Information Sheet 1.2-2

Information Sheet 1.2-2: Identifying familiar names and titles

Family and Kinship

Want to learn how to speak about family and relatives in English? Check out these vocabulary terms and phrases.

The subject of family and relatives is always appropriate since they are close to us and something is always happening in their lives: someone is getting married, another is moving to another city, still another is looking for a new job. Perhaps someone bought a new car, and someone else has new children or grandchildren.

In most countries, the nuclear family is a central part of life, and having the vocabulary to speak about it is a central part of language learning. If you have ever had to speak about your family or relatives in English, you know how important it is to have the necessary vocabulary of English words in order to freely speak about the subject of family.

So today we will learn – and for some, it will be a review – helpful words and phrases about family and relatives: immediate family, extended family, and more.

I’ll also give you some sample sentences which you can adjust and use when speaking about your own family and relatives.

Names of Family Members and Relatives in English

Mother
Father
Parents
Wife
Husband
Son
Daughter
Children
Brother
Sister
Siblings
Cousins
Relatives
Aunt
Uncle
Nephew
Niece
Grandparents
Grandmother
Grandfather
Grandson
Granddaughter
Grandchildren
Spouse
Stepmother / Stepfather
Stepson /stepdaughter
Stepsister/stepbrother
Half-sister
Half-brother
Sister-in-law
Brother-in-law
Father-in-law
Mother-in-law

Brief Things to Say about Family in English

I come from a small/big family.
There are (number) people in my family.
My brother/sister (name) lives in (place). He/She is an (occupation).
I look like my Dad. We both have blue eyes and fair hair.
I’m very different from my Mum. She is talkative and doesn’t like to wait for anything. But I’m very shy and patient.
My sister likes staying at home and cooking, but I prefer gardening and outdoor activities.
My brother enjoys playing sports, but I prefer reading and watching movies.
We always have lunch/dinner together at the weekend. Sometimes we go away for the weekend.
We don’t see each other very often, but I try to call my parents once a week/day.
I live near my sister/cousin, so we meet for coffee every week.
My brother lives far away, but I go to visit him and his family sometimes/every summer.

There really is no limit to the number of sentences you can make. You can talk about their personalities, appearance, or the things they like to do.

Familiar Names and Titles

English learners often feel confused about how to address people properly. Many feel uncomfortable asking the question, “What should I call you?” Even native English people find this question awkward. For example, many women don’t know how to address their boyfriend’s mother. On the other hand, some parents don’t know what to call their children’s teacher.

How to Address People in English

What should I call you?

first name	surname, family name, last name
William	Shakespeare
Sarah	Palin
Vladimir	Putin

Why is “What should I call you?” such a difficult question to ask? Perhaps it’s because you are asking the other person to provide their status or position in the world in relation to yours. This position may involve age, job, education, religion and even marital status.

TIP:

Note that:
for Mr we say “Mister”
for Mrs we say “Misses”
for Miss we say “Miss”
for Ms we say “Mizz”

In some English-speaking countries, it is traditional for a woman to change her last name when she gets married. However, not all women do. If a woman you know has been recently married do not assume her name will change. You can safely ask, “Are you going by the same name?” This question gets trickier when a woman gets divorced or becomes a widow. Some women will change their name back to their maiden name. A widowed woman often keeps her husband’s name unless she remarries. A divorced woman often changes her name back to her maiden name. If you don’t know the woman well, wait for her to tell you if her name is changing.

Since English is a language, rather than a culture, it is difficult to teach English learners exactly how to address people. There will always be some people and some professions that require more formality than others. Addressing people in writing has different rules and formalities than in speaking.

Asking the question

If you are unsure of what to call someone, it’s best to use a formal address or simply ask one of these questions:

What should I call you?
What should I call your mum / the teacher / the manager?
Can I call you [first name]?
Is it okay if I call you [the nickname you’ve heard others use] ?
What’s your name? (use in a casual situation like a party or classroom where first names are used)

Answering the question

You might not be the only person wondering about titles. Students, colleagues or acquaintances may not know what to call you. If they seem unsure about how to pronounce your name, or you want them to call you something more casual, help them out:

Please, call me [first name]
You can call me [nickname or short form]

Formal Titles in English

In business situations, use formal titles unless the people you meet tell you otherwise. To get someone’s attention you can say: “Excuse me, Sir” or “Pardon me, Madam/Ma’am.” To greet someone, you can say: “Hello Sir” or “Good morning, Madam/Ma’am.”

TIP:

The phrase “Yes, Sir!” (or “Yes, Madam/Ma’am!”) is sometimes used by native speakers in a sarcastic way. For example, when a young child tells his father to “close his newspaper” the parent might say, “Yes, sir!” and laugh. You might also hear a mother saying, “No Madam/Ma’am” to her daughter’s request for something unreasonable.

Here are the formal titles English speakers use:

Sir (adult male of any age)
Ma’am (adult female – North American)
Madam (adult female)
Mr + last name (any man)
Mrs + last name (married woman who uses her husband’s last name)
Ms + last name (married or unmarried woman; common in business)
Miss + last name (unmarried woman)
Dr + last name (some doctors go by Dr + first name)
Professor + last name (in a university setting)

TIP:

When you are writing to someone for the first time, use a formal address: Mr. or Ms + the person’s last name if you know it. If you can’t find the last name, use a generic title such as Sir or Madam. The respondent may address you by your first name and sign off with their first name. In today’s business world, the following correspondence is usually more casual. If you write back a second time you can use the respondent’s letter as a guideline. If they address you by your first name and sign off with their first name, you can do the same.

Occasionally you may have a close relationship with someone who typically gets called Sir, Madam, Mr or Mrs (for example, a business executive, a celebrity, a professor or a person older than yourself). At some point this person may give you permission to use his or her first name. In English we use the phrase “on a first name basis” or “on first name terms” to describe a relationship that is not as formal as it seems it should be. To describe this you would say, for example: “Pete’s mom and I are on a first name basis” or “My teacher and I are on first name terms.”

Informal Titles in English

Casual or very close relationships require an informal form of address:

First name (friends, students, children)
Miss/Mr + first name (sometimes used by dance or music teachers or childcare workers)

Titles of Affection

When addressing a child, a romantic partner, or a close friend or family member (usually younger) people often use these terms of endearment, also known as “pet names”:

Honey (child, romantic partner, or younger person)
Dear
Sweetie
Love
Darling
Babe or Baby (romantic partner)
Pal (father or grandfather calls male child)
Buddy or Bud (very informal between friends or adult-to-child; can be seen as negative)

References:
https://preply.com/en/blog/speaking-about-family-and-relatives-in-english/
https://www.englishclub.com/speaking/titles.php