Talking about family and friends

I’ve got two brothers and a sister. My brothers are twins (= two children born to one mother at the same time), and they are three years younger than me. I’m the oldest and take after my father (= I am similar to him in appearance and/or character). My sister takes after my father in some ways, but she looks like my mother (= her appearance is similar to my mother’s). We’re a close family (= we have a good relationship/see each other a lot). My best friend Pete is an only child (= without brothers or sisters); he spends a lot of time with us and he’s almost one of the family.

Family names

Your parents give you a first name, e.g. James and Sarah are common first names in Britain. Your family name, usually called your surname, is the one that all the family have, e.g. Smith and Jones. Your full name is all the names you have, e.g. Sarah Jane Smith.

 

 

Changing times

In some parts of the world, couples may live together but do not get married. In this relationship they often call each other their partner. Where the child or children live(s) with just one parent, especially after the parents have separated (= they don’t live together any more), these are sometimes called single-parent families.

Friends

an old friend (= someone you have known for a long time)

a close friend (= a good friend/someone you like and trust)

your best friend (= the one friend you feel closest to)

classmates (= other people in your class)

flatmates (= people you share a house / flat with, who are not your family)

colleagues (= people you work with; they may or may not be friends)

Ex-

We use this for a relationship that we had in the past but do not have now:

The children stay with my ex-husband at the weekend. I saw an ex-girlfriend of mine at the disco last night.

Ex – noun (informal) – the person that someone used to be married to or used to have a romantic relationship with: e.g. You’re not inviting my ex, are you?

(Redman Stuart. English Vocabulary in Use. Pre-intermediate and Intermediate.)

1.2. Fill the gaps with the correct word.

1. Did you say his ………. name was Boris?

2. He looks like his mother but definitely takes ……. his father in character.

3. There is an increasing number of single-………. families in Britain.

4. Most of my ………. at work are married, and I don’t see them socially.

5. I’ve known him for years; he’s an ………. friend.

6. They’re not married any longer, but she still sees her ……….-husband.

 

1.3. Match the questions in column A with the short answers in column B.

A                                                                                      B

1. Are you married?                                                       a) Yes, I was.

2. Is your family very large?                                              b) Yes, it is.

3. Were you born in this town?                                     c) Yes, there are.

4. Is your father a good cook?                                      d) No, I am not.

5. Are your parents from this town?                             e) No, he isn’t.

6. Are there many people with the same name as you?    f) No, they aren’t.

 

1.4. Rearrange the words to make questions.

Model: How many people are there in your family?

1. are  family how in many people there your?

2. are  names  their  what?

3. are  how  old  they?

4. are  hobbies their what?

5. born  parents  were  where your?

6. family  in  is  person  the  who  youngest  your?

7. family  holiday last was when your?

 

1.5. Answer these questions about yourself.

1. What’s your first name?

2. What’s your surname?

3. Are you an only child?

4. Are you part of a very close family?

5. Do you look like your father or mother?

6. In character, who do you take after?

7. Do you know any twins?

8. Who is your best friend?

9. Do you work? If so, how many of your work colleagues are also your friends?

10. Do you have any ex-boyfriends or girlfriends who are still close friends?

 

1.6.  Match the words to the definitions.

1. ex-wife/ex-husband   2. late wife/late husband   3. second wife/second husband   4. stepmother/stepfather   5. stepsister/stepbrother   6. half-sister/half-brother

a) someone that is married to one of your parents, but isn’t your parent b) someone who has the same mother, or the same father, as you, but not both parents c) someone that you were married to in the past who is now dead d) the child of someone that is married to one of your parents e) someone that you were married to in the past but are now divorced from f) someone that you marry when you have already been married to someone else before

1.7. Give one word to describe each of the following family relationships (1-5). Use the prefixes and suffix half-, great-, step-, ex- and -in-law.

1. the father of the man a woman has married

2. a man who is not a child’s natural-father but who their mother has married

3. a sister related to another child through only one of their parents

4. the woman who a man used to be married to but isn’t married to any more

5. the grandfather of someone’s father or mother

1.8. Talk about how the people in the family tree are related to each other, using the following words.

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