Relationships – B1 English Vocabulary
Relationships
In this lesson, you will learn terms used to describe different types of relationships, as well as verbs, verb phrases, and phrasal verbs used to talk about different stages or events that occur in relationships. Check the following pictures and look at the definitions and descriptions below.
Types of relationships
1 An acquaintance is someone you know but is not a close friend.
2 A close friend is a person you spend a lot of time with and share personal matters.
3 Your best friend is your closest friend, often like family.
4 A colleague (more formal) is a person you work with. You can also say co-worker or workmate (informal).
5 A flatmate is a person you share an apartment or flat with.
6 A couple are two people in a romantic relationship.
7 A wife is a married woman.
8 A husband is a married man.
9 Your partner is a person you are married to or having a relationship with.
10 An ex is a person you were once in a relationship with. You can also say ex-boyfriend, ex-wife, etc.
11 A date is a person you are meeting because you have or want to have a romantic relationship. A date is also the appointment to meet this person. You can say, “to go on a date” or “to have a date”. If you have never met this person, it’s a 12 blind date.
Verbs, phrasal verbs and verb phrases
When we meet new people, we 1 get to know them. We learn about their lives, what they like, etc. If we like each other, we might say we 2 get on well. This means we enjoy each other’s company and have a good relationship.
Sometimes, we might 3 hang out with someone. When people hang out, they spend time together, doing things like watching movies, chatting, or going for a walk.
If we start to like someone in a special way, we might 4 go out with them. This means we start dating or being in a romantic relationship. Sometimes, before we start dating, we might 5 have a crush on someone. When you have a crush on a person, you like them a lot in a romantic way.
If two people in a relationship love each other very much, one might 6 propose to the other. This means asking the other person to marry them. If they say yes, they 7 get married. This means they become husband and wife or partners.
But sometimes, relationships end, and people break up. When we 8 break up with someone, we stop being in a romantic relationship. Sometimes, people break up because their partner is 9 having an affair. This means they date or have a romantic or sexual relationship with someone else.
After a relationship ends, or when two people stop working together, going to the same school, or living in the same town, they sometimes 10 keep in touch. This means they continue to talk and be friends. But sometimes people 11 lose touch, and they stop talking or seeing each other.
Finally, if you 12 fall out with someone, it means you have a big argument or fight, and it hurts your relationship. This could happen with a friend, a family member, or a partner.
After completing the exercises in this lesson on Relationships, you can use the unit’s Vocabulary Flashcards to revise and help you memorize the terms.
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