Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about relationships and social life.
Example: She has a very close _______ with her sister. (relationship / acquaintance / argument)
Answer: She has a very close relationship with her sister.
Relationships and Social Life
How do you describe the people in your life? How do you talk about friendships, family, and social situations in English? Whether you are catching up with an old friend, meeting someone new, or explaining how you feel about a relationship, having the right vocabulary makes a big difference.
In this lesson, you will learn key words and phrases for talking about relationships and social life at B1 intermediate level. You will study useful collocations, common phrasal verbs, and important differences between words that are easy to confuse.
Meet Sofia and James
Sofia and James are colleagues who have recently become good friends. They often meet after work to catch up, and they sometimes go out with a group of mutual friends at the weekend. Sofia gets on well with almost everyone she meets, but James finds it a little harder to socialise with people he does not know. Together, they navigate the ups and downs of friendships, relationships, and social life in a busy city.
As you read through the lesson, notice how the vocabulary appears in real situations like theirs.
Key Vocabulary and Meaning Breakdown
1. Types of Relationships and People
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| acquaintance | noun — someone you know slightly, but not well; not a close friend | James met an old acquaintance from university at the party. | a casual acquaintance; a business acquaintance; make an acquaintance |
| colleague | noun — someone you work with | Sofia and James are colleagues at the same company. | a work colleague; a trusted colleague; colleagues and friends |
| companion | noun — someone who spends time with you and keeps you company | Her dog was her constant companion on long walks. | a faithful companion; a travel companion; constant companion |
| mutual friend | noun phrase — a friend that two people share | They met through a mutual friend at a birthday dinner. | a mutual friend; mutual respect; mutual interests |
| ex-partner | noun — a former boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife | She bumped into her ex-partner at the supermarket. | an ex-partner; an ex-boyfriend; an ex-girlfriend; stay friends with an ex |
| neighbour | noun — someone who lives near you | Their new neighbour introduced herself on the first day. | a friendly neighbour; a next-door neighbour; get to know your neighbours |
2. Actions and Social Behaviour
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| socialise | verb — to spend time with other people in a friendly way | James finds it difficult to socialise with people he has just met. | socialise with friends; socialise at work; love/hate socialising |
| catch up | phrasal verb — to talk with someone you have not seen for a while and share news | Let's meet for coffee and catch up properly. | catch up with a friend; catch up over coffee/lunch; need to catch up |
| get on (well) with | phrasal verb — to have a good, comfortable relationship with someone | Sofia gets on well with her new flatmates. | get on well with; get on badly with; hard to get on with |
| fall out (with) | phrasal verb — to have an argument with someone and stop being friendly | They fell out over a misunderstanding about money. | fall out with a friend; fall out over something; have a falling-out |
| make up | phrasal verb — to become friends again after an argument | After their argument, they quickly made up and forgot about it. | make up with someone; kiss and make up; make up after a fight |
| keep in touch | phrase — to stay in contact with someone regularly | We moved to different cities but tried to keep in touch. | keep in touch with; stay in touch; lose touch with |
| lose touch (with) | phrase — to stop having regular contact with someone | She lost touch with her school friends after she moved abroad. | lose touch with friends; gradually lose touch; fall out of touch |
| introduce | verb — to present someone to another person for the first time | Sofia introduced James to her flatmates at the dinner party. | introduce yourself; introduce someone to someone; make introductions |
3. Feelings, Attitudes, and Qualities in Relationships
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| supportive | adjective — giving help, encouragement, or emotional care | Her friends were very supportive when she lost her job. | a supportive friend/partner/family; be supportive of someone |
| loyal | adjective — always faithful and dependable to a person or group | A loyal friend will stand by you even in difficult times. | a loyal friend; fiercely loyal; loyal to someone |
| reliable | adjective — someone you can trust to do what they say they will do | James is very reliable — he always arrives on time. | a reliable person/friend; reliable information; completely reliable |
| jealous | adjective — feeling unhappy or angry because you want what someone else has, or because you are afraid of losing someone | He felt jealous when his girlfriend spent time with her ex-partner. | feel jealous; jealous of someone; jealous in a relationship |
| trust | noun / verb — a firm belief that someone is honest and will not let you down | Trust is the most important thing in any relationship. | build trust; lose trust; trust someone completely; trust issues |
| respect | noun / verb — a feeling of admiration and consideration for someone | Good relationships are built on mutual respect. | show respect; mutual respect; respect someone's opinion; earn respect |
| argue | verb — to disagree with someone and express it strongly, often in an angry way | They often argue about small things, but they always make up quickly. | argue about/over something; argue with someone; have an argument |
| misunderstanding | noun — a situation where someone understands something incorrectly | The falling-out was caused by a simple misunderstanding. | cause a misunderstanding; clear up a misunderstanding; a small/big misunderstanding |
Collocations and Useful Expressions
Learning how words combine with each other helps you sound more natural in English. Here are some important collocations and expressions for talking about relationships and social life.
build + a relationship
It takes time to build a strong relationship with someone.
have + a lot in common
Sofia and James get on so well because they have a lot in common.
make + friends
It can be difficult to make friends when you move to a new city.
keep + in touch
Do you keep in touch with your old school friends?
go + out (with someone)
They went out together for almost two years before they broke up.
break up (with someone)
She broke up with her boyfriend because they wanted different things.
ask someone + out
He finally asked her out after knowing her for six months.
stay + in contact
We try to stay in contact even though we live in different countries.
have + a good time
We had a really good time at the party last weekend.
spend + time with
I love spending time with my close friends at the weekend.
get + to know someone
It took me a while to really get to know my new colleagues.
give + support
Her family gave her a lot of support when she was going through a hard time.
Important Differences and Confusing Words
Friend vs Acquaintance vs Colleague
These three words all describe people you know, but they are not the same. Many learners use friend for everyone, but in English the differences are important.
- Friend — someone you know well, feel close to, and enjoy spending time with. There is a personal connection.
Sofia is one of my best friends. We tell each other everything. - Acquaintance — someone you know, but only slightly. You may have met a few times, but you are not close.
I've seen him at parties before, but he's just an acquaintance really. - Colleague — someone you work with. A colleague can also become a friend, but the word itself simply means a work connection.
All my colleagues came to the leaving party, but only my real friends stayed afterwards.
Argue vs Discuss vs Disagree
These words are all connected to having different opinions, but they have very different tones.
- Discuss — to talk about a topic calmly and openly, sharing ideas. There is no conflict.
We sat down and discussed our plans for the future. - Disagree — to have a different opinion from someone. It is neutral and does not suggest anger.
I disagree with him about politics, but we are still good friends. - Argue — to disagree in a way that is often loud, emotional, or heated. It suggests conflict.
They argued for an hour and both of them felt upset afterwards.
Reliable vs Loyal vs Supportive
These adjectives all describe positive qualities in a person, but they mean different things.
- Reliable — you can depend on this person to do what they say. It is about being consistent and responsible.
She's very reliable — if she says she'll be there, she will be. - Loyal — this person stays with you and does not betray you, even when things are difficult. It is about faithfulness over time.
He's been loyal to his friends for years, even when he moved away. - Supportive — this person helps you emotionally and encourages you when you need it. It is about giving care and reassurance.
My family was very supportive when I was going through a difficult break-up.
Keep in Touch vs Lose Touch vs Stay in Contact
- Keep in touch — to continue communicating with someone regularly (action you choose to do).
Let's keep in touch after the course finishes. - Lose touch — to gradually stop communicating with someone (often by accident).
We lost touch after she moved abroad. - Stay in contact — similar in meaning to keep in touch, but slightly more formal.
We stayed in contact by email for several years.
Common Mistakes
❌ She is very sympathetic and always helps me with my problems.
✅ She is very supportive and always helps me with my problems.
Note: "Sympathetic" means you feel sorry for someone's problem (a feeling). "Supportive" means you actively help or encourage someone (an action or attitude). These two words are often confused.
❌ I am agree with you — good friends are really important.
✅ I agree with you — good friends are really important.
Note: "Agree" is a verb in English, not an adjective. We never say "I am agree." The correct form is simply "I agree."
❌ James and Sofia have many things in common with.
✅ James and Sofia have a lot in common.
Note: The correct phrase is "have a lot in common" or "have things in common." We do not add "with" at the end unless we are comparing to a specific person: "She has a lot in common with her sister."
❌ We made friends very quickly when I introduced him her.
✅ We became friends very quickly when I introduced him to her.
Note: "Introduce" requires the preposition "to" before the second person. Also, "make friends" usually means to form a new friendship in general, not in one specific moment. "Became friends" is more natural here.
❌ I had a misunderstanding with my colleague and now we fallen out.
✅ I had a misunderstanding with my colleague and now we have fallen out.
Note: "Fall out" is a phrasal verb that follows normal tense rules. The present perfect form is "have fallen out," not "fallen out" alone.
❌ She lost touch her old school friends after university.
✅ She lost touch with her old school friends after university.
Note: "Lose touch" must be followed by the preposition "with" when a person is mentioned. Do not leave it out.
Relationships and Social Life: Quick Summary and Review
In this lesson, you have studied a wide range of vocabulary for talking about relationships and social life in English. Here is a quick review of the main points:
- Use friend, acquaintance, and colleague carefully — they describe different types of people in your life.
- Key phrasal verbs include: get on with, fall out, make up, catch up, keep in touch, and lose touch.
- Positive qualities in relationships include being loyal, reliable, and supportive — remember these words have different meanings.
- Important collocations: build a relationship, make friends, have a lot in common, break up with someone, and get to know someone.
- Remember to use the correct prepositions: argue about something, agree with someone, introduce someone to someone, and lose touch with someone.
Now practise relationships and social life vocabulary in the exercises below.
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