A. Which are the most natural-sounding answers?
Other collocations are in bold type.
1. Jenny comes from a large / big family but I'm a single / an only child.
2. There's no one in my near / immediate family with curly hair.
3. He's a talented musician - he takes / gets it from his mother.
4. Jody is a spoilt / ruined child with over-protective parents.
5. I've got a distant relative / far relation who works in the film industry.
6. They've all got red hair. It goes / runs in the family.
7. I'm afraid Mr Harris is critically ill. We need to notify his next of kin / closest relation.
8. It's natural for a waiting / an expectant mother to worry about her unborn child.
B. Which of these two versions sounds more natural?
9. a. I told all my relations and friends.
b. I told all my friends and relations.
10 a. He is my own flesh and blood, after all.
b. He is my own blood and flesh, after all.
11 a. They are brother and sister.
b. They are sister and brother.
12 a. I went to see my dad and mum.
b. I went to see my mum and dad.
13 a. I now pronounce you wife and man.
b. I now pronounce you man and wife.
C. Choose the most suitable verb from the box.
Change the form of the verb where necessary.
start bring have raise give
14. Claire's going to ............................. a baby in early March.
15. I'm used to being around animals - I was ................................... up on a farm.
16. It's very hard to ..................................... a family on a single income.
17. They decided not to ..................... a family until they had enough money to buy a house.
18. Linda decided she wanted to ................................. birth at home, instead of at hospital.