Describing Africa
There are four steps that you have to go through in this Describing Africa lesson. You should do one step a day to achieve better results.
STEP ONE (QUIZ): Adjectives for describing Africa
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Do these Adjectives give an objective view of Africa? What other Adjectives would you use to talk about the African continent?
One falsehood hides a thousand truths. The picture below shows how Africa is often depicted in the media. Which Adjectives are negative? Which Adjectives are positive? You can use a dictionary to define the words that are not familiar to you.
It is important to be as truthful as possible as far as place descriptions are concerned. If we have one narrative about a place, we tend to forget all the diversity and uniqueness that this place has.
CHALLENGE ONE:
Question 1: The opposite word of ‘UNEDUCATED’ is ‘EDUCATED’. Find the antonyms for the following words:
| DEPENDENT | ? |
| DANGEROUS | ? |
| IMPOVERISHED | ? |
| DISEASED | ? |
| LAZY | ? |
(The answer to CHALLENGE QUESTION ONE is at the beginning of CHALLENGE QUESTION TWO)
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Well done for finishing STEP ONE. Let’s move on to STEP TWO.
STEP TWO: Adjectives for describing landscapes
Africa has a variety of landscapes that nature lovers like to photograph and describe. Look at the picture below and observe what type of Adjectives have been used. Using a good dictionary, define the vocabulary that you do not understand.
Could you find other Adjectives to fill in the empty spaces in the middle row? Was this difficult?
If you were to choose five words to use from the picture, what would they be?
Our choice is:
- Breathtaking: The Atlas Mountains offer breathtaking views from the top.
- Stunning: Sapitwa Peak on Mount Mulanje, the highest massif in Central Africa, is simply stunning for visitors and locals alike.
- Lush: Lush vegetation is a characteristic of tropical forests.
- Jagged: She took many pictures of the jagged mountains to show to her friends back home.
- Sprawling: The sprawling valley was a stunning sight for everyone.
You can now click on the link below to listen to the pronunciation of all the words in the Adjectives for Describing African Landscapes worksheet . You can also use this Describing Africa pronunciation worksheet for guidance.
Make sure you repeat the words several times for better memorisation.
You can also do the How to Describe Africa Word Search below as a way of learning more new vocabulary. The more words you will have in your vocabulary ‘bank account’, the better you will speak. You will be able to communicate efficiently and effectively.
The PDF versions of this document are here:
- Word Search: How to Describe Africa, Learn English With Africa, October 2016 (PDF without answers)
- Word Search: How to describe Africa, Learn English With Africa, October 2016 (PDF with answers)
You are really doing well. Keep it up!
Now you are ready for the second CHALLENGE.
CHALLENGE TWO:
(The answer to CHALLENGE QUESTION ONE is:)
| DEPENDENT | INDEPENDENT |
| DANGEROUS | SAFE |
| IMPOVERISHED | WEALTHY |
| DISEASED | HEALTHY |
| LAZY | HARD-WORKING |
Question 2: We have five words that end with -ING in the Adjectives for Describing African Landscapes worksheet. What are they? Can you find five other Adjectives that also end with -ING and can be used to describe Africa? You can use a dictionary or the Internet to accomplish this task.
(The answer to CHALLENGE QUESTION TWO is at the beginning of CHALLENGE QUESTION THREE)
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Well, well, well. Good job for finishing STEP TWO of this Describing Africa lesson. Let’s move on to the other stage. We are glad you are making progress.
STEP THREE: Adjectives for describing places in Africa
The picture below has Adjectives that you can use to describe different types of places in Africa.
As the image shows, not all places in Africa look alike. The North is different from the South and the East cannot resemble the West. Africa comprises 54 nations with distinct features and appearance. Africa is not a country.
Study the picture again and find the missing words in the middle row. Avoid using commonplace words like ‘BIG’ and ‘SMALL’.
Afterwards, you can show off your skills by making sentences with ten words from the worksheet. Yes, you can do it. It’s that simple and uncomplicated!
We had fun creating the sentences below. Enjoy!
- Traditional: Traditional houses, typically with thatched roofs, can be found in most rural areas of Africa.
- Modern: Modern cities such as Luanda are abundant in Africa. We just don’t see enough of them on TV.
- Bustling: African markets are usually bustling with life. Many people come from far to sell their goods to regular customers who are always on the lookout for a good bargain.
- Busy: You should cross busy roads with caution.
- Wild: Lions are only found in wild protected areas. Please rest assured, these wild beasts will not take leisurely strolls in the city.
- Upmarket: Wealthy people live in upmarket neighbourhoods. Real estate prices in these areas are usually expensive and out of reach.
- Wind-swept: Wind-swept areas are prone to drought and famine.
- Luxurious: There are more and more luxurious hotels and beach resorts in Africa.
- Crowded: Streets can be really crowded when there is a special event in the area.
- Decrepit: Life is tough in decrepit townships. Many people struggle to make ends meet.
You can read your sentences aloud to someone for practice. If someone can correct your intonation, that is even better!
Here are more pronunciation exercises. You can use this Describing Africa pronunciation worksheet for guidance.
Hey! That is is incredible. Keep learning. You will be surprised by all that you are able to say and write by the end of the year. CONSISTENCY is the key.
Why not do the Crossword Puzzle below for more practice? It is not easy so you can use a dictionary or a thesaurus for help. It is more than doable. You will be glad after you have finished it.
You can download the PDF versions of the puzzle here:
- Crossword Puzzle: How to Describe Africa, Learn English With Africa, October 2016 (PDF without answers) (PDF)
- Crossword Puzzle: How to describe Africa, Learn English With Africa, October 2016 (With answers) (PDF)
CHALLENGE THREE:
(The answer to CHALLENGE QUESTION TWO is:)
| BREATHTAKING | SURPRISING |
| STUNNING | ASTOUNDING |
| SPRAWLING | UNDULATING |
| BLAZING | CAPTIVATING |
| AMAZING | CHARMING |
Question 3: Find the synonyms for the following words that can be found in the Adjectives for Describing Places in Africa worksheet.
- Traditional
- Modern
- Bustling
- Busy
- Wild
- Upmarket
- Crowded
- Open
- Luxurious
- Decrepit
(The answer to CHALLENGE QUESTION THREE is at the beginning of CHALLENGE QUESTION FOUR)
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You have finished STEP THREE of this Describing Africa lesson. WOW! Keep learning!
STEP FOUR: Adjectives for describing life in Africa
You are already doing the last step! Wow, that’s great! You will make it (Don’t worry, be happy-Do you remember this song?). Well, let’s go back to serious business.
The picture below has some more Adjectives for describing Africa . This should be easy after all that you have done in the previous STEPS. Make sure you define all the unknown words with the help of a dictionary. The more efforts you make, the better you get:)) We are talking from experience.
What do you think of the different images? Are they inspiring, beautiful, strange, mouth-watering, etc? We like using pictures because we can say so much about them.
What do you think of the use of images of fruits to describe life in Africa? Can you think of other fruits that we can use to describe continents, and not just Africa?
The photographs were so inspiring that we thought of writing a paragraph in which the narrator talks about his or her fond memories about Africa.
Here it is:
My heart is filled with rich and pleasant memories of my childhood. I often relive those precious moments when life was funny and surprising at the same time. It was not hard then. We were full of colourful dreams and ambitions. We sailed through the sweet and sour episodes of our lives with nonchalance.
We avoided the spiky detours with skill. We were passionate about everything: the juicy stories we told each other, the delicious fruits we shared, the hot afternoons we hated because we could not stay outside to play flaye and run in the open. Life was fun then. We could be anything we wanted. Where are those solid dreams, those tangible aspirations, those quenchable desires? They are still there. They still live in us. We can become anything we want. Life is miraculous.
What about writing the same type of paragraph, using your childhood memories as inspiration. You can use a different tone if you wish. Read your sentences aloud when you write so that you can feel the music and rhythm of your words. Pay attention to spelling and grammar of course.
You will know that you have succeeded when you enjoy reading the paragraph you have written to your family, friends or teachers. And that’s it.
Good luck and have fun with English!
Now you can do the last CHALLENGE. We hope that you are not too tired.
CHALLENGE FOUR:
(The answer to CHALLENGE QUESTION THREE is:)
| TRADITIONAL | CONVENTIONAL |
| MODERN | CONTEMPORARY |
| BUSTLING | ANIMATED |
| BUSY | ACTIVE |
| WILD | UNINHABITED |
| UPMARKET | POSH |
| CROWDED | JAM-PACKED |
| OPEN | EXPOSED |
| LUXURIOUS | PLUSH |
| DECREPIT | DILAPIDATED |
Question: Find the names of the fruits in the picture. That’s difficult, we know :-() but it’s a nice exercise to do and you will learn quite a lot.
(The answer to CHALLENGE QUESTION FOUR is:)
Congratulations for finishing all the steps of this Describing Africa lesson. You can now have a well-deserved treat!
Until next time!
Further Exploration: (Describing Africa)
Read:
Describing Africa: More worksheets to download:
- Vocabulary: Adjectives for Describing African Landscapes, Learn English With Africa, October 2016
- Vocabulary: Adjectives for Describing Places in Africa, Learn English With Africa, October 2016
- Vocabulary: Adjectives for Describing Life in Africa, Learn English With Africa, October 2016
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About the Author
Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of Learn English With Africa. She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.
Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish. Salt No More is her debut novel and you can find her other books here on the website or on Amazon.
Course Title: Describing Africa: Useful Vocabulary, Quiz, Crossword Puzzle, Word Search, Worksheets (Level B1-B2)© Learn English With Africa, May 2023
