Types of relationships

Mate is a 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 contexts; colleague is more common among professional people.

Fiancée/fiancé can still be used for someone you are engaged to, but a lot of people feel it is 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.

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

friendship:	best friend	good friend	friend	acquaintance
work:	close colleague	colleague	workmate
love/romance:	lover	steady boy/girlfriend	ex-*
marriage:	wife/husband	partner	ex-*

* ex - can be used with or without (informally) another word: She's my ex. (girlfriend, etc.)

Liking and not liking someone

core verb	positive	negative
Like	love adore	dislike hate
	worship idolise	can't stand loathe
respect	look up to admire	look down on despise
attract	turn s.b. on	repel turn s.b. off
be attracted to	fancy

She doesn't just like Bob she idolises him! I can't stand him. I really fancy Lisa, but her friend just turns me off.

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

Ex.1. Complete the sentences on the left with an appropriate word or expression on the right. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Laurence and I get on really well and do absolutely everything together. He is …	... my ex-girlfriend.
I know Bob, but not very well. He is	... my fiancée.
Jenny and I work together in the same office. She is...	... my workmate.
Jane and I announced our engagement last week and plan to get married in the summer. She is...	... myflatmate.
Clare and I used to go out together. She is...	... just good friends.
Susie and I have been going out together now for a few months. She is...	... my best friend.
Jordi attends the same English lessons as me. He is...	.. my steady girlfriend
Sarah works alongside me on the production line in a factory. She is...	.. a good friend.
John and I share an apartment in the city. He is...	.. my classmate.
I often go out with Ben to the cinema or the pub. He is...	.. an acquaintance.
Andy and I are going out together, but we haven't told anybody yet. In fact, if anyone asks, we say that we are...	.. my colleague.

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