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PERSONALITY TRAITS

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A. Read the audio script below before listening to the audio.

If someone asked you to describe yourself at a party, how would you do that in English?

Are you typically someone who loves to be with other people or you prefer to
be a little alone or just with a small group?

How would you describe that in English or how would you describe someone who
doesn't enjoy being around other people? 

In English, we have some fantastic advanced expressions that we use to describe
personalities and that's exactly what we're going to focus on today. Now the reason for this lesson is just last week I was talking with a group of students and I used an idiom to talk about my personality that was totally new and I started to think about some other idioms we use regularly to talk about people, their personalities and characteristics.

I thought you might like to know those idioms as well so that you can add them
to your daily English and understand native speakers more easily.
And the good news is if you enjoy this lesson, I actually have three other lessons on this topic. In fact, I have a full lesson on how to talk about your personality in English.

A lesson with 28 negative adjectives that we can use to talk about people
because let's be honest, sometimes we need some negative adjectives, and finally a lesson with 23 positive adjectives you can use for talking about people and their personalities. But today let's focus on some idioms. 

Idiom number one is a lone wolf. Have you ever heard that one before? A lone wolf. Here's my example sentence and I want to see if you can catch the meaning.

👉 She was a true lone wolf. Her only friends were her motorcycle and the poker game at the local casino.

What do you think? Does that sound like someone who loves being with other people? Probably not. In fact, a lone wolf is someone who doesn't enjoy other people. They don't like being around others. They prefer to be alone.

Do you know anyone who's a lone wolf

Now, idiom number two is perfect for describing how people behave at a party, and this is the idiom I used with my students to talk about me. Here's an example. 

👉 When I was younger, I was such a wallflower. I was always too nervous or afraid to talk to other people at a party. 

What do you think when you're at a party? 
Do you ever notice that there are some people who tend to hang out closer to the wall, they're not in the middle talking to everyone else? Instead, they prefer to spend time with just one or two people and have in-depth conversations.

That is someone who is a wallflower and it definitely describes me as well.

Now idiom number three is the total opposite -- a social butterfly.
This is someone who loves being at a party. 
They love talking to everyone and they're always in the middle of the group.

So which one describes you? A social butterfly or a wallflower?

Now let's take a look at idiom number four -- a smart cookie. Have you heard that one before? 
Here's an example so that you can try to understand the meaning. 

👉 My grandmother is a really smart cookieShe's definitely the brains behind my family's business.

What do you think? She's definitely the brains behind my family's business. 
A smart cookie is someone who is really intelligent and clever. Now, I could also use the idiom, a tough cookie to describe my grandmother's personality.

She can handle any problem or challenge that comes her way. What do you think? What other words do you think we could use to describe someone who's a
tough cookie? Definitely, someone who is determined and focused. Someone who isn't easily intimidated or defeated. 

All right. Idiom number six is one of my favorites, a mover and a shaker. For example:

👉 George is definitely a mover and a shaker. He knows everyone in the city and he's involved in so many different projects.

A mover and a shaker is someone, who gets things done due to power and influence. That influence might come from having money or having really strong connections because they know everyone. 

Idiom number seven is a go-getter. Here's an example. 

👉 She's a real go-getter. I'm sure she'll be running this company one day. 

What do you think? I'm sure she'll be running this company one day. This is a fantastic idiom to use for someone who is highly motivated and really ambitious.

And finally, our last idiom for today is someone who is a party animal.
For example:

👉 When he was in college, he was a total party animal
In fact, I don't think he ever went to his classes. 

A party animal is definitely someone who loves going to parties but may be a little too much. In fact, it might be a problem because they don't do their job. They don't go to work on time or they don't go to their classes.

Now that you have these eight idioms to talk about personalities in English,
I definitely want you to practice. But first, if you enjoyed today's lesson, I would love to know, and here are three ways that you can tell me. 

Number one, be sure to give this video a thumbs up on YouTube and subscribe to this channel so you never miss a future lesson. 

Number two, share it with friends and colleagues on Facebook. 

And number three. If one of these idioms describes a friend of yours and you would love to tell her about it, email her this lesson. So now let's get to some practice number one.

I really want to know what your favorite idiom is on this list.

Share your favorite with me and use it as an example. 

Are there any idioms on this list that you could use to describe yourself?
If so, how would you do that? And finally, choose one idiom to help you describe a best friend or someone that you work with. 

And with that, have fun using these new expressions in your daily English. Thank you so much for joining me and I'll see you next time for your Confident English lesson.


B. Time to start chatting! Ask your partner or teacher these questions.  

1. What is your best personality trait?
2. What is your main weakness? How do you try to overcome it?
3. Do people fall in love with good looks or with great personalities?
4. Do you have a positive or negative attitude?
5. Is it possible for a person to be too positive or too happy?
6. What personality traits does a leader need?
7. How does one person's character affect the personalities of surrounding People? Are you influenced by people you know? Give an example.
8. Do you try to be a friendly person? Why or why not?
9. How are male and female personalities different?
10. What is your blood type? Do you think personality is related to blood type?
11. What is your star sign? What does it say about you?
12. Do all people have a combination of good and bad characteristics? Or are some people all good or all bad?
13. What does 'nice guys finish last' mean? Do you agree?
14. Is your character similar to your mother's or father's character? In what ways are you like them, and in what ways are you different?
15. How does birth order affect personality? What qualities does a firstborn child have? How about an only child?
16. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Or somewhere in the middle?
What is charisma? Do you know any charismatic people?
17. Can people change their personalities if they want to? Do you know anybody who has changed theirs?

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C. Find the right translation for the words in the box and then discuss the questions below with your classmate or teacher. 



1. Are you a social butterfly or a lone wolf? Have you always been this way or have you changed?
2. What are the pros and cons of each personality type?
3. Describe a time when you were life and soul of the party. What was the occasion?
4. Do you know someone who is a party animal? Have you ever partied with them?
5. Would you prefer to be called a smart cookie or a tough cookie? Why?
6. What skills could we learn from someone who is a smart cookie and someone who is a tough cookie?
7. Do you think being a chatterbox is a positive trait? Could it put you in trouble?
8. Have you ever accidentally spilled a secret? What happened?
9. Which idioms would you describe yourself with? Which ones would you like to be more like?
10. Do you know any other personality idioms? What do they mean? Do you know anyone like that?


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