A01 – Family
Vlastnosti
| predmet | Anglický jazyk |
| typ | maturitná téma |
| okruh | anglický jazyk |
| číslo | 1 |
| stav | vypracované |
Talk about your family and its members, their appearance and character, household duties, the leisure time you spend together, and the relationship between parents and children.
1. Osnova témy
- A short autobiography — when and where you were born, where you live, what school you attend, what you want to do afterwards.
- Your family — how many members it has, who they are, whether it is a nuclear or an extended family.
- Individual members — appearance, character, hobbies, job or studies.
- Household duties — who does what at home and how the work is divided.
- Family celebrations and gatherings — the occasions when the whole family meets.
- Leisure time in the family — what you do together at weekends and on holidays.
- The relationship between parents and children — the generation gap, typical problems and how to solve them.
2. Kľúčová slovná zásoba
- family members and relatives: siblings, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, parents-in-law, godparents, step-parents, foster parents, first/second/distant cousin, nephew, niece, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, aunt, uncle
- family status: single, engaged, married, divorced, widower, widow, single parent, the only child, middle child, the oldest child, orphan, adopted child, twins
- family structure: nuclear family (úplná rodina), extended family (viacgeneračná rodina), step family, single parent family, broken family
- roles of the family: biological, economic, educative, emotional, protective, supportive; to provide protection, to care for the aged
- appearance: attractive, good-looking, handsome, tall(ish), short(ish), skinny, thin, well-built, plump (bacuľatý), chubby, neat, curly hair, freckles (pehy), to dye one's hair
- character — positive: friendly, reliable, responsible, decent, modest, mature, generous, gentle, open-minded, faithful, trustworthy, sincere, honest, with a good sense of humour
- character — negative: mean, selfish, rude, impolite, greedy, annoying, disobedient (neposlušný), stubborn (tvrdohlavý), cheeky (drzý), spoilt (rozmaznaný), moody (náladový), strict (prísny)
- household duties: mop the floor, sweep the floor with the broom, vacuum the carpet (hoover), dust with a cloth, wash up the dishes, do the ironing (žehliť), hang the clothes on the washing line, make beds, take out the rubbish, water the plants, mow the lawn (kosiť trávnik), walk the dog, feed the pets, fix broken things
- celebrations: birthday, name day, christening (krstiny), confirmation (birmovka), graduation, wedding, feast, funeral (pohreb), to congratulate, to bring presents
- life cycle: to be born, to get on with sb., to fall in love, to propose, to get engaged, to get married to sb., to settle down, to bring up children, to get divorced, to grow old, to pass away
- problems in families: lack of trust, money matters, generation gap, poor family relationship, unemployment, addiction to alcohol or drugs
3. Užitočné frázy a väzby
- Let me begin by introducing myself and my family.
- There are five of us in the family — my parents, my two siblings and me.
- I take after my mother, especially as far as my character is concerned.
- She is the kind of person who is always willing to help everybody.
- We get on well together, although we sometimes argue about small things.
- As for household duties, we try to share them fairly.
- It is my job to… while my brother is responsible for…
- We usually spend our free time together at the weekend.
- On the one hand my parents are quite strict, on the other hand they always listen to me.
- What I appreciate most about my family is…
- Speaking about the generation gap, I would say that…
- To sum up, family is the most important thing in my life because…
4. Modelová odpoveď
Let me start with a few words about myself. I was born in Bratislava and I am eighteen years old. I live in a flat together with my parents and my younger brother, and I attend a secondary technical school of electrical engineering. I am in my final year, so this spring I am taking my school-leaving exam. Afterwards I would like to study information technology, or perhaps start working straight away as a network administrator.
There are four of us in the family, and if I count my grandparents, who live in the same town, it is really an extended family rather than a nuclear one. My mother is in her forties. She is quite tall and slim, she has dark curly hair and blue eyes. She is talkative, patient and always willing to help other people, although she can be a bit moody when she is tired. Her hobbies are swimming and reading. My father is taller and rather well-built. He has short brown hair and he wears glasses. He is much stricter than my mother and he does not like arguing, but he is reliable and I know I can always count on him. He is interested in cars and he spends a lot of time in the garage. My younger brother is fourteen. He is the youngest, so he is a bit spoilt and sometimes really cheeky, but we get on quite well.
As for household duties, we share them. My mother usually cooks and does the washing, my father repairs things that are broken and takes care of the car, my brother takes out the rubbish and feeds our dog, and I do the vacuuming, wash up the dishes and help with the shopping. At the weekend we all work in the garden — we mow the lawn, water the plants and weed the flowerbeds.
Our family meets on various occasions: birthdays, name days, christenings, weddings and, of course, at Christmas and Easter. On my birthday my relatives come for a visit, bring me presents and wish me health, happiness and all the best.
In our free time we like going for trips to the mountains, and in the evening we sometimes watch a film together. As for the relationship between parents and children, I think we are lucky. Of course a generation gap exists — teenagers want freedom and want to make their own decisions, while parents want to keep some control. In my opinion, good parents should listen to their children and look for solutions together instead of only giving orders.
5. Otázky na diskusiu
- How would you define the word „family"?
- What does family mean to you personally?
- What makes a happy, functional family?
- On what occasions does your family meet up?
- What is your opinion of couples living together without marriage?
- What do you think are the main reasons for divorce?
- What makes a marriage last?
- Is it better to have liberal parents or over-caring ones?
- How are household duties divided in your family, and is it fair?
- Can you explain the proverb „In time of test, family is best"?
6. Zhrnutie na ústnu odpoveď
- O sebe: where and when you were born, where you live, what school you attend, your plans after the maturita.
- Zloženie rodiny: how many members, nuclear vs. extended family, pets count too.
- Členovia: for each one give appearance → character → hobbies → job or studies. Always in this order, it is easy to remember.
- Povinnosti: who does what; use to be responsible for, to share the duties.
- Oslavy a voľný čas: birthdays, name days, Christmas; trips, films, sport at the weekend.
- Vzťahy: the generation gap, what teenagers want vs. what parents want, and your own opinion on what good parents should do.
Učiteľkin materiál je písaný ako šablóna s bodkami na doplnenie a s vetami typu „Sometimes I beat him up when my mother doesn't look." To na skúške nehovor — znie to zvláštne a komisia sa na to chytí. Radšej povedz niečo neutrálne ako „We sometimes argue, but we always make up quickly."
Súvisiace poznámky
- A10 – Human Relationships — vzťahy medzi ľuďmi všeobecne
- A17 – Young People — generačné rozdiely z pohľadu mladých
- A04 – Housing and Home — kde rodina býva
- A23 – Public Holidays — rodinné oslavy a sviatky
- Anglické ekvivalenty — slovná zásoba a termíny po anglicky
Kontrolné otázky
How would you define the word "family"?
A family is a group of people connected by blood, marriage or adoption who live together or care for each other. For me it is mainly the people I can always rely on.
What does family mean to you personally?
It means safety and support. Whatever happens at school or with friends, I know my parents and my brother are on my side.
What makes a happy, functional family?
Trust, respect and communication. Members should spend time together, share the duties fairly and solve problems by talking, not shouting.
On what occasions does your family meet up?
Birthdays and name days, Christmas and Easter, and bigger events like weddings, christenings or, sadly, funerals.
What is your opinion of couples living together without marriage?
I think it is their own decision. Living together first can help a couple find out whether they really get on before they get married.
What do you think are the main reasons for divorce?
Lack of communication, money problems, infidelity, and people getting married too young or too quickly.
What makes a marriage last?
Love, but also patience, compromise and honesty. Partners should respect each other's interests and face problems together.
Is it better to have liberal parents or over-caring ones?
Something in between is best. Too much freedom can be dangerous, but over-caring parents stop a teenager from becoming independent.
How are household duties divided in your family, and is it fair?
Everybody has a job – my mum cooks, my dad repairs things, my brother takes out the rubbish and I hoover and wash up. I think it is quite fair.
Can you explain the proverb "In time of test, family is best"?
When you are in trouble, your family is usually the first to help you, even when friends let you down.