LESSON 2.

Is friendship a mere relationship or something deeper?

Friendship is sometimes viewed from the point of view of relationships between people. But which types of relationships are known to you?

Exercise 1.

A. Study the given scale and say which types of relationships exist between people. State the difference between them.

Here is a scale showing closeness and distance in relationships in different contexts.

CLOSER MORE DISTANT

Friendship: best friend good friend friend acquaintance

Work: close colleague colleague/ workmate/ associate

Love/ romance: lover steady boy/girlfriend ex-*

Marriage: wife/ husband partner ex-*

Ex-* can be used with or without (informally) another word:

e.g. She’s my ex-girlfriend.

Mate is colloquial word for a good friend. It can also be used in compounds to describe a person you share something with.

e.g. classmate, shipmate, workmate, flatmate

Workmate is usual in non-professional context; colleague is more common among professional people.

Fiancé/e can still be used for someone you are engaged to, but a lot of people feel it’s dated nowadays. You will sometimes see husband-/ wife-to-be in journalistic style.

English has no universally accepted word for ‘’person I live with but am not married to’’, but partner is probably the commonest.

B. Liking and not liking someone

Core verb positive negative

like love adore dislike hate

worship idolize can’t stand loathe

respect look up to admire look down on despise

attract turn sb. on turn sb. off repel

be attracted to fancy

e.g. She doesn’t just like Bob, she idolizes him! But I can’t stand him.

I really fancy Lisa, but her friend turns me off.

Fancy and turn off are informal. Repel is very strong and rather formal.

C. Phrases and idioms for relationships

Joe and I get on well with each other. [ have a good relationship]

Adrian and Liz don’t see eye to eye. [ often argue/ disagree]

I’ve fallen out with my parents again. [ had arguments]

Tony and Jane have broken up/ split up. [ended their relationship]

Carol is having an affair with her boss. [a sexual relationship, usually secret]

Children should respect their elders. [ adults, parents, etc.]

Let’s try and make it up. [be friends again after a row]

She’s my junior/ I’m her senior/ I’m senior to her, [refers to position/ length of service

so she does what she is told. at work]

Exercise 2. Use words with the suffix –mate to express the idea implied in the situations.

1. This is Jack. He and I share a flat. We are __________ .

2. My granddad still writes to his old fiends he was at sea with. They are ________ .

3. We were in the same class together in 1982, weren’t we? We were ___________ .

4. She’s not really a friend; she’s just someone I work with. She’s my ___________ .

5. Meet Sandy. We live in one room in the University hostel. We are ____________ .

6. Ann goes to the same class as Kate. Ann is Kate’s __________ .

7. Bill and John play football in one team. They are ____________ .

Exercise 3. Fill in the gaps in the following sentences with the appropriate verb having a positive meaning. Translate them into Russian.

1. I don’t ... this place at all. We’d better go to Italy to spend our vacations.

2. The Bible tells us to ... God above all.

3. Romeo and Juliet really ...d each other.

4. For sure she’s a real beauty. She attracts men’s attention easily and they send ...ing looks to her all the time.

5. Mothers used to ... their sons.

6. Visitors to Britain usually ... the Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park.

7. Every child needs someone to ... ... ... and copy.

8. It takes a really special kind of teacher to ... ... these lazy students.

9. I ... him very much. He is the nicest person in my class.

10. I ... my father a lot. He is very wise and knows a lot about life.

11. I ... my husband very much. I want to be with him forever.

Exercise 4. Fill in the following sentences with the appropriate verb having a negative meaning. Translate them into Russian.

1. His accent ...s me. I can’t talk to him even a minute.

2. I like dogs and ... cats.

3. After 10 years of misunderstanding she started to ... her husband.

4. Liars are ...d by everyone.

5. He ... ... the hot weather.

6. After being slightly poisoned with sushi, she ...s exotic food.

7. At first Mary’s parents ...ed ... ... her marrying Jim.

8. I ...ed right ... that girl when I got acquainted with Monica.

9. I ... ... my sister! She is always disturbing me while I’m working.

10. She is a very annoying person. I really ... her.

Exercise 5. Some of the phrases are mixed up here. Correct them and translate the proper variant into Russian.

1. Jack and Phil don’t get on eye to eye with each other.

2. I fell up with my parents last night. It wasn’t my fault.

3. We had a quarrel but now we’ve made it well.

4. Do you think Jim and Nora are making an affair? I do.

5. I see very well with any colleagues at work.

6. She should learn to respect her elders.

7. Jo’s attractive, but her mate just turns me up completely.

Exercise 6. Say if people have close, neutral or distant relationships.

1. I’ve known Jill for 10 years. She’s my ............................ .

2. Kate is ready to help me when hard times come and she can rely on me in everything. I’m proud to say she’s my ................................... .

3. I met Sam two days ago at the disco. He’s my .............................. .

4. Mathew is Jennifer’s good friend. We also get on quite well. He’s my ............... as well.

Exercise 7. How many relationships can you find between people in column A and B?

e.g. John Silver and Lorna Fitt were once colleagues.

A B

John Silver: owns a language school for Nora Costa: was in UK Olympic swimming

business people in Bath. Worked at the Sun team in 1982. Was in the same class at

school, Oxford, 1984-5. school as Ada Brigg.

Josh Yates: politician, was married to Eve Bill Nash: works every day with John Silver.

Cobb 1973-1980. Met Bill Nash a couple Shared a flat years ago with Eve Cobb.

of times.

Ada Brigg: was married to Bill Nash 1981- Fred Parks: politician. Knew Ada Brigg

1984. Swam for Britain in 1982 Olympics. years ago, but not well.

Ann Wood: has lived in a couple (unmarried) Lorna Fitt: taught at Sun School Oxford

with Bill Nash 1986-89. 1980-7. Lives with Josh Yates.