to win a contract: when a business gets legally-binding work with an individual or company
toworkforyourself: (see ‘to be self-employed’)
Lesson 14: Physical Appearance
During the IELTS Speaking exam you may want to talk about what people look like. This might involve describing their physical appearance or the type of clothes they like to wear. Read the following IELTS-style questions and answers below and pay attention to the phrases in bold. Use the ‘Definitions’ section at the bottom of
the page to check the meaning of any phrases you don’t understand. Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Do you look like any other people in your family?
Carlo: No … not at all … take my brother for example … he has short cropped hair and has quite a pointedface … he’s also quite fair-skinned compared to me
…
Examiner: Tell me about your family.
Andrea: My father’s getting on a bit … he’s in his 60s … but he looks very youngforhisage … he still does lots of exercise and is quite well-built …
Examiner: What does your best friend look like?
Mandy: She’s the same age as me … she has shoulder-length hair … fair hair … she has a slimfigure and is mediumheight …
Part 2-style task
Describe a person whose appearance you like. You should say
and say what it is about their appearance you like.
Monique: OK … I’d like to talk about my aunt … her name’s Marta and she’s quite a character … she’s middle-aged but has a very youthful appearance … she’s a little overweight I suppose but not too much … she has a friendly roundface framed by thick blonde hair … she has a lovely complexion and she’s always well-turned out … she actually always looks like she’s going out for the evening to somewhere special … there’sneverahairoutofplace … I’ve always
thought she bearsastrikingresemblanceto someone on TV … I can’t remember the name now … she wears glasses and always seems to have a different pair on every time I see her … I like the way she looks because she wears clothes that are right for her age and manages to look glamorous without it looking like she’s too done up … yes … I’ll be happy if I look like her when I’m her age …