Human Relationships

Relationships are the way people or groups feel about/get on with each other and behave
towards each other. Relationships can be between grandparents and parents, parents and their
children, between siblings, married couples, man and women, employees and employers, etc.
According to the durance they can be short-term or long-term and depending on how we talk
to each other, what body language we use in the company of the other person we can talk
about:

Formal relationships Informal relationships

- are formed among people of different ages,
social and professional positions, e. g.
teachers and students, employers and
employees, employers and management,
doctors and patients, in business
surroundings (on meetings, conferences)
- are not very deep and open
- are based on respect and higher level of
formality and politeness
exist between friends, classmates, partners or
couples, parents and children, grandparents
and grandchildren, colleagues, roommates,
in-laws, etc.
- are usually open, deep and based on
honesty
- in such relationships we feel free to tell our
true opinion
- are often based on long-term relationships

Questions to discuss

1.Look at the pictures. Choose three of them and try to describe the people´s relationship.
How are the people related to each other?
2. Describe your relationship with your parents.
3. What kind of relationships are formed/occur in our life?
4. What kind of conflicts do people have? How can you solve them?

1. Vocabulary - pictures (example descriptions):

The pictures show both formal and informal relationships as there are families, couples,
school, etc.:

- the first picture shows a nuclear family enjoying a picnic by the sea – I think it’s a married
couple with two kids catching up on family activities, spending time together and talking –
there’s informal relationship between families – they can show their true colours, don’t have
to pretend and hide, they share their lives and this is what makes a relationship steady and
firm and informal

- this picture shows maybe a father and son playing chess and spending some time together, it
seems as a good relationship between the parent and son, the son behaves with respect and
love towards his father, shows interest in being together

- father and daughter having an argument maybe over a school thing or a relationship, the
father seems to be a strict parent with the upper hand, and the daughter seems to be an
obedient girl, in the photo she’s crying over something
- it’s a young couple either married or in a relationship,

- in this photo, an older lady and a young man are travelling in the metro, she has a
disapproving look in her eyes maybe about the appearance of the young man, I think they’re
strangers, simply passengers

- a homeless person in the company of another woman who is maybe trying to give help by
sitting there, listening and chatting with the homeless or they might be relatives

2. Relationship with parents (example answers)

- get on really well, our relationship is based on mutual respect, honesty and deep love
- spend a lot of time together on everyday basis talking about school stuff, relationships and
everything else/ at weekends cooking, baking, going shopping or doing family things like
playing board games, chatting, visiting relatives, etc.
- help me every time I need support or advice and I help them with household chores

- have arguments about (marks, my relationships, my friends I hang out with, the way I dress
or my hairstyle) but I know they just want the best for me/us
- push me to do my utmost, want me to fulfill their dreams
- don’t allow me to go out for the night or away for the weekend
- they’re getting on my nerves sometimes but I realise that they do everything out of love

3. Relationships that may occur in life:

- childhood friendships
- formal and sometimes less formal relationships between teachers and students
- friendships/relationships between classmates, roommates, peers
- romantic partnerships or marriages
- in a marriage one gets in relationship with in-laws, (mother/father/sister/brother-in-law)
- formal and informal relationships at workplace, e.g. between colleagues, employers and
management

4. Who is a good friend/what’s a good friendship like?

a good friend is someone who is there for us to give company and we can have a good chat
with, someone I can share my hobbies, interests with, who is a soul mate and understands our
personality, who listens to us when we really need it and tries to help, who does things for us,
little or even big favours, is honest with us and isn’t afraid to tell things we don’t want to hear

5. Role-play

- you want to introduce your boyfriend/girlfriend to your parents and they ask you questions
about him/her
- give a detailed description of your girlfriend/boyfriend and his/her family, your parents will
ask you questions

example sentences
- I’d like you to meet my boyfriend/girlfriend and I was wondering if I could bring her/him
home.
- she/he is very clever and well-educated, interested in (sports, cinema, theatre, reading, etc.)
we met ......... (when/where), has good marks and also works hard to reach his/her goals
- I feel very well with her/him, because we can talk about everything, and she’s also a big fan
of ........ (what), you know how much I love it!
- he/she’s from a family of (four, three), her parents divorced and he/she lives with his .......