Grammar fix
close family
strong family ties
People in your immediate family who you have a strong emotional connection with, such as your parents, children, brothers, or sisters.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- Only my close family came to the small wedding ceremony.family
- In my country, people often rely on their close family for support during difficult times.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: close family (noun phrase); usually used as 'my/his/her close family'
WrongI have a close family with my parents.
RightI'm close to my parents. / We're a close family.
'Be close TO someone', or 'a close family' as a whole.
Patternclose family (noun phrase); usually used as 'my/his/her close family'
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Emotionally proximate familial relationships' is comically formal; 'a close family' is what people say.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
a close familyclose-knitwe're averyclose to
Don't confuse it
Compare with 'extended family', which means a wider group of relatives like cousins, uncles, and aunts.