If you are a film enthusiast and want to know how to discuss movies in English and improve your language skills by watching English films, then this lesson is for you! Hi there! I am Janet from English with Janet, and in this lesson we are going to talk about movies. First of all, we are going to learn how to describe movies in English. Next will see whether they can help you improve your English and how. Lastly, we shall critically appraise a movie.
Words You Need to Know To Describe A Movie
Genre
The first word that you need to know is “genre.” Note the pronunciation: it’s “zhahn-ruh.” A genre is the type or category of a movie. Some examples include:
Westerns: Movies about the American Wild West.
Action: Movies with action scenes, gunshots, and car chases.
Cartoons: Films which draw characters on screen.
Sci-Fi (Science-Fiction): Marvel or DC movies have unrealistic situations related futuristic worlds.
Comedy: which are intended for laughter.
Drama: That may be emotional or romantic but might make you cry.
Plot
A plot of a film refers to the series of events that make up its story. Instead of using “story” use “plot”. For example one might say; “I really enjoyed the movie because it had very good plot.”
Cast
The cast means all actors and actresses who act in a movie. For example,” The movie had a very good cast”, implying that the actors were great. You can find out about who performs in the film from checking on the cast-list given after its narration.
Character
Character refers to any individual appearing in a play or film. The main character otherwise known as protagonist is leading role while supporting roles refer those not playing main part but whose presence has some form link with lead personage
Nominate
To nominate is being selected as one of the competitors to win a prize. For example, an actor could be nominated for an Oscar.
Performance
In this context, performance means the act of presenting something. You can talk about the performance of actors and actresses in a movie whether it was good or bad.
Adjectives to Use with These Words (Collocations)
Cast: you can describe the cast as:
All-star cast: Comprised of famous actors and actresses.
Star-studded cast: Same as all-star cast.
Strong cast: Acting is very good.
Plot: you can describe the plot as:
Complicated: not easy to follow.
Intricate: complicated storylines.
Gripping: interesting; takes your full attention
Intriguing: fascinating
Boring: uninteresting
Predictable – easy to predict what will happen next
Tiresome – dull and boring
Character: you can describe the characters as:
Main/Central/Principal Character – leading role
Supporting character – not the main role
Fictional character – imaginary being
Performance : you can describe the performance as:
Remarkable- very good
Brilliant- excellent
Outstanding- exceptional
Impressive- very good
Dazzling – very impressive
Disappointing – not good enough.
Poor -bad
Lackluster -dull and unimpressive.
With these words and adjective, one should be able to start talking about and describing movies in English. Watch movies and improve your language skills!
Positive Adjectives for Describing a Movie
To talk about films effectively, it is essential to have a rich vocabulary. For instance, if you really liked a movie, here are some adjectives that could be used:
First-class: This means that the film was very good, captivating and first-rate. “The story of this film was amazing as in the end it became mind-blowing.”
Insightful: A movie may be educational or give deep understanding of certain issues. Here’s an example sentence using insightful, “The documentary offered an insightful look at environmental problems.”
Intriguing or Absorbing: These films are full of interesting things. This can best be seen in this sentence using intriguing; “This is one suspense filled movie which keeps the audience on their seats.”
Dazzling: That’s to say the film was very impressive or beautiful. For example, “Wow! The visual effects in the sci-fi were simply dazzling!”
Thought-provoking: It means making one think deeply about life or many other things. An example would be;” The drama were thought provoking and its themes were discussed for months.”
Moving or Touching: Such movies evoke strong emotions in anyone who watches them. The writer has employed touching and moving in this line;” It was one of those stories that moved all viewers to tears.”
Description of Movie Using Negative Adjectives
On the contrary, if you did not like it here are some words that can describe a bad movie.
Second-rate-The second sequel wasn’t as good.
Unpleasant or Distasteful-Didn’t enjoy watching.
Boring Tiresome Predictable-No excitement from start to finish.
Movies Can Be Used for Learning English
Modern movies offer natural language use instances while acquainting learners with various idiomatic expressions as well as cultural contexts. Below are suggestions on how to use movies as teaching tools while considering learner proficiency levels:
Beginners: Start with animated movies or cartoons that have subtitles in your mother tongue. These movies usually pronounce well and use simple language, thus they are easy to understand. The story can be followed through the subtitles.
Lower Intermediate: View actual movies but with your native language as the subtitle. This way, you can get used of listening to English and enjoy watching the movie.
Upper Intermediate: Switch to English subtitles.
Advanced: Watch films without translations in order to feel yourself as a part of the movie. Even if you don’t get all the words, concentrate on catching up with the plot and enjoying the film.
Learning should also be fun
It is important to learn while having fun. Don’t try to puzzle out every word; instead, focus on following the main theme and context. When you read about what you love, studying English becomes an enjoyable process for sure.
A Sample Movie Review
In conclusion, here is a brief evaluation of a movie with the use of some of the adjectives we have looked at:
“The other day I happened to come across this Disney animated film called ‘Soul’ and boy it was superb. As far as storylines were concerned it is very reflective delving into ideas about life and purpose. Besides, it was highly thought-provoking that made me think about my life choices for many days. The animation was mind-blowing and the whole experience was extremely touching. I would definitely advise anyone looking for an intelligent and enjoyable movie to try it out.”
Your English skills will improve while you enjoy magic on screen if you bring movies into your language learning schedule. Enjoy watching!
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