Learn how to describe your city or village!
Have you ever been asked by someone to describe your city or village? Was this in a school setting or did some stranger want to know more about the place where you came from? What did you answer?
- My city is big and lovely.
- It’s welcoming.
- It’s really big and there are lots of things to do there.
- It’s one of the most beautiful cities you’ve ever seen. Come visit it!
- It’s the capital city of our country.
What else did you say? What other criteria could you have used for a more vivid description?
Size
This criterion is easy to deal with. There are many Adjectives that you know already and they can be really useful. If you want more variety, you can use a Thesaurus. This is a dictionary that gives you different synonyms and antonyms of words.
E.g. BIG
Synonyms: Huge, large, enormous, vast, humongous, gigantic, limitless, sprawling, etc.
Antonyms: Tiny, small, miniature, narrow, cramped, etc.
Sample Description
My city is huge and impressive. Its boundaries are limitless and you can walk all day without getting out of the city. You must be careful though because you can easily get lost because of its humongous size. Nevertheless, I really like my city. I cannot imagine myself living a narrow and cramped place. I would go mad!
Location
You can also give the exact location of your city or village to add more details to your description.
Examples
- My city is located in the eastern part of our country.
- I come from the southern region.
- It is located in the north.
- It’s in the south-east.
- It can be found in the north-west.
- It’s a northern city.
- It lies by the sea.
- It’s hidden in the mountains.
- It’s in the central region.
- It is found in the northernmost part of the country.
- It is found in the southernmost part of the district.
Infrastructure
There is a thorough post on types of infrastructure here.
Sample Description
My village has heavily invested in infrastructure. I should say that I am proud of what our administrators have done so far. We have got an excellent transportation system. There is a huge train station which connects us to the rest of the country. Ours schools are some of the best in the region and we are planning to build a university. Additionally, we do not have to travel far in order to get specialist healthcare since we have built state-of-the-art clinics and hospitals.
Amenities
If you are asked to describe your city or village, you can also talk about the facilities or amenities that you have so as to make your life easier and enjoyabe.
Examples
Libraries: You can borrow books and DVDs here.
Cinemas: You can watch movies there.
Shopping malls: You can buy food, clothes, shoes and electronic devices.
Markets: You can buy food and houseware.
Bakeries: You can buy bread and other baked goods.
Butcheries: You can get yourself some meat.
Post Office: You can send letters and parcels.
Can you think of other places or services that enable you to live a healthy and satisfactory life in the village or city?
Adjectives
It is clever to use Adjectives to describe your city or village because they perfectly suit this purpose.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of Adjectives that you can use for your description:
- Cosmopolitan
- Expensive
- Appealing
- Perfect
- Well-developed
- Dangerous
- Safe
- Welcoming
- Calm
- Hectic
- Enjoyable
- Accessible
- Connected
- Isolated
Numbers
This can be one of the most revealing part. Are there 20, 000 people in your village or 2, 000, 000? How big is your city? Is there any important date that can give us more information about the history of your city? Doing a Google search or reading books can help you get all the facts that you need.
Sample Description
I live in a small city with an estimated population of 55, 000 as of 2018. Its surface area is 500 km². It was founded in 1725 and is home to one of the most visited museums in our country.
That’s all for today!
Until next time!
***
Don’t Forget Our Best Stories
Further Exploration: (Describe your city or village)
Download PDF Files:
- Places in African Cities, Learn English With Africa, May 2019
- Decribe Your City or Village, Learn English With Africa, May 2019
Read:
- English Vocabulary (Describing Places): Lesson 1-Where do You Live?
- English Vocabulary (Describing Places): Lesson 2-What is Your House Like?
Shop:
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: English Vocabulary: Lesson 3-Describe Your City or Village © Learn English With Africa, May 2023
