Topic Vocabulary >> Lesson 2: Relationships
IELTS Relationships vocabulary
Read the following IELTS-style questions and answers below and pay attention to the phrases in bold. Use the ‘Definitions’ section at the bottom of the page to check the meaning of any phrases you don’t understand.
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Do you see your friends very often?
Louisa: Yes … we meet up most weekends … we all get on really well and have a lot in common so we’re always happy doing the same things and going to the same places.
Examiner: What do you like about your close friends?
Anna: I think we enjoy each other’s company … we see eye-to-eye on most things so we rarely fall out with each other.
Examiner: Have you known each other long?
Amy: Most of them yes … although my closest friend Carrie … we struck up a relationship at college and got on like a house on fire … but yes … my other friendships go back years to when we were at school.
Part 2-style task
Describe a person you are very close to. You should say:
- who this person is
- when you met them
- where you met them
and say what it is about them you like so much.
Reiko: I’d like to talk about my boyfriend … Jose … we got to know each other at University almost 4 years ago … we were in the same department … initially we were just good friends and used to go out in a group with our other friends … when Jose went back to Spain for the holidays we would keep in touch with each other … then one year he invited me to come to Spain with him … and that’s when we fell for each other I think … so you couldn’t really say it was love at first sight as it had been over a year since we’d met … but we really hit it off and by the time we got back to university in September we were able to tell all our friends that we were in a relationship … what do I like about Jose … well he’s very kind … very funny … and very supportive … and we’re really well matched in our interests … he hasn’t popped the question yet though … we’ve talked about getting married and I think we’re both ready to settle down and have children … we’ll just have to wait and see …
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: Do you think marriage is still as important as ever?
Cristine: Yes … it certainly is in my country … I think the problem for some people is a lack of commitment … all relationships have their ups and downs …. but some people prefer to break up rather than working at the relationship.
Examiner: What do you think is the ideal time to get married?
Terry: Personally … I think you should wait until you’ve found yourself first … decided if you want a career … perhaps do some travelling … you should do this before tying the knot … although if you fall head over heels in love plans like these can easily be forgotten.
Examiner: Is it important to keep in contact with our friends when we’re in a relationship?
Maria: Absolutely … it’s so easy to drift apart from your friends when you fall in love … but I think both partners should try not to lose touch with their friends … that’s the best way to have a healthy relationship with your partner.
Definitions
- to break up: to end a romantic relationship
- to drift apart: to become less close to someone
- to enjoy someone’s company: to like spending time with someone
- to fall for: to fall in love
- to fall head over heels in love: to start to love someone a lot
- to fall out with: to have a disagreement and stop being friends
- to get on like a house on fire: to like someone’s company very much indeed
- to get on well with: to understand someone and enjoy similar interests
- to get to know: to begin to know someone
- to go back years: to have known someone for a long time
- to have a lot in common: to share similar interests
- to have ups and downs: to have good and bad times
- a healthy relationship: a good, positive relationship
- to hit it off: to quickly become good friends with
- to be in a relationship: to be romantically involved with someone
- to be just good friends: to not be romantically involved
- to keep in touch with: to keep in contact with
- to lose touch with: to not see or hear from someone any longer
- love at first sight: to fall in love immediately you meet someone
- to pop the question: to ask someone to marry you
- to see eye to eye: to agree on a subject
- to settle down: to give up the single life and start a family
- to strike up a relationship: to begin a friendship
- to tie the knot: to get married
- to be well matched: to be similar to
- to work at a relationship: to try to maintain a positive relationship with someone
Next Step?
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Hi I am from Kochi.. In India .. It’s a village area with rivers, hills and dams.. And there is a lot of tourist attractions.. Anybody please help me to describe my place with some nice vocabulary.
Thank you
I have got a closest friends for five years in University entrance exam. I remembered she had a short back hair which makes me impressed at first sight. After sitting next to her and talking each other, we realized that we had many common hobbies as: Like playing sport, like travelling and go shopping. We passed exam but unfortunately, she doesn’t have enough points to pass main major of school and we must to learn in different faculty.
But it’s not a big problem for our relationship in keeping in touch each other and we always enjoy each other’s company for going around Ha Noi and enjoy the special foods. I don’t know ever when we more and more become close and understanding each other. Until now, we graduated and are working in the different companies. Now, Both of us don’t have boyfriend and we always spend time talking about life and work, difficulty in the life. I hope that this relationship is always good even if we have boyfriend and get married.
i am kind of a talkative person, my acquaintanceship as a result relatively large. however, there is only one that i have found well matched. we have been classmate of one another for 3 year, but we really struck our friendship back when we were sophomore and we really hit it off. there are somethings of her opposite to me , but still we share lots of thing in common. such as complaisance,badmouthing. we see eye to eye on most of the things, so we rarely fall out. we enjoy company of one another especially, when badmouthing,or it ‘d better say releasing some annoying things of others. it is necessarily said that finding someone you get on like a house in fire is not an easy task, therefore i greatly value our relationship. i try to work at our friendship when ever something hurting our healthy relationship shows up
these vocabularies are very difficult to use with me . How do I study with them productively?
thank you!
For my IELTS ich hoffe dass kann ich nach Berlin gehen.
GOOD VOCAB used in answers. hope it will help in my ielts test
Hi! I like this lessons b ecouse of my vocaulary is poor. The lessons are really usefull, thank you for them
Thanks good to hear Ricky! Please let us know how you get on when the results come through.
Hi, just want to let you know that this is very useful and helped me a lot during the test. Thanks!
1.well, its quite intresting question for me. i have lots of friends beside them i would like to say about nita. she belongs to central part of nepal, kathmandu capital city of our country. we met up at our university college western part of our nepal. at the beginning we didnt have a good bonding but after 1 year we be fall for each other and discover healthy relationship. mostly i like about her that she is very loyal,sensitive ,helpful. sometimes she is like chatter box. ths part of her i dislike the most. i had tried to over come frm her this habit but i couldnt. the qualities that i value in her is she belong to simple family. from her family she got well manner and discipline which humanbeing must need.
would you please add some IELTS wedding vocabulary.it may be helpful for me
That is really helpful.
Do you see your friends very often?
I did meet my friends very oftenly. but had draft apart when I choose to work in overseas. I think I lose touch with them.
Is this correct?
Thanks,
DUM
That is really helpful, and useful as well…
How do you think,it is a good idea to use idioms in an essay?
Hi Skeet
I can’t recommend any published books as I haven’t used any for a while. However, any of those by the major publishers will be OK and this one (according to the blurb on Amazon) looks like a safe bet.
Could you advise some books with necessary idioms like in this lesson?
I’ve found a book related this topic. What do you think about this?
http://www.amazon.com/Collins-Work-Idioms-Sandra-Anderson/dp/0007464673/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407678296&sr=8-1&keywords=collins+work+on+idiom
Hi Skeet. Idioms aren’t prohibited and in fact at advanced level are seen as evidence of the English speaker’s proficiency. However, it’s very important that students are confident in their use and try to study their use in context, which is what the vocabulary exercises here try to do. (Bear in mind also that these exercises are aimed at advanced learners).
In terms of formality, the IELTS Speaking exam is formal in the sense that it’s an important moment in the students’ English preparation, but this doesn’t mean that the student needs to speak overly formally, avoiding everyday language. You’ll find the expressions appearing in these exercises are perfectly acceptable – if used appropriately and accurately.
There are many idioms and expressions are informal in this lesson.Some idioms are informal. As far as i’m concerned they are prohibited to use. Why have you advised to use them?
Though we gang of girls are quiet different as individuals , we make loads of fun on getting together on weekends. Our friendship dates back to starting of college days. Cooking , strolling and clicking selfies in the park…never realizing the time passing by . Two among the group are my close ones. Like any other relationship , our friendship had its ups and downs , still we get on like a house on fire after a while. As life moves on , other relations do come in, and we tend to drift apart . Still we do our best to keep in touch as ever.
My friend is fully opposite of me, the only thing we’re well matched is the sense of humour. She tries to seem as cold as charity but the close friends khow how deep can she feel. I don’t remember where we did met first, because we were together from our childhood. I value her for her support and for her own opinions.
OVER TO YOU
Use some of the vocabulary above to answer these or any of the other questions on this page.