Family 家庭
BasicTheme words for family members.
- Know the family words: father/mother, grandfather/grandmother, uncle/aunt.
- Introduce family with This is my... and add one fact about them.
- Add s when you talk about him or her: My father works...
文體小知識：Learn theme words.
§Text Passage
1My family is big and warm. My father works in a bank in Central. My mother is a nurse at a hospital near our home. My brother is in Secondary One, and my little sister is only five years old. After dinner, we talk about our day at the dinner table.
2My grandfather and grandmother live in Sha Tin. At the weekend, we visit them with my uncle and aunt. Grandfather grows beautiful flowers on his balcony. Grandmother makes the best steamed eggs in the world. My aunt always brings fresh fruit, and my uncle tells funny jokes. We usually stay for lunch and go home in the evening.
3My brother helps me with my maths homework, and I read stories to my sister at night. On Sundays, we sometimes have dim sum together. Last week, we took a happy family photo in the park. I love my family because we take care of each other. A warm family is the best gift.
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
My family is big and warm.
我的家庭好大、好溫暖。
My father works in a bank in Central.
爸爸在中環一間銀行上班。
My mother is a nurse at a hospital near our home.
媽媽在家附近的醫院做護士。
My brother is in Secondary One, and my little sister is only five years old.
哥哥正在讀中一，妹妹只有五歲。
After dinner, we talk about our day at the dinner table.
吃完晚飯，我們會在飯桌前聊一聊一天發生的事。
My grandfather and grandmother live in Sha Tin.
爺爺同奶奶住在沙田。
At the weekend, we visit them with my uncle and aunt.
週末我們會同叔叔、嬸嬸一起去探他們。
Grandfather grows beautiful flowers on his balcony.
爺爺在露台種了美麗的花。
Grandmother makes the best steamed eggs in the world.
奶奶蒸的蛋是全世界最好吃的。
My aunt always brings fresh fruit, and my uncle tells funny jokes.
嬸嬸每次都帶新鮮生果來，叔叔就負責講笑話。
We usually stay for lunch and go home in the evening.
我們通常會留下來吃午飯，到傍晚才回家。
My brother helps me with my maths homework, and I read stories to my sister at night.
哥哥會幫我做數學功課，晚上我會講故事給妹妹聽。
On Sundays, we sometimes have dim sum together.
星期日我們有時會一起去吃點心。
Last week, we took a happy family photo in the park.
上個星期，我們在公園拍了一張全家福。
I love my family because we take care of each other.
我好愛我的家人，因為大家都會互相照顧。
A warm family is the best gift.
一個溫暖的家就是最好的禮物。
1Summary 重點摘要
Theme words for family members.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Your male parent.
Your female parent.
A boy with the same parents as you.
A girl with the same parents as you.
The father of your father or mother.
The mother of your father or mother.
The brother of your father or mother.
The sister of your father or mother.
3Step by step Steps
- Read the family wordsRead father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, uncle and aunt, and think of the real person each word names in your home. Both grandfather and grandmother start with grand, which means one generation above; uncle covers several Chinese words, and so does aunt.
- Introduce a family memberSay This is my father. He works in a bank. First the family word, then one simple fact such as a job, a hobby or an age. The second sentence must be complete too: do not drop He and say only works in a bank.
- Add s for he/she/itMy father works in a bank. My brother helps me with my homework. When the subject is he, she or it, the verb takes s or es. The common mistake is forgetting the s: My father work in a bank is wrong. Remember: after he, she and it, the verb wears its s.
- Talk about family activitiesWe visit our grandparents at the weekend. We have dim sum together on Sundays. With we the verb stays in its base form, and together at the end shows the family does things as one. Time phrases go at the end, and day names like Sunday always start with a capital letter.
- Say how you feel and whyI love my family because we take care of each other. Say the feeling first, then give the reason with because. A good reason names something real the family does: taking care of each other, travelling together or laughing a lot, not just because they are nice.
- Draw a family treeDraw a family tree and label each box in English, older generation above, then tell a friend about one box: This is my grandmother. She lives in Sha Tin. Matching each word to a real person makes the words stick, and saying one sentence per box gives you plenty of speaking practice.
5Worked example Example
Question: How do we introduce a family member in English, step by step?
- Step 1: Start with the family word — This is my mother. — so the listener knows at once who you are talking about.
- Step 2: Add a job or a fact — She is a nurse at a hospital. One simple fact makes the person come alive.
- Step 3: Add a daily habit — She cooks dinner for us every day. The subject is she, so the verb takes s: cooks.
- Step 4: Give a reason with because — I love her because she takes care of us.
- Step 5: Join the four sentences into one short paragraph and read it over in your head before you speak.
- Answer: Sample answer: This is my mother. She is a nurse at a hospital near our home. She cooks dinner for us every day. I love her because she takes care of us.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What is father?
Q2What is mother?
Q3What is brother?
Q4What is sister?
Q5What is grandfather?
Q6What is grandmother?
8Recap Recap
- Know the family words: father/mother, grandfather/grandmother, uncle/aunt.
- Introduce family with This is my... and add one fact about them.
- Add s when you talk about him or her: My father works...
- Weekend family activities: visit grandparents, have dim sum together.
- Give a reason with because: I love my family because we take care of each other.