Useful Phrases for IELTS Topic People and Relationships

Useful Phrases for IELTS Topic Language and Communication

In this article, azVocab has compiled IELTS phrases related to the “Language and Communication” topic, which you can easily apply to IELTS Writing…

PHRASES	MEANINGS	EXAMPLES
A circle of friends	A number of close friends who usually do things together as a group	I really enjoy spending time with *my circle of friends*.
To take an active role	to be involved in something actively	You should take *an active role* in protecting your soul in the future.
An on-again, off-again relationship	a form of interpersonal relationship between two people whose breakups are followed by reconciliation, perpetuating a cycle	Individuals engaging in *an on-again, off-again relationship* were also more likely to report the negative aspects of their relationships, such as uncertainty about the future and communication problems, than their partner’s inconsistent, long-term relationships.
Be/keep in touch with sb	to continue to talk to or write to someone	I have *kept in touch with* him for five years.
To lose touch (with sb)	to no longer communicate with someone	We lost touch* over the years.*
To destroy/spoil a friendship	to not be friends anymore because of someone’s actions or something	You shouldn’t compare your best friends with other people because this act could *spoil your friendship*.
Extended family	a family unit that includes grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, and uncles, etc. in addition to parents and children	The family is part of *the extended family*, and then friends and the wider society.
To fall out with	to have an argument	Apparently, Gina *fell out with* Dave last week, and now they’re not talking to each other at all.
Family gathering	an event where members of a family come together to celebrate a special occasion, connect with one another, and spend quality time together	I had met her sister at various *family gatherings.*
To get back together with your ex	to start a romantic relationship with someone again, after having ended a previous relationship with the same person	If you want to get back together with your ex, you should think about the reason why you broke up first.
To get on well with sb	to have a friendly relationship with somebody	We’re getting on much better now that we don’t live together. Tom doesn’t *get on well with* my son.
To go back a long way	to have known each other for a long time	She and her best friend *go back a long way*.
To grow apart	to stop having a close relationship with somebody over a period of time	I had a few close friends but we have *grown apart*.
To have sth in common (with sb)	to share the same interests or have similar characteristics	I’ve met many people who *have a lot in common with me*.
To help sb through the ups and downs	to help sb overcome a mixture of good and bad things	My partner is always by my side to *help me through the ups and downs*.
To love at first sight	to be in love with someone as soon as you see them for the first time	I’m a romantic and I believe in *love at first sight*.
To be in a relationship	to be in a committed, long-term romantic relationship	I’m in a relationship right now.
To feel lovelorn	to feel sad or hopeless about love	After a week of feeling *lovelorn* and dreamy, he decided to contact her.
To pop the question	to propose marriage	I’m planning on *popping the question* just before the fireworks start.
To strengthen a friendship	to make the friendship between two people stronger and closer	You can *strengthen your friendship* by being the emotional support your friend needs and never breaking his or her trust.
To strike up a friendship	to make friends with someone	If you’re lonely, you should go out and try to *strike up a friendship with* someone you like.
To be on good terms with	to have a good, friendly, etc. relationship with someone	I’d say that all relationships have ups and downs, but if you’re *on good terms with* your friends, you can get over them and maintain a long-lasting friendship
To break up	to end a relationship with someone	Their marriage *broke up* after ten years.
To drift apart	to become less friendly or close to somebody	If two people *drift apart*, they gradually become less friendly and their relationship ends.
To enjoy someone’s company	to enjoy being around, to enjoy spending time with someone	He enjoys our company and we enjoy his company.
To fall head over heels in love	to be completely in love with someone	If you *fall head over heels in love*, plans like these can easily be forgotten.
To get over	to return to your usual state of happiness after having a bad or unusual experience	It took her months to get over* Michael when he ended the relationship.*
To go back years	to have known each other for many years	Steve and I *go back years*.
To hit it off	to be friendly with each other immediately	We had similar ideas about the show, and the two of us *hit it off* right away.
To see eye to eye	to have similar views or attitudes to something; to be in full agreement	If two people *see eye to eye*, they agree with each other.
To settle down	to start living in a place where you intend to stay for a long time, usually with your partner	She quickly *settled down* in her new house.
To tie the knot	to get married	Christina and Bill are about to *tie the knot*.
Unrequited love	love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such by the beloved	Erik is well-known for his songs about the pain of *unrequited love*.
To get to know	if you get to know someone, you find out what they are like by spending time with them	The first couple of meetings are for the doctor and patient to get to know* each other.*
A healthy relationship	honesty, trust, respect and open communication between partners and they take effort and compromise from both people	Honesty is the bedrock of any healthy relationship.
A toxic relationship	behaviors that make you feel unhappy, including disrespect, dishonesty, controlling behaviors, or a lack of support	Gone Girl the movie plays as the story of a toxic relationship* rather than a good relationship that turned tragically bad.*
To work at a relationship	to try to maintain a good relationship	All relationships have their ups and downs. The point is that we should work at the relationship* rather than give up on it*.
To cement a friendship	to make something such as a friendship stronger	I always set aside time at the weekend to come over to visit my best friend to cement our friendship.
A close-knit family	if a family is close-knit, members all help and support each other	Family is the most important thing in the whole world and we ought to prioritize to make it a happy and a close-knit family.
Flesh and blood	someone from your family	While she is not my flesh and blood, she is really like my sister.