A good description includes:

• Who or what is being described
• What it looks like (appearance, color, size, shape)
• Where it is located
• What it does or what happened to it
• When it happens or happened

The textbook passage about Tulile Mwanjosi shows how we use tenses to describe events. Look at this example from the passage:

"Tulile Mwanjosi lived in the small village of Kisiba. The village was surrounded by green hills and clear streams. As she was walking along the path one day, she was startled by a strange noise."

Notice how:

• Simple past tense tells completed actions (lived, was startled)
• Past continuous tense describes ongoing actions that were interrupted (was walking, was startled)

How to Form These Tenses

Using the passage about Kisiba as a model, here is how to describe a place:

Step 1: Start with the name and location

"Mwanza is a city in Tanzania located on the southern shore of Lake Victoria."

Step 2: Add physical features

"The city is surrounded by hills and the famous Rock Islands."

Step 3: Describe activities or events

"Fishermen wake up early every morning. They are casting their nets into the lake while the sun rises."

Step 4: Use past continuous to show ongoing action

"While the fishermen were working, tourists were taking photographs of the beautiful scenery."

When an ongoing action is interrupted, use both tenses together:

• Structure: Past continuous + when + simple past

Examples:

1. The children were playing in the garden when it started to rain.
2. We were walking to school when we met our teacher.
3. Tulile was picking berries when the sky turned dark.

When describing a person, include:

• Physical appearance (height, hair, eyes, skin color)
• Personality traits (friendly, shy, hardworking)
• Actions and behaviors

Example:

"My grandmother is a tall woman with grey hair and warm brown eyes. She wakes up at five every morning. She has been living in our village for thirty years. She is always kind to everyone."

When you speak descriptions aloud:

• Use clear, complete sentences
• Pay attention to subject-verb agreement
• Vary your vocabulary to avoid repetition
• Use descriptive adjectives (beautiful, quiet, busy, ancient)

Before you submit your written description or deliver your oral description, check:

• Have I used the correct verb tense?
• Do my subjects and verbs agree in number?
• Have I included descriptive words (adjectives)?
• Does my description answer who, what, where, when, and how?
• Is my sentence structure clear and grammatically correct?

Combine each pair of sentences using both simple past and past continuous tenses:

1. Penina eats lunch. The phone rings. Answer: Penina was eating lunch when the phone rang.

2. Sarah walks to school. It starts to rain. Answer: Sarah was walking to school when it started to rain.

In everyday life in Tanzania, you use descriptions when explaining a missing item to a police officer, telling a friend how to find your home village, or describing a product you want to sell at the market. For example, if your goat is lost, you might tell a neighbour: "My black goat with a white spot on its head was grazing near the mango tree when I last saw it this morning. It was standing by the river when my brother went to fetch water." Using correct tenses and clear details helps others understand exactly what happened and where to look.