family

Note: You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.

---

Model Answer 1:

I am never really the kind of person who likes to admire other persons (well, for a girl, I am a rather “free-spirited” person) even when they should be. But, when it comes to my elder sister, I can’t help admiring her even on her worst days.

My sister is about 5 years older than me, and since my childhood, she is the person who looked after me in the absence of my parents (they were both working parents). I can still vividly remember those days when I was allowed to play outside with my friends, and I didn’t want to return home, but it was my elder sister who had pulled me up with her two hands and pretty much “snatched” me from the playground. I can also remember those special times when my elder sister kept playing cartoon movies one after another until I actually chose the one which I decided to watch in the end. My elder sister and I loved baking chocolate cake together, and this memory goes back to those days when I had just probably learned to write a full sentence and draw an elephant without any help. Anyway, I don’t really see my elder sister now because we both have different work and school schedules these days.

I really admire my sister mainly because she is a truly loving and patient person for her age. In fact, in my 25 years of life, I have never seen my elder sister get mad at me even though I have done plenty of things to annoy her. As an elder sister, she knew her role perfectly well in the absence of our parents as I remember her cooking for me and feeding me even during the days when she fell sick. Finally, I admire my elder sister because of her sheer determination which made her study for a Ph.D. degree at night after having a full-time job during the daytime.

---

Model Answer 2:

I have got a nuclear family that has only five members. All of us love each other very much and we share a strong bond and affection. It’s quite hard to pick someone among them I admire the most. Well, if I have to choose someone, it would be my mother. I would like to thank you for this nice topic and for the time you have allowed me to talk about the person in my family I admire deeply.

I love my mother from the deepest core of my heart. I revere my mother for her adorable behavior on top of her smartness and loving nature. She is the person I can share everything with and that’s the reason I worship her so much. She is perky, charismatic, optimistic and the ray of sunshine in my life.

Possibly she is the first person I saw when I opened my eyes to this world. Someone’s relationship with his or her mother is divine. I can still remember a childhood day when I was late to return home due to a program at the school I did not know about. After an hour or so, I noticed my mother at my school. I was horrified that my mother would be angry with me and she would punish me. But, when my mother saw me, she had a warm smile on her face. Then she hugged me passionately. At that very moment, I realized how much she loves me and cares for my safety and wellbeing.

To describe her more, I would say she is kind to all in a unique way and yet proactive and in control. She loves cooking, decorating homes with innovative ideas, helping others, and reading. O. Henry is her favorite writer. She hates speed driving and liars, you know what I mean!

I spent my 19 years or so with my parents but I now stay in a metropolitan city for my higher education. Whenever I get a vacation, I visit my family. On average, I spend 2/3 months in a year with my family, hence with my mother as well. But I talk to her over the phone almost every day.

The reason I admire her, well – she is caring, compassionate, and possesses kindness and love for everyone. She is an ideal mother who raised three children and ensured their quality education and moral values. She has sacrificed a lot and had never complained about anything to us. She is the person who reminds me of the power of love and affection. How could not I admire her unconditionally?

---

Model Answer 3:

A person I admire is my “mother” because she is a fighter. You may ask why? To start, my mom got pregnant with me at the age of 18 and she did not have the support of my grandparents. Her own parents wanted to kick her out of the house when they found out. She convinced them to let her stay, but she could not ask them for any help when raising the baby. Knowing all this my mom still decided to have the baby – and that’s baby is me. How could I not adore her with my every breath!

Besides not having the support of her parents, she did not receive any help from my father either. Although my father cared about me, he never gave my mom money or clothes to help her maintain me as a baby. She had to provide for me on her own. Going to school and working was killing her, but she wanted me to have a good life, so she did anything that she could. My mom got pregnant again two years later, with the same man. The only difference was this time – it was worse! He abandoned her completely and her dad was sick. Now, not only did she have to provide for her two babies, but also for her parents. She was overwhelmed by everything happening; she didn’t know what to do.

Finally, she decided to attend college and become a teacher to support the family. It was not an easy thing to do. After she finished college, it took her a while to find a job. It is not easy to find a job in Nicaragua. However, my mom never quits, no matter how hard things get for her she fought through it. To provide for her offspring and parents. I see her every single day and I wish to be with her for the rest of my life. I have never seen anyone so determined and caring and she deserved to be admired and loved.

---

Model Answer 4:

I have got six family members and all of them are very dear and close to me. If I have to pick a family member I genuinely admire that would be my father. My father’s name is Alfred Brooke and he is approximately 50 years old. He is the kind of person I would want my offspring to be. Thank you for the opportunity to let me talk about my father.

He did his graduation at a time when formal education was not people’s first choice. They would rather start working rather than going to school. My father fought for his right to education with people who thought working or doing some sort of business has more advantages than going to schools. But my father believed that education shapes a man’s life and is a power that would guide him throughout life.

I have numerous memories of my father and I see him every day now. We share a strong bond and have mutual respect for each other. I still remember my childhood days when I used to wait in the evening for my father to return from his office. He would then play with me and help me complete my homework. I vividly remember the times when he took me to the market and bought me gifts. When I was an infant he moved to a city from our village to ensure better schooling for me. That was a decision that has changed my life path. He helped me finish my lessons and often surprised me with gifts if I could complete my study on time and I cherish these days very much.

He used to work in a Government organization and for his devotion to work and kindness, he is revered by all of his relatives, friends, and neighbors. He is humble yet dynamic, charismatic, and very social.

He believes in humanity, in God and the afterlife, good behavior, and leads a life that can be exemplary for many. He still does most of his works himself and helps my mom with her household tasks. After retirement, he has picked up two new hobbies- gardening and teaching young children. He is a quiet and intelligent man who has a benevolent heart and that’s something that makes him so admirable to me. He is still the pillar of our family and all of our family members love and respect him very much.

Model Answer 4:

Usually, the Germans pass their leisure hours in different ways, and telling stories to friends and family is one of the ways to make leisure attractive. So, there are a large number of stories are available.

The story is about two frogs, who fell down inside a well, unfortunately, and one of them survived finally. The story is told to inspire people so that they could also get succeeded in their daily life. When the frogs slipped into the well, both of them started jumping to get out of the well. The other frogs discouraged them from getting out as the well’s length was beyond their capacity to jump out. Hearing the demoralizing words, one of the frogs stopped jumping and died inside the well. The other frogs started discoursing the remaining frog not to jump but as they tried harder, that came out of the well. As the frog was short in the ear, it could not realize that it was being discouraged rather believing that it was inspired, it finally made its way out of the well.

This is a very usual story that is told to kids to make them inspired and motivated to continue their respective tasks. My mother told me the story of when I failed to pass an exam. She told it as part of motivating me to keep going forward. I was in seventh grade and failed to secure the necessary marks to pass in mathematics. But as I could not answer a few questions for the limited time in the examination and made a couple of wrong answers simultaneously, I obtained the lowest marks among the other students in the class. When the answer scripts were passed to my parents, they tried to inspire me on stressing mathematics more than ever. As an example, she told me the story which ended with the moral that if someone works relentlessly to avoid failures, success certainly will embrace them someday.

In my current days, I still remember the story as it was a milestone for me. It helped me greatly to start a new beginning in my life. Whenever I was in trouble or failure appeared before me, I kept doing the same thing again and again. I failed several times and finally, the success was mine. There were few negative people who had dejected me from several perspectives; I neglected their words like the second frog. It was a life lesson for me.

The story of two frogs is a very good and inspiring story for everyone. It teaches us how to struggle to get success. In our real life, we will get a good number of people who have mounted on the top of success in their respective arena and it is possible only for their hard labor and perseverance. For example, the first frog died on the well as it was discouraged by the other frogs. But the second one succeeded to come out after several other attempts. We can cite many famous historical personalities, politicians, painters, singers, and other celebrities who have succeeded after lots of attempts in their life. Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Walt Disney, Socrates, Charlie Chaplin among others are notable in this case.

---

Tips for answering this Cue Card Topic:

You already know a lot about your family members and this cue card should be an easy one to answer. Just focus on the questions mentioned below the Cue card topic. Following questions may appear with this cue card and note the quick answers to these questions:

1. Who is he/she? : My mother / My father/ My brother/ My sister etc.
2. Your relationship with this family member:  She is my mother/ he is my father etc.
3. What you do together:  We walk out in the evening together/ cook together/ study together/ enjoy our conversations/ talk a lot about family issues etc.
4. What is s/he like-  He/ she is kind, talented, energetic, works hard, dedicated, caring, possesses a great personality, open-minded, etc.
5. How long do you know him /her: From my childhood/ all of my life/ for more than 20 years etc.
6. How often do you see him/her: Every day/ once in a month/ most of the time I stay at home/ in every three months etc.
7. Why do you like him/ her or why do you admire him/ her?: S/he loves me unconditionally, is very close to me, is very caring, have a good heart, is talented, helpful, my best mentor, etc.
8. Since grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, etc could be a part of a joint family, you can describe any of them if you live in a joint family.

While talking about what is s/he is like or what qualities he /she has or even why do you like/ admire him/her you can use some of the following points:

     For father: He is honest, brave, had a good heart, talented, leads an ideal life, has sacrificed a lot to up-bring us, is an exemplary person, everybody respects him, is the best person I have ever known, loves me very much, hardworking, punctual, talented, etc.

     For mother: She is so caring, loving, hardworking and possesses a good heart, has done a lot to up-bring us, very close to me, very understanding, one of my best friends, knows a lot of things and has so many practical skills, etc.

     For brother: He is so brave, talented, well mannered, knows a lot about different things, has always supported me no matter what, he is loved and liked by others, cooperative and we have many pleasant memories together, like a mentor to me, is my best buddy, taught me almost everything he knows, always protects me, etc.

     For sister: She is caring, a good friend, loving, a good mentor, helps you with study or on other tasks, supportive, a very good friend, talented and well-mannered.

Necessary vocabulary for this cue card:

Relatives = Your family members are also your relatives.

Nuclear family = A nuclear family also called an elementary family, is a type of family group consisting of a pair of adults and their children.

Extended family= An extended family extends beyond the nuclear family, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives.

Sibling = Siblings are your brothers and sisters.

Relationship Synonyms = Tie, link, attachment.

Admire Synonyms: Adore, idolize, respect, revere, honor, held in high regard, think highly of, esteem.

Memory Synonyms: Remembrance, thoughts, reminiscence, recollection, musing.

Phrases with meanings:

Bring up = Raise a child.
Look after = Take care of.
Rely on = Depend on.
Be close to = Having a strong bonding.
Get along with = Being close and friendly.
Admire = To respect and like someone.
A bubbly personality = A person who is very happy, lively, and often optimistic.
Charismatic = Someone with great charm and attraction, especially one who inspires others.

Vocabulary related to “Family”:

Flesh and blood
Blood is thicker than water
Get along with
Rely on/ depend on
Raise/ bring up
To be close
Get together
Have things in common
Family trait
Resemble
Run in the family
In-laws
Close-knit family
Extended family
Nuclear family
Relatives
To Raise
Childhood
Parenthood
Foster family
Overprotective
Quality time
Neglected
Tie/bond
Juvenile delinquency
To play truant
Forefathers
Half-brother
Single parent
Adoption
Family tree
Heir
Inherit
Admire
Fraternal
Descendant

 

If you prepare for this cue card you should be able to answer the following cue card topics as well with very few changes:

1. Talk about someone who cares about you a lot.
   2. Describe a person whom you like very much.
   3. Describe the person whom you admire most.
   4. Talk about a person you know for a long.
   5. Talk about a senior person whom you like a lot.
   6. Talk about a person who has a great influence on your life.

Part 3 – Details Discussion:

1. What are the values of family in your country?
   Answer: That’s a really important question. First of all, I believe that family values don’t differ from country to country and please allow me to say that they should be the same throughout the world. As far as I’m concerned, the most important values of a family are moral values, which enable people to draw plausible distinctions between right and wrong, good and bad, true and false. The lessons learned from the family are invaluable throughout our life. A family is the most important group that makes life worth living. Furthermore, family values are vital in making decisions and can be obtained by personal and life experiences with close relationships with family members. To be more specific, some examples could be: being honest and trustworthy, courageous and patient, taking up responsibilities as well as adding values to the world are the norms of our family and society. A family is utterly important and we stand for our family members no matter what. Thus ‘family comes first is the morality everyone in our country believes in. We also consider a family as the unit of a society or a country and bonding, relationship, trustworthiness, helpfulness are lessons that come with close family ties.
2. How family bonding is necessary for happiness in life?
   Answer: Our parents are the reason for our existence and with them, we get a family. Parents are the persons we see and rely on when we open our eyes for the first time. Moreover, parents are the primary educator and they teach their children how to develop confidence, social skills, morals, values, and views in life. Since they are the base of our family, closeness in a family leads people to have an intrinsically fulfilling and flourishing life. This can be justified by the fact that children who enjoy strong family bonding tend to be happier and mentally healthier than those who are in a dysfunctional family environment.
3. What type of family do you like? Nuclear family or joint family?
   Answer: That’s really an interesting question! A nuclear family is preferable to me than a joint family. The reason for my preference is perhaps because I grew up in a nuclear family and it was a pleasant memory for me. Besides, in a nuclear family, the couple and their children have a stronger relationship. Fighting and quarrel are rare in nuclear families. On the other hand, the second type of family is the extended family or joint family and includes grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and so on. I prefer a quiet environment to a noisy one. In a joint family, this is unlikely to happen and people often do not have sufficient privacy. Therefore, I strongly believe that a family only with mum, dad and siblings would work better for me.
4. How family values and bonding have changed over the last decade?
   Answer: Unfortunately, the sacred notion of a family has lost its meaning to a certain extent in the last ten years. People don’t invest in feelings anymore and don’t retreat as well. Nowadays quarrels between couples are a frequent occurrence and because women are financially independent, they don’t step back like they did many years ago. Moreover, a principal cause that has led to this situation is the overreliance on the Internet. When family members have some spare time they prefer to consume it by going online instead of having some family conversations. I would jump to the conclusion that people who decide to create a family should let go of their ego and in difficult times they should also think that their children want their parents to be happy and together.

Topic – Family :

---

Q. Do you have a large family or a small family?
Answer: I have a small family of 5 people which includes me, my brother, my sister, my father and my mother. We all live together, except my sister, who is married and has her own family now. We enjoy our life as caring members of an extended family.

Q. Can you tell me something about them?
Answer: My parents are retired old citizens, and they have raised their family and children really well. My father used to work as a Director at the Agriculture Ministry in our country before retiring from his job about a few years ago while my mother has been a housewife for all of her life. Both my parents have lived most of their lives in the countryside before moving to (…say the name of the city where you live now…) with us because of our careers. My elder brother is a software developer and married to a lovely lady while my sister lives in another country with her husband. We are a family of great traditional values where we love and care for each other as best as we can.

Q. How much time do you manage to spend with members of your family?
Answer: In this busy modern life, unfortunately, I don’t get as much time as I would have preferred to spend with my family members except during the weekend. Of course, if I ever manage to get back to my home from works earlier than usual, then I certainly try to make the best use of the extra time, added to my life.

Q. What sorts of things do you like to do together?
Answer: They say that nothing brings a family together than a great meal.  So, as a family, our most favourite time also is when we all get to cook some of our favourite dishes and enjoy them together. And, we do this whenever we get an opportunity, but it happens mostly on the weekends. We also like to enjoy a nice movie, when my sister is around, together during the holidays and at the weekends. By the way, my younger sister has a “bubbly” personality, and she just loves birds. So, whenever she is around, she never forgets to “force” (to put it jokingly) all of us to join her in visiting her favourite “Bird Park” which is home to pretty much all kinds of birds from all over the world.

However, another thing, that we really enjoy doing together, is when we all get to travel to our hometown which is located far outside of the city. We all enjoy being there as this place reminds us of a lot of our memories.

Q. Do you get on well with your family? [Why?/why not]
Answer: We are blessed to have such a family where we all get along with each other very nicely primarily because we all try our best not to “impose” anything on the others. Besides, the mutual respect and appreciation, we have for each other, helps us get on well with each other. On top of that, as a great functioning family, I never shy away from sharing my thoughts and experience with any of my family member which always helps us to put things in proper perspectives. Finally, we never stop offering “gifts” to express our love for each other because “gifts” help build a stronger bond among the family members in my opinion.

 

IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe a family (not your own) which you like and are happy to know

You should say:

• Where this family lives
• How you know them
• What each person in this family does in life (student/work/retired etc.)
• And explain why you like this family

Model Answer

Well, I wanna tell you about a young married couple who has just moved to live next door to me. Despite having known each other for just a short period of time, we now become very close.

Umm, I’m currently living in a rented flat with 2 friends of mine. Although it has been almost 2 years since we moved there, we hardly know any next-door neighbors, maybe because everyone is so busy with their own hectic schedule and the fast pace of city life(1) . That’s why even a friendly person like me sometimes finds it hard to get to know more about the people around me.

A couple of months ago, our apartment building welcomed some new residents, a young couple who I guess are now in their late twenties. Only a few days later, after having their house furnished(2) , they invited me to their housewarming (3) because we had helped them to move some furniture. At the party, I felt quite awkward (4) at first but you know, the wife always broke the ice to strike up a conversation (5) with me. She was so nice and approachable(6) , so was her husband. After finding that she and I had a lot in common, we both felt eager to know more about each other.

Well, the young couple got married 2 years ago and now they are running their own business, a small and lovely café just downstairs, on the ground floor. I often come there in my free time, not only to taste new drinks, but also to talk and confide in (7) them. You know, they have given me really good advice whenever I encounter difficulties(8) . On top of that, they are always willing to lend a hand when I’m in need, like, help me do up (9) my house. Well, I look up to (10) them because of their talents and I’m also glad knowing them.

Vocabulary

1. Fast pace of city life /fɑːst peɪs əv ˈsɪt.i laɪf/
   Ex : I do not live at a fast pace of city life
2. Furnish /ˈfɜː.nɪʃ/
   Ex: They’ve furnished the room very simply.
3. Housewarming /ˈhaʊs.wɔː.mɪŋ/
   Ex: We’re having a housewarming on Friday if you’d like to come
4. Awkward /ˈɔː.kwəd/
   Ex: He’s an awkward customer
5. Break the ice and strike up a conversation /breɪk ðiː aɪs ænd straɪk ʌp ə kɒn.vəˈseɪ.ʃən/
   Ex: Walk up to him every now and then Break the ice and strike up a conversation.
6. Approachable /əˈprəʊ.tʃə.bəl/
   Ex: Malcolm is always very approachable.
7. Confide in /kənˈfaɪd ɪn/
   Ex: She’s nice, but I don’t feel I can confide in her.
8. Encounter difficulties /ɪnˈkaʊn.tər dɪf.ɪ.kəl.ti/
   Ex: He began to encounter difficulties.
9. Do up /duːʌp/
   Ex: He appreciates what we do up front.
10. Look up to /lʊk ˈʌp ˌtuː/
    Ex: He’d always looked up to his uncle.

IELTS Speaking Part 3

 

1. Who is usually the head of the family?

As far as I see, men are usually the breadwinners and take the leading position in the family. Actually, it doesn’t mean that women cannot play that role, you know, because men and women now have equal rights in society. But there is still a stereotype that men are born to be stronger than women, so they tend to be considered the head of a family and have to make vital decisions in difficult situations. Women, otherwise, will be responsible for raising kids and doing housework.

2. How do grandparents take care of grandchildren?

Well, busy parents often have their kids looked after by grandparents. Old people, after retirement, tend to have lots of time on their hand to spend on child care. They can talk to their grandchildren, play with them, teach them or take them to school.

3. What’s the most important quality of parents? How can new parents learn about parenting?

I think the priority is that parents must be good listeners. You know, to educate children, at first parents should learn to become their friends to whom a child can talk to and confide in when they have problems. They need to be patient and listen to everything their children are sharing every day. This is only one of the important qualities I think parents need. Such parental skills are normally gained through real-life experience and sometimes, learned from others. To be honest, classes teaching those skills are still rare.

Topic: Family

---

Do you have a large family or small family?
I have a small family and there are only five members including my dad, mom, younger sister, younger brother and I am (the eldest son of the family).

Tell me something about your family.
Well, as I said we have got five family members in our family including me. My father is a Doctor and my hero. My mother is a school teacher and a loving and caring person. We love our parents very much. My younger sister is in grade 7 and she has got all the crazy and creative ideas and she shares most of her secrets with me. My younger brother is studying mathematics at a university and he has got a passion for playing football. He dreams to become a professional football player someday though I have my doubts about it. I have recently completed my Bachelor degree in Computer Science and have a plan to finish my Master degree from a reputed foreign university. We are a happy family and share a strong bonding that makes us care for each other a lot.

How much time do you manage to spend with members of your family?
I usually try to spend most of the time with my family. But I cannot manage time when I am out for my university. But after my return from the university, I do not make any late to share the day-long events with the family members, especially with my mom.

In what way is your family important to you?
Well, my family is the centre of my universe. My parents did everything humanly possible to raise me up and ensure my education and well-being. Their sacrifices and contributions for my life are unparalleled. I will always be grateful to be a member of such a happy and caring family. My family members know me better than any other person and they will always be with me no matter what. They are the people who had always been with me and supported me every way possible. I believe that family comes first and that’s why my family is the most important aspect of my life.

What sorts of things do you like to do together?
Frequently we watch movies in theatres and also go for some day outs during the holidays. Actually, my dad likes a lot to go out with the family members when he is free from his professional engagements. But my mum prefers going to the cinema and thus we, the kids, are to settle the issues.

Did/Do you get well with your family? Why?
Yes, I get very well with my family members. They are supportive, positive, intelligent and caring. I would not say that we never had any disagreement but that’s usually momentary. Love is stronger among us and that conquers any misunderstanding that might arrive among us. In fact, I am happy to be a part of such a wonderful family. They love me as much I love them.

Who are you close to in your family?
I am close to every single family member in my own way. However, in terms of sharing personal secrets and spending time, I am more close to my mother than my father. My younger sister considers me her best friend and thus we have a unique relationship.

Should we rely heavily on our families or is it better to try to be independent?
I believe that being independent does not contradict our reliance on our family. Every single person should be economically and personally independent at a certain age and should be close to his/ her family at the same time. If being independent means living separately and not having a strong relationship with the family, I do not want such independence and freedom. We all possess unique personality and a desire to be independent, but that should not harm our family relationship.

Do you get along well with your family?
Yes, I do get along well with my family members. We have a strong bond among us and that makes us a happy family.

What is your special moment with your family?
Celebrations are remarkable, particularly the celebration of any special occasions like a birthday, the anniversary of my parents or any special achievement by my siblings etc. These events have so many special memories and we consider those occasions as our special moments.

Are people in your country generally close to their families?
Most the people prefer to be with their families and do everything for the members. But exceptions are everywhere. The people living just opposite of our apartment do not have a strong bond among the family members and always engaged in quarrelling with each other which is unwanted and indecent.