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Warm up!
Fill in the gap with ONE word
1. Jane has no ________. She is an ______ child.
2. I live in a _____________ neighbourhood, far from the city.
Click the arrow to see the answers
1. Jane has no siblings, brothers, sisters. She is an only child.
2. I live in a rural, remote, friendly, small neighbourhood, far from
the city.
Table of Contents
IELTS Speaking Vocabulary: Family
Siblings
- Younger sister / brother
- Little sister / brother
- Older sister / brother
- Elder sister / brother
- To be an only child = to have no brothers or sisters
I am an only child
- Half sister / brother = a parent remarries and has children with new spouse – related by
blood. - Step sister / brother = a parent remarries someone who already has children – not related by
blood
Neighbourhoods
- Rural
- Remote
I live in a remote neighbourhood out in the sticks
- Urban = an area in the city
- Suburban = an area next and around the city I prefer to live in a suburban neighbourhood as it is quiet but close to the city
- Residential = mainly a living area
- Commercial = an area mainly with shops and offices
- Bustling = busy, lively
- Respectable = has a good reputation
This is a respectable, residential neighbourhood in a smart part of town
- Run-down = old and dirty
- Nondescript = plain, simple, run-of-the-mill, nothing special
I live in a quiet, nondescript neighbourhood in the suburbs.
- My neck of the woods = my neighbourhood, the place where I live
How is the weather in your neck of the woods?
Family activities
The following all mean ‘to come together’ around a particular place.
- To gather round
- To huddle round
- To get together
We used to gather round the table and play cards
We used to huddle round the table and drink tea
We would gather round the table and tell jokes
We would get together around the fire and tell stories
- My family is my rock = my family is my strength, stability, foundation
Parents and children
Note: We often use these in the passive to talk about yourself
I was raised in Manchester
I was brought up in Manchester by my grandmother
Note: To grow up, is not used in the passive.
I grew up in Manchester
I was born and bred in Manchester
I had a strict upbringing
I had a traditional upbringing
I was well educated
IELTS Speaking Favourite Room
Model answer
What was your favourite room in your house?
Oh, my family home back in the village was really special. It was a simple, traditional house, but really warm and cosy.
Without a doubt, my favourite room was the dining room.
There was a massive fireplace, and we’d huddle around the fire on dark winter nights.
I remember my Dad was one for storytelling and he used to tell us incredible tales of our ancestors.
I was never sure if he made up the stories or they were true, but that upbringing and the love of telling a good story is something that actually helped me build our business to the success it is today.
IELTS Speaking Traditional Celebration:
Model answer
Describe a traditional celebration in your country.
I’d like to tell you about a wedding ceremony I recently attended. It was in a small village, out in the sticks, where my friend Li grew up. Li was the groom and he married his childhood sweetheart from the same village.
The wedding took place in their village and the whole place was decorated with red lanterns and flowers, which symbolise love and prosperity.
One of the highlights was the tea ceremony. So the bride (=woman getting married) and groom (=man getting married) dressed up in traditional outfits, and served tea to their parents and grandparents. Basically, it’s a way of showing respect and gratitude to their elders.
The funniest part was the games that are a traditional part of Chinese weddings. We call them ‘chuangmen’ which I guess in English you could say ‘door games’!
So traditionally, the groom has to kind of fight for or maybe earn his bride by doing some difficult tasks. So the bridesmaids made Li sing a love song at the top of his lungs (=loudly) before letting him in and he also had to wear silly pink slippers as well!
It was all in good fun, of course. The day was a nice mix of laughter, tradition, and family values.
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