Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about relationships and social life.
Example: She is my best ___. We do everything together. (friend / neighbor / stranger)
Answer: She is my best friend. We do everything together.
Relationships and Social Life in English
Do you have a best friend? Do you often meet people at parties or at school? Talking about the people in our lives is one of the most common things we do in English every day. In this lesson, you will learn important vocabulary for relationships and social life — words to describe the people you know, how you spend time together, and how friendships and relationships work.
Read this short situation first:
Maria is a student. She has a lot of friends at university. On Friday evening, she goes to a party with her best friend, Anna. At the party, she meets a new person called Tom. They talk for a long time and get on very well. Later, Maria tells her sister: "I think Tom and I could become good friends!"
In this lesson, you will learn all the words and phrases you need to talk about situations like this.
Key Vocabulary and Meaning Breakdown
1. People and Relationships
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| friend | noun — a person you know well and like | James is my friend. We go to school together. | best friend, close friend, old friend, make a friend |
| best friend | noun phrase — your closest and most important friend | Anna is my best friend. I tell her everything. | my best friend, have a best friend |
| classmate | noun — someone who is in the same class as you | My classmates and I studied together for the exam. | school classmate, university classmate |
| colleague | noun — someone you work with | My colleague Sarah always helps me at work. | work colleague, a friendly colleague |
| neighbour | noun — a person who lives near you | My neighbour is very kind. He helps me carry my shopping. | next-door neighbour, friendly neighbour |
| partner | noun — a romantic boyfriend or girlfriend; also someone you work with | She went to the cinema with her partner. | romantic partner, business partner |
| boyfriend / girlfriend | noun — a romantic partner | He bought flowers for his girlfriend. | have a boyfriend / girlfriend, meet a boyfriend |
| ex-boyfriend / ex-girlfriend | noun — a person you had a romantic relationship with before | She saw her ex-boyfriend at the party. | Often shortened to "my ex" in informal speech |
| stranger | noun — a person you do not know | I don't talk to strangers on the street. | a complete stranger, talk to a stranger |
| acquaintance | noun — someone you know, but not very well | He is not a close friend — just an acquaintance from work. | a work acquaintance, a casual acquaintance |
2. Social Activities and Events
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| party | noun — a social event where people eat, drink, and enjoy themselves | We had a birthday party for my sister on Saturday. | have / go to / throw a party, birthday party, house party |
| get-together | noun — a small, informal social meeting | We had a small get-together at my house last weekend. | a family get-together, a casual get-together |
| meet up | phrasal verb — to meet someone, usually for a social reason | Let's meet up after work for a coffee. | meet up with friends, meet up for lunch |
| hang out | phrasal verb — to spend time with friends in a relaxed way | We usually hang out at the park on Sundays. | hang out with friends, hang out together |
| go out | phrasal verb — to leave home to do something social | Do you want to go out tonight? There's a new café in town. | go out with friends, go out for dinner |
| invite | verb — to ask someone to come to a place or event | I invited my colleagues to my birthday dinner. | invite someone to a party, invite a friend for dinner |
| date | noun — a romantic meeting between two people | They went on a date at a nice restaurant. | go on a date, have a date, first date |
| celebrate | verb — to do something enjoyable for a special occasion | We celebrated our friend's new job with a dinner. | celebrate a birthday, celebrate with friends |
3. Describing Friendships and Relationships
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| close | adjective — having a strong, caring relationship | We are very close. We talk every day. | close friend, close relationship, very close |
| friendly | adjective — kind and pleasant to other people | My new colleague is very friendly. She smiled and said hello. | very friendly, a friendly person |
| shy | adjective — nervous or uncomfortable with other people, especially new people | He is quite shy and doesn't talk much at parties. | very shy, feel shy, quite shy |
| sociable | adjective — enjoys spending time with other people | Maria is very sociable. She loves meeting new people. | very sociable, a sociable person |
| trust | verb / noun — to believe that someone is honest and good | I trust my best friend completely. | trust a friend, trust someone, build trust |
| support | verb / noun — to help and encourage someone | Good friends support each other in difficult times. | support a friend, emotional support, offer support |
| argue | verb — to disagree and speak in an angry way | We sometimes argue, but we always make up afterwards. | argue with someone, argue about something |
| get on (well) | phrasal verb — to have a good relationship with someone | I get on really well with my neighbours. | get on well with, not get on with |
| fall out | phrasal verb — to stop being friendly after a disagreement | They fell out over something small and stopped talking. | fall out with someone, fall out over something |
| make up | phrasal verb — to become friends again after an argument | After their argument, they made up the next day. | make up with someone, make up after a fight |
Collocations and Useful Expressions
Learning words together as natural pairs helps you speak and write more naturally. Here are common collocations for relationships and social life:
make + a friend
I made a new friend at the party last night.
have + a good time
We had a really good time at the celebration.
go + on a date
They went on their first date last Saturday.
keep + in touch
We don't live near each other, but we keep in touch by phone.
lose + touch
I lost touch with my old school friends after I moved away.
get + in touch
She got in touch with her old classmate on social media.
spend + time (with someone)
I love spending time with my family at the weekend.
throw + a party
They threw a big party for their friend's birthday.
invite + someone + to + an event
She invited thirty people to her wedding celebration.
have + an argument
We had a small argument, but everything is fine now.
get to know + someone
I'd like to get to know my new neighbours better.
Important Differences and Confusing Words
Friend vs Acquaintance
These two words are easy to confuse because both describe people we know.
- A friend is someone you know well, spend time with, and feel comfortable with.
- An acquaintance is someone you know, but only a little — perhaps from work or a class. You do not usually spend personal time together.
Example: "Tom is my friend — we meet every week for coffee. David is just an acquaintance from my old job. I haven't spoken to him in months."
Friendly vs Sociable
Both words describe positive social qualities, but they have slightly different meanings.
- Friendly = kind and pleasant in the way you behave towards others.
- Sociable = you enjoy spending time with other people and being in social situations.
Example: "My cat is very friendly — she likes being around people. But she isn't sociable — she doesn't like groups or loud parties!"
"Maria is very sociable — she goes to parties every weekend and loves meeting new people."
Argue vs Discuss
These words both involve talking about a topic, but the feeling is very different.
- Argue = to disagree and often speak in an angry or upset way.
- Discuss = to talk about a topic calmly and share ideas.
Example: "They argued about the money and both felt angry afterwards."
"We discussed our plans for the holiday and agreed on everything."
Go out vs Hang out
Both phrases mean spending time socially, but the register and context are slightly different.
- Go out = to leave the house to go somewhere (a restaurant, a cinema, a café). More formal and can include romantic situations.
- Hang out = to spend time in a relaxed, informal way, often without a specific plan. Very informal.
Example: "Do you want to go out for dinner tonight?" (you have a specific plan)
"We just hung out at home and watched TV." (relaxed and informal)
Common Mistakes
❌ I made a good time at the party.
✅ I had a good time at the party. — We always use have with a good time, not make.
❌ She is very friend and always smiles.
✅ She is very friendly and always smiles. — Friendly is the adjective form, not friend.
❌ I get on good with my colleagues.
✅ I get on well with my colleagues. — Use the adverb well, not the adjective good, after get on.
❌ We argued about very slowly and agreed.
✅ We discussed the problem slowly and agreed. — When you talk calmly and reach an agreement, use discuss, not argue.
❌ They did a party for her birthday.
✅ They had / threw a party for her birthday. — We use have a party or throw a party, not do a party.
❌ I lost the touch with my old friends.
✅ I lost touch with my old friends. — There is no article before touch in this expression.
❌ He is my colleague in work.
✅ He is my colleague at work. — We say at work, not in work.
Relationships and Social Life: Quick Summary and Review
In this lesson, you have learned key vocabulary for talking about relationships and social life in English. Here is a quick review of the most important points:
- Use words like friend, colleague, neighbour, and acquaintance to describe different people in your life.
- Use partner, boyfriend, and girlfriend for romantic relationships.
- Use phrasal verbs like get on with, fall out, make up, meet up, and hang out to describe how relationships work.
- Remember key collocations: have a good time, throw a party, keep in touch, lose touch, and spend time with.
- Be careful with friendly vs sociable, and argue vs discuss — they look similar but have different meanings.
Now practise relationships and social life vocabulary in the exercises below.
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