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.
collocationB1common
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
Only my close family came to the small wedding ceremony.
In my country, people often rely on their close family for support during difficult times.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: I have a close family with my parents.
Say: I'm close to my parents. / We're a close family.
'Be close TO someone', or 'a close family' as a whole.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'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 family
- close-knit
- we're a
- very
- close to