TALKING ABOUT FAMILY

Family types

In different cultures around the world and even within cultures, there are different
types of families. A nuclear family is a small family – usually just a mother, father
and kids. In some places people live with their extended family, which includes
more relatives from other generations or parts of the family. Families with kids and
only a mother or father we call single-parent families. If you live with a family who
aren’t genetically related to you but behave like your family, we can call them
your adopted family.

Close family

A close family can refer to a family where all the members have a good relationship
with each other. It can also refer to the family members you see most –
your parents (mother and father), siblings (brothers and sisters), and your children.
For some people’s close family includes a stepparent (someone married to your
mother or father who is not your genetic mother or father) or
a stepbrother or stepsister (the child of a stepparent and another person who is not
genetically-related to you. Another close family member might be a half-
sibling (someone who shares one genetic parent with you.

Extended family

Your extended family includes your aunt or uncle (your parent’s siblings) and
your cousins (your aunt or uncle’s children). The children of your siblings are
your niece (girl) or nephew (boy) and the children of your cousins we call
your second cousins. People from other generations can be in your extended family,
too. Your parent’s parents are your grandparents and their parents are your great-
grandparents.
 The in-laws

We can call relatives of a person you are married to your in-laws. You can use it as
a compound noun to talk about all of them as a group, or you can attach it to the end
of another word to modify it, for example: sister-in-law.

Family friends

For some of us, our friends are just as close to us as our families and this is reflected
in the way we talk about them. If you have a very close relationship with a friend,
you can say the friend is like a brother or sister to you. In some kinds of slang,
people talk about their friends as brothers or sisters. Likewise, someone who you
admire and who has taken care of you or supported you could be described as
a mother or father figure in your life, even if you are not related.

1. TARGET LANGUAGE
Look at these tables below !
Different types of families
Immediate family Your closest relatives
Extended family Your entire family
Nuclear family Your immediate family, including just the parents and the children

Immediate family
Your immediate family consists of your parents, your siblings, and your grandparents.
Great-grandfather your grandmother or grandfather's father
Great-grandmother your grandmother or grandfather's mother
Grandfather your mother or father’s father
Grandmother your mother or father’s mother
Mother your female parent
Father your male parent
Brother a boy who has the same parents as you
Sister a girl who has the same parents as you
Twin sibling born at the same time as you
 Extended family
Your extended family consists of anyone else you might be related to, no matter how distant
your relation is.
Aunt your mother or father’s sister
Uncle your mother or father’s brother
Cousin the child of your aunt or uncle
Nephew the son of your brother or sister
Niece the daughter of your brother or siste

The In-Laws
When you get married, you take on your spouse’s family.
These people are known as your “Family by Marriage.”
Brother-in-law a man who marries your sibling
Sister-in-law a woman who marries your sibling
Father-in-law the father of your spouse
Mother-in-law the mother of your spouse

Words Used for Describing Family:

1. Take after
To take after someone means to have a
similar personality trait or physical
appearance.
 I take after my mother. We have the
exact same nose
 He is a really good singer. He takes
after his father in that way.
2. 2. Brought up
To bring up, or be brought up, means to be
taught or raised.
 Guillaume was brought up with good
morals.
 My grandmother brought me up well.
 I was brought up in Italy.
3. 3. Runs in The Family
This refers to a specific characteristic or trait
that appears in many family members.
 Red hair runs in the family.
 I wasn’t surprised about how much he
ate. A large appetite runs in the
family.
 Sentence Examples:
1. Great-grandfather 15.Sister-in-law
– This antique belonged to his great-grandfather. – She is the same height as her sister-in-law.
2. Great-grandmother 16.Husband
– This gold watch was handed down from my – She does not like to contradict her husband in
great-grandmother. public.
3. Great-uncle 17.Wife
– My great-uncle actually got sent home from a – His wife has a strong personality.
British hospital because there weren’t enough beds 18.Cousin
that day. – I’m hoping to go and stay with my cousin Tom
4. Grandfather over Christmas.
– I remembered my grandfather in my dream last 19.Cousin’s wife
night. – There’s a message for you from your cousin’s
5. Grandmother wife.
– My grandmother taught me to sew. 20.Cousin
6. Great-aunt – She is a distant cousin.
– Your great-aunt was a very kind woman.
7. Uncle
– I don’t have much contact with my uncle.
8. Aunt
– The earrings were a gift from my aunt.
9. Father
– I didn’t receive any allowance from my father.
10.Mother
– Every mother thinks her child beautiful.
11.Uncle (Husband of Aunt)
– My uncle is travelling in South America.
12.Sister
– I share a bedroom with my sister.
13.Brother-in-law
– His brother-in-law proposed a toast to the happy
couple.
14.Brother
– I have received a letter from my brother.
 21.Cousin’s husband
– His cousin’s husband is a famous professional 26.Daughter
tennis player. – Our youngest daughter is a vegetarian.
22.Nephew 27.Son-in-law
– He entrusted the task to his nephew. – My wife called our son-in-law to rescue us.
23.Niece 28.Grandson
– He has a pretty niece. – My grandson never fails to phone me on my
24.Son birthday.
– His son, Liam, became a lawyer. 29.Granddaughter
25.Daughter-in-law – She watched her little granddaughter skip down
– My daughter-in-law is a teacher. the path.
 B. DIALOGUE EXAMPLE

1. DIALOGUE A
Bob : Hi, Jane. How are you?
Jane : Just fine, thanks, Bob.
Bob : I was wondering, are you free this Saturday?
Jane : Oh … I have a family gathering in the evening.
Why, what did you have in mind?
Bob : I was thinking of going to the cinema with you. There’s a good movie to
watch, but if you’re not available …
Jane : Well, it sounds like fun, but actually I’ll be very busy on Saturday.
Bob : What do you have to do?
Jane : I have to pick up my grandparents at the airport in the morning then help
my parents prepare for the gathering in the afternoon.
Bob : Ok, yes you will be very busy.
Jane : But thanks a lot for asking me. Maybe next time.
Bob : That’s fine. We’ll make it next time.
Jane : Why not asking Andrew to go with you? You live in the same apartment
with him, don’t you?
Bob : I have. But he already made an appointment with Lucy. They plan to play
bowling at the leisure center.
Jane : I see. Well, I’d be delighted to have you over and join the gathering.
Bob : What a great idea, thank you. When should I be there?
Jane : You can come about 7 o’clock.
Bob : All right then.
Jane : Great! I’ll be expecting you.
2. DIALOGUE B
Lucy : Wait till you hear this! Ted just got engaged to Jack!
Patrick : You’re pulling my leg! They’re just friends, Lucy.
Lucy : They’re a couple, Patrick. You can ask Ted yourself if you don’t trust me.
Patrick : Well, I don’t think it is polite to ask people about their sexual orientation.
Lucy : I don’t think so. Today, the gay community is more open. Have you heard
of LGBT? It stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender.
Patrick : Yes I know. I just think it is their private life and they will tell me when
they are ready.
Lucy : You’re too busy studying, you never have time to see them.
Patrick : What do you think of gay marriage, Lucy?
Lucy : People should be able to do whatever they want. But I can’t imagine if my
parents were both men or both women.
Patrick : I know, anything that is different from your own experience
can be hard to imagine.
Lucy : Yes, but as long as both parents love the child everything will be fine no
matter the sex of the parents.
Patrick : I agree, and speaking personally, people like Ted and Jack sure have the
right to be happy.
Lucy : That’s so sweet of you.