Talking about the Arts — Unit 39, Pre-intermediate to Intermediate English
Name art forms and artist jobs, and use create/perform verbs to talk about galleries, stages and creative work — without focusing on cinema genres or pop albums.
Reading: A Weekend of Many Arts
Last spring our community centre organised a small arts weekend, and I volunteered to help. I expected posters and tickets. Instead I met a **sculptor**, a **poet**, a **choreographer** and a young **composer** who all shared one busy hall.
On Friday evening the **sculptor** showed how he **carves** small **sculptures** from soft wood. Children watched quietly while he shaped a bird. Next to him, a **painter** **painted pictures** of the market square. Visitors asked questions, and for once nobody looked at their phones.
Saturday belonged to performance. A local group performed a short **mime** about waiting for a late bus. Then teenagers presented modern **dance** that the **choreographer** had created in only two weeks. In the evening we watched scenes from a **play** written by a new **playwright**. One **actor** had to **play a role** as both a shopkeeper and a tourist, which made the audience laugh.
Sunday mixed quieter arts with louder ones. A **novelist** read a chapter from her latest **novel**, and a **poet** shared three short **poems**. Later, a student **orchestra** played **classical music** while the **conductor** kept time. After that, two singers offered a taste of **opera** and then a lighter **musical** number. Someone joked that we still needed **ballet**, a **cartoon** for the children, a **sitcom** clip, and **pop music** — and somehow the afternoon included a little of each, though only as short samples, not full shows.
What surprised me most was how often the same verbs appeared. People **create**, **compose**, **choreograph**, **perform**, **sing**, and **appear in** work that others can enjoy. A **director** helped the actors before the play. An **opera singer** explained breathing. A **pop singer** talked about practising every day. None of this felt like a competition between art forms. It felt like a map: different roads to the same need to communicate.
I left with a pencil **drawing** bought from a teenager and a clearer idea of jobs I had mixed up before. I used to think a **composer** and a **conductor** did the same work. Now I know one writes the music and the other leads the performance. I also understand why a **sculptor** needs patience. Art is not only galleries and famous names. Sometimes it is a busy hall, shared tools, and neighbours learning new words for what they already love.
Vocabulary from this unit
| Art form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ballet | a dance performance with classical music and special steps | We saw a ballet at the city theatre. |
| classical music | serious music by composers such as Mozart or Bach | She prefers classical music to loud concerts. |
| dance | moving your body to music as art or entertainment | Modern dance can tell a story without words. |
| mime | acting with movement only — no speaking | The street artist did a funny mime. |
| poem | a short piece of writing with rhythm and carefully chosen words | He wrote a poem for his sister's birthday. |
| cartoon | a drawn film or funny drawing | The children watched a short cartoon. |
| drawing | a picture made with pencil, pen or charcoal | Her drawing of the river won a school prize. |
| musical | a stage show with songs, acting and often dance | The musical had fantastic songs and costumes. |
| novel | a long story book | I finished a long novel last weekend. |
| opera | a dramatic story performed with singing and orchestra | Opera can feel emotional even if you do not know the language. |
| painting | a picture made with paint | There is a famous painting of the harbour in the museum. |
| play | a story written for actors to perform on stage | We booked tickets for a new play. |
| pop music | modern popular songs for a wide audience | Pop music is everywhere in shops and cafés. |
| sculpture | art made by shaping stone, wood, metal or clay | The park has a new metal sculpture. |
| sitcom | a funny TV series about the same characters each week | They watch a sitcom after dinner. |
| Person | What they do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| playwright | writes plays for the theatre | The playwright rewrote the final scene. |
| choreographer | creates the dance steps | The choreographer practised with the dancers for weeks. |
| opera singer | sings the main roles in an opera | The opera singer had a powerful voice. |
| director | guides actors and organises the performance | The director asked the cast to speak more slowly. |
| pop singer | sings popular songs | The pop singer appeared on a morning TV show. |
| conductor | leads an orchestra with a baton | The conductor raised her hands and the music began. |
| painter | makes paintings | The painter mixed bright colours for the sky. |
| actor | performs a role on stage or screen | The actor played a shy teacher in the play. |
| novelist | writes novels | The novelist signed books after the talk. |
| sculptor | makes sculptures | The sculptor carved a bird from wood. |
| poet | writes poems | The poet read three short poems aloud. |
| composer | writes music | The composer wrote a new piece for piano. |
| Verb / collocation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| carve / carve sculptures | cut and shape hard material into art | He carves sculptures from local stone. |
| choreograph | create the dance moves | She will choreograph a short piece for the festival. |
| compose | write music | They asked him to compose music for the play. |
| create | make something new | Artists create work that makes people think. |
| perform | present art live for an audience | The students will perform on Saturday night. |
| sing | use your voice as music | She can sing both classical music and pop music. |
| appear in | take part in a show or production | He will appear in a new musical next month. |
| paint pictures | make paintings | She paints pictures of city streets. |
| write novels / plays / poems | create written works | He writes novels in the evening after work. |
| play a role | act as a character | I would love to play a role in a local play. |
This is the free sample from this unit. The full unit adds 1 more reading passage, comprehension questions with an answer key, the listening exercises, flashcards for the vocabulary above, and a speaking task — with your progress tracked so the next unit unlocks when you are ready for it.
Common questions
What level is this unit?
Pre-intermediate to Intermediate — roughly CEFR A2–B1. If you are not sure of your level, the course places you with a short diagnostic before you start rather than making you guess.
Do I need to pay to use this?
The reading passage and vocabulary on this page are free to read. The rest of the unit — the remaining passages, the exercises, the listening, the answer key and the progress tracking — is part of the paid General English course.
Is this British or American English?
British English spelling and vocabulary, which is what most learners in Azerbaijan are taught and what IELTS expects, though both are accepted in the exam.