Family Structures and Vocabulary

VOCABULARY

TYPES OF FAMILIES

• The Extended Family: This family is composed of parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and other family members who live in the same household.
• The Stepfamily: In this type of family, also known as a blended family, the children are not biologically related to one of the parents. The parents have a new partner or spouse due to divorce or death.
• The Single-Parent Family: Also known as a lone-parent family, it is made up of one parent who is raising one or more children by him or herself.
• The Childless Family: This family includes a husband and wife but doesn't include children.
• The Nuclear Family: This is the traditional type of family, which consists of two parents and an only child or siblings. The parents are usually a married couple.

Other Family Terms:

• Couple: Two people who are married or romantically involved.
• Spouse: Refers to either a husband or a wife.
• Partner: Refers to a person with whom you have an intimate relationship and who you may or may not be married to.
• Household: A social unit that refers to people who live in the same house.
• To Raise: To take care of and teach a child, to bring up a child.
• Sibling(s): Brothers and sisters.
• An Only Child: A person who doesn't have brothers and sisters.

Note:

"To raise" and "to bring up" can be used as synonyms, but the former refers more to "raising" (i.e., nurturing), while the latter refers more to "educating."

Note:

"Couple" refers to the two people who form a couple, while "partner" refers only to one of them. In Spanish, the word "pareja" can be used for both. However, in English, there is a word for each case.

Consist of = made up of = composed of.

Note:

"Consist of" refers to "is made up of" (i.e., the parts), while "consist in" refers to "consists in" (i.e., defining what it is).

DEFINITIONS AND WORD FAMILIES

1. Definitions

• To Rear: A synonym for "raise" a child.
• Rivalry (n): Competition.
• A Widow (female) or a Widower (male): Describes a person whose spouse has died.
• Loyalty: A feeling of strong support for someone or something.

2. Word Families

• Self-confidence (n), self-confident (adj)
• Maturity (n), mature (adj)
• Stability (n), stable (adj)
• Lose (v), loss (n)
• Support (v), support (n), supportive (adj)

VERBS OF CHANGE, ADVERBS, AND EXPRESSIONS OF CAUSE AND EFFECT

1. Verbs of Change

Increase:

• Increase, increased
• Rise, rose
• Jump, jumped
• Go up, went up

Decrease:

• Fall, fell
• Decline, declined
• Drop, dropped
• Decrease, decreased
• Go down, went down