How to make a description of a place in English

For describe a place in englishYou should think about the same as if you did it in Spanish. You have to follow a guide, pay attention to the details and obtain resources, both grammatically and vocabulary, until you get a complete, rich and faithful narrative. In order to structure your description, you can use this reference guideline that will help you gather everything that you must tell in your description:

1. What places?
2. Where is it located?
3. How is? (At this point the use of comparative adjectives, colors …)
4. What elements make up the place? Where are they found?
5. Description of more important details, which may be relevant in the narration.
6. Personal sensations that the place transmits to you.

When you answer all these questions, you will already know everything you have to add to the writing and you will be able to draw up a structure. To do this, we give you some useful tips that will help you to make a good description of a place in English.

From general to detail

When you start to describe a place, you must from an overview to the details. This is exactly what happens when you look at any site. For example, imagine a city square, first you would see the large buildings that surround the square and then focus on the small details, such as a bench or a fountain. You must do the same in the writing: start talking about the landscape, the most remarkable, and then resort to the smallest details.

In addition, if you talk about the most general, you can use a simpler vocabulary and add complexity as you talk about the details, helping you with more specific, concrete and concise words.

The details make the difference

Therefore, once you have the general part of the description clear, it is time to go on to talk about the details. Although some of them seem unimportant to you, highlight any detail will add richness and complexity to your exhibition. At this point you should use more specific adjectives and more varied resources, such as comparisons or metaphors.

Emotions, feelings and memories

As we have pointed out when talking about the structure, including the emotions, feelings or memories that that place evokes in you is always a point in your favor. Thanks to that, the receiver will connect much better with your text or your presentation and you will make the description of the place in English much more interesting. Of course, it is important not to overdo it, since they cannot overshadow the central theme of the narrative: the description of the place.

If you need more general advice on writing in English, you can check out this other article on How to write in English.

Before starting a description of a place in English, you must know the basic vocabulary that allows you to name what you see in that place. What are the best words to describe a place in English? It depends on whether you are going to describe a natural landscape or a city, you will need some nouns or others.

In the city

To describe a city in English, these are some words you can use:

• The city: the city
• Town center: city center.
• Main street: main Street. Other synonyms: high street.
• Old city: historic helmet. Other synonyms: historic center, old quarter.
• Financial district: financial district.
• Skyscraper: skyscraper.
• Theme park: theme park. Other synonyms: amusement park.
• Park: Park.
• Town shopping center: Mall.
• Street market: open-air market. Other synonyms: open-air market.
• Flea markets: Street markets.
• Museum: Museum.
• Gallery: Gallery.
• Temper: temple.
• Pagoda: pagoda.
• Monastery: monastery.
• Cathedral: Cathedral.
• Church: church.
• Pedestrianized area: pedestrian zone. Other synonyms: traffic-free zone.
• Promenade: promenade. Other synonyms: seafront.
• Port: port. Other synonyms: harbor.
• Lighthouse: lighthouse.

In nature

For the description of a natural landscape in English, you may need the following words:

• Mountain: Mountain.
• Countryside: countryside.
• Forest: Forest.
• River: River.
• Valley: Valley.
• Plain: plateau.
• Beach: Beach.
• Sandy beach: sandy beach.
• Cliff: Cliff.
• Island: Island.
• National park: natural or national park, nature reserve.
• Lake: lake.
• Bay: bay.
• Waterfall: waterfall.
• Desert: desert.
• Sand dune: Sand dune.
• Wildlife: wildlife, including fauna and flora.
• Hiking routes: hiking trails. Other synonyms: walking.

In addition to all these nouns, to describe a place in English you will find very useful the prepositions of place. Take a look at this other article to learn what prepositions of place look like in English.

Adjectives are words that describe people, places, or objects. Therefore, it is very important to include them in our descriptive stories to provide maximum information to the recipient. If you want to describe a city or a specific place, these adjectives may be useful:

• Beautiful: nice. Other synonyms: gorgeous, lovely.
• Amazing: amazing, amazing. Other synonyms: wonderful, fantastic.
• Calm: quiet. Other synonyms: quiet, peaceful.
• Sunny: sunny.
• Slow-paced: slow, leisurely. Other synonyms: relaxed, peaceful.
• Interesting: interesting. Other synonyms: cool.
• Picturesque: picturesque. Other synonyms: quaint, charming.
• Fascinating: fascinating.
• Touristy: tourist. Other synonyms: crowded.
• Cosmopolitan: cosmopolitan. Other synonyms: multicultural.
• Exciting: exciting. Other synonyms: amazing, thrilling.
• Small: little. Other synonyms: little, short, petty.
• Big: big. Other synonyms: hight, great.
• Huge: enormous. Other synonyms: vast, large.
• Seedy: sordid. Other synonyms: dangerous, dodgy.
• Polluted: contaminated. Other synonyms: dirty, contaminated.
• Boring: bored. Other synonyms: uninteresting, dull.
• Popular: popular, famous. Other synonyms: famous, well-known.
• Traditional: traditional. Other synonyms: typical.
• Unique: unique, singular. Other synonyms: charming, quaint.
• Bustling: boisterous. Other synonyms: hectic, lively, fast-paced.
• Expensive: expensive. Other synonyms: pricey, costly.
• Cheap: cheap. Other synonyms: naff, inexpensive.
• Captivating: captivating, fascinating. Other synonyms: stunning, fascinating.
• Charming: charming. Other synonyms: unique, quaint.
• Lovely: precious. Other synonyms: nice, precious.
• Historic: historical. Other synonyms: ancient, old city.
• Noisy: noisy, boisterous. Other synonyms: busy, lively.
• Cold: cold. Other synonyms: frosty.
• Warm: warm. Other synonyms: hot up.
• Isolated: isolated. Other synonyms: remote, secluded.
• Crowded: crowded. Other synonyms: busy, congested.
• Unspoilt: impeccable, well preserved. Other synonyms: unaltered, untouched, virgin.
• Breathtaking: impressive (literal: takes your breath away). Other synonyms: stunning, impresive.

So much vocabulary may overwhelm you. In this other article you will learn How to organize my English vocabulary.

To write a description of a place in English, it will also be good for you to know certain expressions that allow you to define even better what you are talking about. Furthermore, expressions convert language into something more everyday and they allow us to communicate better with the natives. We leave you some of the most outstanding:

Clean as a whistle

The literal translation would be: “clean as a whistle”, although in Spanish we would say “clean as a whistle“or” clean as the jets of gold. “You can use this expression to say that the place was very clean, especially if it is a house or a flat.

Second to none

The literal translation would be “second of nothing”, something that in Spanish does not make much sense. This expression refers to something is insurmountable, that is, the best of the best. This resource will help you describe both magnificent places and extraordinary events.

For objects or places that are not insurmountable, you will need to make comparisons. Therefore, we recommend this other article about What is the difference between ace and like.

Middle of nowhere

When describing a landscape in English or a remote place, this expression can be a good resource. Its literal translation is the same as that used in Spanish “In the middle of nowhere“.

Hive of activity

If you want to describe a big city, this expression is what you need. Its literal translation is “hive of activity”, which would come to be a “hive of activity“Describe London, New York, Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Paris or Tokyo …