For beginners to advanced students

When learning a new language, it’s important to develop your descriptive skills so that you can express yourself clearly and effectively.

One fun and engaging way to do this is by describing photos using the ✋ PALMS method.

The ✋ PALMS method is an acronym that stands for:

👩 👨 People, 🎬Actions, 📍Location, 🤗 🤔Mood, and ☂️Season/ Weather

It’s a great way to structure your descriptions and ensure that you cover all the key elements of a photo.

Let’s take a closer look at how to use the ✋PALMS method to describe photos 🖼️.

👩 👨 People

The first element of the PALMS method is people. When describing a photo, it’s important to identify who or what is in the photo. If there are people in the photo, describe their appearances, such as their age, gender, and clothing. You can also describe their facial expressions and body language to give more insight into what’s happening in the photo. If there are 🐕 animals or 🛋️ objects in the photo, describe them in a similar way.

🎬 Actions

The second element of the PALMS method is actions. Describe what’s happening in the photo and what the people or objects are doing. Use action verbs to help bring the scene to life and make it more engaging for the reader. For example, if the photo shows people playing sports, you might use verbs like “running,” “jumping,” or “throwing” to describe the actions.

📍 Location

The third element of the PALMS method is location. Describe where the photo was taken and what the setting is like. Is it indoors or outdoors? Is there anything in the background or foreground that’s noteworthy or interesting? Use spatial language to help the reader visualize the location and get a sense of the scene.

🤗 🤔Mood

The next element of the PALMS method is mood. Describe the overall mood or atmosphere of the photo. What emotions or feelings does it evoke? Is it happy, sad, or somewhere in between? Use descriptive adjectives to help convey the mood and create a more engaging and immersive experience for the reader.

☂️ Season/ Wheater

The fifth and final element of the PALMS method is season or weather. This involves describing the time of year or weather conditions in the photo. If the photo was taken during the winter, you can use adjectives like “cold,” “snowy,” or “festive” to describe the scene. If the photo was taken during the summer, you can use adjectives like “sunny,” “hot,” or “relaxing” to describe the scene.

💡Putting It All Together

Now that you understand the four elements of the ✋ PALMS method, it’s time to put it all together and describe a photo using this method. Here’s an example:

In this photo, there are two people sitting on a bench in a park. The woman is wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and a sunhat, while the man is wearing a blue shirt and jeans. They are both smiling and looking at each other. The man is playing the guitar and singing for the woman. In the background, there are trees. The mood of the photo is romantic and peaceful.

By using the ✋ PALMS method to describe photos, you can improve your vocabulary, grammar, and descriptive skills in a fun and engaging way.

This method can help you become a more effective communicator and express yourself more clearly and effectively. So why not give it a try and start describing photos using the ✋ PALMS method today?

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Speaking Practice

Level of difficulty:

Look at a picture and identify the five elements of the ✋ PALMS method: People, Actions, Location, Mood, and Season/Weather.
Describe each element one by one. For example, describe the people in the picture, what they’re doing, where they are, the mood of the picture, and what season or weather it seems to be.
Practice with a partner by taking turns describing pictures to each other and listening to their descriptions. Keep practicing with different pictures to improve your skills.
Click on the arrows < > to see more pictures

Click on the arrows < > to see more pictures

for the B1 Cambridge test (PET)

In some English exams you have to speak or write about photos or pictures.

Here is a list of useful vocabulary and expressions for describing pictures or photos for oral/written exams.

What is there in the picture? (people, things, animals, places, etc)	In the picture I can see … There is a/ an +(adjective)+ singular noun There are (a couple/some/ a lot of) + (adjective) + plural noun There isn’t a + (adjective) + singular noun There aren’t any + (adjective) + plural noun
What is happening? (actions & weather) For actions use present continuous	The person/ animal is +verb-ing The people are + verb-ing It’s raining/ snowing, etc. It’s bright/ dark/ sunny/ cold/ hot, etc.
What might be happening? (If something in the picture is not clear you can make a guess)	It looks like a + noun It looks as if + person/animal + verb … It looks as though + persona/animal + verb … It seems that person/animal is … Maybe the person/animal is + verb-ing The person/animal might be +verb-ing
What could have happened before? (You can use your imagination and make a guess about the actions that happened before the picture was taken)	The person/animal might have + past participle … The person/animal may have + past participle … The person/animal could have + past participle … The person/animal couldn’t have + past participle …
Where in the picture? (location/ position)	At the top/bottom of the picture … In the foreground … In the background …. In the middle/ center of the picture … On the left/right of the picture … next to in front of across from behind near on top of under

Now that you know the vocabulary and phrases that should be included in picture description, let’s see an example:

I think this is a family photo. There are five people, and all of them are smiling. They are having lunch in the dining room. The dining room is so bright and modern. In the background, we see the kitchen and some appliances. For example, a microwave and a coffee maker.

In the foreground we see the mother sitting at the head of the table. It seems that she is taking a selfie. Her children are sitting around the table. On the left side of the photo, there is a boy and a girl. The girl is smiling. The boy has his mouth open, and he looks as if he is going to eat the whole spaghetti.

There are two teenagers sitting across from the children. The young man is smiling, and the young woman is posing for the photo. The young man has his arm around the young woman.

There are five plates with spaghetti, three glasses of orange juice, and two glasses of red wine on the table. There might be some bread in the middle of the table. The food looks very delicious.

They might be having a video call with the father. The father could have travelled for work to a different city. It looks as though they are having a good time. This photo reminds me of when I was younger, and I used to have lunch with my family every Sunday.

How to Describe Photos Using the PALMS ✋Method

Writing practice

The best way to improve your writing and speaking is to practice. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Remember that practice makes progress.

Choose ONE picture and describe it.

What can you see in the picture? Write your answer in the comments below

Teacher Julieta

English for Life

Tag: describe a photo