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IELTS Speaking vocabulary: Friends
Fill in the gap with one or two words
- I know a lot of people, but I only have a few ______ who I really trust.
- Do you find it easy to _______ friends?
See answers
- I know a lot of people, but I only have a few friends / close friends/ soulmates/ of them who I really trust.
- Do you find it easy to make/ make some/ find friends?
Friend (n.)
For a friend, we can also say
- a pal
- a buddy (US)
- a mate (UK)
- my bestie = my best friend
An acquaintance = someone you know (but not really close enough to be a friend)
Friendship (n. Uncountable)
‘Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything’ – Muhammad Ali
Friendly (adj.) = kind, pleasant
A friendly (n.) = a game (usually a competitive one) played for enjoyment, not to win
Man. United have a friendly next week against Liverpool
- A child-friendly park
- A family-friendly restaurant
- A user-friendly website
Collocations:
_______ friend
best / bosom / close / good / family
- A good friend of mine
- A long-standing friend
- A fair weather friend
= a person stops being a friend when you have problems
- I like to make friends
- I have forged a lot friendships
= to make deep or strong friendships
You are not going to win any friends saying offensive things like that
To win a friend is more about making a strategic friend, doing nice things to get someone to like you.
- I have a close circle of friends
- I just have a handful of close friends
I am pretty shy and introverted, so I just handful of close friends
- I have a wide circle of friends
I am quite a gregarious (extroverted) person so I have a wide circle of friends
Activities with friends
What do you get up to with your friends?
Here are some simple templates you can use to answer this question;
- We often / sometimes /occasionally _____
- We will _____ (for a habit)
- We tend to _____
We often go to the cinema
We will go for a coffee most mornings
We tend to meet up for a drink at the weekend.
Common phrasal verbs
- To hang out with friends
- To hang out together
= to meet and spend time together
- To meet up with friends
- To catch up with a friend
- To catch up with each other
- To catch up on (the latest news)
= to meet and talk about the latest news in your lives
- To fall out with someone
= to stop being friends (usually for a short time)
- To make up with someone
= to become friends again
Listening bingo
Listen to this person talking about activities he does with friends.
Mark a box when you hear the exact words in it.
If you mark 3 in a row, type BINGO + the words in the 3 boxes
| Mate | Hang out | Friendly |
| Friend | Catch up on | Meet up |
| Typically | Personal | Circle of friends |
See answers
| Mate | Hang out | Friendly |
| Friend | Catch up on | Meet up |
| Typically | Personal | Circle of friends |
Listening bingo - full script
See answers Click arrow to open/close answers
When I was a teenager, I used to hang out with a bunch of friends, and we would sit in the park or maybe go for a coffee together. There’d be a lot of banter and we would tell each other stories or jokes.
Nowadays though, I tend to meet up with just one or two friends and, you know, we will catch up on the latest happenings and we might confide in each other, you know maybe share something more personal about our lives or family.
Notice the tenses
See answers Click arrow to open/close answers
When I was a teenager, I used to hang out with a bunch of friends, and we would sit in the park or maybe go for a coffee together. There’d be a lot of banter and we would tell each other stories or jokes.
Nowadays though, I tend to meet up with just one or two friends and, you know, we will catch up on the latest happenings and we might confide in each other, you know maybe share something more personal about our lives or family.
IELTS Speaking success - Get a band 7+ GOLD course Q&A
How is the GOLD course different from Youtube videos?
- It is a structured course
- No adverts
- No distractions
- You can join Speaking Practice Breakout Rooms
- You can join a Private Community
How long does it take?
- You study at your own pace
- Pay once and get the course forever
- Most students take 3 to 4 months
- But you can take 2 years or more….
What is the Price?
- 120USD
- You only pay once
- You get it forever and access to everything forever.
- There is no risk with the 30-day money back guarantee.
Will it also teach me other skills like grammar?
It’s a speaking course including
It will not develop the skills of Writing or Reading
Are there one-on-one classes with Keith?
Most of the course is self-study, so there is no one-on-one speaking practice with Keith.
There is weekly small group speaking practice with the other students.
Is it only for IELTS or also suitable to improve my overall speaking?
- The main focus of the course is too improve your overall speaking skills. This is the best way to prepare for IELTS Speaking.
- If you are not taking IELTS, you can ignore the videos with strategies, tips and techniques for the test.
- There are plenty of people on the course who are not preparing for IELTS.
IELTS Speaking idioms to talk about friends
The following idiomatic expressions can be used to talk about friends as well as most relationships.
- The following all mean to have a very good relationship
- We get on like a house on fire
- We just click
- We are on the same wavelength
- We get on famously
- We speak the same language
- The following all mean to know someone very well
- I know him back to front
- I know her inside out
- I know them like the back of my hand
She reads me like a book = she knows what I am thinking
- The following mean that you may not always agree
- We don’t see eye to eye
- Sometimes we are on opposite sides of the fence
- Sometimes we are on different sides of the fence
IELTS Speaking question:
Do you have many friends?
- Watch the answer to the following question and tell me how many friends he has!
See answers
Listen to the answer to the following question and tell me how many friends he has!
A handful of close friends
- Watch again and note any useful phrases!
See answers Click arrow to open/close answers
Do I have many friends?
Well, I know a lot of people, but I would call the vast majority (=most of) of them acquaintances.
To be honest, I only have a handful of close friends, and then only one or two who I click with and maybe people who know me inside out.
Of course, friendships are really important, and I don’t think it matters (=it’s not important) how many friends you have, so long as (=on the condition that) you have someone to turn to (=to go and talk to) and share the good times and the bad times with.
More Free Lessons
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There are more lessons you can follow in the links below too.
COMPLAINTS in IELTS Speaking. Vocabulary and idioms you need to talk about your complaints.
CITIES in IELTS Speaking Learn how to introduce your city, as well as talk about advantages and disadvantages of living in cities.
FEELINGS in IELTS Speaking Vocabulary you need to describe a range of different feelings, as well as talking about topical issues such as mental health
NOISE POLLUTION in IELTS Speaking How to talk about different types of noise, and how noise pollution affects our lives today.
VIRTUAL WORLD in IELTS Speaking Vocabulary and ideas to talk about the virtual world as well as some listening tasks.
