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Grammar fix

family business

company run by family

A company or shop that is owned and managed by members of the same family.

collocationB1common

Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

  • Her parents run a family business selling fresh bread in the local market.work
  • In my hometown, many people work in a family business because it allows them to spend more time together and support each other financially.IELTS speaking

Fix the pattern

Pattern: family business (noun, countable)

WrongShe works in a family's business.

RightShe works in a family business.

No apostrophe — it's a compound noun ('family business').

Patternfamily business (noun, countable)

Use it right

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff It is a commercial enterprise operated by relatives.

Natural It's a family business.

'Commercial enterprise operated by relatives' is stiff; 'family business' is the standard term.

Build natural chunks

Words that usually travel with it.

  • family business
    run athesmalltake over the

Don't confuse it

Not the same as 'family issue' or 'family affair', which mean personal matters, not a company.

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