Use adjectives correctly for character traits

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Do you need to analyze the main character of a story? Or should you describe your character for a potential employer as appropriately and positively as possible? There are a number of possible adjectives for certain character traits. How do you use them properly?

In order to describe a person as fully as possible, you should try to capture all facets of the character. Above all, positive or negative character traits come to the fore.

Analyze the person to be described

  1. Gather all sources that can give you information about the person. In the case of a fictional person from a novel, this is sufficient as a source. In the case of a real person, e.g. B. a politician, you can use magazines, the Internet, and possibly a biography to help you. If you yourself, e.g. B. To describe an application, ask your friends and family.
  2. Take notes. You can read a lot from their facial expressions and gestures: how the person treats other people, how they argue, etc. In order not to forget anything, always make notes with a page reference.
  3. Make a table of the person's positive and negative traits. First of all, you can assign very simple adjectives to these characteristics, such as nice, unfriendly, mean, etc. Or you only use vaguely at first Assignments, e.g. B. the person argues a lot, cries a lot, likes to laugh, etc. Write the exact source for each property so that you can analyze it more precisely afterwards.
  4. Now try to match the vague properties in your table with the appropriate adjectives that best describe the properties.
  5. Job interview - you highlight negative qualities in a positive way

    Not all negative qualities have to be in the job interview as such ...

Adjectives for positive character traits

  • Does the person you are trying to describe seem like a nice person to you? Then use the following adjectives: friendly, sympathetic, courteous, appealing, pleasant, charming, sociable, polite, amiable. Make sure that each adjective has a different nuance. Check the source to find out which adjective best fits the character trait that emerges there and use it.
  • Is the person good at leading other people? Then it may be very influencing, charismatic, recognized, proven or directing.
  • If the person laughs a lot and a lot, then he or she is happy, childlike, cheerful, lively, cheerful, happy or even joyful. However, this laugh can also stand for insecurity, fearfulness, insincerity or concealment. Try to interpret the laughter correctly. This is why the references are so important.
  • Another positive quality is honesty. You can also use adjectives such as reliable, trustworthy, dependable, well-mannered, sincere, fair, binding, truthful, undisguised, credible, unabashed, firm of character, fair and much more describe. Here, too, make sure that a person who is credible does not always have to tell the truth, but that everything is believed to be truthful from him. A fair person, on the other hand, always judges objectively and without an end in itself.

There are certainly more positive qualities. Try to find as many synonyms as possible for each property in your table and choose the most appropriate.

Adjectives for negative traits

  • Does the person appear to you to be an unkind person in what they do and how they treat others? Instead, use expressions such as: cold, hostile, rough, ill-tempered, or agitated.
  • Also, does the person like to argue? In addition to the adjectives mentioned above, this character trait is well described as contentious, malicious, aggressive, combative, opinionated or challenging.
  • A person who is very withdrawn and often cries is usually very sentimental, melancholy, sensitive, sympathetic and under certain circumstances also romantic.

You can see that the transitions from positive to negative characteristics are sometimes very fluid. You will now find out how to present negative qualities as positively as possible, for example when introducing yourself to an employer.

Important character traits in the job interview

In almost every job interview you will be asked about your strengths and weaknesses. This is nothing more than describing positive and negative character traits. So think about what you will answer before the interview.

  • Positive character traits that every employer likes to hear are reliability, the ability to work in a team and punctuality. Also use adjectives like, courteous, sociable and, depending on the industry, creative, experienced, simple-minded. Here, too, a table created beforehand can help.
  • Of course, you should also explain your weaknesses, as the employer would like to know your self-assessment. Again, use positive adjectives as much as possible. You can say that sometimes you are too ambitious, that you often give yourself over to something, that you always want to be just or fair. But you can also use negative adjectives with a positive interpretation. You are very combative when it comes to completing an assignment.
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