Family and Friends

This material contains samples of short stories about one's family and friends, with Russian translation of words and phrases. Related words and phrases can be found in the following materials: Typical Day and Family and Relatives in the section Vocabulary; About Myself in the section Phrases; My Hobby and My Free Time in the section Kids.

Данный материал содержит образцы коротких рассказов о своей семье и друзьях, с русским переводом слов и фраз. Другие слова и фразы по теме можно найти в следующих материалах: "Typical Day" и "Family and Relatives" в разделе Vocabulary; "About Myself" в разделе Phrases; "My Hobby" и "My Free Time" в разделе Kids.

This material is intended as help for parents and their children studying English. The material can also be useful for other learners of English. Write stories about your family and friends using the stories below as examples.

Данный материал предназначен в помощь родителям и их детям, изучающим английский язык. Материал может быть полезен и другим изучающим английский язык. Напишите рассказы о вашей семье и друзьях, используя рассказы ниже как примеры.

My family (1)

My name is Anton. I'm from Moscow. I'm eleven years old. I'm in the sixth form now.

There are four people in my family: my father, my mother, my younger brother, and I.

My father is a doctor. He works in a large hospital. My mother is a schoolteacher. She teaches history.

My brother's name is Vanya. He is six years old. He will go to school next year.

Our flat is on the tenth floor. There are three large rooms in our flat, and also a kitchen, a bathroom, a hall, and a balcony.

My grandmother and grandfather live in a small town not far from Moscow. They often visit us, and we visit them on holidays.

My brother and I usually spend a month or two with our grandmother and grandfather at their summer house in summer.

My family (2)

My name is Tanya. I'm twelve years old. I go to school five days a week, and I have swimming lessons three times a week.

My father is a computer specialist. He works in a large company. He is always very busy.

My mother is an economist, but she doesn't work now. She stays home and takes care of us.

I have two younger brothers. Kolya is eight years old, and Pavlik is four. Kolya goes to school. He is in the second form. Pavlik goes to a kindergarten not far from our house.

My grandmother lives with us. She moved in with us when Pavlik was born. My grandmother used to be a schoolteacher. She often helps Kolya and me with our homework.

I also help my younger brothers. I often help Kolya with his English. He is just beginning to study English, and he has some problems.

I like to play with Pavlik, and I often read books to him and discuss pictures with him. He is very funny, and his answers often make me laugh.

For example, yesterday we were looking at some pictures of automobiles. I asked Pavlik, "What do cars run on? On electricity or on petrol?" Pavlik looked at me and said, "Tanya, cars run on wheels." That made me laugh a lot.

My family (3)

My name is Sveta. I'm thirteen. My family is not large, just my father, mother and I, but we have a lot of relatives.

My father has two sisters. They are my aunts. Their children – Vera, Olya and Max – are my cousins.

Vera is four years older than I. She is planning to go to college this year after she finishes school. She wants to become a doctor.

Olya is my age. Olya can draw pictures very well, especially pictures of animals and birds. I like her drawings of cats most of all.

Max is a year younger than I. Max and I go to the same school. He lives on the same street where I live. After school, Max and I often go roller-skating in the park.

My mother has a younger brother. He is my uncle. His son, Andreyka, is three years old. I like to play with Andreyka. Unfortunately, they live too far from us.

I also have two grandmothers and a grandfather. We usually visit them on holidays, together with the other members of our families. There are so many of us when we all get together!

My friends

I have many school friends. My closest friends are Anton, Sasha and Boris.

Anton and Sasha are my classmates. Boris goes to our school too, but he is in another class.

We spend a lot of time together. Every morning we meet at the corner of our street and go to school together.

On the way, we talk about everything and make plans for the afternoon or for the weekend.

We usually have lunch together at the school lunchroom. After school we often go to the park across the street.

We bicycle or roller-skate there, or play football on the sports ground in the park. Anton and Boris are the best football players on our team.

Sasha is a girl. She doesn't play football, but she always goes to our football games to root for our team. And Sasha can roller-skate very well.

My friends always help me, and I always help them. I like them very much, and I'm happy that I have such friends. They are my real friends.

My best friend (1)

Sergey is my best friend. He is fourteen years old. He is five months older than I am.

Sergey is my neighbour. I live on the twelfth floor, and he lives on the tenth. We see each other almost every day.

My friend is a very interesting person. He likes English very much. His English is very good, and he often helps me with my English.

Sergey has an unusual hobby. He collects riddles. He knows a lot of Russian and English riddles.

He can ask a riddle at any moment. Sometimes I can guess the answer, but most of the time I can't. I'm not very good at riddles.

Sergey can even make up his own riddles. Yesterday I was writing a story in English about my relatives, and he made up these riddles:

1. He is her father. She is his ... 2. She is his grandmother. He is her ...

3. She is my mother's sister. I'm her ... 4. He is my uncle's son. He is my ...

I was able to solve the first two quickly, but not the other two. Here are the answers: 1. daughter; 2. grandson; 3. nephew or niece; 4. cousin.

My best friend (2)

I have several friends at school and in the apartment house where I live. My best friend is Marina.

Marina is thirteen years old. She has dark hair and blue eyes. She is friendly and quiet. She likes to read books and to listen to classical music.

Marina can play the piano. She goes to music school three times a week. She sometimes plays the piano for me when I visit her.

We met three years ago, when Marina's family moved into the new house built on our street, and Marina became a new pupil in my class.

At first, Marina had some problems with mathematics because she didn't understand some tasks.

I offered to help her a little. We began to do our homework together, first at school after classes, and later at my or her home.

We spent a lot of time together. We did homework together, discussed things, made sandwiches and salads for ourselves, went to the movies together, and we became friends.

I'm glad that I have a friend like Marina. I know that she is my true friend.

My family: Words and phrases

in the sixth form (BrE), in the sixth grade (AmE) – в шестом классе;

flat (BrE), apartment (AmE) – квартира; block of flats (BrE), apartment house (AmE) – многоквартирный жилой дом;

the tenth floor – десятый этаж; a bathroom – ванная комната; a hall – прихожая, коридор;

to stay (at) home – оставаться, остаться дома; to take care of – заботиться о (ком-то, чём-то); kindergarten – детский сад;

she moved in with us – она переехала к нам; to move in – вселиться, въехать; to move to – переехать в; (см. ниже, to move into)

she used to be a teacher – она раньше была учителем; used to + инфинитив – раньше обычно делал (это), а теперь нет;

to help with (homework, mathematics, history) – помогать с (домашним заданием, математикой, историей);

his answers often make me laugh – его ответы часто заставляют меня смеяться; most of all – больше всего;

pictures of automobiles – картинки автомобилей; to draw – рисовать; drawing – рисунок;

to run on fuel, electricity, petrol, gas – работать на топливе, электричестве, бензине, газе;

to run on rails – ездить / двигаться по рельсам; to run on wheels – ездить / катиться на колесах;

petrol (BrE), gasoline / gas (AmE) – бензин; gas / natural gas – газ / природный газ, натуральный газ;

relatives – родственники; uncle – дядя; aunt – тетя; niece – племянница; nephew – племянник; cousin – двоюродный брат, двоюродная сестра, кузен / кузина;

Официальная речь: She is two years older than I / than I am – Она на два года старше меня (старше, чем я). Разговорная речь: She is two years older than me – Она на два года старше меня.

He is (a year) younger than I am / than I – Он (на год) младше меня. She is my age – Она моего возраста.

unfortunately – к сожалению, к несчастью; to get together – собираться вместе; we all – мы все.

My friends; My best friend: Words and phrases

school friends – школьные друзья; my closest friends – мои самые близкие друзья;

close friend – близкий друг; best friend – лучший друг; real friend – настоящий друг; true friend – верный друг; old friend – старый друг;

classmates – одноклассники; on the way – по дороге, в пути (т.е. идя); to make plans – планировать, строить планы;

at the school lunchroom – в школьной столовой; across the street – на другой стороне улицы;

to bicycle – кататься на велосипеде; to roller-skate – кататься на роликовых коньках;

sports ground – спортивная площадка; the best players on our team – лучшие игроки в нашей команде; to root for our team – болеть за нашу команду;

neighbour (BrE), neighbor (AmE) – сосед; unusual hobby – необычное увлечение, необычное хобби; to collect riddles – собирать загадки;

to ask a riddle – задать загадку; at any moment – в любой момент; to guess the answer – отгадать ответ;

to be good at (mathematics; languages) – быть способным к (математике; языкам); I'm not very good at riddles – у меня не очень хорошо с загадками / с отгадыванием загадок;

at any moment – в любой момент; most of the time – большую часть времени, большей частью;

to make up one's own riddles – делать (придумать, сочинить) свои собственные загадки;

to be able to answer – суметь ответить; to solve (a riddle, a problem) – решить, разрешить (загадку, задачу, проблему);

the first two – первые два; the other two – другие два; here it is – вот оно; here are the answers – вот ответы;

dark hair and blue eyes – тёмные волосы и голубые глаза; friendly and quiet – дружелюбный и спокойный;

to play the piano – играть на пианино; music school – музыкальная школа; classical music – классическая музыка;

we met three years ago – мы познакомились три года назад; at first – сначала; later – позже;

to move into a new house – вселиться, въехать в новый дом; to move to a new house – переехать в новый дом;

the new house built on our street – новый дом, построенный на нашей улице;

a new pupil in my class – новый ученик в моём классе; pupil (BrE) – ученик, учащийся; student (AmE) – ученик, учащийся, студент;

problems with mathematics – трудности, проблемы с математикой; to understand the task – понимать задание;

to offer – предлагать; a little – немного; to do homework together – делать домашнее задание / домашнюю работу вместе;

at school after classes – в школе после занятий; at my or her home – у меня или у неё дома (в моём или её доме);

to spend a lot of time together – проводить много времени вместе; to discuss things – обсуждать (разные) вещи;

to make sandwiches and salads – делать бутерброды и салаты; for ourselves – для нас, для себя;

to become – стать, становиться (кем-то, каким-то); to become friends – стать друзьями;

to be glad – радоваться; I'm glad – я рад; to be happy – быть счастливым.