CONTENTS

Sample answers

Sample questions and answers  from speaking part 1, 2 and  3

Key vocabulary

Words and terms frequently used  when talking about family

Word formation

Learn how to use  wide variety of parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives

Collocations

Find out groups of words that usually used together by native speakers

Useful resources

References to teaching and authentic materials related to this topic: IELTS blogs, podcasts, videos and articles

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Family: Sample questions and answers for IELTS speaking exam

 

Part 1

  1. Do you have a large or small family?

– I come from a large family. Now, I just have my mom, an older and three younger brothers. Sadly, my father passed away 17 years ago. So, now I am the only daughter in the family.

  1. How much time do you spend with your family?

– For now, I live alone in another city far from my family, so, I am only able to spend about two weeks per year with them.

  1. What do you like to do together as a family?

-My family enjoys cooking together and afterwards having special meals when everyone is invited. We catch up on news and talk about our lives. We enjoy music as well. So, when we get together, we play several musical instruments and sing along.

  1. Do you get along well with your family?

-Sure. We are really close to each other. I am happy that I can tell them literally anything. They are always there to listen when I have problems.

5. Is yours a typical family?

-Well, I can say that, yes, our family is a typical one. A family, who stays by each other through good times and bad times.

6. Are there many different types of family in your country?

-Yes, types of families vary in terms of the size of the household. There are small families with one or two children and large families with about eight or more children. Sometimes, parents decide to adopt a child without relatives.

7. Who are you closest to in your family?

-I am the closest to my mom. I think it is because we are the only women in the family. So, we share the same ideas about many things and she always supports me.

Part 2

Describe the person in your family who you most admire. You should say:

  • what their relationship is to you
  • what they have done in their life
  • what they do now
  • and explain why you admire them so much.

The person I admire the most, not just in my family but in the whole world, is my mom. She is a great wife and a wonderful mother. She is loving, caring, open-minded and very understanding.

I love how she looks at things. She is very optimistic. I love her courage in raising me and my brothers well, since my father passed away. She has been a single mom for about 17 years and did her best to act both a mother and father to us. She would always stood up for us.

My mom resigned from work few years after my father died. Her reason was to spend much more time with the family, especially when we were growing up. She felt the need to guide us physically and emotionally. She then started her own business, which she is still running.

I love her so much. She is not just a mom but also a mentor and a friend.

Part 3

  1. In what ways have families in your country changed in recent?

The roles of husbands and wives have changed in recent years. Both spouses have been more open to perform different roles, such as seizing various job opportunities or being more involved in the household. Another change, I think, is the trend to have less children. Parents nowadays think of having smaller families due to high cost of living and career perspectives.

  1. Should husbands and wives have different roles within the family? Why (not)?

 

Traditionally, husbands and wives had had clear-cut roles in society. Husbands used work and fulfill financial needs of the family, while women were expected to take care of the house. Changes had occurred over time and both husbands and wives started to take part in each of these roles. I think this change is rather positive. It is not necessary to sharply define each role. I reckon, whatever role family members take, they should always move in the same direction and pursue what is best for the family itself.

 

  1. Which are more important to you: your family or your friends?

Both are fairly important, but my family takes place in my life that is dear to my heart. Friends may come and go, but I know that my family will always be there for me, no matter what happens in my life and no matter what decisions I take. Nevertheless, my friends are the closest people with whom I can share and discuss things that sometimes are not appropriate to bring up in the family circle.

 

Key vocabulary: Definitions and examples


WORD

DEFINITION

EXAMPLE

 

husband

the male partner in a marriage

She was having breakfast on the beach in Thailand with her husband

 

wife

a married woman

Jackson lives at his family home in Wimbledon, south London, with his wife of 26 years and their three sons.

 





uncle

the brother of someone’s father or mother

He was talking very softly, like hewas our uncle

 

nephew

the son of someone’s brother or sister

I’m assuming your nephew is young

 

niece

a daughter of someone’s brother or sister.

Kathy  must divide 7 boxes of cookies among her 4 nieces

 

cousin

a child of someone’s uncle or aunt

I understand that you have an uncle and a cousin who live near the docks die.

 

spouse

a husband or wife, considered in relation to their partner

In a marriage, both the persons are each other’s spouse.

 

stepdaughter

the daughter of one’s spouse and his or her previous partner

In 2012 my stepdaughter, who was 14 at the time, decided to get me out of her life

 

stepmother

one’s father’s second, third, etc. wife

How’s your stepmother treating you?

 

mother-in-law

the mother of one’s spouse

Mother-in-laws are mostly seen as nightmares

 

father-in-law

the father of one’s spouse

Her father-in-law – a powerful figure in the community inBritain


extended family

family that includes, ot only of parents and children but also of grandparents, aut

For many years I was conscious that I was the first woman in my very large extended family to do this.


nuclear family

a mother, father, and their children, considered as a social unit

A nuclear family is merely a couple and their children, as opposed to an “extended” family


bring up

a person whose lifestyle, political etc choices are designed to minimise human impact on the natural environment

Everyone has a way to bring up their child.


upbringing

the way in which a child is cared for and taught while it is growing up.

In the great majority of cases, it should be the decision of parents when to ask for help and advice on their children ‘s care and upbringing.


divorce

legal dissolution (ending) of a marriage

 

The rate of divorce has increased,as has the proportion of men who are never or previously married

 

childcare

arrangements for looking after children while parents work

Waiting lists for childcare are often long and by the time a vacancy for childcare arises, the doctor may be moving to another post


adolescence

period of human life between childhood and adulthood

Having survived a very troubled  adolescence she had made a successful start on a service career and hoped to achieve officer status


aformative year

first few years of a child’s life when his/her character develops

I spent my formative years in Taiwan


Word Formation


WORD

PART OF SPEECH

EXAMPLE

 

bring up

noun 

Some women choose to  bring up children alone without a male partner .

upbringing

verb

Your upbringing only limits you if you let it limit you .

 

divorce

noun

Our divorce was finalized four months ago

to divorce

verb

We made the decision to divorce a year and a half ago.

 

divorced

adjective

I am recently divorced.


depend

adjective

The answer  depends who you are .

dependant

verb

Additional allowance spaid to students with children or other dependants


to marry

verb

The best age to marry is when you have the skills and legal status to provide for a family

marriage

noun

Her second marriage to athlete Peter Edmond produced two children – John, 11, and Grace, 8.

 

married

adjective

I am married.

 

relation

noun

We have relations (=relatives) in UK and Scotland

to relate

verb

This volume contains two chapters: the first relates mainly to the mother and the second mainly to the infant.

relatives

noun

The first few days in New Zealand were spent on the North Island visiting  relatives.

relative

adjective

The number of entries defines the  relative importance of the topic.

 

support

noun

The spouse responsible for paying child support sends a check with a remittance form.

to support

verb

The course wasn’t easy at times, but I stayed focused and my  friends supported me throughout.

 
 
 

Collocations


 COLLOCATION

EXAMPLE

 

family background

During Interview they asked a question on the family background.


member of a family

The era of a single member of a family supporting the family is gone


family gathering

I wasn’t invited to their family gathering


to lead separate lives

We were going to lead separate lives, getting together occasionally


to look after children

The rest of the time we cook and clean and look after children


family activities

There’s not many family activities I can think of in Breston


houshold chores

Many household chores can be automated


family and friends

One can be successful without the support from family and friends.



large

close

close-knit

immediate

nuclear

one-parent

single-parent

middle-class

adverb+

family


come from

be in

have

start

bring up

raise

feed

support

verb+family

family

 

background

history

connections

relationships

ties

member

life

family+noun

family

 

business

home

income

holiday

family+noun

family

 

over-protective

caring

devoted

strict

working

adjective+

parent

 

supportive

ex-, former

pregnant

faithful

good

loyal

jealous

adjective+

wife

 

meet

marry

desert

leaven

verb+

wife

 

His wife has just given birth to a son

phrase

wife

 

close

near

distant

blood

elderly

old

young

female

adjective+

relative

 

have

lose

care for

give support to

help

look after

support

verb+

relative

 

live with

stay with

visit

verb+

relative(s)

 

dangerous

harmful

hazardous

poisonous

toxic

 adjective+

waste

 

non-toxic

recyclable

industrial

domestic

household

nuclear

 adjective+

waste

 

produce

dispose of

dump

get rid of

bury

process

 verb+

waste

 

recycle

reprocess deal with

handle

manage

cut down on

reduce

 adjective+

waste

 

disposal

processing

recycling

reprocessing

treatment

management

minimization

reduction

 waste+noun

waste 

 

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