Spoken English · Articles · October 21, 2026 · 7 min read

How to describe a picture in English: structure, useful phrases and sample descriptions

To describe a picture in English, go from general to specific: say what the picture shows overall, then describe what is where (foreground, background, left, right), what people are doing, a few interesting details, and finish with your guess about the situation and your opinion. Use the present continuous for actions (a man is reading), there is / there are for objects, and might, probably or it looks like when you are guessing. With this structure you can talk about any photo for one to two minutes.

Picture description appears in school speaking tests, Cambridge exams (such as B1 Preliminary and B2 First), job interviews for some roles, and it is one of the best everyday exercises for fluency: the picture gives you the content, so you can focus on the language.

The five-step structure

Step 1: start with an overview

One sentence that tells the listener what to imagine.

• This picture shows a busy street market in the evening.
• It’s a photo of a family having lunch in a garden.
• In this picture, I can see a classroom with students working in groups.
• The photo was taken in a park, probably in autumn.

Note: we say in the picture, not on the picture.

Step 2: say where things are

Step 3: people and actions

Use the present continuous for what is happening in the picture: it describes the moment the photo was taken.

• A young man is sitting on the steps and looking at his phone.
• Two children are playing football on the grass.
• The woman on the right is holding an umbrella.
• Some people are waiting for the bus.

To describe people, add age, clothes and expression:

• an elderly man with grey hair, a woman in her thirties, a teenager;
• wearing a red jacket and jeans, dressed in a school uniform;
• She’s smiling. / He looks tired. / They seem to be enjoying themselves.

Step 4: add details

There is (singular) and there are (plural) are your main tools.

• There’s a coffee cup on the table.
• There are a lot of leaves on the ground.
• There isn’t anyone on the bench.
• The colours are warm: mostly yellow, orange and brown.
• It looks like a sunny but cold day.

Step 5: guess and give your opinion

This step makes a description sound intelligent rather than like a list. You don’t know the story behind the photo, so use language for guessing:

Then add your reaction:

• The atmosphere seems calm and peaceful.
• I think this picture was taken early in the morning, because the street is empty.
• It reminds me of the park near my house.
• I’d love to be there right now.

Sample description 1: an autumn park

This photo shows a quiet park in autumn. In the foreground, there’s an empty wooden bench, and the ground around it is covered with yellow and orange leaves. In the background, I can see tall trees with golden leaves, and the light is soft, so it might be early morning or late afternoon.

There aren’t any people in the picture, which makes it feel very peaceful, maybe even a little lonely. It looks like a cool, dry day; it doesn’t seem to be raining. I imagine someone usually sits on this bench to read or feed the birds.

I really like this picture because autumn is my favourite season. It reminds me of walking to school as a child and kicking the leaves along the path.

Notice how the speaker moves from overview to position to details, then guesses (might be, it looks like, I imagine) and finishes with a personal connection. That last part is what turns a list into a description worth listening to.

Sample description 2: a family at a restaurant

In this picture, I can see a family having dinner at a restaurant. There are four people: two parents and two children, who look about eight and twelve.

On the left, the father is reading the menu, and next to him the younger child is drawing on a napkin. On the right, the mother is talking to a waiter, probably ordering food. The older child is looking at her phone and seems a bit bored.

The restaurant looks quite casual, with wooden tables and plants in the background. It might be a weekend, because everyone is dressed casually. Overall, it looks like a normal, relaxed family evening, although the girl with the phone reminds me that screens are everywhere now, even at dinner.

Linking words that make it flow

• Adding: also, as well, and next to it, apart from that
• Contrasting: but, although, while, on the other hand
• Explaining a guess: because, so, which is why I think
• Finishing: overall, all in all, in general

Common mistakes

How to practise

Pick any photo: from your phone, a news site, a magazine. Set a timer for one minute and describe it using the five steps. Then do it again with a different photo. Within a week, the structure becomes automatic.

On Nomto, the picture practice gives you a photo and lets you describe it to Nomi by voice or text. Nomi asks about details you skipped, corrects each sentence and suggests richer words. The conversation linked from this page uses the same autumn park as the first sample above. Picture tasks also build general fluency; see how to speak English fluently. For a two-minute monologue in an exam, the IELTS Speaking Part 2 guide uses a similar general-to-specific approach.

FAQ

Which tense do I use to describe a picture?

Present continuous for actions (she is walking), present simple for general facts and states (the park looks peaceful, there are trees).

How long should a picture description be?

In most speaking tests, about one minute. For practice, aim for 8–12 sentences: overview, positions, actions, two or three details, a guess and an opinion.

What if I don’t know the word for something in the picture?

Describe it: a kind of small boat, something that looks like a lamp. Paraphrasing is a skill examiners and listeners value.

Should I describe everything I see?

No. Pick the main subject and the most interesting details. Your guess and opinion are worth more than a complete list of objects.

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