would be best described using the present continuous). Think of it like painting a scene with words. You’re not just portraying the image as it is, but you’re adding life and motion to it through your description.
Your objective isn’t just to describe what you see in the most accurate way possible, but to create an engaging narrative that brings the scene to life. The key is in the details – so don’t forget to pay attention to the colors, the shapes, the lines, and the feelings that the picture provokes in you. So now, grab a pen, or open a document on your computer, look closely at the picture, and start writing!
