When we describe characters in stories, it's important to write about what sort of person they are as well as what they look like.

We can use adjectives to help us to describe how they look and verbs and adverbs to describe how they behave.

Look at the picture of Elsie below.

What sort of person do you think she is?

Do you think she is friendly or unfriendly?

How does she treat other people? 

What do other characters think of her?

Now read this description of Elsie.

Elsie's hair was white now, and her hands shook a little when she lifted things, but her eyes were still bright and she had a ready smile for everyone who came to see her. The village children used to bring her flowers from their gardens and in return she always had a story to tell them. She lived on her own and people often asked if she was lonely, but Elsie never complained.  "I have my memories to keep me company," she used to say. "And I really like a lovely cup of tea."

This passage tells us a little about what Elsie looks like, but much more about what sort of person she is. It uses lots of interesting words and phrases, such as "her hands shook a little", "her eyes were bright" and "she never complained".

In this activity, you can practise writing descriptions of people that show their characters as well as what they look like. Remember to use adjectives, verbs and adverbs to help make your writing more interesting to read.