Describe your family or Talk about your family – a topic that not only appears often in the IELTS Speaking test, but is also asked by people in the process of daily communication.
Describe your family
You should say:
- How many family members your family has
- What they do
- How close you are
And explain why your family is important to you
Sample Answer
My family has always been an integral part of my life. There are four people in our home, which are my mom, my dad, my little sister and myself. We also own a pet cat in our household and my sister loves him so much that she sometimes calls him our family’s fifth.
My Mom is a clerk at the bank while my Dad works as a police officer. It can be extremely busy working for the law at times, so he isn’t always present at meal time with us. My sister just finished high school a month ago, which is why she’s trying to get into the university of her dreams. I’m also a university student in junior year, but my school is totally different from my sister’s choice.
My family is very close-knitted. I don’t know what it’s like for other families, but for me, it really feels that way. We have this family tradition where my mom cooks a special meal for everyone on the weekend. Because dad is less likely to be away at the job at that time, our household can bond around the dinner table and savor something that we don’t get to enjoy every day. The fact that my mom’s signature dishes are delectable helps too.
I think the importance of having a family can’t be stressed enough. I struggle to imagine what my life would be like without my loved ones.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Family
1. Is family important in your country?
Oh yes, it is doubtlessly an important thing and I know this because in my country, young people are encouraged to settle down and make their own family as soon as possible. The deference and respect that children are expected from their parents are also proof that family is valued very highly here.
2. How has the size of the family changed in the last few decades in your country?
In recent decades, there has been a shift in family structure, from an extended family inside one household to a nuclear family. As a result, the size of a typical family in my country has shrunk to about 3 or 4 people in one home. In the past, there were more people than that because children were living with not only their parents but also their grandparents.
3. What role do grandparents play in the family in your country?
Grandparents here, I believe, have a very important role at home. They can act as caregivers for their grandkids, because in a lot of households, both parents have to be away at work to put food on the table. So, the grandparents would naturally step up to look after the young. They actually look forward to this too, because it gives them a chance to bond with their grandkids.
4. Who do you think should be responsible for the care of the elderly, the family or the government?
In my opinion, it has to be the family. Each family is responsible for looking after their own elderly because that’s what being in a family is all about. If families stop caring for their elders then you might as well throw all of society’s rules out of the window. Besides, there are other things that deserve the government’s attention more.
