My Family – B1/B2 Listening
Do you come from a big family? How important is family life, in your opinion?
In this B1/B2 English listening lesson, you will listen to Leo talking about his family. Leo speaks British English, and he speaks quite slowly, with a soft West Midlands accent.
After you complete the exercises, read the transcript at the bottom of this page.
Listen and understand
Answer the questions about Leo’s family. Check answers when you have finished all of the questions.
How does Leo describe his family relationships overall?
How have Leo’s feelings toward his sister changed over time?
What is Leo’s main message about family?
What does Leo mean when he says their house was “always buzzing”?
What were mornings like in Leo’s house growing up?
Why did Leo and his sister used to argue?
What does Leo say is “so nice” about seeing his family now?
What does Leo mean by “we always stick together”?
Train your ear
Listen and complete ONLY the missing words.
My big actually
He’s always of the family
So, growing up
So we always things to do
We’d dinner together
Dictation and transcript
Listen to the speaker again, and write what you hear. Then check your answers. Pause, replay or restart if you want to.
Words and phrases
Here are some words and expressions from the text that you might find useful when talking about your family and relationships.
Words
close (adj) – having a good, warm relationship
buzzing (adj) – full of noise, energy, and activity
a nightmare (n) – something very difficult or stressful
rush (v) – to move or do something quickly
argue (v) – to speak angrily with someone because you disagree
silly (adj) – not serious; a bit foolish
feel down (v) – to feel sad or unhappy
annoying (adj) – making you feel a little angry
personality (n) – the way a person thinks, feels, or behaves
Phrases
not that big – quite small
have loads of (something) – have a lot of something
rush around – move quickly because you are busy
a nightmare morning – a morning that is very busy or stressful
sit down and talk – take time to talk properly
get along (with someone) – have a friendly relationship with someone
make the effort to (do something) – try to do something, even if it takes work
meet up – get together and see each other
be there for (someone) – support or help someone when they need it
no matter what – in any situation; always
by no means perfect – not perfect at all
at the end of the day – after everything is considered
stick together – stay close and help each other
What counts is.. – the most important thing is..
Grammar from the transcript
Here are a few examples of grammar and patterns that Leo uses when talking about his family:
Used to for past habits and states
We use used to to talk about habits or situations that were true in the past but are not true now.
- My sister and I used to argue quite a lot when we were younger.
Present Perfect Simple
Leo uses present perfect simple tense to describe states, actions or relationships that began in the past and which are still true now.
- He’s always been a big part of the family.
- We’ve become a lot closer.
so + adjective pattern
Leo uses “so + adjective” to make these adjectives stronger or more heartfelt.
- It’s so nice when we meet up.
- Family’s so important.
You can find out more about making your adjectives stronger here.
Must / mustn’t (as personal reminders)
Leo uses “must” and “mustn’t” to show important information that he doesn’t want to leave out:
- I mustn’t forget our dog. (If I didn’t mention the dog, I would feel bad.)
- I must admit… (To be honest..)
Compound and complex sentences
We use compound and complex sentences to connect shorter clauses. Leo uses these complex and compound sentences in the transcript:
- Even though we’re all busy with work and life, we still try to meet up. (complex sentence)
- …we argue sometimes, but we always stick together. (compound sentence)
Did you know? You can get even more FREE A2, B1 and B2 English listening exercises and lessons here!
