Model Answers By Topic
3. Family
SPEAKING
PART 1
1. Do you have a small or large family?
I have a large extended family. My parents had many brothers and sisters so I have a lot of cousins, nephews and nieces.
2. Do you spend a lot of time with your family?
Yes, my family’s bonds are very strong and we like to spend a lot of time together. We usually get together for Sunday lunch - it’s a great opportunity to spend quality time together.
3. How often do you see relatives like aunties, uncles or cousins?
I see my aunts, uncles and cousins on my mother’s side quite often. Unfortunately, my father grew apart from his brothers so we hardly ever see my extended family on his side.
4. Are your parents and grandparents from the same country as you?
One of my grandparents immigrated from a neighbouring country, but my other grandparents and my parents were born and brought up here.
5. What do you and your family like to do together?
We enjoy doing various things together, such as going on road trips or going for walks. We also like spending quality time at home and playing board games, or just watching a movie together.
6. Do you have a good relationship with everyone in your family?
Yes, definitely, family ties are important in my family. We’re a close-knit group and if I have a problem I can depend on my family to be supportive and help me deal with it.
7. Who are you closest with in your family?
I am close with my parents and siblings but my older brother and I, in particular, have more shared interests, so we tend to spend the most time together.
8. Is family life important in your country?
Yes, family bonds are a big part of our lives. Also, I think people in my country are quite traditional, and family values are really important.
Listen to Speaking Part 1 Model Answers:
PART 2
Describe a person in your family who you 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
Model Answer:
Well, I’ve always looked up to my grandfather, so I can tell you about him.
My grandfather is a retired engineer and worked his entire life in the oil industry. He was one of the chief engineers on many important projects and was known for being conscientious, reliable and hard-working.
Despite his busy work schedule, my grandfather was always able to spend quality time with me and my brothers and sisters when we were growing up. He would take us on picnics, play chess with me, and tell us stories about his travels and adventures. He has always been very supportive, and I have learned a lot from him about the importance of hard work, perseverance, and providing for your family. I’d like to think that I take after him to some degree.
Nowadays, my grandfather is retired, but he still keeps himself busy with hobbies and interests. He has a passion for woodwork, and he spends many hours in his workshop creating quite impressive pieces of furniture and crafts. Like me, he also really enjoys reading, so you’ll often find him absorbed in a book. Actually, we like to read similar books so we’ll often share recommendations, especially for books about history or biographies.
I look up to my grandfather for his achievements, his intelligence and for the importance he puts on family bonds. He’s always been a role model for me and I think he’s set a good example, not just for me, but for my siblings too. I’m really grateful to still have him in my life.
Listen to Speaking Part 2 Model Answers:
PART 3
1. Do you think it is better to grow up with brothers and sisters?
I think that being brought up in a big nuclear family with brothers and sisters is generally positive. It helps children develop important social skills, such as cooperation and communication. Siblings provide companionship too, so you won’t get lonely, and later in life brothers and sisters can be supportive when you have a problem. Having said that, brothers and sisters don’t always see eye to eye, and sibling rivalry can sometimes be a problem.
2. Is it good to have a large extended family?
Generally speaking, I think having lots of relatives is a good thing as it really helps to have a close-knit group of supportive family members in your life. It’s also great if you have kids as they will have lots of cousins to play with, and family members can help you with childcare too. However, unfortunately, it can also create conflicts and rivalries, especially over issues like inheritance, and I know several cases of rifts that have developed in families, with siblings who refuse to talk to each other.
3. What role should grandparents play in bringing up children?
For me, grandparents should play an important role in raising children. They’re usually retired so they have the chance to spend quality time with kids when the parents are busy with work. They also have a lot of life experience and can be a role model that their grandkids can look up to. I think it’s also good for the elderly to have the companionship from spending time with their grandchildren. Sometimes elderly people without children and grandkids can get quite lonely.
4. How has the size of families changed in your country in the last 20 years?
In my country, the size of families has changed significantly in the last 20 years. With changes in the economy and society, nuclear families have become much smaller. These days a lot of couples don’t have children until they’re in their 30’s and often only have one child. I think that in the future, extended families are going to be really small, and kids may not have any aunts, uncles or cousins.
5. What is more important, family or friends?
I think that both family and friends are important, and that it is possible to have a good balance between the two. Both family and friends can be supportive, but I’d say you should be able to rely on family members for help and support when you really need it. I think although having a good circle of friends is nice, having a close-knit family and strong bonds with your brothers, sisters and cousins is key to having a happy life. Only family can offer unconditional love, so ultimately, they are most important.
6. What do you think about single parent families?
I think that single parent families aren't ideal, and can face many challenges, but they can still offer the unconditional love kids really need when they’re growing up. Single parents often have to play many roles and take on many responsibilities, so this can be a struggle, both emotionally and financially. However, single parent families can also be very close-knit and strong, and they can still provide a loving and supportive environment for children.
Listen to Speaking Part 3 Model Answers:
WRITING
GENERAL TEST WRITING TASK 1
You are organising a family event for your grandmother’s 90th birthday. You want to invite your cousin. Write an email to your cousin.
In your letter:
say why you are organising the family event
give details about when and where it will take place
explain why it is important to attend
Model Answer:
Dear Ralph,
How are you and the family? I wanted to let you know about a party I’m organising for Grandma. As I’m sure you’re aware, it will be her 90th birthday on the 5th August and so I thought it would be great to get together to celebrate the occasion. She’ll really appreciate seeing all of her extended family.
We’re going to hold the party on the 5th at my house seeing as we have a big place and there will be plenty of room for everyone. We’re going to start early, at 11am, as Grandma usually likes to have a nap around 3pm. As you’ve been to my house before, you know the best way to get here is by car. I’ll send you an email with the address and directions later in case you've forgotten the route to get here.
I really hope you can come as I know Grandma will be thrilled to see you and your kids. You know how important family bonds are to her. It’ll be a great chance to catch up with everyone and spend some quality time together too. On top of that, Uncle James and Aunt Jane are coming over from Canada and I’m sure they’d love to see you.
Please let me know if you’ll be able to make it.
Lots of love,
Jennifer
WRITING TASK 2
Model Answer:
It is commonly thought that families are not as close-knit as they were previously. In my opinion this could be the result of changes in society that have made it harder for people to spend quality time with family members. In order to address this problem, it’s important that people make more effort to stay in touch with family, and they can leverage modern communication devices and applications to do this.
As a result of various changes in society it is much harder for people to maintain close ties with their families than previously. For one, in the past, people tended to live very near relatives during their whole lives, whereas in today’s world this is not the case. These days, people are more mobile and regularly move to different cities or even countries in order to find a better job, take advantage of better education or for some other opportunity. This makes it more difficult to socialise with relatives and therefore more difficult to maintain close relationships. Furthermore, people’s lives are busier today than they were in the past. We have a plethora of work and personal responsibilities, not to mention all of the recreational and personal development opportunities now available. This means that it is even harder to find time for family. People are often only able to focus on providing for their nuclear family, at the expense of bonds with siblings, cousins and other members of our extended families.
One solution to the problems causing weakening family relationships is for people to prioritise their family members and make more effort to foster family relationships. People should get together with relatives more frequently and spend more quality time together. For example, they could organise a weekly meal together, or a regular family day out. As a consequence of these activities, family members would likely become closer. Moreover, even if a person lives far away from their relatives, in the modern world we have a myriad of technologies which enable us to stay in touch. Be it on Skype, Messenger, or any similar application, people can message and speak to their siblings, parents or others quickly and cheaply. By doing this, people who live far apart from their family members would still be able to remain close with them.
In conclusion, changes in society have made it harder for people to maintain strong family bonds. However, if we make a little more effort, and take advantage of the communication technologies now available, there’s no reason why we can’t sustain close relationships no matter where we live or how hectic our lives are.
It is generally agreed that family relationships are not as close as they were in the past.
Explain why you think this has happened and suggest how family relationships could be made closer.
VOCABULARY
Topic Vocabulary:
bond (noun [c]):
Definition: A connection, relationship, or emotional tie between people.
Example: Strong family bonds are built through shared experiences and communication.
childcare (noun [u]):
Definition: The care and supervision of children, typically provided by someone other than their parents.
Example: Finding affordable and reliable childcare can be a challenge for working parents.
close-knit (adjective):
Definition: Having strong relationships, connections, and bonds between members of a group.
Example: My family is very close-knit, we always help each other out.
companionship (noun [u]):
Definition: The enjoyment of spending time with others, especially friends or family.
Example: Having a pet can provide us with companionship and love.
extended family (noun [u]):
Definition: Relatives like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who are not part of the nuclear family.
Example: My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are all part of my extended family.
family values (noun [pl]):
Definition: Valuing the traditional family situation where a mother, father and children all live together.
Example: Traditional family values are disappearing as single parent families become more widespread.
have [sb.] in your life (phrase):
Definition: To have someone present or involved in your life.
Example: Having my close friends in my life makes a big difference.
look up to (phrasal verb):
Definition: To have respect or admiration for someone.
Example: I really look up to my older brother, because he's always been so successful.
nuclear family (noun):
Definition: A family unit consisting of parents and their children.
Example: My nuclear family consists of my parents, my younger sister, and me.
on my mother's/ father's side(idiom):
Definition: Refers to relatives or family members related through either the mother or, alternatively, the father.
Example: All my relatives on my mother's side have dark hair.
provide for (phrasal verb):
Definition: To take care of someone's needs and wants.
Example: He provides for his wife and two kids.
quality time (noun [u]):
Definition: Spending special time with loved ones where you can make the relationship stronger.
Example: He makes time every evening to spend some quality time with his daughter.
rift (noun [c]):
Definition: A serious disagreement between individuals that causes a break in their relationship.
Example: A rift occurred in the family because of arguments over an inheritance.
rivalry (noun [c]):
Definition: Competition between siblings for attention, recognition, or affection.
Example: My brother and I are both competitive and there was some sibling rivalry when we were kids.
role model (noun [c]):
Definition: Someone who serves as an example to others, often in a positive way.
Example: My grandmother is my role model. She's had a tough life but always manages to stay positive.
set a good example (phrase):
Definition: To behave in a way that shows others the correct way to behave.
Example: I want to lead a meaningful life and set a good example for my children.
sibling (noun [c]):
Definition: A brother or sister.
Example: My sister and I have been best friends since we were kids, we're very close siblings.
supportive (adjective):
Definition: Providing help and encouragement to others.
Example: I was lucky to have supportive parents who helped me to get a very good education.
take after (phrasal verb):
Definition: To resemble or have similar characteristics to someone, often a parent or relative.
Example: I take after my aunt. She's creative and artistic, just like me.
unconditional love (noun phrase):
Definition: When you love someone completely and without any conditions or expectations.
Example: A mother's love for her child is often said to be an example of unconditional love.
