SAMPLE ANSWERS FOR PICTURE DESCRIPTION

SAMPLE ANSWERS FOR PICTURE DESCRIPTION

SAMPLE

Refer to Picture A: AT A STADIUM

This picture was probably taken at a stadium where there are numerous people present and orderly seated in rows. The people in this picture both in the background and foreground are probably there to attend an organized event such as the National Day parade or perhaps a soccer match.

The focus of this picture is the four young men at the centre of this picture, who are posing for the camera. All of them are looking directly at the camera. They seem very happy at having their picture taken as they are looking at the camera as they have smiles on their faces. The boy second from the left seem to be stretching his neck to make sure his face can be clearly captured. This shows enthusiasm at having his picture taken.

I think that these four young men are probably friends who have decided to attend this event together. In my opinion these four young men are doing what most youths like to do, presumably watch soccer match. Looking at the people in general, I think that the crowd in the picture is largely made up of youngsters. I think this is common as usually youths are more interested in this kind of event and very often interest in sports / matches or an organized out door event declines as people age.

In the centre of the picture, I can see that the young man wearing a beaded necklace, has his face painted. Half in dak colour and half in light colour. His hair also seemed to have been sprayed with some hair colour. I’m guessing that the colours represent the colours of his country or the team he is supporting.

The young men on his right and left and a few other people in the background also have their face painted. I think that this is one way these individuals are trying to show their support to their favourite team or showing a sense of patriotism to their country. Looking at the same two colours ( the light and dark shades) they have painted on, I think that this group of young men, assuming they are there to watch a match, is possibly supporting the same team.

I think that it is good that they are attending this event rather than getting into unwanted social ills. I think this sort of event helps the young men to forge closer bonds with each other and also get to know other individuals who share the same interests as them.




















Set 1

Picture of a clown entertaining children and the challenges he faces
Theme: Humour

The reading passage is about the reflection of a clown whose job is to entertain children and the challenges he faces.

This picture shows a clown in a nursery class, trying to entertain a group of pre-schoolers. It must have been quite an amusing sight for the children as they appear to be engrossed by what the clown is doing. It is rare to see a clown in a classroom so I suppose it could have been a special occasion such as Children’s Day and the school has decided to engage the service of the clown to bring some cheer to the children. Perhaps, it could be a case of the teacher trying to do something different to capture the children’s attention and carry out his / her lesson in a less conventional way. Whatever it is, I think the clown has succeeded in capturing the children’s imagination. Judging from his facial expression, the clown is probably enjoying himself as well. It seems to me that he is very intent on making the children laugh and he is stopping at nothing to achieve his goal He is definitely very passionate about his work. In his mind, the clown is probably telling himself, “ Hm… I am glad these kids are so interested in what I am doing. I must do something to get them more excited.” As for the children, I must say that they are really very amused and it seems to me that they are asking the clown to do something else more exciting to entertain them. From the look of it, there is probably a lot of noise but what is more important is that everyone is enjoying himself. Among the children is a little boy who seems a little distracted. He is seen trying to talk to his friend who ignores him. I think he is one of those naughty children with a short attention and who gets easily distracted. The clown will probably have to think of some ways to capture his attention and I think that is what he is going to do next. He will most likely get the little boy to come to the front to play a game or something to that effect. On the whole, the clown has done a very good job in bringing humour to the class of young children. As the saying goes, “Laughter is the best medicine’ and I think the whole experience has been most unforgettable and beneficial for the children.


Set 2

Picture of school children pitching a tent

Theme: Teamwork

The reading passage is about teamwork and how important it is to be able to lead a team well without coming across as being authoritative.

This picture shows a few school children trying to pitch a tent. I think they are attending a school camp which is held by the school as part of their programme to promote teamwork and survival skills. It seems to me that the tent pitching contest is part of the assessment for teamwork. The group in the picture does not seem to be able to work very cohesively. There is an apparent lack of teamwork and leadership and nobody seems to know how to go about their work. The girl on the left whom I believe is the leader is holding up a corner of the tent and instead of guiding the rest on what to do , she seems very lost. In her mind, she is probably telling herself, “ Oh my God! It’s so difficult to get these people to listen to me. What am I goingto do?” As for the rest of the team, it is obvious they are waiting for instructions and guidance which is not at all forthcoming from the leader. They must be thinking that they have a poor leader who cannot lead and some of them might be blaming the leader for their inability to pitch the tent. The poor leader must be feeling quite frustrated but instead of getting help , she is cracking her brain on what to do but it is obvious her efforts are in vain. Two of her teammates seem to be discussing between themselves on what is the best course of action but then again, I do not think they have a solution. After trying without success, I think the team is likely to give up. They will of course have to pay a price for their failure to work as a tem which is precisely one of the objectives of the camp. Next, they will move on to another activity and from what I can see, they would probably have known their mistakes and try harder to work more cohesively as a team. This picture depicts the importance of teamwork, for without it, a lot of things cannot be done. The purpose of the camp is to foster team work and develop leadership qualities. I can safely say that the children have all benefited from the experience although they did not manage to pitch the tent successfully. What is crucial is that they have learnt from the experience and become more aware of their flaws.

Set 3

Picture of woman shouting angrily at someone who throws clothes out of the window.

Theme: Civic- consciousness

The passage is about a teenager Michael who throws something out of the window in a fit of anger.

This picture shows a middle-aged woman getting very worked up and screaming at the top of her lungs. It appears that she has just walked past a block of flats and is almost hit by some clothes which have been thrown out of the window by an inconsiderate resident living in on one of the units. It is understandable that she gets very angry because not only is it an inconsiderate act, throwing things out of the windows from high rise buildings can cause injury or even death if the objects are heavy. Judging from the woman’s reaction, it is obvious that she is fuming mad and is stopping at nothing to give the culprit a tongue lashing for his inconsiderate behaviour. She is probably chiding him and calling him names because it seems that the culprit is nowhere to be seen. It is apparent that the woman is not about to spare him and is raving and ranting furiously, challenging him to come down and explain his action. She probably calls him a coward and dares him to show his face. On the other hand, the culprit is probably scared out of his wits and dares not defend his action for it is obvious he is at fault. He might be regretting his action but then again, he lacks the courage to own up. The woman’s action has attracted much attention although she is not in the least perturbed. The people around seem to be enjoying the drama unfolding before their eyes. Some rather amused and some look very nonchalant. The Indian lady on the left and the teenager leaning against the pillar seem to be thinking that the woman is over-reacting. The Indian woman is seen throwing a cursory glance at the pile of clothes on the floor. In her mind, she might be thinking, “What’s the big deal ? It’s just a pile of clothes. It’s not as if she is hit by a chair.” The bespectacled boy in striped shirt appears amused. He is seen grinning sheepishly as if laughing at the woman’s ranting. The same goes for the boy on the bicycle. He even stops to take in the sight and I am not sure if he thinks there is anything wrong. On the whole, the onlookers are very indifferent. This I feel, is very sad. I feel that they should speak up for the woman instead of behaving so passively. Much as the woman reacts very angrily, I must say that the person who throws the things out of his window deserves to be punished by the law. Many Singaporeans lice in high rise HDB flats and such acts will endanger their lives. Such a lack of civic mindedness surely doesn’t speak well of our society where the government is trying so hard to promote gracious living. More can definitely be done to instill the value of civic-mindedness in our society or community.





Set 4

Picture of a family gathering in front of a television

Theme: Family Bonding

Setting:

This picture is taken in the living room of a well-furnished apartment, as we can see a sofa se, television and Hi-fi set in the background. It shows a Malay family sitting together on the floor and watching television together. We can see that it’s a Malay family from their dressing, because the man in the middle is wearing a sarong and the woman in the background is wearing a baju kurung. They could be watching soccer, since we just had the World Cup. So this is a good opportunity for the family to come together and spend time together. This will develop family bonding.

Focus on the main action:

This is a family of seven and from their facial expression, they are enjoying watching the soccer match. They have even prepared some drinks and snacks and they seem to be having fun eating and watching at the same time. From their facial expression, we can see that they are excited about the match, especially the girl on the right with long silky hair. She looks engrossed and the boy and woman who are pointing at the Television set, seem to know what is happening in the match, maybe their favourite soccer player is scoring a goal.

What is going through their mind?

I think the people in the picture are wondering who will win the World Cup, since it’s such a close fight. The little boy in the middle seems a little tense and worried. He could be worried that his favourite team may not win the match, especially the girl on the right, which could be worried that his favourite team may not win the match. Whereas the woman on his right, which could be his mother, must be thinking that her favourite football player is going to score a goal and she’s excited about it. We can see from their facial expression, that not all of them support the same soccer team, as some of them look worried and some look excited and thrilled.

What would happen after the picture is taken?

After the match, maybe some of the family members will jump for joy and go out to celebrate. They may go for a meal or supper. This is a good opportunity for families to spend time together and for family bonding. Watching television or a soccer match is a good way to spend quality time together. The television is a good tool to bring families together.

Set 5

Picture of a flooded basement carpark

Theme: Flooding

“ Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink!” [This quite sounds very familiar and it is actually a line from The Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge when the Ancient Mariner is struck in the middle of the sea.].

The scene takes place in a flooded basement or ground floor car park. Three cars are submerged in water and the water level has reached almost the windows. The engines of the cars will definitely be damaged as water has seeped into it. It will take some time before the cars can be towed away for repairs.

Two men, one of whom I suspect ( guess / presume / assume) is the owner of the motorcycle, are wading in the waist-high water to manoeuvre ( bring) the motorcycle out of the car park. They do not look terribly saddened as both of them wore grins on their faces. Perhaps they are more amused by this freak ( sudden) flood and are too surprised to even recognize the severity of the situation. They are perhaps enjoying this short reprieve as flash floods like this, do not happen very often in urban Singapore. The rising water may remind them of some adventure they may have had when they were young and living in kampongs.

The flooding can be a result of the high tide coupled with the heavy rain. It may also be a consequence of a burst pipe.

I hope not to see such a flood in the neighbourhood I live as I can imagine the inconvenience it can cause.

Note: vocabulary revolves around the flood – submerged; waist high level; freak or flash flood; uncertainty – presume / assume / guess.