Talk about the people closest to you — who they are, what they're like and how you get on. Learn 23 key words and phrasal verbs, check your answers instantly, solve a family crossword and practise speaking with timers, question generators and games.
Say each word, guess the meaning, then tap the card to check. Try to make your own example before you flip.
Collocations: a close family · a distant relative · a family gathering · a family resemblance · to start a family · to run in the family (“Musical talent runs in the family.”)
Type a word or phrasal verb from this page. Use the correct form.
To talk about your family properly, you need to describe personality and appearance. “What's she like?” asks about personality — “What does she look like?” asks about appearance.
Decide for each adjective. The meaning appears when you choose.
At A2, everyone says nice and good. Rewrite each sentence with stronger vocabulary from this page — then read both versions aloud and hear the difference.
Think of someone in your family. Describe them in three sentences — personality, appearance and one habit — without saying who they are. Your partner guesses the relationship: “Is it your grandfather?” Then swap. Play three rounds, using different vocabulary each time.
Work alone first, then compare with a partner. Explain any differences — in English, of course!
Choose the word that doesn't belong. Then say why.
Choose the correct ending for each sentence.
Write the opposite of each word.
Fill each gap with one phrasal verb from Part 1 in the correct form.
Each sentence has a very common Spanish-speaker error. Choose the correct version.
✗ My brother has twenty-five years old.
✗ I have a very good relation with my parents.
✗ We are five in my family.
✗ My sister is more old than me.
Complete these sentences so they are true for you, then read them to your partner. Your partner asks one follow-up question about each.
Choose an Across or Down clue, or tap a white square, and type one letter per square. Tap a crossing square again to change direction. Letters move you forward; Backspace deletes; arrow keys move through the grid. Enter or Space switches direction at a crossing. Use the direction buttons on a touch screen.
Check Answers marks filled squares with ✓ (correct) or × (try again). Reveal Letter helps with the selected square; revealed squares have a gold dot. Clear / Reset starts again. On a small screen, swipe inside the grid to see more squares.
Choose a clue to begin.
✓ Correct × Try again ● Revealed letter
Work with a partner or in small groups. Don't just answer — explain, give examples and ask follow-up questions. Aim to speak for at least a minute per question in the later sections.
Press Random question to start.
Talk to your classmates. Find a different person for each line. Rule: ask a full question (“Do you take after your mother?”) and, when someone says yes, ask one follow-up question and note the detail.
Your family must decide together, but everyone wants something different. Prepare for two minutes, then hold the meeting. You must reach an agreement — nobody can simply say no.
Parent: you want a quiet beach week. Teenager: you want a city trip with theme parks. Grandparent: you want everyone to visit the village where you grew up.
Parent: you want a total phone ban at the table. Teenager: you need your phone for messages. Older sibling: you propose a compromise — but it must be realistic.
Put these qualities in order from 1 (most important) to 8 (least important). Use the arrows. You must agree with your partner on the final order — defend your choices, then compare with another pair.
Choose one option, explain why, and ask your partner one follow-up question.
Press the button for a question.
Student A defends the statement; Student B argues against it — one minute each, then thirty seconds each to respond. Swap roles for the next statement. It doesn't matter what you really think!
Good speakers don't just answer questions — they react, ask back, and keep the conversation alive. Learn these phrases now: you will use them in every unit.
| When you want to… | Say… |
|---|---|
| show interest | Oh really? · No way! · That's so interesting. · You're joking! |
| ask a follow-up question | How come? · What was that like? · And then what happened? |
| pass the conversation back | What about you? · How about your family? · Is it the same for you? |
| buy time to think | That's a good question… · Let me think… · I've never thought about that. |
| give an example | For example, … · For instance, … · Like when my brother… |
| clarify what you said | What I mean is… · In other words… · Sorry, let me explain that better. |
| check you understood | Do you mean…? · So you're saying…? · What do you mean by…? |
| agree | Exactly! · That's so true. · I know what you mean. · Same here. |
| disagree politely | I see your point, but… · I'm not so sure. · Maybe, but don't you think…? |
| return after an interruption | Anyway, as I was saying… · Where was I? Oh yes… |
Choose the function of each phrase.
“Hmm, that's a good question…”
“Is it the same for you?”
“I see your point, but…”
“So you're saying…?”
“How come?”
“Anyway, as I was saying…”
Ana: My cousin is getting married in Ireland next spring.
Leo: No way! Congratulations! What was that like when you found out?
Ana: Hmm, that's a good question… honestly, we were all surprised. They've only been together a year.
Leo: I know what you mean. My sister got engaged really quickly too. Is it the same for you — will the whole family travel?
Ana: For example, my grandparents want to go, but the flights… What I mean is, it's going to be complicated!
Student A reads a sentence. Student B must (1) react, (2) ask a follow-up question and (3) pass the conversation back. Then swap.
Press the button for a sentence.
Choose any question from Part 5. Your partner must speak for one full minute without stopping. If they pause too long, they must use a buying-time phrase (“Let me think…”) instead of going silent. Count how many phrases from this page your partner uses — the winner is the person who uses the most, naturally.
Read about these four families. Notice the vocabulary from Parts 1–2, then answer the questions and do the speaking tasks with a partner.
Three generations under one roof: grandparents, parents and three teenagers. Everyone helps in the family bakery, even at weekends. Sunday lunch lasts three hours, there are always extra chairs for cousins, and it is never, ever quiet. Abuela Carmen is strict about one thing only: no phones at the table.
Both parents work long hours in the city; their son Daniel, fifteen, is an only child. The flat is quiet, dinner is often a takeaway, and most family conversation happens in their group chat — including jokes, homework reminders and the occasional telling-off. Once a year they take one big unforgettable holiday together.
Marta is a single parent bringing up twins, Ola and Filip, far from her relatives in Poland. Money is tight and Marta is strict about homework, but the three of them are extremely close-knit. Birthdays are enormous: Polish traditions, video calls with twenty relatives, and a cake that takes two days to make.
The parents are divorced but still friendly. Nine-year-old Beatriz and her teenage brother Tiago spend one week with Mum, one week with Dad — two homes, two bedrooms, and slightly different rules in each, which Tiago says he uses to his advantage. Dad's weeks usually involve football; Mum's involve the beach.
…has three generations living in the same home?
…has an only child?
…has a single parent bringing up twins?
…has children who live in two different homes?
…talks most in a group chat?
…lives far from their extended family?
Which family is most like yours, and which is least like yours? Explain with examples: “We're a bit like the Romeros because…, but nothing like the Yangs because…”
Agree on an answer to each question. You must give reasons.
One student becomes a member of one of these families. The others are journalists and interview them for two minutes: daily routine, relationships, what they'd change. The family member must invent believable details that aren't in the text. Then choose a new family member and swap.
Games to recycle this unit's language. The point isn't winning — it's speaking.
Describe the word in capitals to your partner without saying the forbidden words. How many can your team guess in three minutes? Round 2: only three words per card. Round 3: mime only!
Speak for sixty seconds on a topic — no long pauses, no repetition, no Spanish! The others listen and may challenge. Harder: the group chooses your topic only ten seconds before you start.
Press the button for a topic.
Write three sentences about your family — two true, one false: “My uncle has met the King.” · “I have relatives on three continents.” · “My grandmother rides a motorbike.” Read them aloud; the class asks questions for one minute, then votes on the lie. One point for every person you fool!
Build a story one sentence each, starting with: “It was my grandmother's eightieth birthday when, suddenly, the doorbell rang…” Every sentence must include a word or phrasal verb from Part 1 or 2. Can't think of one in ten seconds? You're out — the last storyteller standing wins.
Get a secret role (show it to everyone except the player!). Walk around asking only yes/no questions — “Do people look up to me?” · “Am I easy-going?” — until you guess who you are. Everyone must answer in character.
Press the button for a secret role.
You are a journalist writing a magazine feature called “Modern Families”. Interview your partner in depth about their family — then introduce them to another pair, as if presenting them on a podcast.
Presenter's toolkit: “Let me introduce…” · “What surprised me most was…” · “One thing we have in common is…” · “Interestingly, she told me that…” · “To sum up, the word that best describes his family is…”
0 / 6 — keep going!
| Lesson | 90-minute plan | 60-minute plan |
|---|---|---|
| Lesson 1 | Parts 1–2 vocabulary + Part 3 workout | Parts 1 + 3 (set Part 2 as pre-work) |
| Lesson 2 | Part 5 questions + Part 6 pair work | Part 5 + two Part 6 activities |
| Lesson 3 | Part 7 useful English + Part 8 Four families | Part 7 + remaining Part 6 activities |
| Lesson 4 | Part 9 games & interview + Part 10 review | Part 8, then interview and review (games as reward time) |
This unit is designed for A2–B1 (pre-intermediate to intermediate) learners who want to talk about family with more confidence. It works for self-study — every exercise checks itself — and in class, with timers, question generators and games ready to project.
Try the B1 Parts of the Body Crossword, browse the Vocabulary Hub or choose another interactive lesson.