English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate » Unit 10: Relationships
EXAMPLE Jon and Erica are colleagues.
Have you checked your social media this morning? Sam has 1_____ you in a really funny photo and 2_____ it with every one! :)
My grandma has just 3_____ me to be her friend online! Don’t know if I should 4_____ or not.
I’m going to 5_____ Emma if she keeps posting nasty 6_____ about me online.
_____ is a good friend of mine. _____ is just a casual acquaintance.
Someone I look up to is _____. A famous person I loathe is _____.
Someone I once fancied was _____. Someone I adore is _____.
_____ is my ex-_____. I would never look down on _____.
ANITA: Are you and Holly best friends?
LUCY: She's a good friend - she's not my best friend.
ANITA: But she's more than just a casual acquaintance1, right?
LUCY: Oh, yes. We were housemates2 at university.
ANITA: Really? So how did you first meet her?
LUCY: I met her through my ex3, Kallum. She wasn't in a steady4 relationship with anyone at the time, and she was looking for someone to share a room.
ANITA: Uh-huh. Is that Kallum who's now Olivia's partner5?
LUCY: Yeah, that's the one. They're not just partners, they're married and they're colleagues too. They're saving to buy a house now, so Kallum's living with his parents-in-law6 at the moment.
1 a person you have met but you don't know well
2 mate [friend; infml] is used in compound nouns to describe a person you share something with, e.g. classmate, roommate, workmate, flatmate, housemate. Workmate is common in non-professional or informal contexts; colleague is common among professional people, and sounds more formal.
3 ex-can be used without (informally) or with another word: ex-girlfriend, ex-husband, etc.
4 fixed and not changing suddenly
5 partner is used for someone you live with but are not married to, or for a business relationship where you share the ownership or running of a company
6 his wife's parents (his mother-in-law and father-in-law)
| core verb | positive(stronger) | negative |
| like | love adore idolise | dislike can't stand loathe /ləʊð/ |
| respect | look up to admire | look down on despise |
| attract be attracted to | fancy (infml) | leave someone cold |
She doesn't just like Ben, she idolises him. I can't stand him.
I really fancy Charlotte, but her friend just leaves me cold / doesn't do anything for me.
Lily and I get on well (with each other). (have a good relationship]
Jack and Amelia don't see eye to eye. [often argue/disagree]
I've fallen out with my parents again. [had arguments]
Carl is having an affair with his boss. (a sexual relationship, usually secret]
Let's try and make it up. [be friends again after a row/quarrel]
He's dating a Spanish girl. They've been seeing each other for a couple of months. (meeting and spending time together]
They met at a party and got together soon after. [started a romantic relationship]
We say: People make friends. (NOT get friends or find friends)
It's often difficult to make new friends when you move to another city. (NOT It's often difficult to get friends ...)
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