IB Language ab initio Study Notes: Personal Attributes (Theme: Identities)

Hello future fluent communicators! Welcome to the chapter on Personal Attributes. This topic is super important because it answers the key question of the "Identities" theme: How do we express who we are?

Learning how to describe yourself and others is fundamental. It allows you to make new friends, describe suspects to the police (just kidding!), and talk about famous people or family members. Don't worry if this seems tricky at first; we will break down the essential vocabulary and grammar rules step-by-step!


Section 1: What are Personal Attributes?

Personal attributes are the words we use to define a person. We generally divide these descriptions into three main categories:

1. Physical Appearance (What you look like)

These are observable characteristics like height, weight, hair colour, and eye colour.
Example: tall, short, blonde, athletic.

2. Character Traits (Who you are inside)

These describe your personality, behaviour, and disposition. These traits are generally permanent.
Example: kind, shy, serious, funny.

3. Feelings and Moods (How you feel right now)

These are temporary emotional or physical states.
Example: happy, tired, stressed, hungry.

Memory Aid: Think of your character traits (Category 2) as your smartphone's operating system—it defines how you function, and it rarely changes. Think of your feelings (Category 3) as your battery level—it changes constantly throughout the day!


Section 2: Describing Physical Appearance

When you describe someone's appearance in your target language, you are usually using one of two core verbs: the verb "To Be" (for permanent traits) or the verb "To Have" (for specific features like hair or eyes).

Key Vocabulary Focus: High-Frequency Adjectives

  • Height and Build:
    Tall (grande), Short (petit/a), Medium height (taille moyenne).
    Thin/Slim (mince/flaco/a), Heavy/Fat (gros/a, gordo/a), Athletic (sportif/ve).
  • Hair: Remember that hair usually requires the verb 'To Have' in many languages.
    Black hair, Brown hair, Blonde hair, Red hair.
    Long hair, Short hair, Curly hair, Straight hair.
  • General Appearance:
    Beautiful/Handsome (beau/belle), Ugly (laid/e), Cute (mignon/ne).

Quick Review Tip: If you are struggling, focus on mastering the description of just your own appearance first. Once you can describe yourself accurately, applying the rules to others will be much easier.

Did you know? In some cultures, discussing a person's weight or size is considered impolite. Always use respectful and neutral terms like "medium build" or "a bit tall" when communicating in new contexts. This links directly to the "Intercultural understanding" element of the IB program!


Section 3: Describing Character Traits (Personality)

These are the adjectives you use to define *who* the person is. Because these are considered permanent attributes, they almost always use the main verb "To Be" (e.g., He IS intelligent).

Core Personality Vocabulary (Essential for ab initio)
  • Positive Traits:
    • Kind / Nice (gentil/le, amable)
    • Hardworking (travailleur/se, trabajador/a)
    • Funny / Humorous (drôle, gracioso/a)
    • Intelligent / Clever (intelligent/e, listo/a)
  • Neutral/Situational Traits:
    • Shy (timide, tímido/a)
    • Serious (sérieux/se, serio/a)
    • Talkative (bavard/e, hablador/a)
  • Traits to Avoid (If possible, for simple sentences):
    • Lazy (paresseux/se, perezoso/a)
    • Impolite (impoli/e, maleducado/a)

Step-by-Step: Using Personality Traits

  1. Choose the subject: My friend (feminine singular)
  2. Use the correct form of the "To Be" verb: My friend [IS]
  3. Add the attribute, making sure the adjective agrees (see Section 5): My friend [IS] hardworking (feminine form)


Section 4: Expressing Feelings and Moods (Temporary States)

While personality traits are permanent, feelings describe your momentary condition. This is a very important distinction in grammar! Many languages use a different verb (often "To Be" in a temporary sense) to express feelings.

Common Mistakes to Avoid: Accidentally using the permanent "To Be" verb when describing a feeling might mean you are suggesting that person *always* is that way. (E.g., saying "He is sad" permanently instead of "He is feeling sad" temporarily).

Essential Feeling Vocabulary
  • Happy (content/e, feliz)
  • Sad (triste)
  • Tired (fatigué/e, cansado/a)
  • Angry (fâché/e, enojado/a)
  • Stressed / Nervous (stressé/e, nervioso/a)

Interactive Skill Builder: Practice asking and answering the basic question: "How are you today?" [Comment vas-tu aujourd'hui? / ¿Cómo estás hoy?]. The answer uses the temporary state verb and a feeling adjective.


Section 5: The Grammar Toolkit - Adjective Agreement is King!

This is the single most important grammar point for the "Personal Attributes" chapter at the ab initio level. In most languages you study (French, Spanish, German, etc.), adjectives must agree with the noun they describe.

The Rule of Agreement (The Adjective is the Noun's Shadow)

The adjective (the describing word) must change its ending to match the gender (masculine/feminine) and the number (singular/plural) of the person or thing you are describing.

Step-by-Step Agreement Process:

  1. Identify the Noun/Subject: Is it masculine or feminine?
  2. Identify the Number: Is it one person (singular) or more than one (plural)?
  3. Adjust the Adjective: Change the adjective ending accordingly.
Example Concept (Using placeholders):

  • Masculine Singular: My brother is kind (adjective form A)
  • Feminine Singular: My sister is kind (adjective form A+E)
  • Masculine Plural: My brothers are kind (adjective form A+S)
  • Feminine Plural: My sisters are kind (adjective form A+ES)

Prerequisite Concept Check: Make sure you know how to identify the gender of nouns (like friend, teacher, student) in your target language, as this determines the adjective ending.


Key Takeaway Summary

To successfully discuss Personal Attributes, you must master:

1. Vocabulary: Knowing high-frequency adjectives for appearance and character.
2. Verbs: Using the correct form of the permanent "To Be" for character, and the temporary "To Be" for feelings.
3. Agreement: Ensuring your adjectives match the gender and number of the person described.

Keep practising these three elements, and you’ll be expressing your identity and describing others like a pro! Good luck!