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Week 5: Family & Relatives
“How often do you…..?” is a very common Part 1 IELTS Speaking question. In this video you can learn 1 useful phrase to help you describe your habits in English with ‘Frequency Phrases’.
Bonus Content: listen to Track 10 – Relatives to hear even more Frequency Phrases. Can you hear these phrases?
- Every once in a while
- Never
- Usually
- All the time
- Quite a while ago
- Day in day out
IELTS Warm-up Questions: Family & Relatives
Warm-up Questions:
- Do you have a big family?
- Do you have any family members living in abroad?
- Are families in your country getting bigger or smaller? (In terms of how many)
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IELTS Grammar Lesson
Vocabulary Tips
In English, you actually have 2 families!
- My immediate family
This is your father, mother, siblings, grandparents, step-parents, step-siblings and even adopted siblings are also included. (Probably pet cats, turtles or goldfish count too)
- My extended family
This includes people in your family, who don’t typically live in your home, such as your relatives, such as your aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
In English, you also have 2 sides to your family.
- On my mother’s side: (my mother’s siblings, parents and relatives)
- On my father’s side: (my father’s siblings, parents and relatives)
Grammar Guide – Describing and comparing equally important things
In some cases, people are closer to one side of their family than the other.
In other cases, some people [are just as close to one side as the other].
Here is the sentence pattern I just used:
- [I am] + [just as adjective + prep] + [noun] + as + [noun]
- I am + just as close to + my sister + as + my brother. = I am equally close to my brother and sister.
- He is + just as similar to + his father + as his mother. = He is equally similar to his father and mother.
- I think that friends are + just as important + as + family. = I think friends and family are equally important.
This pattern allows you to describe how 2 things are the equal, in terms of how expensive, how difficult, how easy, how similar, how important, how far and anything else you want!
You try! Use the pattern above to make some sentences below.
For example:
- Berlin (200 km far away) = Paris (200 km far away)
= Berlin is just as far away as Paris.
- Italian food ($25) – French food ($25)
= __________________________________________
- My father’s side = (close to) = My mother’s side
= I am __________________________________________
- The beach = (30 minutes far away) = The mountains
= __________________________________________
- History = (interesting to me) = Science
= __________________________________________
- Maths = (difficult for me) = English
= __________________________________________
- Samsung smartphones = (expensive) = Apple iPhones
= __________________________________________
- Going hiking = (Fun for me) = Going drinking
= __________________________________________
Answers:
- Italian food is just as expensive as French food.
- I am just as close to my father’s side as my mother’s side.
- The beach is just as far away as the mountains.
- History is just as interesting to me as science.
- Maths is just as difficult for me as English.
- Samsung smartphones are just as expensive as iPhones.
- Going hiking is just as fun for me as going drinking.
Let’s expand
- Are you just as close to your father’s side as your mother’s side?
- Do you think you are just as similar to your mother as your father?
- Is there another language that you think is just as difficult as English?
Loving the Grammar Lesson? Get the Complete Edition of my IELTS Speaking E-book, Audio Book and Workbook below!
IELTS Vocabulary and Levelled Reading
Read these 3 levels of about ‘Family & Relatives’. Every level becomes more difficult but every level has the same meaning. The new words are highlighted, so if you don’t understand a word in Level 2, look back at Level 1 to find the easier synonym! This is a great way to learn new vocabulary!
Level 1: Beginner Level 2: Intermediate Level 3: Advanced
IELTS Question #1: Do you often visit your relatives?
- Level 1: I see my aunt and uncle on my mother’s side quite often, because they live very close to my hometown. So I have lots of chances to go over there and visit them. On my father’s side, I rarely see my aunts, uncles or cousins on that side since they were not involved in raising me, so I suppose we’re not very close now.
- Level 2: I see my aunt and uncle on my mother’s side fairly often, because they live very close to my hometown. So I have lots of chances to head over there and visit them. On my father’s side, I rarely see my aunts, uncles or cousins since they were not involved in raising me, so I suppose we’re not that close now.
- Level 3: I see my aunt and uncle on my mother’s side fairly often because they are just a stone’s throw away from my hometown. So I have ample opportunity to head over there and visit them. On my father’s side, I hardly ever see my aunts, uncles or cousins since they never had a hand in raising me, so I suppose we’re not that close now.
IELTS Question #2: Why do people visit their relatives?
- Level 1: Although they are not immediate family, I think lots of people can have the same strong bond with their relatives as with their parents or siblings, because aunt and uncles maybe helped them grow up and were involved in their childhood. So people should visit them. Ultimately, they are family, so it’s important to have a good relationship with them.
- Level 2: Although they are not immediately family, I suppose lots of people can have the same strong bond with relatives as with their parents or siblings as aunts and uncles could have helped them grow up and been involved in their upbringing. So people should visit them. Ultimately, they are blood, so it’s important to have a good relationship with them.
- Level 3: Although they are not immediate family, I suppose lots of people can have just as strong a bond with their relatives as their parent or siblings, as aunts and uncles could have helped to raise them and played a part in their upbringing. So people have an obligation to visit them. At the end of the day they are blood, so it’s important to have a good relationship with them.
Links and Resources
You can find even more IELTS-appropriate vocabulary, collocations and phrases about Relatives here:
You can find even more IELTS-appropriate vocabulary, collocations and phrases about Family here:
Why are families getting smaller (Great ideas for IELTS Writing: Task 2)
IELTS Practice Questions
Putting it all together:
Try these Part 1 IELTS Questions all about Family & Relatives!
- Do you often visit your relatives?
- What do you do when you visit your relatives?
- When was the last time you visited your relatives?
- Why do people visit their relatives?
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