IELTS speaking vocabulary

 

Vocabulary to speak about family and friends

1. A lifelong friend – A friend that you have had for most of your life
2. A relationship of trust – a connection with another in which you have faith and confidence
3. Arrange a dinner date – Plan to share an evening meal
4. A shoulder to cry on – Someone to sympathize with you
5. Close knit family – A close family with common interests
6. Dear to my heart – Someone that I care about
7. Distant cousins – People who share a common ancestor but are not closely related
8. Extend the hand of friendship – Reach out to someone in a friendly manner
9. Extended family – Uncles, aunts and cousins form part of the extended family
10. Face to face – In person
11. Get to know one another – Learning different aspects of each other
12. Get together – Meet up
13. Immediate family – Spouse, parents, children, grandparents
14. Long lost friend – A friend that you have lost contact with
15. Long-term relationships – A committed relationship between partners
16. Nurture our friendships – Looking after our relationships with friends
17. Professional relationships – The relationships that we have in the workplace
18. Relationship problems – Difficulties with people with whom we interact regularly
19. Share a common background – The share a similar heritage or culture
20. Share the same ideas – To have similar opinions and views
21. Stand the test of time – To last a long time
22. Struck up a friendship – To make friends
23. To enjoy someone’s company – To enjoy spending time with someone
24. To have a good working relationship – To work together well
25. To have a lot in common – To have shared interests
26. To hit it off – To like each other straight away
27. To keep in touch with – To keep in contact
28. To lose touch with – To lose contact

IELTS speaking part 1 - sample questions and answers

Examiner: Do you come from a large family?

Answer: My immediate family is not very big. I have a large extended family that includes many uncles, aunts, and cousins. We are a close-knit family, and we like to keep in touch with one another, so birthdays, and other celebrations, are noisy crowded affairs.

Examiner: When was the last time you had a family function?

Answer: Our extended family got together last year to celebrate my grandfather’s eightieth birthday. He is very dear to my heart. He has kept up healthy relationships with the whole family, so it was a happy occasion that we all enjoyed.

Examiner: Would you take a friend on a family holiday?

Answer: I have. My family and my best friend got to know each other quite well, as she visited me quite frequently at my home. My family believes that we should nurture our friendships, so they encouraged me to bring my friend along when we took a seaside holiday last year.