s3018 transcript

TRANSCRIPT

EPISODE 18: LABELLING & DESCRIBING AN OBJECT

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS Preparation. I'm Margot Politis.
There may be questions about labelling and describing the parts of an object in the
IELTS Test, so it's useful to know the language for this.
Let's start by listening to a description of an object that is part of a robotic helicopter:
This is what we call a hat mirror. Why is it called a hat mirror? Well, because of the
shape. Look at it! It's shaped like a Mexican hat. And it comprises of two main mirrors
- the panoramic mirror at the top here and the circular mirror down the bottom which
does stereo imaging between this and the other mirror. Also there's the… a
secondary mirror so all the light from these two mirrors reflect up here and then back
down into the hole where there's a video camera sitting inside the mirror.
Why does he call it a hat mirror? Listen:
Because of the shape. Look at it! It's shaped like a Mexican hat.
The words 'shape', 'it's shaped' and 'like', which means 'similar to', are the clues.
It simply looks like a Mexican hat.
Because of the shape. Look at it! It's shaped like a Mexican hat.
Let's see how the parts of this hat mirror are described.
It comprises of two main mirrors - the panoramic mirror at the top here and the
circular mirror down the bottom which does stereo imaging between this and the
other mirror.
It 'comprises' - it 'is made up of' - two main mirrors. Here, main is the word to
notice. If there are two main mirrors, or 2 more important mirrors, there must be
another mirror. Listen:
And it comprises of two main mirrors - the panoramic mirror at the top here and the
circular mirror down the bottom which does stereo imaging between this and the
other mirror. Also there's the… a secondary mirror so all the light from these two
mirrors reflect up here and then back down into the hole where there's a video
camera sitting inside the mirror.

The other, 'less important' mirror is called a 'secondary' mirror. So there are 3
mirrors.
What were the main mirrors called?
And it comprises of two main mirrors - the panoramic mirror at the top here and the
circular mirror down the bottom which does stereo imaging between this and the
other mirror.

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They are the circular mirror and the panoramic mirror. Circular describes the shape
of a circle. A CD has a circular shape.
What does panoramic mean? Listen for the answer:
So the hat mirror does a couple of things. First of all, it gives the helicopter all-round
vision, so it gives the panoramic vision just like an insect so you can look at the
horizon all around you.
Panoramic is all-round vision or a view of a wide area, like this. People talk about a
panoramic view.
He tells you the position of the mirrors with the expressions 'at the top here' and
'down the bottom':
And it comprises two main mirrors - the panoramic mirror at the top here and the
circular mirror down the bottom …
He also talks about the position of a video camera. Where is it?
…there's a video camera sitting inside the mirror.
'Sitting inside the mirror'. Inside tells you that the camera is within the mirror.
Now listen for the words that allow you to follow the direction of things:
Also there's the … a secondary mirror so all the light from these two mirrors reflect up
here and then back down into the hole where there's a video camera sitting inside the
mirror.
The light 'reflects up here' and 'then back down into the hole'.

He tells us the direction by saying 'up here' and 'down' and uses the word 'then' to
tell us the order in which things happen. Listen again:
…so all the light from these two mirrors reflects up here and then back down into the
hole where there's a video camera sitting inside the mirror.
When introducing the parts of an object and describing something factual, the active
voice and the simple present tense are often used. Our speaker says 'it
comprises':
And it comprises of two main mirrors - the panoramic mirror at the top here and the
circular mirror down the bottom ….
In a more formal context such as a written description, you could use the passive
voice and say 'It is comprised of 2 main mirrors'. But notice that you still use the
present tense – it is comprised.
Does he use the passive voice here?
Look at it! It's shaped like a Mexican hat.

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It's shaped like a Mexican hat. He's using the passive voice - 'it is shaped'.
He could have used the active voice and said:
It looks like a Mexican hat.
Or
It resembles a Mexican hat.
Now listen for how he describes what the light does. Does he use the active or
passive voice?
…so all the light from these two mirrors reflect up here and then back down into the
hole.
'All the light reflects' - that's the active voice.
In formal writing this would use the passive voice, like this:
The light from these 2 mirrors is reflected up to the top and then back down

into the hole.
Let's review the sort of language you need to listen for when an object is described.
First there is shape.
Things are described as square. The panels on this video display are square.
Things that have a circle shape are described as round or circular. The bicycle
wheels are round.
Another common shape is a rectangle. Things that have this shape are called
rectangular. The billiard table is a rectangle. It has a rectangular shape. The
windows are rectangular.
You'll often hear things described as oval such as these surfboards.
The next type of language describes position, such as in front of … the people are
in front of the building
Between. The slide goes here, between the lens and the mirror which provides
the light. On the right or on the left. The dial on the right adjusts the focus.
Let's look at another description, this time of a much simpler device:
The naked flame of a candle can easily set fire to things. But it can be made safe by
covering it with wire mesh. Its shape is a simple tube. The wire mesh is made of
bronze so it doesn't melt. You can see that the flame goes up to the mesh and
spreads below it but it won't go through.
Again, the present tense is used - is, doesn't, see, goes, spreads and go. Listen:

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The wire mesh is made of bronze so it doesn't melt. Its shape is a simple tube. You
can see that the flame goes up to the mesh and spreads below it but it won't go
through.
The present passive voice is used to say that the wire mesh is made of bronze.
How would that be expressed in the active voice?
The wire mesh is bronze, so it doesn't melt.

Now listen for the position words:
It goes over the candle and surrounds the flame to prevent it from igniting anything.
'Over' and 'surrounds'. Something that surrounds is all the way around and
something that is over, covers.
It goes over the candle and surrounds the flame to prevent it from igniting anything.
That's all for now.
You can't know exactly what you are going to be asked about in the IELTS Test, but
knowing how a description of an object is structured will help.
To watch this episode again and all the Study English programs, visit our website.
The address is: australianetwork.com/studyenglish.

Good luck with your studies!

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