Talking About Your Family

Why Learn Family Vocabulary?

Family is one of the first topics people ask about in conversation. When you meet someone new, they often ask: "Do you have brothers or sisters?" or "Where does your family live?" Knowing family words helps you talk about the most important people in your life.

Family Members

Immediate Family (Close Family)

Extended Family

Using Possessive Adjectives with Family

We use my, your, his, her, our, their before family words:

• My mother is a nurse.
• His brother plays football.
• Her sister is very tall.
• Our grandparents are from Italy.
• Their children go to the same school.

Important: We say "my mother" NOT "the my mother."

How to Describe Your Family

Saying How Many People Are in Your Family

• "There are five people in my family."
• "I have a big/small family."
• "I'm an only child." (= no brothers or sisters)

Describing Family Members

Use be + adjective:

• "My mother is kind."
• "My brother is tall and funny."
• "My grandparents are very active."

Use have for appearance:

• "My sister has brown hair."
• "My father has green eyes."

Saying What They Do

• "My father is a driver." (job with a/an)
• "My mother works in a bank."
• "My brother studies at university."
• "My grandmother is retired."

Common Questions About Family

Example: Talking About My Family

"Hi! My name is Sofia. There are five people in my family: my parents, my two brothers, and me. My mother's name is Elena. She is a nurse and she is very kind. My father is Carlos. He works in a restaurant. My older brother, Diego, is 20 years old. He studies at university. My younger brother, Mateo, is 10. He loves playing video games! We live in a small house with our dog, Luna."

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Forgetting the plural

• Wrong: I have two sister.
• Correct: I have two sisters.

Mistake 2: Confusing "his" and "her"

• Wrong: His name is Maria. (talking about a woman)
• Correct: Her name is Maria.

Mistake 3: Using "have" instead of "am"

• Wrong: I have an only child.
• Correct: I am an only child.

Mistake 4: Saying "parents" when you mean "relatives"

• "Parents" = only mother and father
• "Relatives" = all family members (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)

Practice Tips

1. Draw your family tree and label each person in English. Practice saying their names and relationships.
2. Write 5 sentences about your family using the patterns from this lesson.
3. Practice with a partner: Ask and answer the common questions above.
4. Describe a photo of your family in English — who is in the photo and what are they like?