Family & Relationships
Family & Relationships — 20 high-frequency words, with pronunciation, collocations, word traps and four interactive exercises.
📌 Contents
🎯 Lesson goal
You will learn to introduce your family and describe relationships 👨👩👧. Watch out for two tricky points: the possessive ‘s (my sister’s friend, not the friend of my sister) and the names for relatives by marriage, which all use the ending -in-law. 🚀
🗂️ Word Bank
Tap 🔊 to hear the British pronunciation. The IPA transcription is under each word.
📖 Words in context
Marco introduces his family · tap a highlighted word to hear it.
Hello! I'm Marco. My parents are both teachers, and I have two siblings. My brother is my twin — people say we look like each other, but I take after my mother and he is exactly like Dad.
Every Sunday we visit my grandparents. My aunt and my uncle come too, with my little cousin. In summer all our relatives meet at the seaside.
I get on well with my sister, although we sometimes argue about the bathroom. When my parents work late, I look after her. We are a very close family — and next June my sister will finally get married!
🔗 Collocations & chunks
Words travel in groups: learn the whole chunk, not just one word.
| Chunk / collocation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a close-knit family | a family with very strong bonds | They are a close-knit family. |
| an only child | a child with no brothers or sisters | Being an only child can be lonely. |
| family ties | close connections in a family | Family ties are strong in many countries. |
| have a lot in common | to share many interests or qualities | My brother and I have a lot in common. |
| fall out with someone | to quarrel and stop speaking | She fell out with her cousin last year. |
| make up | to become friends again after an argument | They argued, but they made up quickly. |
⚠️ Word traps to avoid
| English word | Real meaning ✅ | Watch out ❌ |
|---|---|---|
| parents | mother and father | only mum and dad; for all family members, say relatives |
| nephew | the son of your brother or sister | not the child of your child: that is a grandson |
| relatives | family members, near and far | a noun; the adjective is related or relative (compared with others) |
| estate | a large area of land with a big house; the property someone leaves | not a season of the year: that is summer |
🎚️ Register: when to use them
| Expression | Register | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Mum and Dad | informal (UK) | with family and friends; Americans say Mom |
| my folks | very informal | slang for “my parents”, only between friends |
| my parents | neutral | always correct, even at school or work |
| my mother and father | formal | forms, official introductions, written texts |
🚫 Common mistakes to avoid
| Mistake ❌ | Correct ✅ |
|---|---|
| The brother of my mother is a chef. | My mother's brother is a chef. |
| I have 15 years old. | I am 15 years old. |
| My parents are 3: mother, father and sister. | There are 3 people in my family. |
| She is married with a doctor. | She is married to a doctor. |
🎮 Vocabulary gym
Four ways to practise the same 20 words. Your progress is saved on this device.
Tap the card to flip it.
Tap an English word, then its meaning. Eight pairs per round.
Complete the ten sentences with the right word. The clue under each sentence will help you.
- My live in Milan.💡 your mum and dad
- I have two , a brother and a sister.💡 your brothers and sisters
- She is an .💡 a son or daughter with no brothers or sisters
- My brother is ten minutes older.💡 one of two children born at the same time
- My live in the countryside.💡 your mum’s and dad’s parents
- My studies in London.💡 the child of your aunt or uncle
- My is only three.💡 your brother’s or sister’s son
- My loves drawing.💡 your brother’s or sister’s daughter
- My always brings cake.💡 the sister of your mum or dad
- My works as a chef.💡 the brother of your mum or dad