The Family: How and When to Use in English
Quick and simple lesson to help you understand grammar better.
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The Family
Blood relatives People who are related by birth (rather than through marriage)
a mother a female parent
mom, mum, mummy, mommy child's words for mother
a father a male parent
dad, daddy, pop, papa child's words for father
a brother a boy or man who has the same parents as you
a sister a girl or woman who has the same parents as you
a sibling a brother or sister
a cousin a child of one's aunt or uncle
a first cousin a child of one's aunt or uncle
a second cousin a child of a cousin of one's mother or father
an aunt a sister of one's mother or father
an uncle a brother of one's mother or father
a grandfather, grandpa the father of one's mother or father
a grandmother, grandma, granny the mother of one's mother or father
a great-grandfather the grandfather of one's mother or father
a relative a member of one's family
a distant relative a relative who is not in one's immediate family (immediate family= parents and siblings)
a great-aunt, great-uncle a sister of a grandmother or grandfather, a brother of a grandmother or grandfather
a son, a daughter a male child, a female child
a child, children a son or daughter, sons or daughters
a kid, kids informal way to say a child, children
a nephew, a niece a son of your sister or brother, a daughter of your sister or brother
a grandson, a granddaughter, a grandchild a son of one's son or daughter, a daughter of one's son or daughter, a child of one's son or daughter
twins two children born to the same mother on the same occasion
identical twins two babies of the same sex who were born at the same time to the same mother and look very similar
mom, mum, mummy, mommy child's words for mother
a father a male parent
dad, daddy, pop, papa child's words for father
a brother a boy or man who has the same parents as you
a sister a girl or woman who has the same parents as you
a sibling a brother or sister
a cousin a child of one's aunt or uncle
a first cousin a child of one's aunt or uncle
a second cousin a child of a cousin of one's mother or father
an aunt a sister of one's mother or father
an uncle a brother of one's mother or father
a grandfather, grandpa the father of one's mother or father
a grandmother, grandma, granny the mother of one's mother or father
a great-grandfather the grandfather of one's mother or father
a relative a member of one's family
a distant relative a relative who is not in one's immediate family (immediate family= parents and siblings)
a great-aunt, great-uncle a sister of a grandmother or grandfather, a brother of a grandmother or grandfather
a son, a daughter a male child, a female child
a child, children a son or daughter, sons or daughters
a kid, kids informal way to say a child, children
a nephew, a niece a son of your sister or brother, a daughter of your sister or brother
a grandson, a granddaughter, a grandchild a son of one's son or daughter, a daughter of one's son or daughter, a child of one's son or daughter
twins two children born to the same mother on the same occasion
identical twins two babies of the same sex who were born at the same time to the same mother and look very similar
Relatives by marriage and others
a father-in-law, a mother-in-law the father of the person one is married to, the mother of the person one is married to
a brother-in-law, a sister-in-law a brother of one's spouse, or the husband of one's sister, a sister of one's spouse, or the wife of one's brother
a step-father, a step-mother one's mother's husband, one's father's wife (from a second marriage)
a half-brother, a half-sister a brother who is the son of only one of one's parents, a sister who is the daughter of only one of one's parents
a wicked step-mother one's father's wife (from a second marriage) who is a bad person
an adopted child a child raised by non-biological parents
a foster child a child taken care of by non-biological parents, usually for a limited time
an orphan a child whose parents are dead
the bride the woman who is about to get married or has just gotten married
the groom the man who is about to get married or has just gotten married
a best man a male friend or relative of the groom who stands with him and helps him during a marriage ceremony
a bridesmaid, a maid of honour a girl or woman who during the marriage ceremony helps the bride, the most important bridesmaid at a marriage ceremony
a godfather, a godmother a man who promises to help a child in religious and moral matters, a woman who promises to help a child in religious and moral matters
a godson, a goddaughter a boy whose moral and religious development is partly the responsibility of another person, chosen by the parents, a girl whose moral and religious development is partly the responsibility of another person, chosen by the parents
a husband a man to whom one is married
a wife a woman to whom one is married (plural = wives)
a girlfriend, a boyfriend a female friend, with whom one has a romantic or sexual relationship, a male friend, with whom one has a romantic or sexual relationship
a brother-in-law, a sister-in-law a brother of one's spouse, or the husband of one's sister, a sister of one's spouse, or the wife of one's brother
a step-father, a step-mother one's mother's husband, one's father's wife (from a second marriage)
a half-brother, a half-sister a brother who is the son of only one of one's parents, a sister who is the daughter of only one of one's parents
a wicked step-mother one's father's wife (from a second marriage) who is a bad person
an adopted child a child raised by non-biological parents
a foster child a child taken care of by non-biological parents, usually for a limited time
an orphan a child whose parents are dead
the bride the woman who is about to get married or has just gotten married
the groom the man who is about to get married or has just gotten married
a best man a male friend or relative of the groom who stands with him and helps him during a marriage ceremony
a bridesmaid, a maid of honour a girl or woman who during the marriage ceremony helps the bride, the most important bridesmaid at a marriage ceremony
a godfather, a godmother a man who promises to help a child in religious and moral matters, a woman who promises to help a child in religious and moral matters
a godson, a goddaughter a boy whose moral and religious development is partly the responsibility of another person, chosen by the parents, a girl whose moral and religious development is partly the responsibility of another person, chosen by the parents
a husband a man to whom one is married
a wife a woman to whom one is married (plural = wives)
a girlfriend, a boyfriend a female friend, with whom one has a romantic or sexual relationship, a male friend, with whom one has a romantic or sexual relationship
Exercise 1
Kevin Connors comes from a large family. His mother had 7 children from her first marriage, including Kevin: 3 girls and 4 boys.
The girls are Kevin's .
The boys are Kevin's .
The girls are Kevin's .
The boys are Kevin's .
Kevin Connors comes from a large family. His mother had 7 children from her first marriage, including Kevin: 3 girls and 4 boys.
The girls are Kevin's sisters 1.
The boys are Kevin's brothers 2.
The girls are Kevin's sisters 1.
The boys are Kevin's brothers 2.
1 sisters: The female siblings of a person are 'sisters'. We know that they are female because they are 'girls'.
2 brothers: The male siblings of a person are 'brothers'. We know that they are male because they are 'boys'.
Exercise 2
My dog Tess had 5 puppies. One of them grew up and had 4 puppies with white feet. One of the white-footed puppies grew up and had a puppy with brown feet. Tess is to the brown-footed puppy.
My dog Tess had 5 puppies. One of them grew up and had 4 puppies with white feet. One of the white-footed puppies grew up and had a puppy with brown feet. Tess is great-grandmother to the brown-footed puppy.
great-grandmother: Tess is mother to 5 puppies (dog babies). She is grandmother to the babies of these five puppies which had white feet and great-grandmother to the puppy with brown feet. A great-grandmother is the mother of one's grandmother or grandfather.
Exercise 3
There are two families of goldfish living in an aquarium. Andy and Mandy have two babies called Terry and Perry. Richard and Judy have three children called Fred, Ed and Ned.
are Fred's siblings.
are Fred's siblings.
There are two families of goldfish living in an aquarium. Andy and Mandy have two babies called Terry and Perry. Richard and Judy have three children called Fred, Ed and Ned.
Ed and Ned are Fred's siblings.
Ed and Ned are Fred's siblings.
Ed and Ned: "Siblings" means "brothers and/or sisters". For example: "-Do you have any siblings. -Yes, I have a brother and a sister". Fred, Ed and Ned are all children of Richard and Judy. Therefore, we know that Ed and Ned are Fred's siblings.
Richard and Judy: Richard and Judy are Fred's parents, not his siblings!
Terry and Perry: Terry and Perry are the children of Andy and Mandy. They are not related to Fred, although they do live in the same aquarium, and I'm sure they often have fun together.
Exercise 4
Geoffrey's mother got married to Terence. Terence had a daughter called Kate from a previous marriage. Geoffrey is Kate's .
Geoffrey's mother got married to Terence. Terence had a daughter called Kate from a previous marriage. Geoffrey is Kate's step-brother.
step-brother: Geoffrey and Kate are not related by blood but through the marriage of one of each of their parents. Therefore, they are step-brother and step-sister. Kate's father is Geoffrey's step-father, and Geoffrey's mother is Kate's step-mother.
half-brother: If Geoffrey and Kate were half-brother and half-sister then they would share one biological parent. This is not the case: they do not have any biological parents in common. Example: "My father remarried and had a daughter, Eve, with his new wife. Eve is my half-sister".
brother: A brother shares the same biological mother and father as his siblings. Geoffrey and Kate do not share any biological parents.
Exercise 5
My dog Tess had 5 puppies. One of them grew up and had 4 puppies with white feet. One of the white-footed puppies grew up and had a puppy with brown feet. Tess is to the brown-footed puppy.
My dog Tess had 5 puppies. One of them grew up and had 4 puppies with white feet. One of the white-footed puppies grew up and had a puppy with brown feet. Tess is great-grandmother to the brown-footed puppy.
great-grandmother: Tess is mother to 5 puppies (dog babies). She is grandmother to the babies of these five puppies which had white feet and great-grandmother to the puppy with brown feet. A great-grandmother is the mother of one's grandmother or grandfather.
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