Vocabulary

4 Idioms to Answer IELTS Speaking Questions about Family

1) It runs in the family
This means that a character trait or a physical feature is found in many people
within the same family.
Here is a sample sentence: I like to be active and I participate in a lot of marathons
and road races. It runs in the family because my dad also runs in marathons
sometimes. We often train for the big races together.
Here is another example: My dad has high blood pressure and I started to develop
it this summer. I guess it runs in the family.
2) Flesh and blood
This means that you have the same genes and that you are related.
We usually use this idioms when we want to say that we will support someone if
they are in our family regardless of their actions.
You might answer a question like this: Even though my sister can be annoying
sometimes I always stand up for her when she is in trouble because she is my
ownflesh and blood.
3) Sibling rivalry
This means that you and your sibling (brother or sister) often compete.
You might compete with your sibling on academic achievements, athletics, or you
might compete for your parents attention.
Here is how you could use this on the Speaking test: My brother and I get along
well now that we are adults but when we were kids we had a major sibling
rivalryand we would compete with each other constantly.

4) The apple doesnt fall far from the tree

This means that a son or daughter might repeat the behavior that they see in their
father or mother.
This is often used to describe negative actions that a son or daughter might take
that resemble the actions of their parent.
Here is an example: My sister is just like my father. She jumps from job to job and
cant settle on one career path. The apple doesnt fall far from the tree.

Family, Relatives in English

Maternal:From mothers side
Paternal:From fathers side
1. Relatives

aunt

baby

brother

boyfriend

bride

brother

cousin

dad

daughter

father

father-in-law

fianc

fiance

friend

friend

girlfriend

godchild

godfather

godmother

grandchild,

grandchildren

(Plural)

granddaughter

grandfather,

granddad,

grandpa

grandmother,

grandma

grandson

great-grandparents

groom

half-brother

husband

mother

mother-in-law

mum,

mummy,

mom

nephew

niece

parent

parents

sister

son

stepbrother

twin

twin-brother

uncle

wife

2. General Vocabulary

adult

baby

bachelor

child

couple

descendant

foster

child

gentleman

kid

lady

madam

my

elder

sister

sir

spinster

to adopt

to be divorced

to bring up

to raise

wedding

youth

In the context of human society, a family

is a group of people affiliated
by consanguinity (by recognized birth),affinity (by marriage), or co-residence (as
implied by the etymology of the English word "family" [1]) and/or shared consumption
(seenurture kinship). Members of the immediate family includes spouses, parents,
brothers, sisters, sons and/or daughters. Members of the extended family may
include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, and/or siblings-inlaw.
In most societies, the family is the principal institution for thesocialization of
children. As the basic unit for raising children, anthropologists generally classify
most family organization as matrifocal (a mother and her children); conjugal (a
husband, his wife, and children, also called the nuclear family); avuncular (for
example, a grandparent, a brother, his sister, and her children); or
extended (parents and children co-reside with other members of one parent's
family). The word "family" is used metaphorically to create more inclusive
categories such as community, nationhood, global village and humanism.
The field of genealogy aims to trace family lineages through history.
Family is also an important economic unit studied in family economics

Conjugal (nuclear or single) family

The term "nuclear family" is commonly used, especially in the United States, to
refer to conjugal families. A "conjugal" family includes only the husband, the wife,
and unmarried children who are not of age.

Matrifocal family
A "matrifocal" family consists of a mother and her children. Generally, these
children are her biological offspring, although adoption of children is a practice in
nearly every society. This kind of family is common where women have the
resources to rear their children by themselves, or where men are more mobile than

women. As a definition, "a family or domestic group is matrifocal when it is centred

on a woman and her children. In this case the father(s) of these children are
intermittently present in the life of the group and occupy a secondary place. The
children's mother is not necessarily the wife of one of the children's fathers."
Blended family
The term blended family or stepfamily describes families with mixed parents: one or
both parents remarried, bringing children of the former family into the new family.

Degrees of kinship
Kinship

Inbred Strain

Identical twins

Full sibling

Parent-offspring[30]

Offspring/progeny

Half-sibling

3/4 siblings or sibling-cousin

Grandmother/grandfather

Niece/nephew

Aunt/uncle

Half-aunt, half-uncle

Half-niece/half-nephew

Great grandparent

First cousin

Double first cousin

Half-first cousin

First cousin once removed

Second cousin

Double second cousin

Triple second cousin

Quadruple second cousin

Third cousin

Fourth cousin

Grandparent

Grandfather: a parent's father

Grandmother: a parent's mother

Grandchild

Grandson: a child's son

Granddaughter: a child's daughter

For collateral relatives, more classificatory terms come into play, terms that do not
build on the terms used within the nuclear family:

Uncle: father's brother, mother's brother, father's sister's husband, mother's

sister's husband

Aunt: father's sister, mother's sister, father's brother's wife, mother's

brother's wife

Nephew: brother's son, sister's son, husband's brother's son, husband's

sister's son, wife's brother's son, wife's sister's son

Niece: brother's daughter, sister's daughter, husband's brother's daughter,

husband's sister's daughter, wife's brother's daughter, wife's sister's daughter

When additional generations intervene (in other words, when one's collateral
relatives belong to the same generation as one's grandparents or grandchildren),
the prefixes "great-" or "grand-" modifies these terms. Also, as with grandparents
and grandchildren, as more generations intervene the prefix becomes "greatgrand-," adding another "great-" for each additional generation. Most collateral
relatives have never had membership of the nuclear family of the members of one's
own nuclear family.

Cousin: the most classificatory term; the children of uncles or aunts. One can
further distinguish cousins by degrees of collaterality and by generation. Two
persons of the same generation who share a grandparent count as "first cousins"
(one degree of collaterality); if they share a great-grandparent they count as
"second cousins" (two degrees of collaterality) and so on. If two persons share
an ancestor, one as a grandchild and the other as a great-grandchild of that
individual, then the two descendants class as "first cousins once removed"
(removed by one generation); if they shared ancestor figures as the grandparent
of one individual and the great-great-grandparent of the other, the individuals
class as "first cousins twice removed" (removed by two generations), and so on.
Similarly, if they shared ancestor figures as the great-grandparent of one person
and the great-great-grandparent of the other, the individuals class as "second

cousins once removed". Hence one can refer to a "third cousin once removed
upwards."
Cousins of an older generation (in other words, one's parents' first cousins),
although technically first cousins once removed, are often classified with "aunts"
and "uncles." Similarly, a person may refer to close friends of one's parents as
"aunt" or "uncle," or may refer to close friends as "brother" or "sister," using the
practice of fictive kinship. English-speakers mark relationships by marriage
(except for wife/husband) with the tag "-in-law." The mother and father of one's
spouse become one's mother-in-law and father-in-law; the female spouse of
one's child becomes one's daughter-in-law and the male spouse of one's child
becomes one's son-in-law. The term "sister-in-law" refers to three essentially
different relationships, either the wife of one's sibling, or the sister of one's
spouse, or, in some uses, the wife of one's spouse's sibling. "Brother-in-law"
expresses a similar ambiguity. The terms "half-brother" and "half-sister" indicate
siblings who share only one biological or adoptive parent.
What are the different types of families?
Listed below are the variety of structures families are found in:
Beanpole in countries like Britain and the US, the number of children per
generation has steadily gone down, while life span has increased. This has led to a
shape of family tree that some researchers have likened to a beanpole tall and
thin, with few people in each generation.
Classic extended family an extended family sharing the same household
Cohabitation a couple living together who arent married
Extended family a family containing relatives in addition to the nuclear family
Gay or lesbian family same sex couple living together with children
Kin relatives based on marriage or genes
Lone parent family lone parent (either gender) with dependent children
Modified extended family an extended family living apart but still in
communication via phone, email, Skype etc.
Monogamy a married couple of the opposite sex, who have sexual relations with
each other
Nuclear family a family consisting of an adult male and female with one or more
children (including adopted)
Polygamy a marriage involving two or more wives or husbands

Reconstituted family (blended family) a family formed out of another

relationship, otherwise known as a step-family
Symmetrical family authority and household tasks shared between male and
female partners

Speaking Topic: Family

Part 1 Questions
1) Could you tell me about your family?
I live in a joint/extended family, which consists of seven members. As I am
married, therefore I stay with my in laws. They include my parents in laws,
brother in law, sister in law, husband, my 1 year old son and my self.
2) How big is your family?
I live in a joint/extended family, which consists of seven members. As I am
married, therefore I stay with my in laws. They include my parents in laws,
brother in law, sister in law, husband, my 1 year old son and my self.
3) What kind of work do members of your family do?
My father in law has his own business since 15 years and my mother in law is
a home maker. Apart from that my brother in law and husband have both
completed mba and assist my father in the family business. They work from 8

am to 6 pm daily with the weekend off. While my sister in law is studying in

the final year of medical college. As far as I am concerned, I am working in a
bank as a Manager since five years. . My official timings are 9 am to 5.30 pm.
4) How much time do you manage to spend with family and relatives?
As we all are working therefore we are not at home during the day. We all
return home in the evening and meet up at dinner time where we discuss the
days activities and any topic of interest. After that we watch television
together. On weekends I visit my parents and spend time with them. Due to
our busy schedules we are unable to give ample time to our relatives and
most of them live far away as well. We mostly meet them on special
occasions and other family gatherings. My sister lives in Canada so I
communicate with her through skype, whatsapp and other applications and
the social media.

5) What sort of things do you like to do together?

We as a family like to spend time together. We eat our meals together, watch
television, go to cinemas to watch and picnics. These are the best moments
as we are able to unwind and relax together while enjoying each others
company.
I like to discuss my plans with my father. I often take advice on important
things from him. He discusses his experience, tells me history and often he
teaches me morality and importance of being honest in life. He recommends
me books and then we discuss about these books in our free time.
6) Do you get on well with your family?
Yes, obviously I go well with my family. They are the most precious things I
have in my life. They care for me a lot, they help me on my difficult times and
my whole existence is surrounded with them. Whoever I am and whoever I
become in future would be because of my family members love, care and
affections.
I have a strong bonding and friendly relationship with my family. They share
their thoughts and everyday experiences with me. They always try to support
me no matter what and all those mutual understanding makes us a small,
happy family.

7) Do you prefer to spend time with your family or your friends?

In my opinion I prefer spending time with my family, more than my friends
because for many reasons, family is the most important thing in life. Now that
I am married and living with my husband and in laws, however, it gets
difficult to spend even remotely as much time with my parents as I did before
I moved out. I do my best to visit them as often as possible, especially my on
weekends. As I am working and even have a small son therefore my in laws
support me a lot, especially in looking after him.
I think that all of us need to spend at least a few minutes a day reflecting on
the importance of family. They are people who will love you unconditionally;
always be there to help you through the hard times; stand by your side when
you need them; call you when you are lonely; feed you when you are hungry;
shelter you when you have nowhere to go; and care for you like no one else
in this world can. In conclusion Family is drastically important to the healthy
state of the human mind. A network of support and love, family must be held
above all else as our most prized possessions.
8) Is family important to you?
I think that all of us need to spend at least a few minutes a day reflecting on
the importance of family. They are people who will love you unconditionally;
always be there to help you through the hard times; stand by your side when
you need them; call you when you are lonely; feed you when you are hungry;
shelter you when you have nowhere to go; and care for you like no one else
in this world can. In conclusion Family is drastically important to the healthy
state of the human mind. A network of support and love, family must be held
above all else as our most prized possessions.
9) Can you describe a typical family in your country?
The extended family is the central social structure in Pakistani society. There
are mostly close knit families. They consist of grand parents, parents,
paternal uncles and aunts, cousins and children living in the same
households. These families include, in one household, near relatives in

addition to an immediate family. An example would be an elderly parent who

moves in with his or her children due to old age. This places large demands
on the caregivers, particularly on the female relatives who choose to perform
these duties for their extended family.
10)

Does the whole family discuss family decisions?

With the hectic pace of life today for both parents and children, families
rarely take time to sit down as a group to make deliberate decisions about
how the family will function. As a result, plans are often made quickly and
dictatorially by the parents without sufficient thought and without consulting
other household members.
Holding meetings with the whole family is a great way to include everyone in
the decision-making process. In thinking about such meetings, most people
envision situations involving stress, problems, discipline, and struggles. These
issues can certainly be addressed, but these gatherings can also be used as a
vehicle for families to make decisions about how to spend time together as
well as to prevent problems from occurring.

11)

Do you get along with your brothers and sisters?

We get along pretty well as we are best of friends and very close to one
another. We hardly ever fight. I want to be friends with my sister for the rest
of my life, we do things together as a family, and that helps unite us. We
dont seem to argue much. In some ways were as different as night and day.
Still, my sister is one of a kind. I wouldnt trade her for anything!Without my
siblings, all my fondest memories would vanish into thin air. To those who
have siblings, I would say, Dont take them for granted!
12)

How often do you see your grandparents?

My maternal grandparents passed away a few years back. My paternal

grandfather passed away before I was born and my paternal grandmother

was alive till I was 8 years old. I still fondly remember and cherish the
unforgettable memories with my grandparents.
13)

What can make you happy in the long term?

Materialistic things can hardly determine long term happiness. Infact I

consider long term happiness can be achieved by small actions taken
from time to time. I try to keep myself away from petty issues in life.
Having faith in God, I need his blessings from time to time. Holding no
grudges against anyone, committing to any thing only if I am sure about
it and not expecting anything from any one.
14)

What can make you happy in the short term?

Short term happiness are daily pleasures in my opinion. Still we should

have a good heart and a good attitude to be happy on a daily basis.

Part 3 Questions
1) How important is family?
Family is the single most important influence in a child's life. From their first
moments of life, children depend on parents and family to protect them and
provide for their needs. Parents and family form a child's first relationships. It
is a social unit living together or parents and their children, considered as a
group, whether dwelling together or not. In a broader term, relatives can also
be added to this group. However, it is much more than that. Family is the first
learning place of an individual in this world. Starting from childhood until old
age, he learns everything from his family. He sees his family members
walking and starts trying that. He sees them speaking and he tries to copy
them. Gradually he learns the basic communication among individuals in the
family. He also learns how to love, how to behave, how to come along in life,
all from his family. This develops a sort of affection among all family
members. They are always there to help each other.
2) Do you prefer the idea of extended or nuclear families?

An extended family consists of non-immediate family members

(grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins) who live either nearby or within the
same household as the immediate family members (mother, father,
children). This is the traditional family group. Joint families are better than
nuclear families in my opinion. There is more support in a joint family by
other members of the family in times of crisis. Children learn to adjust and
cooperate with different people in the family, which will definitely help them
when they grow up as you wont always get your privacy in life. This
decreases the gap between the old and the young. Children learn more about
their culture and heritage in a joint family and thus, are more aware about
their family history.
3) Are friends more important than family?
I want you to think of these two things throughout your life - trust and
support. All relationships in the world are based on trust. Trust as in
keeping secrets to trust that one will stand by you in your needy times.
Once a classmate told me, trust is the basis of love. Friends love you
because they trust you. The case with family is different. Their love is
unconditional. The right person whom you could trust and will support
you during various phases of your life will be different. It could be friends
or family. The choice to decide whom we should be with, is ours.
We enjoy great freedom in talking anything with our friends,but not as
much with our family. So, during your critical moments, decide who'll be
the

best

person

to

go

to.

If you have sensible and good friends, they could assist you in making
this decision.
4) Should children help with the housework?
The benefits of a child doing housework are numerous to parents, who might
feel relieved that someone else is pitching in around the house. Housework
can also have benefits for younger children. Independence, confidence and
self-esteem can improve because a child is helping his family, according to
the National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families. Families might also
bond over doing chores together. A housework schedule can help children
adapt to routine and responsibility.
5) What kind of housework is not appropriate for children to do?

The only kind that is inappropriate is one that requires ladders or one
that uses dangerous chemicals (drain cleaner comes to mind) or power
tools (many mowers today are too powerful for kids). Otherwise,
everything else should be assigned age appropriate. This changes once
the kid is older, say 15. Then you have to decide on their maturity level
and the like for power tools. Some would disagree with me and that's just
fine.
6) Who should take care of old people?
I believe that adult children should take care of their elderly parents as
necessary. Parents provide for the care of their children; this should be a
reciprocal relationship when the child grows to adulthood. At the very least,
an adult should fund the care of their elderly parent if the parent is unable to
do so.
7) Should parents give their children an allowance?
If you give you child a regular allowance every month will only be teaching
kids to rely on their parents; however giving children allowance for doing
work around the house and in the yard will teach them responsibility. If You
can give your kid a list of chores to do around the house and yard (cleaning
their room, washing windows, doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, ect.) . Give
your kid a choice, they can do the chore on their own, or they can put it off
until they have to be told. If they do it on their own you add more money to
their allowance, if you have to tell them to do the chores than they get no
money. This will teach them responsibility by giving an allowance will also
tech money management and budgeting.
8) How should parents discipline their children?
I believe that certain disciplinary actions are necessary because they
make children and teenagers fearful of negative consequences. It is
important to let the child or teenager know that if he or she does
something bad that there will be negative consequences. Physical harm,
such as spanking, is not always necessary, but yelling at the child or
teenager will not always get the job of correcting his or her behavior
done. The child or teenager should be punished by taking away a valued
item, being restricted from an activity, or in some situations, spanked.
Children are more able to be influenced by spanking than teenagers
because children think they are being hurt worse than they actually are.

When I was a child i was disciplined based on my age. My parents would

tell me that if I did something bad, that I would lose my doll for two
weeks or I cant hang out with friends for a week. I would know what the
consequences would be before I even did something bad. Sometimes I
wouldnt know that I did something bad, but my parents would explain
what I did wrong. Then, I knew that whatever it was that was bad, is
something that i should not do again.