IELTS, TOEFL & PTE Focus: Family & Relationships Collocations with Exercises

Family and relationships are recurring topics in IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE, particularly in Speaking Part 1, Part 2 cue cards, and Writing Task 2 essays. Examiners expect candidates to use precise and natural collocations when discussing themes such as parenting styles, generational differences, marriage, and divorce trends. This post provides a well-curated list of collocations, along with exercises and activities to help learners practice them effectively for both Writing and Speaking tasks.

Family & Relationships 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Parenting styles

strict discipline → Strict discipline may produce obedience but can harm creativity.
authoritarian parents → Authoritarian parents set rules with little room for negotiation.
permissive upbringing → A permissive upbringing can lead to lack of self-discipline.
supportive environment → A supportive environment helps children thrive academically and emotionally.
emotional bonding → Emotional bonding between parent and child is crucial for development.
single-parent families → Single-parent families often manage with limited time and resources.
parental involvement → Parental involvement in schooling boosts student achievement.
child neglect → Child neglect has serious long-term psychological consequences.
positive reinforcement → Positive reinforcement encourages desirable behaviour more than punishment.
nurturing care → Consistent nurturing care fosters secure attachments in infants.

Generational differences

generation gap → A generation gap can complicate family decision-making.
traditional values → Older generations sometimes stress traditional values and conformity.
modern lifestyle → Many young people prefer a more modern lifestyle than their parents.
cultural shift → Rapid cultural shifts change expectations about careers and marriage.
digital natives → Digital natives find new technologies intuitive and essential.
elderly population → An ageing elderly population raises pension and care concerns.
family conflicts → Family conflicts often arise from differing expectations across generations.
intergenerational communication → Open intergenerational communication reduces misunderstandings.
respect for elders → Respect for elders is a deeply rooted cultural norm in many places.
changing attitudes → Changing attitudes toward gender roles reflect broader social change.

Marriage and divorce trends

marital stability → Economic pressures can reduce marital stability in young couples.
divorce rates → Some countries have experienced rising divorce rates over decades.
cohabiting couples → Cohabiting couples may choose to delay marriage for financial reasons.
long-term commitment → Long-term commitment requires communication and compromise.
domestic disputes → Domestic disputes sometimes lead to legal and social intervention.
child custody → Child custody decisions prioritize the child’s best interests.
financial independence → Financial independence empowers individuals to leave unhealthy relationships.
marital breakdown → Marital breakdown can affect children’s emotional wellbeing.
wedding expenses → Rising wedding expenses force some couples to choose smaller ceremonies.
prenuptial agreements → Prenuptial agreements clarify financial expectations before marriage.

Exercise 1: Collocation Recognition & Matching

This exercise helps you pair nouns with their correct verbs/adjectives.

Part A: Match the terms from the left column with the terms from the right column to form a common collocation.

Term A		Term B
1. strict		a. discipline
2. authoritarian		b. parents
3. permissive		c. upbringing
4. supportive		d. environment
5. emotional		e. bonding
6. single-parent		f. families
7. parental		g. involvement
8. child		h. neglect
9. positive		i. reinforcement
10. nurturing		j. care

Part B: Now, match the terms related to generational differences and marriage.

Term A		Term B
1. generation		a. gap
2. traditional		b. values
3. modern		c. lifestyle
4. cultural		d. shift
5. elderly		e. population
6. marital		f. stability
7. divorce		g. rates
8. long-term		h. commitment
9. child		i. custody
10. prenuptial		j. agreements

Exercise 2: Gap-Fill with Context

Complete the following sentences using the collocations from the box. You will need to change the form of the word to fit the sentence grammatically.

Box of Collocations
`family conflicts`	`intergenerational communication`	`respect for elders`	`changing attitudes`	`digital natives`
`cohabiting couples`	`financial independence`	`marital breakdown`	`domestic disputes`	`wedding expenses`

The towards marriage are clear in the rising number of , who often cite as a reason to postpone the high of a traditional wedding.
are common in many families, often stemming from a lack of effective . While is important, understanding the perspective of younger is equally key to resolving these issues and preventing serious .

Exercise 3: Error Correction

Each sentence contains one incorrect collocation. Identify the mistake and rewrite the sentence using the correct collocation from the list.

Strong family bonds are built on emotional connection from an early age.

2. There is often a big age gap between teenagers and their parents.

3. The increase in marriage breakdown is a trend in many societies.

4. After the divorce, the court had to decide on who would get child care.

5. Many young people today have a different way of life compared to their parents.

6. Good communication between generations can solve many family problems.

7. Having your own money gives a person more freedom in a relationship.

Exercise 5: IELTS Writing Task 2 – Planning & Vocabulary

This exercise helps you plan an essay and select relevant vocabulary.

Essay Question:
In some parts of the world, there is an increasing trend of older people living in care homes rather than with their adult children. Is this a positive or negative development?

Step 1: Brainstorming Arguments & Vocabulary

View 1: Negative Development (e.g., loss of family bonds, neglect of elderly, undermines traditional values)
View 2: Positive Development (e.g., professional care, reduces family conflict, modern lifestyle demands)

View 1: Negative Development	Relevant Collocations	View 2: Positive Development	Relevant Collocations
1. Weakens family bonds	`emotional bonding`, `respect for elders`	1. Better quality care	`supportive environment`, `nurturing care` (professional)
2. Reflects negative social change	`changing attitudes`, `cultural shift` (negative view)	2. Practical necessity	`modern lifestyle`, `financial independence` (adult children working)
3. Can be a form of neglect	`child neglect` (analogy for elder neglect)	3. Reduces strain	`family conflicts`, `domestic disputes` (over care)

Step 2: Write a sample body paragraph.
Choose one view from your table and write a coherent paragraph arguing for it. Use at least 4 collocations from the list.

Your Paragraph (Arguing it is a Negative Development):

Exercise 6: IELTS Speaking Part 3 – Practice Questions

Prepare short answers to these typical IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions. Try to incorporate the suggested collocations naturally.

How have family roles changed in recent years?
(Try to use: changing attitudes, modern lifestyle, traditional values)
What are the most important qualities of a good parent?
(Try to use: supportive environment, positive reinforcement, nurturing care)
Why do you think divorce rates have changed in many countries?
(Try to use: financial independence, marital stability, long-term commitment)
What challenges can arise from generational differences in a family?
(Try to use: generation gap, intergenerational communication, family conflicts)

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IELTS, TOEFL & PTE Focus: Family & Relationships Collocations with Exercises

Family & Relationships 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Parenting styles

Generational differences

Marriage and divorce trends

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