Being able to talk about people—how they look, how they feel, and your relationship with them—is a crucial part of communication. This unit gives you the vocabulary and grammar structures to describe people’s physical appearance and personality traits, talk about your family and social circles, and express emotions.
You’ll learn how to use have got to talk about possessions and physical features, as well as how to use possessive adjectives and pronouns correctly. We’ll also explore adjectives for describing objects and places in basic terms, and expressions to talk about relationships and preferences. The goal is to help you build more detailed and personal conversations that go beyond basic introductions and start to show more of who you are and who the people around you are.

7.1 VOCABULARY: FAMILY MEMBERS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Objective:
To learn and use essential vocabulary related to family members and personal relationships, and to describe family structures and connections clearly.

👨👩👧👦 BASIC FAMILY MEMBERS
Relationship    Vocabulary Word
madre    mother / mom / mum (BrE)
padre    father / dad
hijo / hija    son / daughter
hermano / hermana    brother / sister
esposo / esposa    husband / wife
bebé    baby
hijo único    only child
✅ “Mom” is common in American English; “Mum” is British.

🔸 EXTENDED FAMILY
Relationship    Vocabulary Word
abuelo / abuela    grandfather / grandmother
nieto / nieta    grandson / granddaughter
tío / tía    uncle / aunt
primo / prima    cousin
yerno / nuera    son-in-law / daughter-in-law
suegro / suegra    father-in-law / mother-in-law
cuñado / cuñada    brother-in-law / sister-in-law

🔹 MARITAL AND RELATIONSHIP STATUS
Expression    Meaning
single    not in a romantic relationship
married    has a spouse
divorced    legally separated
engaged    promised to marry
widowed    spouse has died
partner    general term for significant other
boyfriend / girlfriend    romantic partner
✅ He’s single. / She has a boyfriend. / They’re married.

🔸 TALKING ABOUT FAMILY
Expression    Example
I have two brothers.    My brothers are older than me.
She is the youngest.    I’m the oldest of three siblings.
We’re a close family.    We see each other every weekend.
They live abroad.    My parents live in Argentina.
Use “have” to talk about family members:
Do you have any siblings?
Yes, I have one sister.

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
He is my familiar.    He is my relative / family member.    “Familiar” is a false friend
I have three cousins brothers.    I have three cousins.    “Cousins” are not “brothers”
My mother she is a teacher.    My mother is a teacher.    Avoid repeating the subject

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Jenna: Do you have a big family?
Luis: Not really. I have one sister and a few cousins, but no brothers.
Jenna: I have two older brothers and a younger sister.
Luis: Are you the oldest?
Jenna: No, I’m in the middle. My older brother is married, and he has a baby girl.
Luis: That makes you an aunt!
Jenna: Yep. She’s adorable. Her name is Mia.

7.2 DESCRIBING PEOPLE: PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Objective:
To describe a person’s physical features, including height, build, hair, eyes, and other distinguishing characteristics, using appropriate vocabulary and sentence structure.

🔹 DESCRIBING HEIGHT AND BUILD
Feature    Common Vocabulary
Height    tall, short, medium height, average height
Build    slim, thin, fit, athletic, muscular, average build, overweight
✅ Examples:
She’s tall and slim.
He’s of medium height and has an athletic build.

🔸 HAIR: LENGTH, COLOR, AND STYLE
Feature    Examples
Length    short, medium-length, long
Color    black, brown, blonde, red, grey
Texture/Style    straight, wavy, curly, bald, shaved
✅ Examples:
He has short, dark hair.
She has long, wavy blonde hair.
My uncle is bald.

🔹 EYES AND FACIAL FEATURES
Feature    Common Vocabulary
Eye color    blue, green, brown, hazel, grey
Glasses    wears glasses, wears contact lenses
Other    beard, moustache, freckles, wrinkles
✅ Examples:
He has green eyes and a beard.
She wears glasses and has freckles.

🔸 GENERAL APPEARANCE
Description    Use in Sentences
attractive, good-looking    He’s very good-looking.
beautiful / pretty    She’s a beautiful woman.
handsome    He’s quite handsome.
plain / average-looking    She’s an average-looking person.
young / middle-aged / elderly    He’s a young man. / They’re elderly.
✅ Adjectives go after “to be” or before a noun:
She is beautiful. / He’s a handsome guy.

🧠 SENTENCE STRUCTURES
He is tall and slim.
She has short, curly hair.
They are middle-aged and wear glasses.
My grandfather is bald and has a moustache.

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
She has the hair long.    She has long hair.    Don’t use “the” with body features
He is a person very tall.    He is a very tall person.    Correct adjective placement
She has eyes blue.    She has blue eyes.    Use adjective before noun

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Eva: Who’s the new guy in your team?
Leo: His name is Tom. He’s quite tall and has short, dark hair.
Eva: Does he wear glasses?
Leo: No, but he has a beard and green eyes.
Eva: Sounds familiar. Is he the one with the athletic build?
Leo: That’s him. He’s very friendly too.

7.3 DESCRIBING PEOPLE: PERSONALITY AND EMOTIONS
Objective:
To describe someone’s personality traits and emotional states using common adjectives and correct grammar structures.

🔹 COMMON PERSONALITY ADJECTIVES
Positive Traits    Negative Traits
friendly    rude
kind    mean
helpful    selfish
generous    greedy
patient    impatient
hard-working    lazy
funny    boring
honest    dishonest
sociable    shy
confident    insecure
✅ Examples:
She’s very friendly and helpful.
He can be a bit impatient.

🔸 TALKING ABOUT EMOTIONS (TEMPORARY STATES)
Use “to be” + emotional adjectives to describe how someone feels:
Emotion    Example Sentence
happy    I’m happy today.
sad    He’s a little sad.
angry    She’s angry about the news.
nervous    We’re nervous before the test.
excited    They’re excited for the trip.
tired    I’m tired after work.
worried    He’s worried about his results.
✅ These are temporary, unlike personality traits, which are more permanent.

🔹 ADVERBS TO MODIFY INTENSITY
Adverb    Use Example
very    He’s very patient.
a bit / a little    She’s a bit shy.
really    I’m really tired.
quite    They’re quite friendly.
too    He’s too serious.

🧠 SENTENCE PATTERNS
She is very smart and hardworking.
I’m a bit tired today.
They are always honest and responsible.
He seems a little stressed.

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
He has 25 years and is very nice.    He is 25 years old and very nice.    Use “is”, not “has”, for age and traits
She is a person very shy.    She is a very shy person.    Correct word order
They are with stress.    They are stressed.    Use the adjective, not literal translation

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Nico: Have you met our new colleague?
Sana: Yes, she’s really nice! Very friendly and easy to talk to.
Nico: I agree. She seems quite confident, too.
Sana: Totally. I was nervous on my first day, but she looks relaxed.
Nico: Same here. I think she’ll be a great addition to the team.

7.4 VERB “HAVE GOT” FOR POSSESSION
Objective:
To use the verb “have got” to talk about possession, family, and physical features, with correct affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms.

🔹 WHEN TO USE “HAVE GOT”
“Have got” is commonly used in British English to express:
•    Possession → I’ve got a bike.
•    Family relationships → She’s got two brothers.
•    Characteristics → They’ve got blue eyes.
✅ It’s informal and more common in spoken English than simply “have”.

🔸 AFFIRMATIVE FORMS
Subject    Full Form    Contracted Form
I    I have got    I’ve got
You    You have got    You’ve got
He / She / It    He has got    He’s got / She’s got
We / They    We have got    We’ve got / They’ve got
✅ We’ve got a big house.
✅ He’s got dark hair and glasses.

🔹 NEGATIVE FORMS
have/has not got → with contractions:
Subject    Negative Form    Example
I    haven’t got    I haven’t got a car.
He / She    hasn’t got    She hasn’t got any brothers.
They    haven’t got    They haven’t got pets.

🔸 QUESTIONS WITH “HAVE GOT”
Have / Has + subject + got + noun?
Question    Short Answer
Have you got a pen?    Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
Has he got any siblings?    Yes, he has. / No, he hasn’t.
Have they got a new teacher?    Yes, they have. / No, they haven’t.
✅ “Got” is always included in this structure.

🔹 AMERICAN ENGLISH ALTERNATIVE
In American English, people usually use “have” instead of “have got”:
I have a brother. (AmE)
I’ve got a brother. (BrE)
Both are correct, but “have got” is more common in conversational British English.

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
She has got blue eyes?    Has she got blue eyes?    Use “has” at the beginning in questions
I no have got a computer.    I haven’t got a computer.    Use “haven’t” for negatives
He’s got 25 years.    He is 25 years old.    “Have got” not used for age

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Lucía: Have you got any brothers or sisters?
Jay: Yeah, I’ve got one younger brother. What about you?
Lucía: I haven’t got any siblings—I’m an only child.
Jay: Lucky! I’ve got to share everything with my brother.
Lucía: Haha. Have you got any pets?
Jay: Yes, we’ve got a cat and a dog. They’re both adorable.

7.5 POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS
Objective:
To understand and correctly use possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns to talk about ownership, relationships, and personal belongings.

🔹 POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
Used before a noun to show ownership.
Subject Pronoun    Possessive Adjective    Example
I    my    This is my phone.
you    your    Is that your bag?
he    his    His car is blue.
she    her    Her brother is tall.
it    its    The cat is licking its paw.
we    our    Our house is big.
they    their    Their names are Anna and Leo.
✅ These are always followed by a noun:
my book, her name, our family

🔸 POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
Used without a noun to show who something belongs to.
Possessive Adjective    Possessive Pronoun    Example
my    mine    This phone is mine.
your    yours    That seat is yours.
his    his    That’s his.
her    hers    This pen is hers.
its    —    (Rarely used; usually replaced)
our    ours    The idea was ours.
their    theirs    The books are theirs.
✅ Possessive pronouns replace noun phrases:
This is my car → This car is mine

🔹 COMMON SENTENCE PATTERNS
This is my sister. That’s her husband.
These aren’t our seats. They’re theirs.
Is this your phone? No, it’s mine.
I lost my keys. Have you seen yours?

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
This is the book of me.    This is my book.    English uses possessive adjectives
This is mine book.    This is my book.    Don’t use pronoun + noun together
Your dog is cute. I like your.    I like yours.    Use pronoun when noun is missing

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Ava: Is that your phone?
Daniel: No, it’s not mine. I think it’s hers—Emma left it on the table.
Ava: Ah, okay. Mine is in my bag.
Daniel: I saw it. Your case is green, right?
Ava: Yeah. And what about this notebook? Is it yours?
Daniel: Nope, it’s theirs. It has both their names on it.

7.6 DESCRIBING THINGS AND PLACES (BASIC ADJECTIVES)
Objective:
To describe objects and places using basic adjectives related to size, shape, color, condition, and opinion, and to use correct adjective order.

🔹 COMMON ADJECTIVES FOR DESCRIBING THINGS
Category    Examples
Size    big, small, large, tiny
Shape    round, square, rectangular, flat
Color    red, blue, green, black, white
Condition    new, old, clean, dirty, broken
Material    wooden, plastic, metal, glass
Opinion    beautiful, ugly, interesting, boring
✅ It’s a small black box.
✅ That’s a beautiful old wooden table.

🔸 COMMON ADJECTIVES FOR PLACES
Type    Examples
Appearance    pretty, ugly, modern, traditional
Atmosphere    quiet, noisy, peaceful, busy
Size    big, small, huge, tiny
Condition    clean, dirty, well-kept, abandoned
Location-based    central, remote, local, nearby
✅ London is a big, busy city.
✅ The hotel is very clean and quiet.

🔹 BASIC ADJECTIVE ORDER IN ENGLISH
When using more than one adjective, follow this general order:
Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material → Noun
Example
a beautiful large old round white French wooden table
✅ In real use: a nice small black plastic bag
❗ Don’t say: a plastic black small nice bag ❌

🔸 SENTENCE STRUCTURES
The house is big and bright.
It’s a new red car.
There’s a small café near my office.
This room is very quiet and clean.

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
A house big.    A big house.    Adjective comes before noun
The building is very modern and is clean.    The building is very modern and clean.    No need to repeat “is”
I have a red small car.    I have a small red car.    Incorrect adjective order

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Emma: Is this your car?
Joel: No, mine is the small grey one across the street.
Emma: It looks new!
Joel: Thanks. It’s actually two years old, but I take care of it.
Emma: I like the design. Very simple and modern.
Joel: Yeah, and it’s perfect for city driving—compact and quiet.

7.7 TALKING ABOUT LIKES AND DISLIKES
Objective:
To express preferences, interests, and aversions using verbs like like, love, enjoy, don’t like, hate, and can’t stand, followed by nouns or gerunds.

🔹 EXPRESSING LIKES AND LOVES
Verb    Structure    Example
like    like + noun / verb-ing    I like music. / I like dancing.
love    love + noun / verb-ing    She loves animals. / We love cooking.
enjoy    enjoy + verb-ing    They enjoy reading.
be into    be into + noun    He’s into photography.
✅ I like watching movies at night.
✅ She’s into classical music.

🔸 EXPRESSING DISLIKES AND HATES
Expression    Example
don’t like    I don’t like getting up early.
hate    He hates waiting in traffic.
can’t stand    We can’t stand loud places.
be not into    She isn’t into sports.
✅ These verbs and phrases show stronger negative feelings:
hate and can’t stand are more intense than don’t like

🔹 TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE’S PREFERENCES
He likes playing football.
She doesn’t like spicy food.
My parents enjoy gardening.
My friend can’t stand crowds.
✅ Remember -s in the third person:
She likes, He enjoys, It hates noise.

🔸 MAKING IT PERSONAL OR POLITE
Expression    Use Example
I’m a big fan of…    I’m a big fan of science fiction.
I prefer… (to…)    I prefer tea to coffee.
I’d rather…    I’d rather stay in tonight.
I’m not really into…    I’m not really into horror films.

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
I like to swim ✅ (formal, less common)    I like swimming ✅ (more natural)    Gerunds are preferred in spoken English
She don’t like rock.    She doesn’t like rock.    Use “doesn’t” for 3rd person
I like very much travel.    I really like travelling.    Wrong word order and structure

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Omar: Do you like Italian food?
Tara: I love it! I could eat pasta every day.
Omar: Me too. I also enjoy cooking at home.
Tara: That’s great. I don’t like fast food—it makes me feel awful.
Omar: Same here. I prefer homemade meals.
Tara: What about music?
Omar: I’m really into jazz. I can’t stand reggaeton, though.

7.8 TALKING ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS AND SOCIAL LIFE
Objective:
To describe different types of relationships, talk about your social life, and use appropriate vocabulary and expressions for interactions with family, friends, partners, and acquaintances.

🔹 TALKING ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS
Type of Relationship    Vocabulary / Expression
Romantic    boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, fiancé(e), husband, wife
Family    parents, siblings, cousins, in-laws
Friendship    friend, best friend, close friend, childhood friend
Other    colleague, acquaintance, neighbor, roommate
✅ She’s my best friend—we’ve known each other since school.
✅ I’m married, and I’ve got two kids.

🔸 RELATIONSHIP STATUS
Phrase    Example
I’m single / married / divorced    He’s married with two children.
I have a partner / boyfriend / girlfriend    I’ve got a new girlfriend.
We’re engaged    They’re engaged to be married.
They’ve been together for…    They’ve been together for five years.

🔹 SOCIAL LIFE VOCABULARY
Expression    Use Example
hang out    We hang out on the weekends.
get along (with someone)    I get along well with my sister.
go out (together)    They go out every Friday.
spend time with someone    I spend time with my family on Sundays.
meet up    Let’s meet up for coffee this afternoon.

🔸 DESCRIBING SOCIAL HABITS
Sentence Example    Notes
I go out with friends once a week.    Use frequency expressions
We usually meet for lunch on Saturdays.    Present simple for routines
He rarely socializes—he’s very introverted.    Use adverbs of frequency
She’s very outgoing and sociable.    Adjective to describe behavior

🧠 TALKING ABOUT CONFLICTS AND COMPATIBILITY
Expression    Example
argue / have arguments    We sometimes argue, but we make up quickly.
have a lot in common    We have a lot in common.
be similar / be different    We’re really different, but it works.
get on well / badly    I get on well with my boss.

❗ COMMON MISTAKES
Mistake    Correction    Why?
I have 30 years and a girlfriend.    I’m 30 years old and I have a girlfriend.    Use “am” for age
We are couple.    We are a couple.    Article needed before “couple”
He’s very sympathic.    He’s very nice / friendly.    “Sympathetic” ≠ “simpático”

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Noah: Do you have a big social circle?
Alba: Kind of. I’ve got a few close friends, and I meet up with them often.
Noah: Are you in a relationship?
Alba: Yes, I’ve been with my partner for three years now.
Noah: Nice! Do you get along well?
Alba: Definitely. We share a lot of interests and rarely argue.
Noah: That’s great. My last relationship didn’t go so well, but I’ve learned a lot.

7.9 UNIT 7 REVIEW
Objective:
To review and consolidate the vocabulary and grammar from Unit 7, focused on describing people, their physical and personality traits, relationships, and possessions.

📘 WHAT YOU LEARNED IN THIS UNIT
🔹 FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS
Vocabulary for immediate and extended family: mother, uncle, cousin, father-in-law
Describing relationship status: single, married, divorced, engaged
Talking about *friendships, romantic partners, and social life

🔹 PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Describing height, build, hair, eyes, and distinguishing features:
→ She’s tall with long, curly hair.
→ He has green eyes and wears glasses.

🔹 PERSONALITY AND EMOTIONS
Positive traits: kind, friendly, outgoing
Negative traits: lazy, rude, impatient
Temporary states: tired, happy, nervous, excited

🔹 “HAVE GOT” FOR POSSESSION
I’ve got two sisters. / He hasn’t got any pets. / Have you got a car?

🔹 POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS
Adjectives: my, your, his, her, our, their → That’s my phone.
Pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs → This book is hers.

🔹 DESCRIBING THINGS AND PLACES
Adjectives for size, shape, color, and condition: a small wooden table, a big clean park
Correct adjective order: opinion → size → age → color → noun

🔹 LIKES, DISLIKES, AND PREFERENCES
Using like, love, hate, enjoy + noun or gerund:
→ She loves cooking. / They don’t like studying late.
Common intensifiers: really, a bit, absolutely

🔹 SOCIAL HABITS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Vocabulary for interactions: hang out, get along, spend time with
Describing conflicts or bonds: We argue sometimes but get along well.

💬 EXAMPLE DIALOG
Liam: Do you come from a big family?
Marta: Not really. I’ve got one brother and a few cousins. What about you?
Liam: I’m the youngest of four. My siblings are all older than me.
Marta: Wow! That must have been fun growing up.
Liam: Sometimes. We’re close now. My sister lives nearby and we hang out often.
Marta: Nice! I get along well with my brother too. He’s very patient—I’m the emotional one!
Liam: Same here. I’m usually calm, but my brother’s the outgoing one. He’s got a huge circle of friends.