Oxford ESL 9280 · Writing

Question 1: Picture Description

How to describe a photograph in 30-50 words for 9/9: what to describe, the grammar that makes it easy, why simple and accurate English wins, and three full-mark models.

British & IGCSE › Oxford International GCSE English as a Second Language

Question 1 is the shortest and the safest question on the Writing paper. You look at a photograph and describe what you see in 30 to 50 words. It is worth 9 marks: 6 for Content and Communication and only 3 for Language, and the language marks are for spelling and punctuation only. That one fact changes how you should write: clear, simple, accurate English wins full marks here. This pack shows you exactly what to describe, the grammar that makes it easy, and three full-mark models.

What the task is and where it sits

Item	Details
Position	Question 1, the first of four compulsory questions
The task	"Look closely at this photograph... Describe what you see in the photograph." The photo is usually said to come from a travel website, holiday brochure, travel blog, magazine or local newspaper.
Words	30-50 (about 3-5 sentences)
Marks	9 = Content and Communication 6 + Language 3
What Language means here	Spelling and punctuation ONLY. Range of vocabulary and grammar is not rewarded in Q1.
Skills tested	W1 (write a short text that gives information) and W3 (spelling and punctuation only)
Suggested time	About 10 minutes: 2 to plan, 6 to write, 2 to check
Themes	Any theme, but photos of places, travel and free-time activities are very common
Modified papers	Students who take a modified paper (for example enlarged print or braille) get a description task that does not need a photo. The same skills apply.

The marks and what each band needs

Here are the bands in simple words. The examiner climbs from the bottom band and stops at the one that fits your answer best.

Content and Communication	Marks	What it looks like
Level 3	5-6	Everything is about the photo, there is real detail (colours, positions, actions, feelings), and the meaning is clear at once.
Level 2	3-4	Mostly about the photo, but some sentences make the reader stop and reread ("some delay") because of grammar or word choice.
Level 1	1-2	Only some relevant words or phrases. Little clear description.
Below Level 1	0	Nothing relevant

Language (spelling and punctuation)	Mark	What it looks like
Level 3	3	Spelling and punctuation are accurate.
Level 2	2	Some harder words are spelt correctly and sentences are usually separated correctly with full stops.
Level 1	1	Simple words are usually spelt correctly and there is some correct punctuation.
Below Level 1	0	Below Level 1 standard

The two questions in the examiner's head

Question 1: Is it clear? Clear and detailed = top content band. Some delay = middle band (maximum 4).
Question 2: Is the spelling and punctuation accurate? Accurate = 3. Some errors = 2.
That is all. There is no extra mark for difficult words, idioms, semicolons or long sentences. Examiners report that students who try to be too fancy often make errors and lose marks.

How to get 9/9: checklist

Start with one sentence that says what the photo shows overall.
Describe the main people or things and what they are doing (present continuous).
Add 2-3 details: colours, clothes, positions, weather, objects.
End with the atmosphere or feeling of the scene.
Describe only what you can see. Do not invent a story about yesterday or tomorrow.
You do not have to describe everything. Choose one or two parts of the photo and describe them well.
Use only words you can spell with total confidence.
Every sentence: capital letter at the start, full stop at the end.
Use commas in lists and after a starting phrase such as "In the background,".
Stay between 30 and 50 words. Around 40-45 is ideal.
Check every word ending: -ing, -s, -es.

What to describe: the five-step plan

Step	Ask yourself	Useful language	Example
1. Overview	What is this a photo of? Where is it?	This photograph shows... / In this photo, there is...	This photograph shows a busy beach on a sunny day.
2. Who	Who are the main people? How many? What are they wearing?	a group of / two young men / a family / wearing...	A family is sitting under a large blue umbrella.
3. What they are doing	What actions can you see?	present continuous: is/are + verb-ing	Two boys are building a sandcastle.
4. Details	Colours, objects, positions, weather	in the foreground / on the left / behind / next to	In the background, there are some small boats on the calm sea.
5. Atmosphere	How does the scene feel?	The atmosphere looks... / Everyone seems...	Everyone seems relaxed and happy.

Seen, not imagined

Write about what is in the photo. "They look tired" or "It seems to be summer" is fine, because you can see it. "They had travelled for ten hours and tomorrow they will visit the pyramids" is a story, not a description, and adds nothing to your content mark.

Grammar you need (and nothing more)

1. Present continuous: for actions in the photo

Subject	Form	Example
One person or thing	is + verb-ing	A man is selling fruit.
Two or more	are + verb-ing	The children are running along the beach.
Negative	is not / are not + verb-ing	Nobody is swimming because the sea is rough.

Spelling rule for -ing	Examples
Most verbs: add -ing	walk → walking, play → playing, read → reading
Verb ends in silent -e: drop the e	make → making, ride → riding, smile → smiling, dance → dancing
Short verb, one vowel + one consonant: double the consonant	sit → sitting, run → running, swim → swimming, shop → shopping
Verb ends in -ie: change to -y	lie → lying, tie → tying

2. There is / there are: for things in the photo

There is + one thing: There is a tall tower on the right.
There are + more than one: There are some colourful boats in the harbour.
There are + a list starting with a plural: There are two cafés and a small shop.
Do not write "There is many people" or "It has a tree in the photo".

3. Prepositions and phrases of place

Word / phrase	Meaning / use
in the foreground	the part of the photo nearest to you (the bottom)
in the background	the part furthest away (the top or back)
in the middle / in the centre	the centre of the photo
on the left / on the right	at the left or right side
next to / beside	very close, at the side of
behind / in front of	at the back of / at the front of
between	with one thing on each side
above / below	higher than / lower than
opposite	facing something, on the other side
around	on every side of something

4. Simple adjectives that are easy to spell

Word / phrase	Meaning / use
colours	blue, green, yellow, white, dark, bright, colourful (British) / colorful (American)
size	small, large, huge, tall, narrow, wide
people	young, old, smiling, busy, relaxed, excited, tired
places	busy, quiet, crowded, peaceful, modern, old, clean
weather	sunny, cloudy, warm, clear, windy
atmosphere	cheerful, calm, lively, friendly, relaxing

British or American spelling?

Examiners accept widely used spelling variations, so both "colour" and "color" are fine. Just be consistent and spell each word the same way every time.

Punctuation you need

Capital letters at the start of every sentence and for names of places (Cairo, the Nile, Luxor).
Full stops at the end of every sentence. Most lost marks in Q1 come from two sentences joined with a comma.
Commas in lists: apples, oranges and bananas.
Commas after a starting phrase: In the background, there are mountains.
No need for colons, semicolons, dashes or brackets. They earn nothing extra here and can create errors.

Structure: sentence by sentence

Sentence	Job	About how many words
1	Overview: what the photo shows and where	8-12
2	Main people or thing + action (present continuous)	10-14
3	A detail: clothes, colours or objects	8-12
4	Background or position detail	8-10
5	Atmosphere / feeling (short ending)	4-8

How to start

Openings

This photograph shows...
In this photo, I can see...
The photograph was taken in/at...
This is a photo of...
In the centre of the photograph, there is/are...

How to end

Closings

The atmosphere looks cheerful and relaxed.
Everyone seems to be enjoying the day.
It looks like a peaceful place to spend a holiday.
The people look happy and busy.
Overall, it is a lively and colourful scene.

More useful phrases

People

a group of teenagers
an elderly man
a young family
two friends
some tourists
a shopkeeper

Actions

is walking along
are sitting around
is holding
are looking at
is taking a photo of
are waiting for

Things and places

a narrow street
a wooden boat
a modern building
a market stall
a sandy beach
a green field

Feelings

seem relaxed
look excited
appear to be enjoying
are smiling
look busy

Common mistakes in Question 1

Mistake	Example	Fix
Joining sentences with a comma	There is a lake, the water is blue.	There is a lake. The water is blue.
Missing "is/are" in present continuous	The man selling fruit.	The man is selling fruit.
Wrong "there is/are"	There is many tourists.	There are many tourists.
Spelling -ing forms	siting, runing, makeing	sitting, running, making
Over-ambitious vocabulary	The magnificant panaroma is breathtakingly picturesque.	The view of the mountains is beautiful.
Writing a story instead of a description	They had a long journey and next week they will go home.	They look tired but happy.
Too short	There is a beach. It is nice.	Add who, what they are doing, details and atmosphere (30+ words).
Lower-case place names	the photo is in egypt	The photo was taken in Egypt.
Listing objects with no sentences	Tree, sea, boat, sun, people.	Write full sentences: There are some trees next to the sea.

سر الدرجة النهائية في وصف الصورة

درجات اللغة هنا 3 فقط، وهي على الإملاء وعلامات الترقيم. الكلمات الصعبة لن تزيد درجتك، بل قد تخسر درجات إذا كتبتها خطأ.
استخدم المضارع المستمر: is/are + ing (A man is selling...).
اذكر مَن في الصورة، وماذا يفعلون، وبعض التفاصيل (الألوان والأماكن)، ثم إحساس الصورة في النهاية.
كل جملة تبدأ بحرف كبير وتنتهي بنقطة. لا تكتب جملتين بينهما فاصلة فقط.
لا تصف كل شيء. اختر جزءاً أو جزأين من الصورة وصِفهما جيداً في 30-50 كلمة.

Timing

Spend about 10 minutes on Q1: 2 minutes looking at the photo and writing 5-6 key words, 6 minutes writing, and 2 minutes checking spelling and full stops. Do not spend longer. Q1 has the fewest marks, and you will need the time for Q4.

Model answers

There is no real photo on this page, so each task below first describes the imagined photograph in brackets. In the exam you will see the photo itself.

Model 1: A market in an old town (travel website)45 words · 9/9 (Content 6/6 + Language 3/3)

Task: Look closely at this photograph from a travel website. [The photo shows a busy outdoor fruit and vegetable market in an old town square. In the middle, a smiling older man is selling oranges and bananas from a wooden stall under a striped umbrella. Shoppers are carrying bags, and there are tall old buildings in the background.] Describe what you see in the photograph. Your description should be between 30 and 50 words.

This photograph shows a busy outdoor market in an old town square. In the middle, a smiling man is selling fresh oranges and bananas from a wooden stall under a striped umbrella. Behind him, many shoppers are carrying bags. The atmosphere looks cheerful and lively.

Why this gets the marks

Content 6/6, relevant: every sentence describes the photo. Nothing is invented.
Content 6/6, detailed: overview ("busy outdoor market in an old town square"), main person and action ("smiling man is selling"), objects ("oranges and bananas", "wooden stall", "striped umbrella"), background people and the atmosphere.
Content 6/6, clear: short, well-built sentences, so there is no delay at all.
Language 3/3: all words are spelt correctly (cheerful, umbrella, atmosphere). Every sentence has a capital letter and a full stop. Commas follow the starting phrases "In the middle," and "Behind him,".
Safe choices: present continuous ("is selling", "are carrying") and simple adjectives. No risky punctuation.

Model 2: A science lesson (school website)49 words · 9/9 (Content 6/6 + Language 3/3)

Task: Look closely at this photograph from a school website. [Three students in white lab coats and safety glasses are doing an experiment in a bright science laboratory. One boy is pouring a blue liquid into a glass tube while the others watch. Their teacher is standing beside them, pointing at a notebook.] Describe what you see in the photograph. Your description should be between 30 and 50 words.

In this photograph, three students are doing an experiment in a bright science laboratory. They are wearing white coats and safety glasses. One boy is carefully pouring blue liquid into a glass tube, while his friends are watching. Their teacher is standing next to them. They all look interested.

Why this gets the marks

Content 6/6: covers who (three students, a boy, the teacher), where (a bright science laboratory), what they are doing (doing an experiment, pouring, watching) and how they feel (interested).
Detail: clothes and objects make the picture clear ("white coats and safety glasses", "blue liquid", "glass tube").
Clear communication: one idea per sentence. The reader never has to reread.
Language 3/3: harder words are spelt correctly (experiment, laboratory, carefully). The comma before "while" is correct. All sentences are correctly separated.
"Laboratory" is the only long word. Use it only if you are sure of the spelling. Otherwise "science room" is just as good for marks.

Model 3: Football in the park (local newspaper)49 words · 9/9 (Content 6/6 + Language 3/3)

Task: Look closely at this photograph from a local newspaper. [A group of teenage boys are playing football on a green pitch in a park at sunset. One boy in a red shirt is kicking the ball towards the goal and the goalkeeper is jumping. Families are sitting on the grass watching, and there are tall palm trees behind the pitch.] Describe what you see in the photograph. Your description should be between 30 and 50 words.

This photograph shows a football match in a park at sunset. A boy in a red shirt is kicking the ball towards the goal, and the goalkeeper is jumping to stop it. Some families are sitting on the grass and watching. There are tall palm trees behind the pitch.

Why this gets the marks

Content 6/6: a clear overview, the main action with detail ("in a red shirt", "jumping to stop it"), the people watching and the background.
Relevance: only what can be seen. No story about who won.
Organisation: moves from the main action in the foreground to the background, so it is easy to follow.
Language 3/3: accurate spelling of every word, correct comma before "and" joining two full clauses, capital letters and full stops throughout.
Grammar is simple but correct: present continuous and "There are". In Q1 that is exactly what earns full marks.

Bonus model: no-photo task (modified paper style)44 words · 9/9 (Content 6/6 + Language 3/3)

Task: Describe a busy place in your town that you know well. Your description should be between 30 and 50 words.

Every Friday, the main square in my town is very busy. Families sit on wooden benches around a large fountain, and children ride their bicycles near the trees. On one side, there are small cafés with colourful tables. The air smells of fresh bread.

Why this gets the marks

Without a photo, describe a real place from memory in the present simple (what usually happens there).
Content: place, people, actions, details (benches, fountain, cafés) and a sense detail (smell) make it vivid and clear.
Language: accurate spelling and punctuation. Commas after "On one side," and before "and" joining two clauses.

Before and after: a weak answer improved44 words · 9/9 (Content 6/6 + Language 3/3)

Task: Look closely at this photograph from a holiday brochure. [A family is having a picnic on a blanket beside a river. A father is pouring tea, two children are eating sandwiches, and a small sailing boat is on the water behind them.] Describe what you see in the photograph. Your description should be between 30 and 50 words.

This photograph shows a family having a picnic beside a river. They are sitting on a large blanket. The father is pouring tea, and two children are eating sandwiches. Behind them, a small white boat is sailing on the calm water. They look relaxed.

Why this gets the marks

The WEAK version a student wrote: "in this photo there is family make picnic near the river they are very happyness, the father pour tea and the childs eat sanwiches there is a boat it is beautifull" (about 6/9: Content 4 because of delay, Language 2 because of missing capitals, full stops and misspellings).
Fixed: capital letters and full stops separate each idea. "Childs" → children, "sanwiches" → sandwiches, "beautifull" → (removed and replaced with clear details), "happyness" → relaxed.
Fixed: present continuous is now complete ("is pouring", "are eating") instead of "pour" and "eat".
Added detail: "large blanket", "small white boat", "calm water".

Practice

Practice task: Look closely at this photograph from a travel blog. [The photo shows a felucca (a traditional sailing boat) on the Nile at sunset. Two young men are sitting in the boat and one of them is taking a photo with his phone. The sky is orange and there are palm trees on the riverbank.] Describe what you see in 30-50 words. Make a quick plan first.
Show answer
Plan: 1) Overview: a sailing boat on the Nile at sunset. 2) Who/doing: two young men sitting. One taking a photo with his phone. 3) Detail: orange sky. 4) Background: palm trees on the riverbank. 5) Atmosphere: peaceful, relaxing. Sample answer (47 words): This photograph shows a traditional sailing boat on the Nile at sunset. Two young men are sitting in the boat, and one of them is taking a photo with his phone. The sky is bright orange. On the riverbank, there are tall palm trees. It looks peaceful.
Correct the errors: "In the background there is two mountains, the sky is clear and blue"
Show answer
In the background, there are two mountains. The sky is clear and blue. (comma after the starting phrase. "Are" for plural. Full stops to separate the two sentences)
Which word in this list is safest for Q1 and why: magnificent / beautiful / picturesque?
Show answer
Any of them is fine IF you spell it correctly, but choose the one you are 100% sure of. Q1 gives no extra marks for rare words, only for accurate spelling and punctuation.
Write the -ing form: swim, ride, lie, shop, carry.
Show answer
swimming, riding, lying, shopping, carrying
A student writes 70 words of excellent, accurate description. Will they lose marks?
Show answer
No marks are taken away for length, but there is no reward either, and the extra time is better spent on Q4. Aim for 40-50 words.
Is "There are a man and his son fishing" correct?
Show answer
When the first noun is singular, use "There is": "There is a man and his son fishing." Even better and safer: "A man and his son are fishing."

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