Speaking Boost · A2 · Lesson 3 of 50
Speaking Boost A2 · Block 1: All About Me

Does your place in the family change your personality?

Oldest children are serious, youngest children are funny? A big study of 20,000 people says no. Describe your family and friends, build a family tree and find a lost family member.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Family

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. How many people are there in your family?
  2. Have you got any brothers or sisters?
  3. Who do you look like in your family?
  4. Who is the funniest person in your family?
  5. How often do you see your grandparents?
  6. What do you usually do with your family at the weekend?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say one sentence about your family or friends.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. My live in Ternopil.
  2. I've got three : two brothers and a sister.
  3. I have no brothers or sisters. I'm an .
  4. My aunt's son is my .
  5. I'm the in my family. My brothers are older.
  6. People say I my dad.
  7. My sister and I never argue. We .
  8. My uncle tells great jokes. He's very .
2.3

Family words

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. your mother's mother =
  2. your father's brother =
  3. your brother's son =
  4. your sister's daughter =
  5. lazy ↔
  6. tall ↔
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to describe your family.

  • There are... people in my family.У моїй сім'ї ... людей.There are four people in my family.
  • I've got... / I haven't got...У мене є... / У мене немає...I've got one brother. I haven't got any sisters.
  • He / She is... years old.Йому / Їй ... років.My sister is 25 years old.
  • He's / She's got... hair and... eyes.У нього / неї ... волосся і ... очі.She's got long dark hair and brown eyes.
  • He's / She's very...Він / Вона дуже...My dad is very kind and patient.
  • I look like...Я схожий(-а) на...I look like my mum, but I'm like my dad.
  • We get on really well.Ми дуже добре ладнаємо.My brother and I get on really well.
  • We sometimes argue about...Ми іноді сперечаємося через...We sometimes argue about the TV.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

First, middle or last?

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

Does your place in the family change your personality?

Many people believe that your place in the family changes your character. They say the oldest child is serious and responsible. The middle child is a good friend to everyone. The youngest child is funny and a bit spoilt. And an only child is a little like a grown-up.

Is it true? In 2015, scientists studied more than 20,000 people in Germany, the UK and the USA. They compared brothers and sisters from the same families.

The result was a surprise. Birth order did not really change people's personality. Oldest children were not more serious, and youngest children were not more funny. The scientists found only one very small difference: oldest children were, on average, a tiny bit better in intelligence tests. But the difference was so small that you can't see it in normal life.

So why do we believe these ideas? Maybe because we remember examples that fit them, and we forget the examples that don't.

What do you think: is it true in your family?

3.2

True or false?

  1. Many people believe birth order changes personality.
  2. The scientists studied only 200 people.
  3. The study found that youngest children are much funnier.
  4. Oldest children were a tiny bit better in intelligence tests.
  5. The difference is very easy to see in normal life.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Are you the oldest, the middle, the youngest or an only child?
  2. Do the "birth order" ideas fit your family?
  3. What is good and bad about being the oldest or the youngest?
  4. Would you like a big family or a small family?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

have got / has got

For family and appearance (British English).

I've got two sisters. She's got blue eyes. Have you got any children?

Negatives and questions

haven't got / hasn't got. Have / Has + subject + got?

He hasn't got a car. Has she got long hair? — Yes, she has.

be + adjective

For age, height and character.

He is tall. She's 30. They're very kind.

You can also say have / has: I have two sisters. Do you have any children? Careful: ✗ She have got blue eyes → She's got / She has. ✗ He has 30 years → He is 30.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. I
    two brothers.
  2. She
    long curly hair.
  3. any children?
  4. My brother
    28 years old.
  5. He
    any cousins.
  6. My parents
    very kind.
  7. blue eyes?
  8. We
    a big family.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. She have got two children. →
  2. My sister has 20 years. →
  3. Have he got a brother? →
  4. I hasn't got a car. →
  5. My dad have got grey hair. →
  6. They has got a dog. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer in detail. Use have got and be + adjectives.

  1. Describe a person in your family: what has he / she got? What is he / she like?
  2. Describe your best friend: appearance and character.
  3. Who do you look like? Who are you like in character?
  4. Describe your family when you were a child.
  5. Has anyone in your family got an unusual hobby or job?
  6. Describe your favourite relative.
5

Family tree

8 min
5.1

Meet the Kovalenkos

Talk about the Kovalenko family: who is who, what have they got, what are they like? Then draw (or imagine) your own family tree and tell your teacher about it.

Generation 1

The grandparents

  • Petro, 72: tall, grey hair, very funny
  • Nina, 70: short, kind, a great cook
  • They've got three children
Generation 2

The parents

  • Oksana, 45: a doctor, hard-working
  • Andriy, 47: a driver, quiet
  • They've got two children
Generation 3

The children

  • Ira, 19: the oldest, a student, curly hair
  • Maks, 12: the youngest, loves football, a bit lazy
  • They get on well
5.2

My best friend

Describe your best friend in detail.

  1. What's your best friend's name? How old is he / she?
  2. What does he / she look like?
  3. What is he / she like?
  4. How often do you see each other? What do you do together?
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. How many people are there in your family?
  2. Have you got any brothers, sisters or cousins?
  3. Who are you closest to in your family?
  4. Have you got any children or nephews?
  5. What do you look like?
  6. What is your character like?
  7. Are you more like your mum or your dad?
  8. What do you do with your family on holidays?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Tell about your grandparents: where do they live, what are they like?
  2. Who is the most hard-working person in your family?
  3. Have you got a friend from childhood?
  4. Who is the funniest person you know?
  5. Which relative do you see most often?
  6. Which relative lives the farthest away?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is it better to be an only child or to have siblings?
  2. Are big families happier?
  3. Can a friend be like a member of your family?
  4. Should grandparents help with children?
  5. Is it important to look like your parents?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

The family photo

You

Proud family member

You are showing a photo of your family (real or imagined) to a new friend. Tell them about each person:
  • who they are and how old they are
  • what they look like (have got)
  • what they are like (character)
  • one funny story about your family
Speak for at least 2 minutes in total. Use have got and be + adjectives.
Your teacher

New friend

Asks short questions, for example:
  1. Who's that tall man?
  2. Is she your sister or your cousin?
  3. Who do you look like?
  4. Do you get on well?
7.2

The lost person

You

Worried family member

You're at a big shopping centre and you can't find a family member (a child, an old grandfather or your partner). Describe them to the security guard:
  • their name and age
  • what they look like (height, hair, eyes)
  • what clothes they are wearing
  • what they are like and where they might be
You do most of the talking. Use: He's got... · She's about... · He's wearing... · She usually likes...
Your teacher

Security guard

Asks short questions, for example:
  1. How old is he?
  2. What colour is his hair?
  3. Is he tall or short?
  4. What is he wearing?
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

parentssiblingsonly childcousingrandparentslook likecurlykind
  1. My are teachers.
  2. Have you got any ?
  3. I haven't got brothers or sisters. I'm an .
  4. My is the son of my aunt.
  5. My live in the country.
  6. You your father!
  7. She's got beautiful hair.
  8. Our neighbour is very — she always helps us.
H2

have got / has got / be

  1. I a sister.
  2. She brown eyes.
  3. a pet?
  4. My son ten years old.
  5. He a car.
  6. My grandparents very funny.
  7. a beard?
  8. We three cats.
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. She has got long hair.
  2. My brother has 30 years.
  3. Have you got any children?
  4. He haven't got a sister.
  5. They've got a big house.
  6. Has your mum got blue eyes?
  7. My dad have got a beard.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. There are four people
  2. I've got one brother.
  3. She's got long dark hair
  4. My dad is very
  5. I look like my mum,
  6. My brother and I
  7. We sometimes argue

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.