Personality — B1 Vocabulary

B1 VOCABULARY · personality

The Reference

PICTURE

(you add this)

"He's very direct." "Direct meaning... rude?"

Personality adjectives · opposites · negative prefixes · false friends *sensible* and *sympathetic*

Listening

Speaking

LEAD-IN

Three adjectives

You can describe yourself with only three adjectives — on a dating profile, or on a CV.

1. Which three do you choose?

2. Which three would your family choose for you?

3. Are the two lists the same? Which is more accurate?

PICTURE

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VOCABULARY · B1

Match the adjective to the person.

1. selfish

2. reliable

3. stubborn

4. moody

5. bossy

6. sensible

7. jealous

8. charming

9. spoilt

10. anxious

a) happy at 9.00, furious at 9.15, nobody knows why

b) thinks about themselves first, second and third

c) if they say they'll be there at eight, they're there at 7.55

d) never changes their mind, even when they're clearly wrong

e) makes everyone like them within five minutes

f) worries about everything, including things that haven't happened

g) practical; makes decisions with their head

h) loves giving orders; allergic to receiving them

i) wants what other people have, or fears losing what they have

j) got everything they wanted as a child, and it shows

VOCABULARY · B2 & B3

Opposites, prefixes and stress.

1. Write the opposite: clever → ________ · generous → ________ · lazy → ________ · shy → ________ · quiet → ________ · insecure → ________

2. Negative prefixes. Sort into un- / dis- and im- / ir- / in-: reliable · patient · honest · sensitive · mature · tidy · organized · responsible · kind · friendly · selfish

3. One of the new words you make is actually positive. Which one?

4. Pronunciation. Mark the stress: ambitious · competitive · reliable · sensitive · independent · affectionate. Which one has the stress on the first syllable?

BEFORE YOU LISTEN

The reference call

Greta, an HR manager, is phoning Bruno, who managed a job candidate called Malik for three and a half years.

LISTEN FOR

PICTURE

1. Does Bruno recommend Malik — completely, partly, or not at all?

(you add this)

LISTENING

Tapescript: "The reference call"

GRETA Mr Costa? Greta Lindqvist, from Harven Group. Thanks for taking the time. So — Malik Osei has applied to us for a team leader role, and he gave your name as a reference. You managed him for three years, is that right?

BRUNO Three and a half. Ask me anything.

GRETA Let's start simply. What kind of person is he?

BRUNO Honestly? The most hard-working person I've ever managed. First in, last out — and not for show. Extremely reliable: in three years he missed one deadline, and that was because half the building had flu. And clever. Properly clever, not just confident.

GRETA That's a strong start. The role involves leading a team of six. How is he with people?

BRUNO Ah. Now we get to it. Malik is... let me choose my words. He's very direct.

GRETA Direct meaning... rude?

BRUNO No, never rude. But not exactly charming either. He doesn't do small talk. New people sometimes read him as unfriendly, and he can seem impatient with slower colleagues. He isn't aggressive — I never once heard him raise his voice — but he is stubborn. When he believes he's right, meetings become... long.

GRETA And is he usually right?

BRUNO Annoyingly, yes. About eighty per cent of the time.

GRETA What about the other twenty?

BRUNO That's the interesting part. He's ambitious — very — but he's not selfish with it. If the team wins, he's satisfied. And when he is wrong, he says so, in front of everyone. That's rarer than it should be. I'd call him sensible rather than sensitive, if you see the difference: give him a problem, not a feeling.

GRETA Any real weaknesses I should know about?

BRUNO Two. He's a terrible judge of his own tiredness — he'll work himself flat and get moody in the last week of a big project. And he's completely disorganized with paperwork. Brilliant with people's problems, chaos with his own desk.

GRETA So — would you hire him again?

BRUNO Tomorrow. But put someone talkative and sociable next to him. He needs a translator for the first month. After that, people would follow him anywhere.

COMPREHENSION

Which adjectives does Bruno use — or clearly imply — about Malik?

Tick the ones that apply and note the evidence. Careful: some are mentioned only to be denied.

hard-working · lazy · reliable · clever · charming · rude · impatient · aggressive · stubborn · ambitious · selfish · sensible · sensitive · moody · disorganized · sociable

LANGUAGE FOCUS

Answer the questions.

1. Bruno says Malik is "sensible rather than sensitive." Which one means practical, uses common sense? Which means easily hurt, feels things deeply?

2. Sympathetic does NOT mean nice. Work out its real meaning: "My colleague was very sympathetic when my dog died — she listened for an hour."

3. Find the two negative-prefix adjectives in the call: un____________ , dis____________

4. Softening. Bruno says "not exactly charming" instead of "cold and boring". Why do people soften criticism?

5. Soften these: lazy → not exactly... · bossy → a little... · stupid → not the most...

PRACTICE · G1

Complete with a personality adjective.

1. She'll organise the trip, book the tickets and print the maps — she's incredibly s________ and o________.

2. Don't ask him to share his chips. Thirty years old and still completely s________.

3. My aunt is very a________: hugs, kisses, more hugs.

4. He never speaks in meetings — he's painfully s________ — but online he's surprisingly t________.

5. You can't win an argument with her. She's the most s________ person alive.

6. Our neighbour complains about everything. Charming to visitors, m________ with us.

PRACTICE · G2

Add the correct negative prefix.

__patient

__honest

__responsible

__tidy

__mature

__sensitive

__reliable

__friendly

Can you think of another adjective for each of these prefixes?

SPEAKING

The reference

Student A is an HR manager. Student B gives a reference for someone they know well — a friend, a relative, a former colleague, or a famous person if that feels safer.

• A must ask about strengths, weaknesses and teamwork.

• B must use at least six personality adjectives, and soften at least two criticisms.

• Swap roles. Then report the most diplomatic phrase you heard.

PICTURE

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TEACHER'S REFERENCE · HIDE OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (1)

B1 1 b · 2 c · 3 d · 4 a · 5 h · 6 g · 7 i · 8 e · 9 j · 10 f

B2 stupid · mean · hard-working · outgoing · talkative · self-confident

B3 un- / dis-: unreliable, untidy, unkind, unfriendly, unselfish, dishonest, disorganized. im- / ir- / in-: impatient, insensitive, immature, irresponsible. The positive one: unselfish.

PRONUNCIATION amBItious · comPETitive · reLIable · SENsitive · indePENdent · afFECtionate. First syllable: sensitive.

GIST Partly. Very strong on work and character, with clear warnings about people skills — but he would hire him again "tomorrow", with support.

COMPREHENSION Used or implied: hard-working (first in, last out) · reliable (one missed deadline) · clever · impatient (with slower colleagues) · stubborn · ambitious · sensible · moody (end of big projects) · disorganized (paperwork). Denied or not his: charming ("not exactly charming") · aggressive (explicitly denied) · selfish (denied) · sensitive (contrasted) · sociable (what he needs next to him) · lazy, rude.

LANGUAGE FOCUS 1 sensible = practical; sensitive = easily hurt, feels deeply. 2 sympathetic = understanding and caring about someone's feelings. 3 unfriendly, disorganized. 4 Softening keeps the description fair and the relationship intact: not exactly energetic · a little bossy · not the most academic person.

G1 1 sensible, organized · 2 selfish · 3 affectionate · 4 shy, talkative · 5 stubborn · 6 moody

G2 impatient · dishonest · irresponsible · untidy · immature · insensitive · unreliable · unfriendly

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · HIDE OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (2)

HOMEWORK Write the reference Bruno might send by email (100–130 words): honest, fair, professional. At least eight personality adjectives and one softened criticism.