IELTS Speaking Part Three on relationships

IELTS Speaking Part Three on relationships

with friends and family vocabulary

Work in pairs (or a group of three if you need to) with one Student A worksheet and one Student B worksheet per group. Without showing your worksheets to each other, take turns asking three questions from your list. You will need to rephrase the question if your partner doesn’t understand it, so please skip any which you don’t understand.

When your teacher stops you, look at both worksheets and ask about any questions which you can’t understand, were not sure you answered well, etc, working together to think of suitable answers each time.

First of all without looking at the questions below, brainstorm as much language as you can into the table below. Many words not in the questions are also suitable. Different words for the same relationships are also okay.

Family relationships	Other relationships
Mummy Daddy/ Pa Grandad/ Grandpa Nephew Niece	Best mate Tutor Boss’s boss Coach/ Personal trainer Fellow graduate Oldest friend One of my friends Friend of a friend Friend of the family

Look at the questions for ideas, brainstorm more, then share your extra ideas a class.

 

Student A

• Are nosy neighbours a problem where you live?
• Are there any benefits to having lots of cousins?
• Are there occasions when friends are more important than families?
• At what age would you say it is best to leave home?
• Can you contrast online friendships with friendships in real life?
• Can you give some examples of ways that close friends can help each other?
• Could you recommend ways to turn acquaintances into friends?
• Do you agree that people should usually cut all contact with their exes (ex-husbands, ex-girlfriends, etc)?
• Do you believe that the advantages of living in multigenerational families outweigh the disadvantages?
• Do you think dating agencies are a good way to find a future spouse?
• Do you think it is true that the internet makes it easier to make friends with people who share your interests?
• Do you think that people’s relationships with their aunts and uncles are changing?
• Do you think your government is doing enough to find new foster parents?
• How common is it in your country for men to have female friends?
• How do people in your country most often meet their romantic partners?
• How do children benefit from regular contact with their grandparents, great-grandparents, etc?
• How does being the oldest child differ from being a middle kid?
• How important are godparents in your country?
• How much should the government be involved in providing afterschool childcare?
• In the past, people tended to live closer to their families. Was this a good thing?
• In what ways do you think families of the future will be different to today?
• Is it always a good idea to leave your money for your descendants after you die?
• Is it easier to find a life partner nowadays, or was it easier in the past?
• Is it natural for people to change best friends as they get older?
• Is it necessary for friends to have interests in common?
• Is staying in touch with fellow alumni common in your country?
• Some people say that children should be forced to look after their parents when they get old. What do you think?
• What advice would you give someone looking for a new boyfriend or girlfriend?
• What are the differences between a friend and a good friend, in your opinion?
• What are the pros and cons of working in a family firm, e.g. your mom being your boss?
• What might it be like to mainly meet your drinking buddies in virtual reality?
• What is the appeal of having many online contacts?
• What is the best way to make friends with your colleagues?
• What issues can occur when someone has a line manager who is younger?
• Who do you think should look after the children if their parents get divorced?
• Why is it good to keep in contact with distant relations such as cousins?
• Why do you think that online dating apps have become so popular?
• Would you prefer to be part of a very large family, or to be an only child?

Student B

• Are people in your country generally interested in making foreign friends?
• Are there any negative effects of adult children continuing to live with their parents?
• Are there times when it’s better to leave a child to cry?
• Can you compare being workmates to being classmates?
• Can you explain why people in most countries are having fewer children?
• Can you think of any bad effects of socialising with co-workers?
• Do new mums and dads need training in how to be good parents?
• Do you believe that AI will ever replace human mentors?
• Do you think it is better to live with friends or with housemates you didn’t know before?
• Do you think parents paying their sons and daughters to do housework is a good idea?
• Do you think that paternity leave and maternity leave should be the same?
• Do young people know much about their ancestors such as their great-grandparents?
• How can people improve a bad relationship with their in-laws?
• How common is it to have half siblings and/ or step siblings in your country?
• How do people your age in your country usually keep in touch with old friends such as old school friends?
• How does being an only child compare with having siblings?
• How has being a husband changed in your country in the last 50 years?
• How important do you think people’s extended families are nowadays?
• How popular are babysitters in your country?
• In the past, many people used to send letters to strangers in other countries who became their “pen pals”. What do you think about this?
• In what ways has parenthood changed in the last few decades?
• Is it better to live as a nuclear family or with your extended family?
• Is it more important for young children to spend their free time with their friends or family?
• Is it true that stepmothers and stepdaughters usually don’t get on well?
• People in most countries are getting married later these days. Why do you think this is?
• Should grandparents be expected to look after their grandchildren for free?
• Some people say that it is more difficult to make friends nowadays. Do you agree?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of having many friends?
• What can children learn from having siblings such as an elder sister or a baby brother?
• What could be the consequences of family members all having their own screens to watch things on?
• What effect can getting married have on people’s friendships?
• What is the best age to move out of the family home?
• What is the impact on youngest children of being the baby of the family?
• What would the world be like if no one had siblings?
• Why do many adopted children want to make contact with their birth parents?
• Why do some people prefer not to have kids?
• Why is friendship important to people?
• Would you say that fathers and mothers spend too little time with their kids?