Rhetorical Functions in Academic Speaking

Describing
Language
Position, weight, structure, colour, composition, size, shape, function
Position

A
is

adjacent to
alongside
below
beyond
facing
(diagonally)
parallel to
underneath
opposite
in the middle
of
on the right of
on the left of
near
B
close to
touching
behind
in front of
under
on top of
above
below
level with
diagonally
above
vertically
below
between
equidistant
from

B and
C.

Structure
nailed
screwed
fixed
fastened
X is linked
to Y by Z
welded
tied
connected
attached
c
o
n
si
s
t
s

Y
a
of n
d
Z

c
o
n
t
ai
n
s
i
n
cl
u
d
e
s
held in
place
secured
is
by Y
supported
suspende
d
joined

to

mounted
placed
pivoted

on

Colour
X is dark green.
light blue.

pale
red.
brigh
yellow
t
.
dull
Composition

X is

made
of

metal.
steel.
alluminium.
an alloy of A
and B.
cloth.
silk.
china.
wood.
plastic.
glass.

Size and weight

X is

X is

Th
e

6
cm

long
high
wid
e

6
cm

length
height
in width
diamet
er

6
Kg

weight

length
height
6
width
of X is
cm
diamet
er
weight

6
Kg.

length
width
ha
6
X
a height of
s
cm.
diamet
er

6
Kg.

weight

weigh 10
s
Kg

Shape

X is

is

squ
are
rou
nd
rect
ang
ular
tria
ngul
ar
sem
icirc
ular
coni in
cal sha
sph pe
eric
al
hex
ago
nal
octa
gon
al
oval
circ
ular
irre
gula
r
square
circle
rectangl
e
triangle
semicircle
hexago
n
octagon

is shaped
like a

X is cubical

in

cylindrical
pyramidal
spherical
tubular
shape
spiral
hemispheri
cal
conical

bulbous
tapering
X is
concave
convex

in
shape.

diamondshaped
kidney-shaped
U-shaped
star-shaped
bell-shaped
dome-shaped
mushroomshaped
X-shaped
crescentshaped
egg-shaped
pear-shaped
Y-shaped

Function

Th
e

functio
n
purpos
of
e
the
aim
objectiv
e

Th
e

thermomet
is used
er
for
tripod

Properties
X
is

light
tough

thermomet
is
er
to
tripod

measure the
temperature.
hold the beaker.

measuring the
temperature.
holding the beaker,

soft
elastic
malleable
flexible
soluble
a good conductor of
electricity/heat
corrosion resistant
combustible
transparent
smooth
heavy
brittle
hard
plastic
ductile
rigid
insoluble
a bad conductor of
electricity/heat
not corrosion resistant
non-combustible
opaque
rough

Read the following descriptions:

Example 1

If you look at an octopus, it seems to be just a huge head with eight long, fearful arms. Its head is soft and
rubberlike. Its eyes stick out on stalks so that it can see in all directions. Its mouth is on the underside of its
body and has powerful jaws which are shaped like a beak. The long arms, or tentacles, have double rows of

suckers. These can fasten onto objects with such suction that they cannot be pulled off.
Example 2

The liver is the largest organ in the body. It weighs a little more than three pounds in an adult. It is shaped like
a wedge and it is situated under the diaphragm, mostly on the left side of the body. There it is protected by the
lower ribs. The liver is a little like an intricate chemical factory. It takes the particles of glucose - which come
from digested starches and sugars - and changes them into another kind of carbohydrate called glycogen. It
then stores the glycogen. When you need sugar in your body, the liver turns the glycogen into glucose again
and sends it to the body tissues through the bloodstream.