A1 — Family & People: Theory
Level A1
Family words
Describing people
Goal
Talk about your family, say who people are (mother, brother, etc.), describe people with simple adjectives, and ask/answer basic questions about family and age.
Family words: who is who?
- family = all close people: parents, children, husband/wife, etc.
- mother (mum), father (dad) → together: parents.
- son, daughter = children of parents.
- brother (boy), sister (girl) = children in the same family.
- grandmother, grandfather → together: grandparents.
More relatives
- uncle = brother of your mother/father; aunt = sister of your mother/father.
- cousin = child of your uncle or aunt (boy or girl).
- husband (man), wife (woman).
- relative = any person in your family (cousin, aunt, etc.).
People around you
- friend, best friend — not family, but important person for you.
- classmate = person in the same class; neighbour = person who lives near you.
- boy, girl; man, woman; people (plural of person).
Asking about family
- Tell me about your family.
- Do you have brothers or sisters?
- Have you got any children?
- Are you married or single?
- Answer with I have… / I’ve got…: I have two sisters. / I’ve got one brother.
Describing people (basic adjectives)
- Use be + adjective: My brother is tall. / My grandmother is old.
- tall / short, young / old.
- friendly, kind, shy, funny, quiet, talkative.
- Example: My sister is very funny and friendly.
Vocabulary — 30 family & people words
1. family
I have a big family.
2. mother (mum)
My mother is a doctor.
3. father (dad)
My dad works in an office.
4. parents
I live with my parents.
5. son
They have one son.
6. daughter
Their daughter is five.
7. child
They have one child.
8. children
Their children are at school.
9. baby
The baby is sleeping.
10. brother
I have an older brother.
11. sister
My sister is 12.
12. grandfather
My grandfather loves music.
13. grandmother
My grandmother cooks very well.
14. grandparents
My grandparents live in a village.
15. husband
Her husband is a teacher.
16. wife
His wife is a nurse.
17. uncle
My uncle lives in Canada.
18. aunt
My aunt is very funny.
19. cousin
I have three cousins.
20. relative
We visit our relatives on Sundays.
21. friend
Tom is my friend.
22. best friend
Anna is my best friend.
23. classmate
Lisa is my classmate.
24. neighbour
Our neighbour is very kind.
25. boy
The boy is in the park.
26. girl
The girl is my sister.
27. man
The man is my father.
28. woman
The woman is my mother.
29. people
Nice people live in this town.
30. family name / surname
My family name is Petrosyan.
Tip: learn the whole chunk, not only one word: best friend, family name, my grandparents.
Booster — 20 extra words for people & family life
1. age
What’s your age?
2. tall
My brother is tall.
3. short
My grandmother is short.
4. young
Her children are young.
5. old
My grandfather is old.
6. friendly
My aunt is very friendly.
7. shy
My cousin is shy in class.
8. funny
My dad is funny.
9. kind
Our neighbour is kind.
10. quiet
My sister is quiet.
11. talkative
My cousin is talkative.
12. smart
My brother is very smart.
13. hardworking
My parents are hardworking.
14. married
My sister is married.
15. single
I’m single.
16. only child
I’m an only child.
17. big family
I have a big family.
18. small family
We are a small family.
19. live with
I live with my parents.
20. get on well (with)
I get on well with my sister.
Use these words to make your stories about family more interesting: a big family, an only child, we get on well.
Mini-dialogues
- A: Tell me about your family. — B: I have one brother and one sister.
- A: Do you live with your parents? — B: Yes, I live with my parents and my grandmother.
- A: Is your brother friendly? — B: Yes, he is very friendly and funny.
Conversation pattern
- A: Do you have any brothers or sisters?
- B: Yes, I have one brother. He is 20 and very friendly.
- A: Do you live with your family? — B: Yes, I live with my parents.
Keep answers short and clear. Add age and one or two adjectives: My sister is 15 and very shy.