A2 English · Personality Adjectives

Who are you,
really?

Five thought-provoking activities to explore personality, make choices, and build your vocabulary.

Name
Class
Date
Word bank → shyselfish seriousgenerous friendlypolite kindhonest patientrude hard-workinglazy organisedtalkative
1

Positive or Negative? 🧠 critical thinking

Sort the adjectives below into two columns. But here's the catch — some words depend on the situation. Put those in the column where you think they usually belong, and explain your thinking.

Write 8 words from the word bank — 4 in each column. Use every word once.

✅ Usually positive

❌ Usually negative

💡 Think harder

Which word is the most difficult to classify? Can "serious" or "shy" ever be a good thing? Give an example situation.

Suggested positives: generous, friendly, kind, honest, patient, hard-working, organised, polite, talkative
Suggested negatives: selfish, rude, lazy, shy, serious
Tricky words: shy (modest / hard to make friends?), serious (responsible / no fun?), talkative (sociable / annoying?). There is no single right answer — the best answers give a real reason!
2

Opposite Factory — Prefixes

Adding un-, dis-, or im- flips a word to its opposite. Sort these words into the right column, then write two of your own examples.

Use these words: honest, patient, friendly, organised, polite, kind, selfish, serious
Not all words work with all prefixes! Think carefully.

un-
dis-
im-

💬 Now write one sentence using any two negative opposites you found:

un-: unfriendly, unkind, unorganised, unselfish, unserious (informal)
dis-: dishonest, disorganised (also works!)
im-: impatient, impolite
Note: disorganised / unorganised are both valid in British English.
3

Who is it? 🧠 context clues

Read each mini-story. Which adjective best describes the person? Write the word — and then answer the extra question if you dare.

01
Lena always shares her lunch. When her friend forgot money, she said, "Don't worry, you can have half of mine." She never asks for anything back.
Think: Is it possible to be too generous? When does it become a problem?
02
At the supermarket, Tom pushed in front of everyone in the queue, didn't say sorry, and talked on his phone the whole time — very loudly.
Think: Can you think of a situation where someone is rude without realising it?
03
Maya has a folder for every school subject, uses a colour-coded calendar, and always does her homework the day it's given — never the night before.
Think: Do you think it's possible to be too organised? Does it stress other people out?
04
At a party, Jake stands near the wall. He wants to join the conversation but doesn't know how to start. His face goes red when someone talks to him first.
Think: Is shyness a personality or a habit? Can you learn to be less shy?
05
When her little brother broke her favourite mug, Sofia took a deep breath and said, "It's okay, it was an accident." She didn't shout or get angry.
Think: Which personality trait is the hardest to have? Which would you most like to develop?
1. generous  |  2. rude  |  3. organised / hard-working  |  4. shy  |  5. patient
4

What would YOU do? 🧠 moral dilemmas

Read each situation. Choose the option that sounds most like you — there is no wrong answer! Then use a personality adjective to explain your choice.

📚 Dilemma 1 — School
Your friend hasn't done their homework and asks to copy yours. If the teacher finds out, you'll both get in trouble. What do you do?
A Let them copy — they're your friend and they needed help.
B Say no, but offer to help them understand the topic instead.
🍕 Dilemma 2 — With friends
There's one last piece of pizza. You haven't eaten yet, but you notice your friend is looking at it too. They didn't say anything.
A Take it — you're hungry and nobody asked for it.
B Offer to split it or let your friend have it first.
💬 Dilemma 3 — Social media
You see someone post something that isn't true about a classmate. You know the real story. Do you say something?
A Stay quiet — it's not your problem and you don't want drama.
B Comment or tell the classmate privately — someone needs to be honest.
5

My Personality Profile ✍️

Time to reflect. First, use the sliders to show where you are on each scale. Then write a short paragraph about your personality using at least 5 adjectives from the word bank.

Drag each slider — left = more like the left word, right = more like the right word.

shy talkative
lazy hard-working
serious friendly
selfish generous
impatient patient

Use this structure: "I think I am mostly…" / "I am not very… but I try to be…" / "My best quality is… because…" / "I would like to become more… in the future."

🌍 Bonus — Go further

Think of a famous person or a fictional character you know. Describe their personality in 2–3 sentences using the vocabulary.

Teacher's score: _ / 10
Mark as you go →
📬 Done? Send it in!

Submit your homework

When you've finished all five activities, click the button below to send your answers directly to your teacher. Make sure you've written your name!

👤 Name Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4 Activity 5
Who Are You, Really? — A2 Personality Adjectives · Homework Worksheet  ·  Print this page (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P) for a paper version