FAMILIES – B2

“People are pretty forgiving when it comes to other people’s families. The only family that ever horrifies

you is your own”

(Douglas Coupland,Canadian author)

Modern Family1. What’s the difference between …?

a) Relatives, next of kin, kinsman. b) Stepsisters, sisters-in-law, half-sisters.c) Godfather, bestman and great-uncle.d) Brothers, siblings and offspring.e) Same-sex family, dink family, single parent familyf) Nuclear, extended and blended familyg) Close-knit and broken family

Modern Family2. Complete the sentences with an idiomatic expression related to family.

Like chalk and cheese be the spitting image a chip off the old blockIt runs in the family be at each other’s throat empty nest syndromeBlood is thicker than water like two peas in a pod rule the roostCut the apron strings Be your parents’ blue-eyed boy/girl Get on like a house on fire

a) I was worried sick when we adopted Brian but he ……………………………….. with his new sister. They had so many things in common. b) We’re ……………………………….. I don’t have anything in common with my middle brother. c) You can tell they’re brothers at a glance. They’re ………………………………..d) Mary and her stepmother are always at ………………………………. They can’t stop fighting!. e) At three and a half weeks, she was the ……………………………….. of her father.f) Julia will leave everything behind to help her mum. After all, ………………………………..f) When my sister and I got married, my parents suffered from the …………………………………g) Ana Botín is ……………………………….. – just like her father, she’s an enterprising banker.h) Most English royal members tend to die at an old age. ………………………………..i) Peter is turning 40 next month. It’s time he …………………………………………..and moved out of his parents’ house.j) I have always felt that my youngest sister was ……………………………………………. She was always given whatever she asked for.k) At work Peter is the boss, but it is his wife who ………………………………………at home!

Modern Family3. Against the clock. How many phrasal verbs related to family can you

think of in 60”.

4. Use the phrases from the box that best describe the following relationships.

Look up to someone Be brought up by someone Be told off by someoneTake after someone Fall out with someone Get on/ along with someone

a) After a heated argument over inheritance, Claire never talked to her parents again.b) After the war my grandma took care of me and two more brothers.c) That bubbly personality and disarming smile my daughters have are my wife’s.d) I don’t have a lot to do with my father. Our relationship is bad because we’re so different.e) I remember being constantly reprimanded by my parents at home.f) My grandfather never let me down despite having a hard life. I have always admired him for that.

Modern Family5. Discuss these questions in groups.

a) Are you the spitting image of your mother?b) What features run in your family?c) Who do you get on like a house on fire in your family? Are there any

relatives in your family who are at each other’s throat?d) Who rules the roost in your family?e) Were you your parents blue-eyed boy or girl?f) Did your parents suffer from empty nest syndrome when you or any

of your siblings got married / left home?g) Were your siblings/relatives told off as much as you did at an early

age?h) Do you keep in contact with distant relatives?

Modern Family

AGREEING HALF-AGREEING DISAGREEING REPORTING AGREEMENT /DISAGREEMENT

•I couldn’t agree more.•I agree with you 100%.•I would agree with that.•Exactly/ Absolutely!•I have to side with you on this one.•(There’s) no doubt about it.•You have a point there.•That’s exactly how I feel.•I completely agree with that.•I am of the same opinion.•I think there’s some truth in that.

 •I can agree with that only with reservations. •That seems obvious, but... •That is not necessarily so. •It is not as simple as it seems. •I agree with you up to a point.•I take your point, but …•I see what you mean, but …•That’s true in a way, but …•To a certain extent, but …

•I don’t think that’s completely true•No way.•I disagree, I’m afraid.•I totally disagree.•I beg to differ.•I’d say the exact opposite.•Not necessarily.•That’s not always the case•I (very much) doubt whether•I cannot share this/ that view•I cannot agree with this idea.•That’s complete rubbish/ nonsense!•I am of a different opinion because...•That’s not true at all

 •We all felt pretty much the same about this question.•There were a number of differences of opinion in the group•One or two people had quite strong views about this.