Phrases for Describing & Explaining -- Basic

Basic Description

• It's a (thing / animal / plant / fruit / vegetable / fish / liquid / mineral).
• It's made of (plastic / wood / metal / glass / paper / cotton).
• It has (horns / four legs / a handle / a motor).
• It looks like (a ball / a cat / a small tree).

Shape, Size & Feel

• It's (round / square / rectangular / triangular).
• It's (long / short / thick / thin / wide / narrow).
• It's (huge / big / small / tiny).
• It's (hard / soft / smooth / rough).

Use

• It's used for (cooking / making furniture / cleaning your house).
• It's used in (the home / the kitchen / restaurants / orchestras).

Grouping

• It's a kind of (sea creature / machine / decoration).
• It's related to (Christmas / the dog / jazz).

Location

• It's often found in (the countryside / the city / offices / restaurants).
• It lives in (the desert / rivers / the mountains).

Synonyms & Antonyms

• It means the same thing as [some word].
• It's the opposite of [some word].

William T Kennedy 2003