English Vocabulary

ANIMAL MATTERS

A dark horse: We don‟t know much about him. He‟s a bit of a dark horse. Idiom! Mysterious.

Alike: Pets and their owners become more alike over time (gradually). Similar.

Animal activists: Animal activists are outside the lab protesting about experiments on
animals.

Animal charity: Animal charities do a lot of work to rehome (To find another home for an
animal) unwanted (undesired, rejected) creatures.

Battery hens: Battery (small devices) hens are kept in inhumane conditions.

Beak: The bird used its beak expertly to pull out (leave, abandon abruptly) the worms
(insect). Mandible.

Bite: Even tame (tolerant, domestic) animals will bite you when angry or scared.

Breed in captivity: These tigers were bred in captivity and will be released (to be free) into
the wild soon. Grow, developed, raised, produced.

Calf: The calf is a young cow. Its meat is called veal (beef, meat).

Claws: Be careful when handling (treatment, approach) birds as their claws are sharp
(knife-edged). Nails.

Don‟t count your chickens before they hatched (prepare, invent): You might have passed
the exam, but don‟t count your chickens before they hatched. Idiom!

Endangered species: Tigers and polar bears are now endangered species. Exposed, in
danger, at risk.

Environment: The environment of some wildlife is under threat (menace, danger).

Fins: We could see the creature‟s fins rising above (over) the water. A fish's dorsal fin.

Fur: The cat had been in a fight and had lost patches (pieces) of fur (hair, coat).

Fussy: Cats can be fussy about the brand (mark, kind) of catfood they like. Fastidious,
meticulous.

Grumpy: If I‟m feeling grumpy my cat keeps out (exclude) of my way. Irritable, bad-
tempered.

Her bark is worse than her bite: She looks bad-tempered but her bark (a dog‟s
characteristic sound) is worse than her bite. Idiom!

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English Vocabulary

Hives: There were thousands of bees living in the hives. Colony, nest.

Hooves: the hoof is the hard part on the bottom (underpart) of the feet of animals such as
horses, sheep…

Hunt for sport: The government has taken steps to ban (prohibition, restriction) hunting
(race, trail) for sport.

In captivity: Animals bred in captivity would probably not survive if they were released
(free, liberate) into the wild.

In the doghouse: He‟s in the doghouse because he forgot Amy‟s birthday. Idiom! Someone
is annoyed with you and shows their disapproval.

I smell a rat: The CEO said our jobs were safe but I smell a rat. Idiom! Something is not as it
appears to be or that something dishonest is happening

Kennel: We left our dog at the kennel when we went away. Doghouse.

Kick: A horse once kicked me when I walked round the back of it. Boot, punt.

Kill two birds with one stone: If we go to the library we can visit Mum and kill two birds with
one stone. Idiom!

Let sleeping dogs lie: Don‟t bring that up again. You should just let sleeping dogs lie. Idiom!
Said to warn someone that they should not talk about a bad situation that most people
have forgotten about.

Like a fish out of water: I‟m a quiet person, so when I moved to London I felt like a fish out of
water. Idiom!

Like water off a duck‟s back: He keeps trying to provoke me, but it‟s like water off a duck‟s
back. Idiom! Criticisms of or warnings to a particular person that have no effect on that
person.

Live in the wild: Animals that have never lived in the wild may not be able to adapt.

Lock horns: It was amazing to see the two rams (male sheep) locking horns. To come into
conflict.

Lunatics: Every so often, my cats run around like lunatics.

Make a pig of yourself: I know you‟re hungry, but don‟t make such a pig of yourself. Idiom!
To eat too much.

Neighed: The horse neighed when it was excited or frightened. Horse sound.

Paws: My cat sleeps with its head resting on its paws. Foot.

Protect: We need to protect animals to maintain the ecosystem.

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English Vocabulary

Scratch: It can be dangerous if an animal scratches you. Damage.

Serene: She feels serene after watching fish in the tank.

Shell: Our tortoise never came out of its shell. Carapace.

Show-off: My parrot is a show-off and loves performing for people. Exhibitionist, big-headed,
arrogant.

Smart: My dog‟s smart and knows not to beg (importune) for a walk.

Spit: As I was about to climb onto the camel it spat at me. To force out the contents of the
mouth, especially saliva.

Sting: A wasp (insect) sting hurts but isn‟t usually dangerous. Bite.

Tail: A kangaroo uses its long tail to balance (stability). Rear end, rear appendage, cue.

Take the bull by the horns: I decided to take the bull by the horns and spoke to him. Idiom!

The donkey work: I did all the donkey work on this project. Idiom! The hard and boring part
of a job.

The last straw: Losing my briefcase (book bag) was the last straw. Idiom! The latest problem
in a series of problems, that makes a situation impossible to accept.

The lion‟s share: Reputable charities spend the lion's share of donations on aid (help,
assistance) and a tiny (diminutive, little) fraction on administration. Idiom! The largest part or
most of something.

Tolerant: As people get older, they often become less tolerant.

Trait: It‟s said that pet-owners and their pets share the same personality traits. Character.

Treat cruelly: The charity takes in animals that have been treated cruelly.

Well-behaved: The hotel will accept dogs if they are well-behaved.

Wings: As the eagle (falcon) soared away (to rise or fly into the air) I was amazed at the
length (distance)of its wings.

With your tail between your legs: After playing so badly he walked off with his tail between
his legs. Idiom!

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English Vocabulary

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English Vocabulary

BODY

Addicted to: She admitted that she was addicted to plastic surgery. Depended on.

Arms: He has really strong arms.

Back: I hurt my back in a horse riding accident.

Beard: I‟ve bought my boyfriend an electric shaver in the hope that he‟ll get the message
about his beard.

Bite: Did that dog just bite you?

Clap: If you‟re happy and you know it, clap your hands!

Dependent on: Addiction is when you are dependent on something in order to feel good.

Ears: My dog has really big ears.

Eyes: She has beautiful blue eyes.

Face: She has such a pretty face.

Feet: What size are your feet?

Fingers: You have lovely long fingers.

Foot: I broke my foot playing football.

Hair: I have long brown hair.

Hands: Are your hands clean?

Head: I had a really big head when I was a baby.

Kick: Kick the ball as far as you can.

Knees: I get a lot of pain in my knees when I walk.

Legs: That girl has really long legs.

Lips. He has really thin lips. Labium.

Mouth: Keep your mouth closed when you‟re eating.

Neck: My neck hurts when I work on the computer for too long.

Nod: Nod your head if you want to say yes.

Nose: I have a large nose just like my mother.

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English Vocabulary

Point: Can you point at the person who stole your money? Mark.

Shoulders: My shoulders hurt from carrying that heavy bag.

Smell: I can smell garlic.

Smile: She‟ll smile at you if you smile at her.

Stare: Don‟t stare at people – it‟s rude. Look fixedly, penetring look.

Stomach: My stomach hurts because I ate too much.

Taste: Taste this cake – it‟s delicious.

Teeth: I brush my teeth twice a day.

Throw: Throw the ball back to Jason.

Toes: Can you fit your toes into those pointy shoes (zapatos puntiagudos)?

Tongue: How far can you stick your tongue out?

Tooth: I broke a tooth on a hard bread roll. Incisor.

Touch: If you touch the screen it will open the website.

Whistle: I like to whistle a tune while I do the gardening.

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English Vocabulary

CINEMA

Action film: Have you seen that new action film starring (celebrity) Tom Cruise?

Actor: I want to be an actor so I‟m studying drama.

Actress: Angelina Jolie is a famous actress.

Adaptation: I loved the recent adaptation of Jane Eyre.

Animation: My children love the animation Peppa Pig.

Audience: There weren‟t many people in the audience.

Awful: I think it was a pretty awful film. Very bad or unpleasant.

Based on: The film is based on a popular novel by Kathryn Stockett.

Battle: There were cannons (weapons, guns) in the battle scene. Combat, action.

Cast: The film has a very small cast of only five actors.

Comedy: I saw a great comedy starring (the main actor) Ben Stiller last week.

Direct: He‟s an actor but now he wants to direct a film.

Drama: I watched an excellent drama that was set (produced) during the II World War.

Dub: They usually dub American movies into Italian. Designate, entitle.

Exciting: The last James Bond film was really exciting.

Extra: I was an extra in the recent film about Robin Hood.

Film: What‟s your favourite film?

Film on location: We want to film on location in India. Film on a place, area…

Funny: That new comedy with Ricky Gervais is really funny.

Historical film: It was a historical film about the American Civil War.

Horror film: She was in a horror film about vampires.

Mind-blowing: The special effects in this film are pretty mind-blowing. Extremely exciting or
surprising.

Movie: They use the word movie, not film, in America.

Moving: That film about the First World War was really moving. Motivating, passionate.

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English Vocabulary

Musical: We saw the musical Mamma Mia! in London.

Play the part of: I want to play the part of Juliet in the new film of Romeo and Juliet.

Plot: The plot of the film was very complicated. Story line.

Review: The film got a really bad review in the papers. Summary, synopsis.

Rom-com: I don‟t like action films. I prefer watching rom-coms.

Scary: I thought that alien film was really scary.

Scene: I love the scene where they find each other at the train station.

Science fiction film: He loves that science fiction film about aliens coming to earth.

Script: The script was written by an experienced writer. Writing, characters…

Sequel: Will there be a sequel to this film? Continuation, consequence.

Set: They set the film in the Italian Alps. Produce.

Shoot on location: They‟re going to shoot on location in Mexico. Request, solicit.

Soundtrack: I love the soundtrack to this film and I want to buy the CD.

Special effects: They spent millions on the special effects in this dinosaur film.

Star: Keira Knightley is the star of the film.

Studio: It was filmed in a studio in Hollywood.

Subtitles: It‟s a French film so it has English subtitles.

Thriller: He starred in a thriller about a political scandal in America. To become exciting.

Translation: The translation of the film from English to Russian took three months.

Violent: Children shouldn‟t see violent films.

Walk out: Have you ever been to see a film that was so bad that you walked out? Leave.

War film: We saw a war film set during the Vietnam War.

Western: That actor was in a western recently and he was one of the good guys.

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English Vocabulary

CLOTHES

A cotton vest: Wearing cotton vest is the best way to keep cool. Linen, textile.

A denim waistcoat: Denim waistcoat is very hard-wearing. Vest, jacket, three-piece suit.

Advertise: They advertise clothes 'for the fuller figure'. Announce.

A fur (coat, hair) collar: It‟s a nice shirt, but the fur collar‟s too tight.

A lace (encaje) top: That‟s Henry over there, in the blue lace top. Cord, shoelace

A linen suit: George has bought a really stylish linen suit.

A lycra swimsuit: I realized I‟d forgotten my lycra swimsuit.

Arrangements: There was a striking (conspicuous, attractive, unusual) arrangement

(ordering, organisation) of dried flowers on the table. Objects that have been put in a
particular order or position.

A silk scarf: It‟s very cold and windy, put a scarf round your neck. Pañuelo seda.

A velvet bow tie: I‟m not sure I like the big velvet bow tie. Corbata de terciopelo.

A wool(en) cardigan: Have you got a blue V-neck woollen cardigan in a size 10? Lana

Boutique: She works in a designer clothes boutique.

Bow: The wood (covert) used to make a bow must be strong but flexible. (A long, curved
piece of wood with tight string). Lazo, pajarita.

Cardigan: take a cardigan with you, it might get cold.

Checked: Pete‟s wearing those awful (terrible, unpleasant) checked trousers again. Stamp,
mark. (a cuadros)

Collar: It‟s a nice shirt, but the collar‟s too tight (compact). Cuello

Cotton: Wearing cotton clothes is the best way to keep cool.

Date: Last Saturday I had a date with a charming boy.

Denim: Denim cloth is very hard-wearing (oppressively, hardened).

Dressed to kill: Susi‟s dressed to kill tonight – she‟ll certainly be noticed (be mentioned,
observed, perceived).

Dress up: Do we have to dress up for dinner, or can I wear jeans? Dress for dinner, wear
formal dress.

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English Vocabulary

Eagerly: An eagerly awaited announcement. Anxiously.

Eagerness: In their eagerness to (= wanting so much to) find a solution, they have
overlooked (survey, front on) certain difficulties.

Eccentric: She attracts attention with her eccentric clothes.

Fashionable: It's not fashionable to wear short skirts at the moment.

Fit: I must be putting on weight, this shirt doesn‟t fit me. Adapted, adjusted.

Fits her like a glove: That suit fits her like a glove, she had it especially made. To fit very well.

Fur: I will never wear a fur coat – fur belongs on animals. Hair, coat.

Get changed: I need to get changed into some clean clothes.

Get dressed: Hurry up and get dressed, or you‟ll miss the school bus.

Get undressed: The children got undressed and ready for bed.

Go with: Did he ever go with anyone else while they were living together? To have a
romantic or sexual relationship with someone.

Hang up: I wish you‟d hang up your coat on the hook (enganche, gancho). (colgar,
enganchar)

Heel: She got badly spiked when one of the runners trod (pisar) on her heel. Talón

High-heeled: Her feet were ruined by wearing high-heeled shoes. Having high.

Hooded: You aren‟t allowed to wear hooded tops in some places. Covered.

In your shoes: That sounds like a difficult situation. I wouldn‟t like to be in your shoes.

Leather: I only wear leather shoes, plastic is uncomfortable. (cuero)

Linen: George has bought a really stylish linen suit.

Long sleeved: That‟s Henry over there, in the blue long-sleeved top. (con mangas largas)

Loose: You should wear loose clothing when you go to the gym. Free, mobile, permissive.

Lycra: Serious cyclists wear lycra shorts.

Make up sb mind: I can‟t make up my mind what to wear. To decide.

Match: Your bag matches your shoes – they‟re the same color. Combinar.

Materials: Man-made materials are better quality than they were 20 years ago.

Nylon: I‟m looking for a white nylon running vest.

Old-fashioned: that tie‟s very old-fashioned – it‟s too wide (extensive, large-scale).

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English Vocabulary

Patterned: wear a patterned shirt with a plain (simple) tie. Artistic, decorative, ornament.

Practical: I tend to wear clothes that are practical rather than fashionable.

Rucksack: have you got a good rucksack to take camping? Bag, bagpack.

Season: The new clothes range (gama) for the autumn season has just arrived.

Sandals: Don‟t forget to pack some sandals to wear on the beach.

Scarf: It‟s very cold and windy, put a scarf round your neck.

Scruffy: He looks really scruffy – his clothes are old and worn (used, damage, old).
(desaliñado)

Second-hand: Many of my clothes are second-hand.

Short-sighted: I‟m short-sighted, and have worn glasses since I was ten. Blind, sightless.

Sick of: I got sick of (tired of, disgusted) coming home to find new clothes hidden (secret,
unsuspected, unrevealed) in the wardrobe.

Silk: I love silk shirts, but I hate ironing them. (seda)

Sleeveless: Joana looked gorgeous (attractive, beautiful) in a sleeveless linen dress. (sin
mangas)

Slippers: I‟m getting mum some new suede (ante) slippers. (zapatillas)

Smart: Jeff always looks so smart in his army uniform. (fashionable, stylish, sophisticated)

Spotted: Don‟t wear a spotted shirt with a striped (a rayas) jacket. (moteado) The boy with
the stripped pyjamas.

Stockings: Not many people wear stockings these days. (medias)

Suede: I‟m getting mum some new suede slippers (zapatillas). (ante)

Suits: that skirt really suits you – you look great in it. (to adapt, readjust)

Swimsuit: I realized I‟d forgotten my swimsuit.

Tie: corbata

Tight: These shoes are a bit tight, I should have bought the bigger size. (fixed, compact,
firm)

Trends: There's been a downward(descendent) / upward (higher) trend in sales in the last
few years.

Trendy: she‟s very trendy – she always wears the latest fashions. (moda)

Velvet: I„m not sure I like the big velvet bow on the back. (terciopelo)

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English Vocabulary

Vest: I‟m looking for a white nylon running vest. (chaleco)

V-neck: have you got a blue V-neck woollen (de lana) jumper in a size 10? (cuello en V)

Worn-out: Those shoes are worn-out. They‟re beyond repair. Destroyed, ruined, useless.

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English Vocabulary

CONFLICT AND WARFARE

Ally: The group was without allies. Accomplice, brother-in-arms.

Arrow: The king died when an arrow hit him in the eye. Shoot.

Blow up: The organization has blown up the cars of several prominent (extended)
politicians. Bomb, dynamite, detonate, attack, destroy, bombard.

Break out: We were all terrified when war broke out. Begin, start.

Bullet: The man fired three times but each bullet missed. Ammunition, bean, shot.

Cannon: When the cannon hit the ship only a few survived. Weapon.

Capture: They captured over 300 rebels on their first raid (invasion, assault, attack). Take
prisoner.

Casualties: Many of the casualties of the bomb attack were women. Victims.

Ceasefire: The ceasefire only lasted a week before hostilities resumed. Treaty, armistice.

Civil war: After a long and bitter (intense, severe) civil war, the country was in disarray
(chaos, disorganize). (A war between two groups of people in the same country)

Civilians: Many civilians were injured (hurt) in the attack. Nonmilitary, unmilitary.

Commando: He was a commando in the British army. Soldier.

Coup: The military coup against the government did not succeed. Revolution.

Cultural conflict: The cultural conflict consists in different values, behavior, different ideas or
believes.

Cultural diversity: Based on edge, believes living in the same society.

Cultural misconception: A lot of people believe that if you‟re a Muslim you must be a
terrorist.

Declare: The government declared war on the revolutionaries. (intention to go to war)

Defeat: The army finally defeated the rebel faction. (Win against, beat)

Execute: She was condemned to death and executed two weeks later. (Kill as a
punishment)

Fire: The police opened fire on (= started shooting at) the protesters. The command was
given to cease fire (= stop shooting). Shoot.

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English Vocabulary

Forces: The attempt by the forces to storm the embassy failed. (A group of people who
have been trained to protect others, usually with weapons. (Armed forces, security forces)

Helmet: He pulled on his helmet and straddled (bestride) the motorbike.

Loot: Soldiers looted the city, putting shops out of business. Thieve, rob, steal.

Machine gun: Fifty men were killed by machine gun fire. A gun that fires very fast.

Military precision: Getting him ready for school requires military precision.

Missile: The long-range missile destroyed several buildings. Projectile.

Overthrow: The rebel forces overthrew the government easily. Abolish, change.

Refugees: We were one of the first countries to receive refugees. (People who have been
forced to leave (flee) their country because there is a war for political or religious reasons)

Rebellion: The government has brutally crushed (abolish, annihilate) the rebellion. (An
attempt by some of the people in a country to change their government using violence)

Release: Many of the films released in the 1990s showed disdain (disapproval) for historical
accuracy. Liberation, freedom.

Retreat: The army retreated from the city to regroup. Evacuate, abandon, leave.

Revolution: He joined the revolution as a protest against corruption. Change, rebellion,

resistance, revolt.

Shell: The rebels shelled the government building. Attack, bombard.

Shield: A shield will not protect you from an attack from behind. Defense, protection.

Siege: As the siege continued, some hostages fell ill. Offense, attack.

Snipers: The convoy was attacked by snipers hiding nearby. Gunman, sharpshooter.

Spear: The spears were no match for the army‟s weapons. Weapon, shoot.

Surrender: Some members of the gang surrendered but the rest escaped. Resignation,
submission.

Survivors: As the fire died down (disappear) it was clear that there were no survivors.

Sword: Even antique swords can still be very sharp and dangerous. Arms, weapon.

The big screen: It‟s better to watch films on the big screen than on a TV.

The final credits roll: A great film will hold (retained) your attention until the final credits roll.

The wounded: The wounded were evacuated from the war zone. Attacked.

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English Vocabulary

Treaty: It was a great moment when they signed the peace treaty. (A formal agreement
between two or more countries).

Troops: More troops need to be deployed in the region. (Soldiers in large groups)

Withdraw: The rebels were clearly outnumbered and withdrew from their position. Retired.

Wounded: This was a hospital for wounded soldiers. (People who have been injured by
weapons) Hurt.

CRIME

Abandon: She was arrested for abandoning some kittens (young cats). Leave off, desert.

Abolish: In England, the death penalty was abolished in 1965. Eradicate, terminate,
exterminate.

Accused: The dock (embankment, port, base) is where an accused person sits or stands in
court.

Acquit: The judge acquitted him and he was set (concluded, decided) free. Absolve,
exculpate.

Arrest: The police arrested her for drinking and driving. Capture.

Assassinate: President J F Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Kill, destroy, execute.

Assassination: The assassination of JFK shocked the world. Horrified.

Bark: Their dogs bark incessantly and bother (disturb, disconcert, displease) everyone.
Sound.

Belongings: Be careful with their belongings. Goods, personal effects.

Beat: You can beat the burglars by installing an alarm. Hit, castigate

Become hooked on (sth): People who are hooked on a substance often don‟t think it‟s an
addiction. Become adopt.

Blackmail (n): He was convicted (condemn, sentence) of blackmail. Hush money,

extortion, bribery.

Blackmail (v): He was blackmailed into paying her to keep quiet. Extort.

Blackmailer: The blackmailer said he would go to the newspapers. Extortionist.

Block: She lives in a block of flats.

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English Vocabulary

Bother: Their dogs bark incessantly and bother everyone. Molest, irritate, disturb, provoke.

Brand: His unique brand of „creative justice‟ is very famous. Description, stigmatize.

Break in: Someone broke in to our flat and stole my laptop. Invade, burglarize, burglarize.

Bribe: He was arrested for offering the policeman a bribe. Corrupt money. (soborno)

Bribe (v): He tried to bribe me to keep quiet about the robbery. Corrupt, pervert.

Bribery: The businessman was arrested on charges of bribery. Corruption.

Burglar: The burglar who broke into our flat was only sixteen. Bandit, criminal, thief.

Burglar alarm: We installed a burglar alarm after the break-in (illegal entrance into premises
with criminal intent).

Burglary: The burglary had a terrible effect on my mother.

Capital punishment: Britain abolished capital punishment in 1965.

Case: Not every criminal case can be solved.

Cashier: He made the cashiers hand over (to release or relinquish to another) all the
money. Teller(cashier, worker), clerk (office assistant).

Catch (a criminal): The burglar was caught as he tried to escape.

CCTV: The whole incident was captured on CCTV. Abbreviation for closed-circuit TV: a
system that sends television signals to a limited number of screens, and is often used in
shops and public places to prevent crime.

Charge (v): Carl and Adam were charged with murder.

Chronological: The information is not given in a chronological order.

Clerks: Bank clerks have been told to be aware of robbers. Shop assistant.

Commit: There was no proof (evidence) that he had committed the crime.

Community service: He was sentenced to 100 hours of community service.

Considerable: They spent a considerable amount of time and money on the investigation.

Court: The man was sentenced in court (tribunal, law court, seat of justice) to life in prison.

Courthouse: The judge works in a courthouse. (tribunal, law court, seat of justice)

Cramped: My office is really cramped. (uncomfortable, claustrophobic, enclosed, limited)

Cross-examine: The lawyer for the defense began to cross-examine Mrs Salmon.
Investigate, interrogate, examine, ask.

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English Vocabulary

Custody: A judge ordered the prisoner to be held (kept, responsible, controlled) in custody.

Death penalty: In England, the death penalty was abolished in 1965.

Defense: He had no defense for his terrible actions.

Depend on: A man‟s life may depend on your evidence.

Deliberately: Murder is the crime of killing a person deliberately.

Detective: He was a detective in the London police force.

Dock: The defendant stood in the dock, waiting to hear the judge‟s decision. (banquillo)

Dropped: the total number of violent crimes has dropped. Discontinued.

Drug dealer: Drug dealers often hang around (wait) the street corners.

Drug dealing: The police take drug dealing very seriously here.

Duty: Officers on duty at the stadium arrested the thief. At work.

Expression: She was the ideal witness (spectator, testifier) with her expression of honesty and
kindness (tolerance, charity).

Evidence: The jury had to examine all the evidence.

Fine (n): Don‟t expect to get off (escape) with a fine if you‟re caught.

Foggy: In 1888, a brutal murderer walked the dark, foggy streets of London. Cloudy,
shadowy.

Fraud: Three bank employees were found guilty of fraud.

Fulfill: Fulfilling the contract was extremely difficult. Accomplish, do, execute.

Graffiti: I think that graffiti is a form of vandalism.

Guilty: She was found guilty of committing a crime.

Gut: Jennifer's mother had a gut feeling that something was wrong when her daughter
wasn't home by 10 o'clock. Instintine.

Hatred: He knows that it‟s an irrational hatred. Detestation, revulsion, repugnance, intense
dislike.

Hijack: Two men tried to hijack the plane. Intercept.

Hijacker: The hijacker wanted the government to free prisoners.

Hijacking: Hijacking is difficult because of increased security. Digression, piracy.

Identity: No one is sure of the identity of the murderer.

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English Vocabulary

Importance: There was no malice in her, and no sense of importance.

Interrogate: She has spent five days being interrogated by police.

Investigate: Police investigated the crime last year.

Investigation: They spent a considerable amount of time and money on the investigation.

Jail: She could choose between jail and a fine. Prison, penitentiary.

Judge: The judge sentenced the rapist (aggressor, criminal) to 15 years in prison.

Jury: The kidnapper was found guilty by the jury.

Justice: Making a vandal repaint a wall (physical barrier) is „creative justice‟.

Kidnap: A woman walked in (enter by walking) and tried to kidnap a baby.

Kidnapper: The kidnapper was found guilty by the jury.

Kidnapping: We were warned that kidnapping was common here.

Kitten: The kittens were only a few days old. Young cats

Launch: Spanish authorities have launched a major raid (action) against political
corruption in the Valencia region. Start, begin, originate.

Life sentence: The murderer was given a life sentence. Condemn, punishment.

Loaded: A man was carrying a loaded gun in the street. Charged, armed.

Malice: There was no malice in her. She didn‟t want to hurt anyone.

Manslaughter: When a killing is not intentional it is manslaughter. Crime, homicide, murder.

Mistaken: I was mistaken (confused) for a waitress in the restaurant.

Mortuary: He went to the mortuary (morgue, cemetery) to view dead bodies.

Mug: Someone tried to mug my sister and steal her mobile. Assault, attack, rob. It’s used
when someone forces you to give them your valuables on the street. Usually, with a gun or
knife.

Mugger: The mugger was charged and taken to court. Aggressor, bandit criminal, robber,
thief.

Mugging: Mugging can be a problem in the city center.

Murder: They had no idea who was responsible for the murder.

Murderer: Weeks passed, but the murderer still wasn‟t caught.

Not guilty: He was accused of rape (sexual assault, crime), found not guilty.

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English Vocabulary

Novel: Do you enjoy reading crime novels?

Offender: Offenders have to choose between jail and an alternative. Person who is guilty of
a crime.

Panic: Please stay calm and do not cause a panic.

Plead: I understand he intends to plead „not guilty‟. Allege, declare, cite.

Policy: Trump believes that Europe needs a common foreign and security policy. a set of
ideas or a plan of what to do in particular situations that has been agreed to officially by a
group of people, a business organization, a government, or a political party. Conduct,
strategy.

Powerless: The police seemed powerless to stop the murders. Impotent.

Presidency: This year he won the presidency of the law society.

Prestigious: I didn‟t go to a prestigious law firm.

Prisoner: The prisoner had to spend 25 years in jail for murder.

Proof: The police were sure he did it, but there wasn‟t proof. Demonstration, verification.

Prosecution: The prosecution intended to call four witnesses (observers, spectators).

Accusation.

Prove: They couldn‟t prove that he committed the murder.

Punishment: People think that ten years isn‟t enough punishment.

Question (v): The police questioned him for hours. Interrogate, interview.

Rape (n): He was accused of rape, but he denied the charge. Violation, sexual assault,
seduction, maltreatment.

Rape: The girl said she had been raped by a stranger. Violate, assault, force, abuse.

Rapist: The judge sentenced the rapist to 15 years in prison. Aggressor, assailant, criminal.

Remarkable: You must have remarkable eyes if you can see that far! Exceptional,
extraordinary, uncommon.

Reoffend: John reoffended, and was sent to jail again. Commit another offend.

Rob: The gang (band) robbed the post office last year.

Robber: The two robbers were wearing masks.

Robbery: There‟s been a robbery at the bank.

Ruling: His ruling was considered very harsh (hard, severe). Decision, decree, verdict.

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English Vocabulary

Sample: Cornwell analyzed a DNA sample to prove who Jack the Ripper really was.

Sell drugs: Selling drugs is a more serious offence (delinquency).

Sentence: The burglar was given a sentence of 2 years. Judgment, condemn.

Serve: He was elected (chosen, voted) to serve (work) another six years.

Set off bombs: Animal rights campaigners set off bombs at the lab. Detonate, explode.

Six months in prison: The judge sentenced her to six months in prison.

Skillfully: He picked pockets so skillfully – he was a professional. Brilliantly, delicately.

Smuggle: He was caught trying to smuggle drugs into the UK. Bring in contraband, poach,
embezzle.

Smuggler: Drug smugglers sometimes swallow (consume, absorb) packages (packets).

Narcotraficantes.

Smuggling: Smuggling diamonds is a highly-organized crime. Clandestine importation,

running goods, contraband.

Solve: How did she try to solve the mystery? Remedy.

Speeding: I was caught speeding, and had to pay a fine.

Spot: An arsonist (destroyer, incendiary, pyromaniac) set fire to a local beauty spot. Place,
area.

Steal: Someone stole my bag while I was in the restaurant.

Supplies: I‟m the director of a company which supplies paper. Provide, produce.

Suspect: The police questioned the suspect about the murder.

Tellers: The bank tellers have gone on strike (huelga). Cashier, banker.

Terrorism: He was convicted of terrorism, and sent to jail.

Terrorist: Terrorists have blown up (detonate, destroy, attack) the headquarters (the main
offices) of bank.

Terrorize: He terrorized the inhabitants of the city.

The death penalty: Several states in the US still apply the death penalty.

Theft: Theft from shops is called shoplifting (illegal act of taking goods from a shop without
paying for them. Robbery, stealing.

Thief: The security guard saw the thief steal the jacket.

Tool to ensure: CCTV helps to ensure (garantee) our safety.

20
English Vocabulary

Trial: It was the strangest murder trial I have ever attended. Lawsuit, judicial contest.

Unsolved: One of the great unsolved murder mysteries of all time is that of „Jack the
Ripper‟.

Vandal: Some young vandals damaged several cars.

Vandalism: I think that graffiti is a form of vandalism.

Vandalize: The school was vandalized and all its windows broken.

Verdict: The jury is going to deliver their verdict tomorrow.

Victim: Victims of crime often need emotional support.

Violence: Late night violence can be a problem in some towns.

Warn: We were warned there was going to be a storm (violent attack). Alert, caution.

Weapon: Chocolate could become a secret weapon in the fight against crime.

Weird: He was sitting alone by a window with a weird contraption (device, gadget) on the
table in front of him. Strange.

Witness: He was a witness to the crime. Observer, spectator.

- All my senses alert.

- Am I trying to justify what I did next? Perhaps. I don‟t know.
- As unique and precious as a rare perfume.
- Emotion was a luxury I couldn‟t afford at that moment.
- Enough tears to know that crying changes nothing.
- I felt powerful actually, I think, even though my legs were trembling.
- It‟s very important that you find him. A person‟s life depends on it.
- I used to think that murderers were born murderers, but now I know differently. Now I
know they can be made. In my case, it was shock that did it. Four brutal words that
changed my life forever. And who spoke those words? You. Congratulations, you created
a murder.
- I was hearing you voice as you spoke the words that broke my heart into little pieces.
I‟ve met somebody else.
- Luck was on my side.
- My first target for revenge.
- My thoughts were beginning to spin out of control when…
- People waiting for something to happen.
- People with nowhere to go and nothing to do.
- So I wasn‟t in the position to refuse him this request.
- That‟s when I came to the conclusion that fate must be on my side.
-

21
English Vocabulary

22
English Vocabulary

DEPENDENT PREPOSITIONS

According to: According to the article, women are better at multitasking.

Ahead of: The car was ahead of the bike. Before, in front of.

Afraid of: I‟m afraid of spiders.

Angry with: Are you still angry with me?

Apologize to: You should apologize to your sister for breaking her hairdryer.

Argue with: I always argue with my parents about when I have to be home at night.

Arrive at: We arrive at Heathrow at 10.30 a.m.

Arrive in: What time do you arrive in London?

Ask for: I want to ask for some help with my homework.

Belong to: Who does this jacket belong to? Be owned by, be in the possession of.

Choose between: You have to choose between these two dresses.

Close to: I‟m very close to my mum and we speak on the phone every day.

Depend on: I might go to university next year – it will depend on my exam results.

Different from: This house is very different from your last one.

Dream about: Do you often dream about work?

Excited about: Are you excited about your holiday?

Famous for: What‟s your hometown (the ton or city that a person is from, especially the one
in whick they were born and lived while they were young) famous for?

Fed up of: I‟m fed up of tidying away your clothes all the time. Bored, depressed,
discontented, dissatisfied.

23
English Vocabulary

Fond of: I‟m really fond of my niece – she‟s so sweet. Crazy about.

Frightened of: Are you frightened of heights (altitude, elevation)?

Good at: I‟m really good at Maths but I‟m useless (unsuccessful) at history.

Good for: Doing some exercise every day is good for you.

Interested in: I‟m really interested in history.

Keen on: I‟m keen on football so I watch it most weekends. Crazy about, enthusiastic,
interested.

Kind to: Please be kind to your little brother.

Laugh at: Don‟t laugh at me when I‟m talking.

Look forward to: I look forward to seeing you next week.

Married to: How long have you been married to your wife?

Pay for: How much did you pay for that car?

Pleased about: Are you pleased about the new tax system? Satisfy, agree with.

Proud of: I‟m really proud of my nephew as he‟s now a doctor. Satisfied, pleased, gratified.

Remind me to: Can you remind me to call your grandma tomorrow?

Rude to: Don‟t be rude to your father!

Scared of: I‟m scared of the dark.

Spend money on: I like to spend money on good quality food.

Tired of: I‟m tired of working – I need to have a rest.

Worried about: I‟m worried about Jody – she seems really depressed.

24
English Vocabulary

EDUCATION

A good sense of humour: A good sense of humour is essential when you‟re doing a
depressing job like this.

A grant/scholarship: She has a grant because of her merits. Money the government gives
the student.

Amazed: I was amazed by our son‟s exam results.

Amusing: We don‟t all find the same jokes amusing.

An assignment: I had a writing composition as assignment. Task

Arguably: The translator was arguably the first to introduce the great Russian authors to us.
Controversial, debatable, questionable.

Attend: Which school do your children attend? Assist.

Attention: I didn‟t get as much attention as my brother when we were children.

Awkward: She skipped (scaped, jumped) over an awkward passages. Uncomfortable.

Barely: The researchers were barely acknowledged (recognized). A little bit, slightly.

Behave: Lots of children in this class behave badly.

Black humour: Black humour is used to make hard situations easier.

Bland: The meal was bland, and in need of a few herbs and spices. Insipid.

Boarding: My parents sent me away to boarding school when I was 13.

Bring up: I want to bring up my children in the countryside, not in the city.

Broke: I was always broke when I was a student. To lose your confidence, determination, or
ability to control yourself, or to make someone do this

Brush up: I‟ll need to brush up my Spanish before we go to Mexico. I haven‟t spoken it since
university! Revise, study, refresh one‟s memory.

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English Vocabulary

Burst out laughing: When he came in wearing a wig (peruke, hairpiece, toupee) we burst
out laughing. To suddenly start laughing or crying.

Calculation: I‟m good at Maths. I find complex calculations easy.

Cartoonist: The cartoonist captured his personality perfectly.

Calm: You seem very calm about your driving test.

Catalan: They speak Catalan and Spanish in Barcelona.

Cheat: I haven‟t studied enough so I‟m going to cheat in my history exam.

Childhood: I had a happy childhood.

College: I went to Art College when I left school.

Comedian: It must be difficult for comedians to find new jokes.

Comedy series: There‟s a new comedy series on TV.

Common sense: Not everything needs to be learnt. Some things are just common sense.

Compulsory: Maths is a compulsory subject – everyone has to do it. Obligatory.

Core subjects: English is the core subject of the new curriculum for business majors.
Compulsory/obligatory subjects.

Curriculum/syllabus: The college offers a wide curriculum in many disciplines. A national

agreement of what is to be studied in schools.

Depressing: It‟s depressing to work hard and not be credited for it.

Disappointed: My parents were disappointed with my exam results.

Disappointing: My exam results were a bit disappointing. Unsatisfactory, unteresting.

Dissertation, project: Ann did her dissertation on Barcelona. A long essay/thesis that has to be
assessed at the end of a degree.

Drop out of (school/English class): If you drop out of the school you don‟t finish compulsory
education.

Dyslexia: My son can‟t read very well because he has dyslexia.

Do: What will you do if you don‟t pass your exams?

Educate: I want to educate my children at home so I won‟t send them to school.

Elementary: Primary school is called elementary school in America.

Entertaining: It was an entertaining book that left me in a good mood.

26
English Vocabulary

Expect: We expect you to be number one in your class for Maths.

Expel: If you cheat in your exams the head teacher will expel you.

Expert: My aunt is an expert on Victorian literature.

Extraordinary: The school is really extraordinary because it has such talented students.

Fail: Why did you fail your chemistry exam?

Faithful: The style of the translation is not faithful to the original. Similar.

Fast-moving: The plot is fast-moving so you need to keep up (to keep in repair, continue)
with it.

Figures: He calculated figures in his head.

Finals: I‟m studying hard for my finals at the moment.

First-class: Could I have ten first-class and ten second-class stamps (impress)?

Focused: After my morning coffee I feel really focused. Center of attention.

Further education: She teaches at a college of further education. University or college.

GCSE: I'm taking six subjects for GCSE. General certificate of Secondary Education. A
system of public exams taken in various subjects from the age of about 16, or one of these
exams, or a qualification from this system

Get (a joke): Everyone laughed at the joke, but I didn‟t get it.

Get by: We can get by with four computers at the moment, but we'll need a couple more
when the new staff arrive. Do well enough

Grades: I want to study medicine, so I need really good grades in Science and Maths. Level

Graduate: When did you graduate from university?

Gripping: The book was so gripping but the film didn‟t do it justice. Absorbing, exciting,
interesting.

Haunting: It‟s a haunting tale (story) about a child‟s loneliness. Unforgettable.

Head teacher: What‟s the name of the head teacher at your school?

Heavy-going: The film‟s great but the original book was heavy-going. Difficult to read or
understand.

High school: He‟s a teacher at a high school in New York City.

Higher education: I‟m studying at a college or university where subjects are studied at an
advanced level. After obligatory education years, A levels in Britain.

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English Vocabulary

Hilarious: I think it‟s hilarious the way he does that funny walk. Extremely funny ans causing a
lot of laughter.

Hug: My mum gave me a hug after the concert.

Implausible: If the books‟ characters are implausible I stop reading. Not believable.

Intriguing: It‟s an intriguing mystery story that has you guessing (suppose, predict).

Instructor: He‟s a combat hapkido instructor.

Intention: His intention is to study hard and go to university.

Irony: „This wig (peruke, artificial hair toupee) makes me feel great‟, he said, without irony.

Junior high school: I went to the same junior high school as my neighbor.

Kindergarten: I went to kindergarten when I was three years old.

Laugh at: It would be odd (unusual) if we all laughed at the same things.

Laugh out loud: Some jokes make you laugh out loud.

Laughing at yourself: Laughing at yourself is a way to stop people mocking (ridicule) you.

Learn: I want to learn Russian.

Learning difficulties: we describe a 'learning difficulty' as a problem of understanding or an

emotional difficulty that affects a person's ability to learn, get along with others and follow
convention.

Loan: Loan is the amount of money that students borrow and they have to pay back to the
bank.

Lowly: The publishing industry tends to overlook (omit) the lowly translator. Unimportant.

Make fun of: It‟s natural for people to make fun of politicians. Make a joke.

Manual: I need a training manual on how to bring up children.

Marks: She got top marks in her piano exam.

Middle school: I went to middle school between the ages of nine and thirteen. In parts of
the UK, a school for children between the ages of about nine and fourteen.

Mission: Our mission is to make this school more successful.

Mixed: Is your school a mixed school with both boys and girls?

Motivated: My son motivated himself to succeed in music.

Moving: This book has a very moving story. Affecting.

28
English Vocabulary

Multitask: Do you think women can multitask better than men?

Mystery: Teenagers are a mystery to me – I don‟t understand them.

Neatly: The story progresses neatly and evenly (regularly). Cleverly.

Nun: I went to a Catholic school and my maths teacher was a nun.

Nursery: Before they go to school, children can go to nursery.

Optional: Music is an optional subject at my school.

Outstanding: They were outstanding pupils who did really well. Exceptional, distinguished.

Pass: I really want to pass my Maths exam this semester.

Pass for: Your pronunciation is fantastic! You could almost pass for a local.

PhD: The document written in order to obtain the doctorate.

Pick up: I spent a month in Florence and I was able to pick up quite a bit of Italian. Acquire.

Play truant: Most parents are horrified when they discover their children have been playing
truant from school. Miss class without permission.

Political cartoons: Political cartoons are a vital part of satire.

Postgraduate: A second degree but not necessarily a master‟s degree. A student

undertaking studies at university after having graduated.

Prestigious: He‟s the leader of a prestigious choir (choral) group.

Priest: The church priest visits our school once a week to talk to the students. A person,
usually a man, who has been trained to perform religious duties in the Christian Church,
especially the Roman Catholic Church

Primary: Children in the UK start primary school when they are four or five.

Private: Her parents paid for her to go to a private school. A school that does not receive
financial support from the government.

Prodigy: They think our son is some kind of prodigy.

Profoundly: Translations of the same work differ (vary) profoundly. Extremely.

Public school: They couldn‟t go to public school. In England, an expensive type of private
school (= a school paid for by parents and not by the government), where only come the
elite.

Pushy: A lot of pushy (ambitious) parents put pressure on their kids to get good results.

Punish: Many teachers punish students with extra homework.

29
English Vocabulary

Punishment: What kind of punishment will a teacher give you for being late?

Puns: Word-based humour such as puns are commonly used. Double meaning, joke.

Pupils: How many pupils are there in your school?

Push: Be careful not to push your children too hard. To press against.

Quirky: This is a quirky translation that captures the author‟s style. Distinguishing.

Relativity: Who developed the theory of relativity?

Religious: I went to a religious school – it was Catholic.

Results: Students in this school usually get really good exam results.

Revise: How many hours did you revise for the biology exam?

Rucksack: I put my lunch box into my rucksack. Bag.

Rush: I was late so I had to rush to school. Loose no time, run.

Sceptical: They are sceptical of the belief that women use three times as many words as
men.

Secondary: I started secondary school when I was eleven.

Semester: The autumn semester starts on the first day of October.

Silence is golden: I like to spend time in quiet places – silence is golden.

Single-sex: This is a single-sex school – there are only boys here.

Slapstick: Children love slapstick, especially if it involves adults falling down. Comedy,
comical, satire.

Slightly: Men only use slightly fewer words than women. Insignifically.

Smooth: The unusual style of the original isn‟t served by the rather smooth translation.
Without qualitis that are socially disturbing.

Spontaneous: She‟s very spontaneous, but her boyfriend tend to plan ahead (before).

Staccato: The staccato rhythm of the poem reflects authority. Broken, disjointed.

Starving: I was starving when I came home from school. Hungry, famished.

State: What are the state schools like in your country?

Stereotype: The stereotype of British people is that they always talk about the weather. They
stereotype women as being better at looking after children.

Study: What subject will you study at university?

30
English Vocabulary

Surreal humour: I find surreal humour clever but it doesn‟t make me laugh.

Take in: Even though my English is fluent, I found it hard to take in what my boss said in the
meeting because he spoke so fast. Understand, comprehend.

Take yourself seriously: People who take themselves seriously are often the butt (base,
victim) of others‟ jokes.

Tell jokes: A comedian is someone who tells jokes for a living.

Term: A school term usually lasts about twelve weeks.

Thesis: The document written in order to obtain the doctorate.

Thought-provoking: The book is very thought-provoking. Make you think a lot.

Twelfth grade: My older sister is in twelfth grade this year.

Undergraduate: a person doing their first degree.

Uneducated: the educated differ from the uneducated as much as the living from the
dead.

Vast: His work has been translated into a vast number of languages. Huge.

Witty: He‟s really witty and always entertains us. Humorous, funny.

Wordplay: Some cultures prefer clever wordplay.

31
English Vocabulary

32
English Vocabulary

EXPRESSIONS WITH TIME

About time: You should do something now - it's about time you started going to the gym. If
it is about time/high time that someone did something, it should have been done sooner or
a long time ago.

A long time ago: This photo was taken a long time ago, before he went bald (not adorned,
elaborated, or disguised.

A question of time: It‟s only a question of time before they start arguing.

At a time: Don't try to multitask. Just do one thing at a time. at or during any particular point
or moment in the day.

At times: He suffers from back pain and it makes him a little irritable at times. Sometimes.

At the time: I missed the birth of my first child. I was on a plane at the time. at the particular
point when something was thought of or done:

Before my time: I've never heard of that singer. He must have been before my time.

Behind the time: He's a bit behing the times - he still thinks men should wear a suit and tie at
work.

By the time: by the time we got back to the hotel it was nearly midnight.

For the time being: For now - I think I'll have to keep using my old computer for the time
being.

From, to: You can come any time from 10.00 to 2.00.

From time to time: I don't eat out very often, but I do get a takeaway from time to time.

Give: I'd better go home now. If I'm late again my dad's going to give me a hard time.

33
English Vocabulary

Give (sb) a hard time: My friend gave me a hard time because I was so late.

Have: New York's such a fantastic city. You're going to have the time of your life there.

Have the time of your life: I had the time of my life at the party.

In: If we don't get a taxi, we won't get to the airport in time.

In (two days‟) time: I can‟t believe we‟ll be leaving in two days‟ time.

In time for: He didn‟t arrive in time for the flight so he missed it.

Kill: I had three hours to wait for my flight, so I sat there doing sudoko to kill some time.

Kill time: There wasn‟t much to do at the airport to kill time.

Make up for: My mother never had a chance to travel when she was younger. Now she's
retired and wants to make up for lost time, so she's booked a trip around the world.

Make up for lost time: After spending so long apart we wanted to make up for lost time.

Matter of time: It will definitely happen - it's only a matter of time

Me time: Time alone - I need a bit of me time.

Not much time left: There isn‟t much time left for them to score a goal.

Off: He's been working too hard recently. He needs some time off.

On time: I'm really punctual, so I hate it when people aren't on time.

Pushed for time: I can‟t chat now because I‟m a bit pushed for time.

Run out of time: I didn‟t finish the puzzle because I ran out of time.

Save: If you take the motorway you'll save time - it's much quicker than the local roads.

Save time: It‟ll save time if we check-in online.

Short of time: Not having enough time - I've got too much work at the moment. I'm always
short of time.

Spare: I would like to go camping this weekend, but I have an exam next week so I can't
spare the time.

Spare the time: I‟d love to help but I just can‟t spare the time.

34
English Vocabulary

Spend, run out of: Let's not spend too long at the museum or we'll run out of time.

Take: The novel's over 700 pages, so it's going to take me a long time to finish it. There's no
hurry, so take your time.

Take a long time: We should set off because it takes a long time to get there.

Take up: My children take up all my time - I never seem to get to read a book or watch a
film.

Take up all your time: His work takes up all his time. He never has a day off.

Take your time: There‟s no hurry, so take your time.

The whole time: Constantly - He talked the whole time the film.

The time next week: This time next week we‟ll be lying on the beach.

Time off: After the accident she took a lot of time off.

Time on my hands: After I retired, I had too much time on my hands.

Time‟s up: Time‟s up. The exam is over.

Time-consuming: Something that takes a lot of time is time-consuming.

Time on my hands: Have a lot of free time - Now that I'm retired I have a lot of time on my
hands.

Time's up: Finished - time‟s up! Stop writing.

Time to spare: Time left over - I finished the exam with time to spare.

Waste: I waste a lot of time playing computer games when I should be studying.

waste time: We haven‟t long, so let‟s not waste time.

With time to spare: I thought I‟d be late but I got here with time to spare.

35
English Vocabulary

36
English Vocabulary

FOOD

A backlog: There‟s only one chef so there‟s often a backlog of orders.

All that kind of stuff: Fast food is full of fat and salt, and all that kind of stuff (ingredients).

An awful lot of: There are an awful (very bad and unpleasant) lot of fast food joints (share)
here.

At once: When people dine here, they want their meals at once.

Aubergine: You need an aubergine for this pasta dish.

Baked: I had a baked potato with tuna for my lunch.

Baked figs: When we were in Greece, we had baked figs (fruit trees) for dessert.

Baking tray: Put the pie on a baking tray and heat for forty minutes. A sheet of metal with
low sides, used for baking food.

Beans: These beans are overcooked.

Beat (eggs): To make a good cake you need to beat the eggs vigorously.

Beef: We always eat roast beef on Sundays.

Beetroot: I always put beetroot in my salads.

Bland: The meal was bland, and in need of a few herbs and spices. Insipid.

Blend: A rich blend of the finest coffee beans. Combine, mix.

Boiled: I like to have boiled eggs for breakfast.

Boiling: It‟s boiling at the moment – 34 degrees Celsius!

Bone: The chef bones the fish before grilling it. Skeleton.

Broil: I'll broil the bacon rather than fry it. Grill.

Cabbage: I don‟t like the taste of cabbage.

Cake: I made a chocolate cake for my girlfriend‟s birthday.

37
English Vocabulary

Carbohydrates: Rice is an important source of carbohydrates.

Carton: Can you get me a carton of orange juice?

Charred: The barbecue charred the meat but didn‟t cook it.

Chef: My brother is a chef in an Italian restaurant.

Cherries: Cherries are really delicious.

Chicken: Chicken is a low-fat meat.

Chill: I've put the beer in the fridge to chill. Refrigerate.

Chocolate: They give their clients free chocolate at the end of the night.

Chopped onions: Fry the chopped onions with the garlic. Cut in two.

Chopping board: You should have a separate chopping board for meat.

Coat: When the biscuits are cool, you coat them in/with melted chocolate. Cover.

Concentration: Blueberries can improve concentration by up to 20 per cent.

Container: This is a plastic container for pasta.

Crave: When my mum was pregnant, she craved gherkins (a small type of cucumber that
is often pickled, preserved in vinegar). Desire.

Creamy: We ordered pasta in a creamy sauce.

Crust: The pie itself was nice, but the crust on top was burnt. The cooked pastry on top.

Cuisine: I love Indian cuisine.

Curdle: Great care should be taken, especially in the beginning, as the eggs easily curdle
when the oil is stirred in (move, agitate, mix) too fast. Coagulate, gel.

Cut down on: I need to cut down on sugar and fat to lose weight.

Courgette: I used a courgette in this recipe.

Crab: Can I have a crab sandwich, please?

Cucumber: I don‟t like the taste of cucumber.

Delicious: The food was delicious.

Dine: When I was young, we never dined in restaurants. Eat.

Drain (the pasta): After you‟ve drained the pasta don‟t leave it to stand (endure)for too
long.

Duck: I love duck with orange sauce.

38
English Vocabulary

Duty-free: Max asked us to bring back some duty-free cigarettes. With exemption from
customs or excise duties. Tax-free.

Edible: Presentation is important, but food should be edible. Comestible, good to eat.

Efficiently: Food that is high in protein helps your brain to work more efficiently.

Egg: I had a fried egg for breakfast.

Endorphins: Your brain releases endorphins when you eat chocolate and this makes you
feel good.

Fish: I love oily fish like salmon.

Food supplement: I take a food supplement every day.

Fresh: I bought some wonderful fresh fish today.

Fried: Fried bread is too oily for me.

Frying pan: I chose a frying pan with a heavy base.

Frozen: Have we got any frozen vegetables?

Fruit: You should eat some fresh fruit every day.

Get carried away: When I get carried away in the kitchen, I experiment with exotic spices.

Give (sth) a go: I don‟t like the idea of eating a dog but I‟d give it a go.

Grapes: Do you prefer red or green grapes?

Grated cheese: Sprinkle some grated cheese over the potato topping.

Grilled: I would like the grilled steak, please.

Heat (sth in the microwave): I like cooking but it‟s easier to heat something in the
microwave.

Herbs: Her meals don‟t taste of anything because she never uses herbs.

Home-made: Home-made pies (dessert) are much nicer than ones from a shop.

Inedible: We tried to eat the meal but it was inedible.

Jar: Can you pass me that jar of strawberry jam?

Lamb: I always order a lamb curry at that Indian restaurant.

Lemon: I always like to have some lemon with my fish.

Low-fat: Would you like a low-fat yoghurt?

Mango: Is there any mango in this fruit salad?

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English Vocabulary

Margarine: Do you prefer butter or margarine?

Mashed potatoes: Would you like mashed potatoes or chips?

Meat: My sister doesn‟t eat meat because she‟s a vegetarian.

Melon: This melon isn‟t sweet enough.

Melted: There was melted chocolate at the bottom of my bag.

Minced beef: Minced beef is very cheap and versatile.

Mix (the ingredients): Minced beef is very cheap and versatile.

Mouthful: She tried a mouthful then put her knife and fork down.

Mushroom: I‟ll have a ham and mushroom pizza, please.

Mussels: We had some delicious mussels and chips in Belgium.

Nibble: She nibbles at her food like a rabbit. Bite.

Otherwise: Please try not to make a mess when you make the cake. Otherwise, I‟m going
to have to clean the kitchen again. Contrarily, In an opposed way.

One step ahead: It‟s really busy and you always have to be one step ahead. (One step
before)

Oven: The oven needs to be very hot when you start roasting beef.

Overall: I think that my diet is pretty good, overall.

Peach: I would like a peach for dessert, please.

Pear: Would you like a pear or an apple?

Peeled prawns: You need to use peeled prawns in a prawn cocktail.

Peeled shrimps: She was ill after eating the peeled shrimps.

Poached eggs: I fancied some poached eggs but I couldn‟t find the pan.

Pot: My mother always had a pot of soup on the stove.

Pepper: We need one red pepper and one onion.

Pork: Many people do not eat pork in Morocco.

Pork ribs: One of my favourite meals is pork ribs with onion sauce.

Pour: You need to pour the beaten eggs in a little at a time.

Prawns: We had prawns with lemon juice and garlic.

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English Vocabulary

Pre-cooked: How often do you buy pre-cooked meals?

Prosciutto: Prosciutto is an Italian ham.

Protein: Meat is a good source of protein.

Raspberries: We had raspberries and ice cream.

Raw: I hate the taste of raw onions.

Ripe: You can tell the bananas aren‟t ripe by the colour.

Roast: We always have roast potatoes on Sundays.

Rub: If you rub the chicken with garlic it gives it a nice flavour.

Salmon: Oily fish like salmon is very good for you.

Salt: Don‟t put too much salt on your dinner.

Saucepan: We still use the saucepans we received as a wedding gift.

Sausage: Would you like a sausage or a burger?

Scrambled eggs: I can make you some scrambled eggs on toast

Seafood: My mum loves seafood, especially prawns and mussels.

Shellfish: Many people are allergic to shellfish such as mussels.

Simmer: You have to simmer the sauce, not boil it.

Skewer: Put a skewer into the leg of the chicken to see if it‟s cooked.

Sliced bread: All sliced bread tastes synthetic to me.

Spices: We were overwhelmed by the smell of exotic spices.

Spicy: I love spicy Thai curries.

Spit out: When he wasn‟t looking, I spat out the food into my napkin.

Squid: I ordered fried squid for my starter.

Steak: I ordered steak and chips at the restaurant.

Steamed: Steamed vegetables are very healthy.

Stir (a sauce): Could you stir the sauce and make sure it isn‟t lumpy (irregular)? Freir.

Stir-fry: Stir-fry the chicken for one minute, then add the vegetables. To fry small pieces of
meat, vegetables, etc. quickly while mixing them around. Rehogar.

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English Vocabulary

Strain: The oil in which the fish is fried is strained off and used to cook potatoes. To separate
liquid food from solid food, especially by pouring it through a utensil with small holes in it.
Colar

Stuffed peppers: I need to get some rice for the stuffed peppers. To put food into peppers
to become heavy and dense. Rellenar.

Sugar: I always have sugar in my coffee.

Takeaway: We ordered a takeaway pizza.

Tasting menu: The restaurant‟s tasting menu gives an insight into their cuisine.

There‟s a long way to go: People are starting to eat more healthily, but there‟s a long way
to go.

Thicken: Thicken the sauce with a little flour. Harden, solidify, coagulate.

Tinned: I don‟t like the taste of tinned tuna.

Toasted sandwich: I bought a machine that makes toasted sandwiches.

Trim: Trim off the leafy (leaf-covered, in foliage) ends of the vegetable before cooking. Cut.

Tuna: I made a tuna salad for my dinner.

Turkey breast: He ate a turkey breast for Christmas dinner.

Vegetable: Is an avocado a fruit or a vegetable?

Vitamin: There is a lot of vitamin C in oranges.

Waste: You can even make stock from the bones, so that nothing goes to waste.

Whipped cream: I love having whipped cream with apple pie.

Whisk: Whisk the egg whites until stiff (firm, hard). Beater, mix, prepare.

42
English Vocabulary

HOUSES

Balcony: There‟s a great view from our balcony.

Basement: Many houses in Canada have a basement.

Ceiling: We painted the ceiling white.

Chimney: We need to clean the chimney before we light the fire.

City: I want to live in a big city like Paris or London.

Cosy: Our living room is small, but it‟s really cosy.

Country: I live in a small cottage in the country.

Deep: Some people have deep beliefs in reincarnation.

Deepen: The pool deepens after the mid-way point.

Depth: The river reaches a depth of six metres in the middle.

East coast: I live in Aldeburgh, a small town on the east coast.

Entrance: The entrance to the building is round the back.

Fireplace: We have a beautiful Victorian fireplace in our living room.

Flat: The ground was flat as far as the horizon.

Flatness: The flatness of the landscape was unremitting.

Flatten: When making biscuits, you must flatten the dough.

Gate: We painted the gate to our garden dark green. Ground floor: I don‟t want to live on
the ground floor – I don‟t think it‟s safe.

Height: My height is often a problem when sleeping in hotel beds.

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English Vocabulary

Heighten: Travelling on a roller coaster with your eyes shut heightens the excitement.

High: We were really high up and could see for miles around.

Length: The length of the walk is about three hours.

Lengthen: If we have to stop all the time it‟ll lengthen the trip.

Light: We have big windows so our living room is really light.

Long: It‟s a long journey, so take something to eat and drink.

Made of stone Our house is made of stone.

Modern: We have an expensive modern kitchen.

Open fire: I love sitting by the open fire in winter time.

Outskirts: I live on the outskirts of Birmingham.

Overlook: Does your balcony overlook the river?

Path: A path leads through our garden to the back door of our house.

Patio: We have chairs, a table, and a barbecue on our patio.

Property: The house will become my property when my brother dies.

Remain: Do you think this garden will remain beautiful if we move out?

Roof: I‟ll need a ladder to get that football off the roof.

Second floor: We live on the second floor of that apartment block.

Short: Tom should stand at the front because he‟s short.

Shorten: I shortened Ryan‟s trousers for his little brother.

Shortness: I noticed the shortness of the local people.

Spacious: Our kitchen is really spacious so we put a dining table in it.

Steps: You have to go down three steps to get into our garden.

Strength: Lifting those weights requires great strength.

Strengthen: This workout will strengthen your muscles.

Strong: You aren‟t strong enough to carry that heavy case!

Suburbs: When we had children we moved from the city centre to the suburbs.

Terrace: We have a terrace where you can sit outside and sunbathe.

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English Vocabulary

Thick: Her hair was luxuriant, long and thick.

Thicken: You need to add some flour to the sauce to thicken it.

Thickness: The thickness of the castle walls was intended to keep heat in.

Tidy: It‟s not a tidy garden.

Top floor: We live on the top floor of that building and we have great views.

Town: I was born in a town called Shrewsbury.

Turn the house: They decided to turn the house into a hotel.

Unpainted: Our dining table is unpainted.

Village: I grew up in a village in Wales.

Wall: There is a wall between our garden and our neighbour‟s garden.

Weaken: If you don‟t eat enough you‟ll weaken your immune system.

Weakness: He was overcome by weakness as he crossed the line.

Wide: The river isn‟t very wide here so we can swim across it.

Widen: They‟re widening the road to make it into four lanes.

Width: The width of the lorry meant that it took up the entire road.

Wooden floors: We have wooden floors in our dining room and living room and it looks
great.

45
English Vocabulary

46
English Vocabulary

ILLNESS

Ache: I‟ve had stomach ace all day, and I‟ve been sick. (dolor)

Acupuncture: Tests showed that placing needles randomly worked as well as „real‟
acupuncture.

Acupuncturist: An acupuncturist should know where to place the needles without causing
pain.

Agony: I had terrible toothache and I was in agony.

Allergic: Tom‟s allergic to nuts, they make him really ill.

Alternative therapy: Have you tried alternative therapy, like hypnotherapy?

Amnesia: After the accident he suffered periods of amnesia.

Ankle: Dave twisted his ankle playing football yesterday.

Antibiotics: the doctor gave me some antibiotics for my sore ear.

Antiseptic: Many of the ingredients for antiseptics come from the rainforests.

Aromatherapy: The oils used in aromatherapy are expensive.

Arthritis: In later life she was crippled (damaged) with arthritis.

Asthma: my asthma gets worse when I do exercise.

Avoid: Do anything to avoid hurting people‟s feelings. Keep away from, abstain from.

Bandaged: He came to work with a bandaged head.

Being sick: She was sick after she ate too much chocolate. To vomit.

Beware: You should beware of undercooked food when staying in hot countries. keep an
eye out for, look out.

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English Vocabulary

Blame: It's tempting to blame television for the increase in crime. Condemn, censure,
castigate.

Bleed: Press the cut firmly – it won‟t bleed so much.

Blister / Rash: I‟ve got a blister on my heel from my news shoes.

Blood pressure: The nurse will take your blood pressure in a moment.

Bloody: I've had a bloody awful (bad, unpleasant) week.

Body clock: Other people have a good body clock that wakes them up.

Breathe deeply: The instructor told us to breathe in deeply and then breathe out slowly.

Bruise: Look at this bruise on my leg where I fell off my bike. Contusion, discoloration.

Burnt: She‟s burnt her hand on the oven.

Come round: She hasn't come round from the anaesthetic yet. Become conscious.

Capable: We need to get an assistant who's capable and efficient.

Catch cold: you‟ll catch cold if you go out without a coat.

Chiropractic: Chiropractic neck manipulation can result in death.

Chiropractor: A bad chiropractor can injure a person‟s back.

Cough: if you didn‟t smoke, you wouldn‟t cough so much.

Cure: I want to find a cure for my headaches.

Dazed: He was walking in the middle of the road, looking dazed. Confused, disoriented,
unconscious.

Deathbed: She actually carried on trying to finish it on her deathbed. Close to death.

Diarrhoea: He got diarrhea when he had food poisoning.

Disease: When she was six she caught polio – a disease (illness, sickness) which left her with
one leg shorter than other.

Dizzy: I‟m feeling dizzy, I think I ought to sit down.

Drug: There‟s a new drug available to treat arthritis.

Earache: my earache has affected my hearing.

Face it head-on: You must face it head on and say what you think.

Fainted: The soldiers fainted because of the heat.

Feel sick: I feel sick – are you sure that fish was resh?

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English Vocabulary

Flu: Flu can be a serious illness for old people.

Food poisoning: she got food poisoning from eating chicken.

Germs: I never had a pet because I thought it would bring germs in.

GP: If you think you have flu, go to your GP.

Gut: Jennifer's mother had a gut feeling that something was wrong when her daughter
wasn't home by 10 o'clock. Instintine.

Headache: A headache is the most common health problem.

Heart attack: Since my heart attack, I've cut fatty foods out altogether.

Herbal medicine: Some herbal medicines have become mainstream.

High blood pressure: High blood pressure can lead to having a stroke.

Homeopath: It is worrying that anybody can practise as a homeopath.

Homeopathic medicine: Homeopathic medicine offers treatment for depression.

Homeopathy: It is said that homeopathy is merely a placebo.

Hurt: I‟ve got a really sore throat, it hurts when I swallow.

Hypnosis: Many people assume they will lose control under hypnosis.

Hypnotherapist: The hypnotherapist assured me that I would be cured.

Hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy has been used as an alternative to pain relief during

operations.

Illness: people suffer from more illnesses as they get older.

Ineffective: Modern medicine is ineffective at preventing illness.

Injection: you can get an injection to protect you from flu.

Injuries: He was taken to hospital, his injuries were serious.

Liable to: Are you more liable to get a cold if you feel cold?

Mainstream: In the nineteenth century, mainstream practices included bloodletting.

Medicine: take this medicine once a day until you feel better.

Mild: The treatment may have mild side effects.

Miscarriage: Although she recovered, she had three miscarriages. Malfunction, abortion

Misery: Poor people at that time led lives of misery.

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English Vocabulary

Needle: she refused the injection, she‟s terrified of needles.

No wonder: I was always running around. No wonder I was so thin.

Operation: you‟ll need an operation to repair your knee.

Osteopath: An osteopath uses gentler techniques than a chiropractor.

Osteopathy: Osteopathy is popular among people with back problems.

Outlook on: There was one event that changed his outlook on life.

Pain (in the chest): you should always take a pain in the chest seriously.

Painkillers: take some painkillers and go to bed.

Polio: when she was six she caught polio – a disease(illness, sickness) which left her with one
leg shorter than other.

Rash: she gets a red rash all over if she eats strawberries.

Reduce: Laughing can reduce stress.

Reflexologist: When the reflexologist massaged my feet I felt less tense.

Reflexology: In reflexology, the pressure points in our feet are manipulated.

Rest: it‟s important to get plenty of rest when you‟re ill.

Rip-off: Pills cost a few pence (plural of penny/ british money) to make, so the price is a rip-
off. Extortion.

Rite: Jumping into Grandma‟s pool was a rite that we performed every time we visited her.

Scan: I had another scan today – they said the baby‟s well.

Scold: She scolded him for breaking the window.

Sick: He‟s been off sick for two weeks.

Sham: Sham homeopathic practice undermines the validity of alternative medicine.

Skinny: He was a skinny child but he put on weight as an adult.

Sneeze: don‟t sneeze over me, I don‟t want to catch your cold!

Sore throat: I‟ve got a really sore throat, it hurts when I swallow.

Specialist: my doctor is sending me to see a specialist.

Spectre: I used to dream about ghosts and spectres when I was little.

Splendid: He used to have splendid toys that we all wanted to play with.

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English Vocabulary

Sprained: I‟ve just sprained my ankle, I haven‟t broken it.

Stitches: I went to hospital to have my stitches taken out.

Stomach ache: I‟m never eating fish again – I had stomach ache.

Stroke: he‟s had a stroke – his right side is paralyzed.

Swollen: her wrist looks very swollen – perhaps it‟s broken.

Symptoms: pains in the chest can be symptoms of a heart attack.

Tape: My fingers are bandaged with white tape.

Temperature: he‟s got a temperature and his body aches.

Treatment: the best treatment I can suggest is to drink water.

Twist her ankle: she twisted her ankle when she tripped over the cat.

Unconscious: he can‟t hear me – I think he‟s unconscious.

Unproven: The results are unproven and need further testing.

Useless: A treatment may work for one person but be useless for another.

Wound: I‟ll cover the wound with a bandage to keep it clean.

X-ray: when they took an X-ray, they discovered a break.

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English Vocabulary

52
English Vocabulary

MONEY

Afford: I can‟t afford to go on holiday this year. (To be able to pay for something)

Affluent: The affluent west is better able to face global warming.

Bank account: How much money do you have in your bank account?

Bank loan: Rosie, had to take out a bank loan for her university course.

Balance: The amount of money in an account

Bargains: I‟m very lazy looking for bargains.

Bill: The electricity bill came through the post today.

Borrow: You should borrow money when the interest rate is low (moderate, cheap,
reasonable).

Broke: Having no money (informal) (not used before noun: I am always broke by the end of
the month)

Buck: He earns megabucks (= a lot of money) working for an American bank. Dollar (slang)

Budget: Our budget won‟t allow for a big office party this year.

Can‟t make ends meet: You have to prioritize what you spend money on when you can‟t
make ends meet. Idiom!

Cash machine: I took £30 out of the cash machine.

Can‟t afford: People can‟t afford to take holidays abroad this year.

Charge: How much do you charge for a haircut? Sale on account, a charged sale.

Charity: My sister works for a children‟s charity and helps them to raise money.

Cheque: I wrote a cheque for £300.

Coin: I found a 10p coin on the pavement.

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English Vocabulary

Consumer society: We live in a consumer society where people want new things all the
time. (A way of living characterised by spending a lot of money and buying lots of material
goods)

Cost: These shoes cost £70.

Cost a fortune: The holiday cost a fortune but it was worth it. Idiom!

Cost of living: The cost of living has risen so our money doesn‟t go far. How much people
have to spend on essential things like rent, food, transport etc.

Credit card: The payment had been taken from my credit card.

Currency: What currency did Greece have before the euro? The money used in a country
(Euro, Pound, Dollar)

Debt: I had a lot of debt when I left university.

Deposit: She worked hard and was promoted so she was able to save a lump (block,
piece) sum (amount) to use as a deposit on her first flat. The first part of a larger payment,
e.g. for a car or house. (Pay a deposit)

Deserve: People with you deserve more attention than those at the end of the phone.

Donation: Money that you pay to an organisation such as a charity in order to help them
out. (Make a donation)

Earn: How much do doctors earn in your country?

Employ: We employ a gardener who comes once a week.

Exchange rate: Exchange rates are not very favourable against the pound at the moment.
The value of different currencies relative to each other

Fare: The money you pay to travel by bus, plane, taxi etc. (Pay a fare)

Fee: My lawyer has an hourly fee of £150! (The amount of money that you pay for
professional advice or services, e.g. to a lawyer.)

Fine: Money paid as a punishment for breaking the law. (Pay a parking fine)

Foot the bill: My children use the phone all the time but I foot the bill.

Go bankrupt: A legal admission that a person can no longer pay their debts and that they
have no money

Good value for money: I always look for good value for money when I‟m shopping. Idiom!

Go on sale: When will his new book go on sale?

Government grant: Andrew was very lucky to get a government grant to study zoology.

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English Vocabulary

Grand: Thousand (slang) (this car cost ten grand)

Grant: Money that is given by the government or another organization for a particular
purpose, e.g. education. (Give/receive a grant)

Hands-free: I bought a hands-free set so I can use my phone in the car.

Hard up: I‟m a bit hard up at the moment. Poor, especially for a short period of time
(informal)

Income: Incomes have gone up, but so has the cost of living. Money earned from working

In debt: A lot of people are in debt and unable to pay bills.

Inflation: The government was aiming (trying, making an effort) to keep inflation down to
about 2 per cent. The changing value of money

Inherit: She will inherit a lot of money when her parents die.

Instalment: I paid back the first instalment on my loan. (One of a number of payments that
are made regularly to spread the cost of something)

Instant messaging: I use instant messaging to chat to my friends.

Interest: How much interest do you pay on your credit card?

Interest rate: When interest rates are low try to pay off your debts. The cost of borrowing
money

In the black: We‟re very optimistic now that we‟re finally in the black. Idiom!

In the red: I wasn‟t popular with my bank because I was in the red. Idiom!

Invest: You should invest some money in the stock market.

It freaks me out: It makes me anxious. It freaks me out.

Going bankrupt: Going bankrupt is common for small companies during a recession.

Lend: Can you lend me £30 until tomorrow?

Link: I have a strong personal link to Greece because of my mother.

Live beyond your means: A good lesson is not to live beyond your means. Idiom!

Live off: I have to live off my parents while I‟m at university.

Live on: If I lose my job, I‟ll have no money to live on.

Loaded: She might look working class but her family are loaded. Very rich (informal)

Loads of (money): I was starring on TV and making loads of money.

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English Vocabulary

Loan: I need a loan from the bank to start my own business. (Money that a bank lends
and sb borrows)

Long-term: The economy isn‟t doing well now, but the long-term prospects are good.

Lump sum: When he retired, he opted to receive a lump sum. An amount of money that is
paid at one time and not on separate occasions.

Make money: I want to make money from my paintings.

Manage: I find it easy to manage my bank account online. Administer.

Massive amounts: Massive amounts of money have been given to the developing countries

Mass-produced: Mass-produced items are often cheaply made. Majority, multitude.

Millionaire: Jeff became a millionaire, but lost most of his money.

Mind-blowing: Last summer I lived a mind-blowing experience. (alucinante)

Money-wise: I‟m just an organized kind of person, money-wise.

More money than sense: Buying a car that they don‟t need shows that they have more
money than sense. Idiom!

Mortgage: The bank gave me a mortgage so that I could buy a house. (A loan that is
provided specifically to buy a house)

Note: I left a £20 note on my desk.

Overdraft: I need to reduce my large overdraft.

Owe: You owe me £10. (deber)

Pay back: I pay back £50 of the loan to the bank every month.

Penniless: His family were refugees who arrived here penniless. Very poor (literary)

Poor: Even in poor areas people have items like computers.

Pretty good going: I think that‟s pretty good going seeing as I‟m quite old now.

Prize: I won first prize in the competition.

Put aside: Every week, I put aside some money for a holiday.

Put a strain on: Our second son‟s arrival put a strain on our finances.

Quid: Pound (slang) (no plural)

Raise: How much money did you raise for the school? (aumenta)

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English Vocabulary

Recession: Our business lost a lot of money during the recession. (A period in which a
country's economy shrinks)

Rich: The couple became rich when they won the lottery.

Rough idea: I usually have a rough idea about what I spend my money on. Approximate,
estimate, inexact, imprecise.

Scam: That email saying we had won some money was a scam. Fraud.

Salary: Lawyers get a good salary.

Sales: I bought this jumper in the sales and it was reduced by 50 per cent!

Salesman: My brother is a used car salesman.

Save: I try to save some money every month.

Savings: You should put your savings in a high-interest account.The money you keep in your
bank account and don't spend. (Have a saving account)

Shares: Many people bought shares in utility companies. 'Percentages' of a company that
can be bought and sold, and may return dividends

Shopping spree: I always go on a shopping spree when I get my monthly salary.

Spend money like water: She spends money like water, then has nothing left to pay the bills.
Idiom!

Standard of living: Our standard of living has improved. The general quality of life in a
country or place.

Sticking to them: I‟m not very good at making budgets (estimates) and sticking to them.

Stock market: Some people make money on the stock market. (The place where shares in
companies are bought and sold.)

Store: He works in a grocery (corner) store.

Sum: She worked hard and was promoted so she was able to save a lump (block) sum.
Amount.

Take out: I never take out more than £50 at a cash machine.

Transfer: Police are investigating how £20 million was illegally transferred from/out of the
trust's bank account. The movement of money from one account to another

Tax: How much tax do you have to pay every month?

The standard of living: The standard of living has improved recently.

Tight-fisted: He was so tight-fisted he used to charge his children to use the phone. Idiom!

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English Vocabulary

Wealthy: Wealthy people can afford to buy good quality clothes.

Well-off: Her parents wanted to pay for the wedding despite not being well-off.

Waste: Don‟t waste your money on things you don‟t need.

Will: His new will stipulated that all his money should go to charity after his death. (A legal
document that says what is to happen to sb's money and property when they die. Make a
will)

Worth: How much is your house worth? Value.

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English Vocabulary

PERSONALITY

+ Adaptable: They are adaptable foragers that can survive on a wide range (diversity,
collection) of foods.

Admirable: The way he is coping with the death of his grandfather is admirable.

Absent-minded: My father is becoming quite absent-minded and often forgets to eat.

Abstracted, distracted, dreaming, dreamy, faraway, forgetful, unconscious

Active: Fans of intense music are usually physically active. Working, in action

+ Adventurous: I‟m not adventurous enough to try speed-dating!

+ Affectionate: dogs are very friendly and affectionate pets.

- Aggressive: he‟s very aggressive and often gets into fights.

Allowed: you aren‟t allowed to wear hooded (camouflaged, undercover) tops in some
places.

- Aloof: He‟s aloof about his affairs. Because of his shyness, he had the reputation of being
aloof. Reserved, distant

Amazed: I was amazed to hear that Bob is getting married.

+ Ambitious: Paul is really ambitious and is studying very hard at school.

Amused: the baby giggles (laugh) when he‟s amused. Divert, cheer

Ancient: The ancient Romans wore long capes.

Annoyed: Tina really annoyed me in the meeting this morning. - irritate

Anxious: my sister is very anxious and is always stressed.

- Arrogant: It‟s very arrogant to think you‟re better than her.

Ashamed: He felt so ashamed that he couldn‟t read. Embarrassed, humiliated

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English Vocabulary

As hard as nails: You can‟t upset (confused, disturbed, perturbed) Anna, she‟s as hard as
nails. (to have no feelings or sympathy for other people) Idiom!

+ Assertive: I wish I was more assertive (confident, positive), not so afraid to speak.

Astonished: I was absolutely astonished when I won the award (distinction).

Attractive: Daren‟s new girlfriend is really attractive.

Bad-mannered: he‟s terribly bad-mannered – he never says please.

Bad-tempered: Our neighbor is bad-tempered so I don‟t like talking to him.

- Big-headed: you think a lot of yourself fantastic, super.– Vain, conceited

- Bossy: my husband is very bossy and is always telling me what to do. -authoritarian,
dictatorial, dominant

Busybody: Some busybody tipped (avisar) off the police.

Breaks my heart: Breaks my heart makes me very upset. Disconcerted, amazed, shocked,
confused and sad. Idiom!

Bright: had a bright future in publishing. Smart, clever and intelligent.

Broke: I was always broke when I was a student. To lose your confidence, determination, or
ability to control yourself, or to make someone do this

Bubbly: at the speed dating event she seemed really bubbly. Animated, lively, vivacious

Charming: Nicola‟s new boyfriend is charming and friendly. Captivating

- Chatty: She spends hours on the phone chatting to her friends. spontaneous, talkative

Cheerful: I love visiting my gran, she‟s always so cheerful. Optimistic, in good spirits, happy,
hopeful, lively, glad, positive, joyful.

Close to my heart:

Clever: my sister is really clever and wants to study medicine. Smart, intelligent, bright.

Cold fish: Joe‟s a bit cold fish, he seems rather unfriendly. My boss is a bit of a cold fish, is
unfriendly and he never shows his emotions. Idiom!

Competitive: I don‟t like playing football with Jason, he‟s too competitive.

Complaining: Kevin got fed up (discontented) with Marcus because he was complaining.
Lamenting

- Compulsive: In the past she was a compulsive thief.

- Compulsively: She cleans compulsively.

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English Vocabulary

Conceited: The conceited man would not stop talking about himself. Egotistical, vain, big-
headed.

Confused: most people are stunned (astonished) and confused by disasters. Absent-
minded, confounded, confusing

+ Conscientious: she‟ll do a good job, she‟s very conscientious. Rigorous, precise, prudent.

+ Considerate: I wish they were more considerate, they‟re so noisy.

Couldn‟t believe my eyes: I couldn‟t believe my eyes, she looked ten years younger.

Creative: Fiona‟s very creative, her drawings are beautiful.

Critical: She is very critical of the way we bring up our children.

-/+ Curious: Fans of gangsta rap tend to be curious about the world.

- Cynical: I‟m always very cynical about our government, I never think their decisions are
good.

Delighted: we were delighted when our daughter graduated. -Charmed, enchanted,

gladdened, happy, in seventh heaven, over the moon.

Depressed: After he lost his job he became really depressed.

Desperate: Kevin was feeling desperate- he had become lost.

Determined: She‟s very determined. Once she‟s decided to do something, nothing will stop
her. Persistent, strong-willed.

Devastated: they were absolutely devastated when their son died. Destroyed, ruined

Disappointed: James was disappointed when he didn‟t get a new bike. Unsatisfied,
depressed

- Dishonest: downloading music without paying is dishonest.

Disorganized: our secretary is so disorganized – we never know when meetings are booked.

Determined: sleep is mainly determined by our working hours. Decided.

Do sb‟s head in: Getting up at four o'clock every morning was doing my head in. I've been
trying to make sense of all these figures and it's doing my head in. makes someone feel
confused or unhappy.

Down in the dumpts: you look a bit down in the dumps. Are you ok? She's down in the
dumps because all her friends are out of town. Unhappy.

Down to earth: Estela is probably the most down to earth person I‟ve ever met. My brother
in law is very down to earth is very sensible and practical. Sensible and practical, common
sense, realistic... Idiom!

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English Vocabulary

Drive someone mad/crazy: My parents drive me mad with their arguing! It drives me mad
when people wear sunglasses indoors.

Dynamic: She's young and dynamic and will be a great addition to the team. Energetic,
vigorous, active

-/+ Easy-going: she‟s quite easy-going, relaxed about most things. Calm

Eccentric: I had an eccentric aunt who used to sing opera.

Egotistical: I‟m an egotistical maniac with an inferiority complex.

Emotional: She‟s really emotional and often cries.

Engaging: He has an engaging smile. Attractive

Enormous: He was carrying an enormous samurai sword.

Enthusiastic: Maria is really enthusiastic about her new job.

Entrepreneur: Our daughter has created her own product and is a promising young
entrepreneur. - Adventurer, businessperson

Exhausted: I was exhausted after the race.

Extrovert: My dad is a real extrovert and loves meeting new people. – Sociable, outgoing

Fantastic: I‟ve had a fantastic time here.

Far-fetched: Is a far-fetched excuse for being late. Improbable, not believed.

Fed up: I‟m fed up with your conduct! Kevin got fed up with Marcus because he was
complaining (lamenting). Discontent.

Forgetful: Granddad can‟t help being forgetful, he‟s getting old.

Friendly: our new neighbor is really friendly.

Funny: he thinks he‟s funny, but no one else can see the joke.

Furious: I was furious about their poor decision.

- Fussy: He as always fussy about clothes. Meticulous, fastidious

+ Generous: Diane is always buying me presents – she‟s so generous.

Gentle: I wish I had been more gentle with people. Kind

Genuine: That psychic isn‟t genuine, nothing she said was true.

Get on someone‟s nerves: It really gets on my nerves when people shout on mobiles.

Glad: I'm glad to know the parcel arrived safely. Happy, pleased.

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English Vocabulary

Go blank: He let his mind go blank and kept on walking, thinking about nothing at all.
Can‟t think what to do or say.

Good-tempered: She was a great favorite with her mates, being good-tempered and
possessing the happy art of pleasing without effort. Affable, congenial, cordial, pleasant,
sociable, warm.

Gorgeous: Bardot was gorgeous when she was younger.

Gossiper: The gossiper survives on your fear, sadness and irritation so when you control your
emotions and behave as if nothing has happened, the other person loses interest.

Grateful: I'm just grateful that I'm not still working for him.

Gut: Jennifer's mother had a gut feeling that something was wrong when her daughter
wasn't home by 10 o'clock. Instintine.

Hard as nails: You can‟t upset (very sad, worried, or angry about something) Anna, she‟s as
hard as nails.

Hard-working: Mary is a hard-working person so I‟m sure she will pass her exams. Active.

Have a heart of gold: Janice has got a heart of golf, she helps everyone. Mums got a
hearth of gold she‟s incredibly kind to everyone she meets. Kind, gentle and sensitive.
Idiom!

Heart of gold: His grandmother is so kind, she really has a heart of gold.

Hilarious: The film was hilarious, we laughed so much.

Homesick: When the boy first went to boarding-school he was very homesick. Nostalgic

Honest: Wendy is so honest – she always tells the truth.

Hopeless: British people are usually hopeless at complaining.

Inappropriate: he was severely reprimanded at work for making inappropriate comments

in an email.

Illiterate: despite the fact that the rest of her family was illiterate, she manage to learn to
read, and eventually graduated from university.

Ill-prepared: she was very ill-prepared for the interview. She seemed to know nothing about
the company at all.

Imaginative: My daughter is really imaginative and is always writing stories.

Immature: grow up – stop being so immature. He‟s nearly 26 now, but he‟s still so immature.

- Impatient: Megan always wants things right now – she‟s so impatient.

- Impolite: My uncle is really impolite. He never greets me. - Rude

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English Vocabulary

- Impulsive: you‟re too impulsive, you should think before you act.

- Indecisive: He was criticized as a weak and indecisive leader.

Independent: Karen lives on her own because she likes to be independent.

- Indiscreet: It was indiscreet of her to mention it

- Inflexible: The minister has adopted an inflexible position on immigration. Strong-willed.

Innocent: My sister hit me but my mum thought she was innocent.

Insecure: Hanna isn‟t a confident (sure) child, I think she‟s insecure. Stuart is really insecure
about the way he looks.

Insensitive: She asked him about his divorce which I think was very insensitive.

Insincere: don‟t believe what Greg says, he‟s totally insincere.

- Intolerant: He‟s very intolerant of people who smoke.

+ Intuitive: A positive pregnancy test soon confirmed her intuitive feelings.

- Irresponsible: I don‟t want you to go out with Vanessa tonight, she‟s too irresponsible.

- Jealous: Louise is really jealous of Pete because he has a great job.

Keep up with: Don‟t run so fast, I can‟t keep up with you. Move or make progress at the
same rate as sb/sth

Keep your head: Can you keep your head at times of pressure and stress? To be calm.

Kind: My wife is really kind – she‟s always doing things for other people. – Polite - Gentle

Kind-hearted: He was a kind-hearted man who would do anything for you. Sb who wants
to help people.

Laid-back: I can imagine he's good to work for, he seems very laid-back. Relaxed, not get
anxious or angry very often.

Laugh at sb: they do not need a watch and they laugh at us when they see how stressed
we are.

Lazy: Ian never does any housework, he‟s so lazy.

Left-handed: She was born left-handed but uses her right hand now.

Lively: It's hard work teaching a class of lively children. Energetic, stimulating

Lonely: I think Jonna‟s a bit lonely in London. – solitary, alone.

Look down on: A lot of people look down on us because we‟re homeless. to consider
someone or something as not important or of value.

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English Vocabulary

+ Loyal: Jenny‟s very loyal, she never says anything unkind (rude).

Manipulative: Even as a child she was manipulative and knew how to get her own way.

Mature: She‟s only twelve, but she‟s very mature for her age

- Mean: My sister never shares her things, she‟s really mean.

Meticulous: He was meticulous writing the book. Thorough

Mock at sb: you shouldn‟t mock at Luis beliefs. Laugh at.

Mood: Don‟t talk to Barry today because he‟s in a bad mood.

- Moody: you‟re so moody, I never know what to expect.

- Narrow-minded: He's just a narrow-minded bigot (fanatic). Intolerant and conservative.

- Nervous: I get very nervous before an exam.

Nosy: She was complaining about her nosy parents. Curious.

Obey: You should obey your parents.

- Obsessive: My younger sister is really obsessive about the boy band One Direction.

- Obstinate: He is obstinate and determined and will not give up. Pig-headed, stubborn,
headstrong.

Offended: Julia was very offended when you didn‟t invite her.

Open-minded: My dad accepts new ideas, he‟s quite open-minded.

Optimistic: I‟m quite optimistic about moving to London.

Organized: Our administrator is really organized.

Over-confident: Congress party in India was over-confident of its winning in Gujarat. The
person who declares his victory without assessing his capabilities or the final result or
situations.

Overconfident: It's good to have a healthy self-esteem, however being overconfident can
wind you up in a corner. Arrogant, presumptuous and assuming.

Overrated: In my opinion, she's a hugely overrated singer. Overestimated, exaggerated, in

too high regard, pretentious

Over the moon: I finally passed my state exam! I‟m over the moon! She was over the moon
about/with her new bike. Idiom!

- Outgoing: James is really outgoing and has many friends. Friendly and enjoyable

Overwhelmed: mum was completely overwhelmed when Dad proposed.

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Pain in the neck: she‟s a real pain in the neck – she‟s so difficult. My brother is a real pain in
the neck, is so annoying. He‟s always taking my things. Idiom!

- Passionate: a teacher who is passionate about her subject.

- Patient: You need to be patient if you want to be a driving instructor.

+ Persistent: She is a persistent offender and has been arrested five times this year for
shoplifting (stealing, theft).

- Pessimistic: I‟m pessimistic. I always expect the worst.

Pig-headed: - stubborn, obstinate, awkward, uncooperative, willful.

Polite: He was too polite to point out (say, designate) my mistake.

- Possessive: don‟t be so possessive, she needs a bit of freedom.

+ Practical: We need someone practical who can cope with a crisis.

Protective: It's easy to be too protective towards/of your children.

Proud: I was so proud of my son when he passed his exams. Satisfied, pleased, gratified,
exultant.

- Quick temper: I know I've got a quick temper, but I'd never start a quarrel that could end
in a massacre. My uncle has a very quick temper, he gets angry very easily. Gets angry
easily. Idiom!

Quiet: Anna is so quiet, it‟s really hard to talk to her.

-/+ Rebellious: Julie is really rebellious and never does what her parents tell her to do.

Relaxed: My mother is really relaxed and never gets stressed.

+ Reliable: Brian is very reliable; he does what he says. Ken is not very reliable, he‟s always
late.

Rely: I‟m asking you because I know I can rely on you. (persona de confianza)

Reserved: she‟s not unfriendly, just a bit reserved, that‟s all.

+ Resourceful: He‟s quite resourceful. He can usually work out how to solve a problem.
Ingenious, enterprising.

Responsible: Our son is very responsible and hard-working.

- Rude: I was offended by his rude behaviour. bad-mannered, ill-mannered.

- Sarcastic: Our maths teacher used to be so sarcastic. She loved making comments that
made us feel small.

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Satisfied: I‟m satisfied with my life at the moment.

Scared stiff: when I saw the burglar I was scared stiff.

Sceptical: I‟m sceptical about psychic‟s claims.

Scrooge: He spends as little money as possible. Not generous, tight-fisted, mean.

Self-centred: Dave was totally self-centred and could never get things to go his way.
Egocentric

Self-confident: She's so self-confident and easy breezy (carefree, cheerful)

- Selfish: Jane is really selfish and only ever thinks of herself.

Self-sufficient: He‟s very self-sufficient. He never needs anyone else‟s help.

+ Sensible: Our teenage daughter is really sensible so we can trust her. – Not impulsive.

+/- Sensitive: don‟t mention his results, he‟s feeling a bit sensitive.

Shocked: he was completely shocked, in a trance.

Shy: I‟m really shy and find it hard to meet new people.

Sick: The new president said she would dedicate herself to protecting the rights of the old,
the sick, and the homeless.

+ Sincere: I believe he‟s being sincere when he says he loves me.

Sociable: if you are sociable. You will have more friends.

Soft touch: He‟s really soft touch, we can easily convince or persuade him to do what we
want. Dad is soft touch, I can always dissuaded him to give me extra pocket money. Idiom!

Soppy: Some people are really soppy about their pets.

Spoilt: Rachel is so spoilt, her parents are always giving her money. Pampered.

Spontaneous: He‟s very spontaneous. He can suddenly decide to go to Paris in the morning
and in the evening he‟s there!

Stable: she‟s an emotionally stable person, not easily upset.

Steady: Her boyfriend is a steady guy. He‟s sensible and she can rely (trust, have
confidence in) on him. Stable, firm.

Stick your nose into sth. I wish he'd stop sticking his nose into my personal life!

Stick your snoot in/into (sth). Stop sticking your snoot into other people's business! It is not
really your affair.

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- Stingy: He's really stingy and never buys anyone a drink when we go out. - avaricious,
mean, tightfisted

Straightforward: she‟s such a straight forward person. She‟s honest and open and says just
what she thinks. – Sincere, honest, frank.

Stressed: Richard works too hard and is always stressed.

Strong-willed: She's very strong-willed and if she's decided to drop out of school, nothing will
stop her. – Persistent, determined

- Stubborn: My dad is really stubborn and never changes his mind. - Hardheaded,
headstrong, obstinate, pig-headed

Stunned: most people are stunned and confused by disaster. – shocked, astounded,
stupefied

- Stupid: My parents think that all my friends are stupid.

Suffocate: I remember my brother trying to suffocate me under the bedcovers.

+ Sympathetic: He‟s not very sympathetic. When I was ill last week he didn‟t even phone
me. Friendly.

Talkative: energetic and rhythmic music attracts talkative people. Lucy is very talkative –
we chatted for hours.

Tease: Don't tease him about his weight, it's cruel. Ridicule, irritate, pull someone‟s leg.

Terrified: we were terrified when the plane lost height. Panicked, frightened.

+ Thorough: He‟s very thorough. Whatever part of a job he‟s doing, he does it with great
attention to detail. - Meticulous

Thrilled: Susie was thrilled to be chosen to star in the school play. Delighted, happy, excited.

Tidy: Harry is really tidy so his house always looks great. Orderly, ordered, clean,

Tight-fisted: Don't wait for Gillian to buy you a drink - she's too tight-fisted. Mean.

Tired: My mother looked tired and ill. Exhausted, sleepy...

To be a pain (in the neck): You‟re being a real pain! Be a pain in the bum or arse. To be
very annoying.

Trustworthy: A recent study showed that people with tattoos were seen as less responsible
and trustworthy. – Sincere, honest.

Two-faced: I don't trust her - I suspect she's a bit two-faced. Dishonest, hypocritical, false,
deceiving.

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Unambitious: he won‟t succeed, he‟s totally unambitious. I was unambitious when I was
young so I didn‟t study much.

Unfriendly: she‟s not unfriendly, just a bit reserved, that‟s all.

Unimaginative: The children‟s story was boring and unimaginative.

- Unkind: Jenny‟s very loyal, she never says anything unkind.

- Unpredictable: Britain's notoriously unpredictable weather. Uncertain.

- Unreliable: I‟m not going to ask Colin for help because he is really unreliable. False

Unselfish: Adam is really unselfish and always thinks of others.

Unsociable: don‟t be so unsociable, come with us to the pub.

- Untidy: Jim is very untidy – his bedroom is a real mess.

Upset: she‟s very upset when she heard about the accident. Confused, worried.

- Vain: Anna is so vain, she looks at herself in every mirror.

Value: Now that I am older I really value my parents.

Well-balanced: it‟s important to be well-balanced. Sensible, rational.

Well-bred: She was too well-bred to make personal remarks (comments, observations).
Well-mannered and refined.

Wise: I need someone wise to advise me. Clever, intelligent, sensible.

White lie: that was a white lie to get you here.

Witty: I used to think I had to be intelligent and witty. Original, brilliant, clever, ingenious.

Worn out: I‟m completely worn out, I just want to sit down. Exhausted, fagged, fatigued.

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English Vocabulary

70
English Vocabulary

PHRASES WITH GET

1. Become: get wet, get tired, get better/worse, get angry.

2. Receive: Get a present, get help, get a better job, get a shock.

3. Catch: Get the bus, get a cold, get an early flight.

4. Understand: Get the message, get a joke. I don‟t get what you mean.

5. Arrive: get home, get to work, get there.

6. Phrasal verbs: Get on well with someone, get over an illness, get into trouble.

Get a life!: You‟re still living with your parents? Get a life!. Stop being so sad! Idiom!

Get along with: Do you get along with your boss? Have a good relationship

Get a move on: Hurry up

Get around: The best way to get around the city is by taxi. Move from place to place.
Phrasal verb!

Get a shock: I got a shock when I saw how old he suddenly looked. Have a terrible surprise.

Get away: I‟m fed up (boring, annoyed, disappointed) with my daily routine. I‟m dying
(ending, decaying)to get away. To have a holiday.

Get away with: People who cheat in exams don‟t usually get away with it. Do something
wrong without getting caught. Phrasal verb!

Get back at: I'm going to get back my brother for telling my parents I got home late. Now I
won't lend him my bike.

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English Vocabulary

Get back to: I hope they get back to me soon with more information. Respond to
somebody by speaking or writing. Phrasal verb!

Get behind: She was ill so she got behind with her work. Fail to make enough progress, not
keeping up to date. Phrasal verb!

Get by: When Bob lost his job we had to get by on my salary. Manage with what you have,
manage to live. Phrasal verb!

Get down: My gran has stopped reading all the bad news in the paper because she says it
gets her down. Makes you feel unhappy or depressed.:

Get hold of: He couldn‟t get hold of John because he was in a meeting. Get in contact
with.

Get into sth: I got into journalism (newspaper writing) when I wrote for the local paper. Start
a career or profession. Phrasal verb!

Get into trouble: He got into trouble for browsing the internet at work.

Get it: It‟s embarrassing when someone tells the punchline to a joke, everyone laughs, and
you don‟t get it! Understand. (Punchline: the last part of a story or a joke that explains the
meaning of what has happened previously or makes it funny)

Get on: I don‟t know how old he is but he must be getting on a bit. Be old Idiom!

Get on like a house on fire: I thought he‟d hate her but they got on like a house on fire.
Have a good relationship or have the same tastes and interests. Idiom!

Get on (sb‟s) nerves: The loud music was really getting on my nerves. Annoy someone,
drive sb mad. Idiom!

Get on with: Could you please get on with your work and stop talking. Phrasal verb!

Get one's act together: Start to take things seriously; stop messing around. Idiom!

Get one's own way: Have things the way one wants them. Idiom!

Get on very well: They‟ve just met, but they already get on very well. Have a very good
relationship.

Get on with: Stop chatting to your friends and get on with your homework. Continue
doing. How get on with your new job? Are you doing at. Phrasal verb!

Get out of: She made up an excuse to get out of going to the party. Avoid responsibility.
Phrasal verb!

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English Vocabulary

Get out of the way: I tried to walk past him, but he wouldn‟t get out of the/my way. Move
to the side to let me pass.

Get over: At last, my sister has got over her ex-boyfriend and he started going out again.
Recover from breaking up with. Phrasal verb!

Get real!: Get real! There‟s no way you can afford a car like that!. Be serious! Idiom!

Get rid of: Moving home is a good time to get rid of stuff (material, things). Could you
please get rid of all the clothes you don‟t wear anymore? Throw away. Remove.

Get sb act together: She's so disorganized - I wish she'd get her act together. Start to
organize things in an effective way.

Get sb down: Not having enough time for myself really get me down. I don‟t mind cold
weather but grey skies get me down. Depress sb, makes sb sad. Phrasal verb!

Get sb own back on sb: Martha was dumped (throw away) by her boyfriend and now she
wants to get her own back on him. Take revenge.

Get sb own way: Talk about a family member who always gets her own way. Does what
she wants in the end.

Get somewhere with: Make progress

Get the chance: Since I moved we don‟t often get the chance to meet up. Have the
opportunity.

Get the hang of: I can‟t get the hang of a potato omelette. Do you know any tricks (skills,
facilities)? Learn how to make sth properly(correctly, accurately).

Get the impression: We got the impression he was angry.

Get the joke: I didn‟t laugh because I didn‟t get the joke. Without really understand it.

Get the message: I‟ve told him time after time that I don‟t want to go out with him, but he
just doesn‟t seem to get the message. Hear what I‟m saying, understand. Idiom!

Get the wrong end of the sick: I thought we‟d made it clear that we‟d meet at the
restaurant, but she got the wrong end of the stick and was waiting for us to pick her up.
Misunderstood. Idiom!

Get through: The last time you get through. Passed a difficult exam or test.

Get through to: I tried talking to him but I just couldn‟t get through to him. Make somebody
understand; connect to someone. Phrasal verb!

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English Vocabulary

Get together: Let‟s all get together for dinner at the end of the term. Meet socially, meet
up with. Phrasal verb!

Get to know: She‟s actually really nice when you get to know her. Become friends.

Get used to + -ing: Do you think you could eating insects? Become accustomed to sth.

Get your act together: You need to get your act together and start revising. Idiom!

Get your own back on: When he played a trick on me I wanted to get my own back.

Get your own way: She always argues until she gets her own way. Do whatever she wants.
Idiom!

Not get anywhere: I‟m not getting anywhere with this crossword. Idiom!

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English Vocabulary

PREFIXES

Antivirus: I‟ve just bought some new antivirus software.

Coworkers: Claire‟s an outgoing member of staff who gets on well with her coworker

Demotivated: The team felt demotivated after a second defeat (failure, loss).

Devalue: The pound has been devalued, so we‟ll get more euros now.

Discontinue: Initial results were negative so the company has decided to discontinue the
research.

Disembark: All the passengers were asked to disembark because the ship had developed
engine problems.

Dishonest: It was extremely dishonest of you to blame (culpability, disapproval) your brother
for what you did.

Illegal: I think his behaviour was very unethical even if it wasn‟t actually illegal.

Ill-feeling: There‟s a lot of ill-feeling towards teenagers in the community.

Illiterate: About 10% of the population are illiterate (uneducated).

Immobile: Since the accident, Marie has been immobile from the waist (middle) down.

Impractical: The traffic problems in my city make it impractical to drive to work.

Incapable: Gareth lost his job because he was incapable of doing anything right without
supervision.

Inhospitable: We will be trekking (walk) in very inhospitable terrain and you need to be
prepared for harsh (hard, severe) weather.

Interdepartmental: Professor Smart is chairing the interdepartmental meeting this morning.

Irregular: Does your language have as many irregular verbs as English?

Irreplaceable: Many of the items lost in the fire, such as photographs, were irreplaceable.

Misjudged: He misjudged the situation and told a bad joke. To make an inaccurate
estimate.

Misrepresent: The article misrepresented the situation completely. Distort, falsify.

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English Vocabulary

Outdoor: We‟re going to have an outdoor swimming pool built.

Outlived: My 98-year-old grandfather has outlived his three younger brothers.

Outnumber: Females outnumber men on language degree courses. to be greater in

number than someone or something.

Outsell: Tabloid newspapers outsell the broadsheets. Of a product, to be sold in greater

numbers than another product.

Overcharge: I was overcharged for a sandwich in that cafe once. Excess, overpayment.

Overrated: Don‟t eat there. It‟s overrated. Overestimated, overvalued.

Overreact: If I tell you what the problem is, will you promise not to overreact?

Postwar: During the postwar period, art and music flourished in the city.

Prearranged: We agreed to use a prearranged signal. Fix, mobilize.

Prematurely: The government withdrew (retire, remove) their troops prematurely.

Pro-government: The pro-government faction (division, coalition) crushed the rebels.

Prosocial: People are happier giving money in a prosocial way.

Reawaken: The film has reawakened interest in this period. Animate, excite.

Rewrite: You can‟t rewrite history.

Underdeveloped: There‟s plenty of action in his latest film but I felt the characters were
underdeveloped.

Underestimate: You underestimated how many guests there would be.

Underpaid: We are all overworked (abuse, extra work)and underpaid in this factory!

Underprepared: We were underprepared for the rigorous training.

Undo: My 2-year-old nephew always wants to dress himself but he can‟t do up or undo
buttons yet. Separate, unbutton.

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RELATIONSHIPS

A bit of a: I found the film a bit of a disappointment.

Acknowledge: He didn‟t acknowledge my presence.

Adult: I think I became an adult when I left home.

Adulthood: She spent most of her adulthood travelling.

Adhere to: In a foreign country you must adhere to their customs.

A great deal: I loved my dog a great deal, and was so sad when he died.

Alike: My sister and I are alike in looks but not in character.

A long way away: Tim lives a long way away, in another country.

As far as: As far as accommodation is concerned. With respect to, with reference to…

As regards/ Regarding: the accommodation, the options are living with family or living in a
hall of residence. With respect to, with reference to…

A while back: She wrote to him a while back, but he never replied.

Baggage: We all carry a lot of emotional baggage around with us. The beliefs and feelings
that influence how you think and behave.

Be together: I want us to be together forever.

Become friends: When did you first become friends?

Belief: I don‟t share your belief that this will work.

Besides: I don‟t think I‟ll come to Nick‟s party. It will finish very late. Besides, I won‟t know
many people there. In addition to, addiotionally.

Blue-eyed: The woman is blonde and blue-eyed.

Boredom: All I remember about that drab place is the boredom.

Breakdown: (rupture)

Break up: I find it really hard to break up with someone.

Bring up: After his parents died, he was brought up by his aunt.

Catch (sb‟s) eye: He caught my eye and winked at me.

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Celebration: This is a celebration of the great painter‟s work.

Childcare: I don‟t pay for childcare as my mum looks after my son.

Childhood: I have good memories of a very happy childhood.

Classmate: He‟s a classmate of mine – we take maths together.

Close family: Do you think you have a close family?

Close friend: Nina is a really close friend of mine.

Colleague: James is a work colleague.

Collocation: Far relative‟ is not a valid collocation.

Competition: He won the first competition that he‟d ever entered.

Conduct: I couldn‟t follow the talk as it was conducted in French.

Couple: How long have you and Wendy been a couple?

Death: Death is an inevitable part of our life cycle.

Decline: The results show a decline in traditional family structures.

Distant relative: As my dad‟s second cousin, Jack is a distant relative.

Dump: I‟m going to dump my boyfriend this evening.

Easy-going: She‟s very easy-going and gets on with anyone.

Encouraged: My mother has always encouraged me to fight for my dreams. Inspire.

Ex: I had a text message from my ex yesterday.

Extended family: I have a big extended family, including eighteen cousins!

Face problems head on: You need to face problems head on, not ignore them.

Fall out: I have a good relationship with my sister – I never fall out with her.

Family get-together: I dread the traditional family get-together at Christmas.

Fancy: Do you fancy anyone in your drama class?

Father figure: Some children have no father figure in their lives.

Fear: Being so clingy masks a fear of abandonment.

Fed up with: My wife got fed up with me spending all my time online.

Fiancé(e): This is my fiancée, Heather.

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Flatmate: Kevin is my flatmate.

For the sake of it: He‟s trying to keep life normal for the sake of his two boys. In order to help
or bring advantage to someone.

Freedom: Not everyone has the freedom to express themselves.

Friendship: Our friendship has lasted more than forty years.

Gang: I‟m not comfortable with being one of a gang.

Gathering: My parents have arranged a family gathering.

Get in touch: Please get in touch when you are next in town.

Get married: I‟d like to get married before I‟m 30.

Get on: Do you get on with your parents or do they annoy you?

Get stuck on: When I get stuck on a crossword clue I give up.

Get to: know I want to get to know you.

Go out together: How long did you and Nick go out together?

Go with your gut feeling: Go with your gut feeling and do what feels right.

Great-grandparents: My great-grandparents died when I was little.

Great-greatgrandparents: His great-great grandparents came over from Ireland in the

1890s.

Grow: Joe was a short child but he grew a lot in one year.

Grow up: I was born in London but I grew up in Wales.

Half-brother: My half-brother and I look very similar.

Half-sister: I didn‟t realize that my father had remarried and that I had a half-sister.

Happiness: I remember the happiness I felt when the war was over.

Hatred: His eyes were cold and full of hatred.

Have a crush on: I have a crush on my sister‟s best friend.

Have a skeleton in the cupboard: Most families have a skeleton in the cupboard.

Have something in common: You need to have something in common with your partner if
the relationship is going to work.

Hooked on: It‟s easy to get hooked on something that makes you happy.

Hurt (sb‟s) feelings: Are you going to apologize for hurting his feelings?

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Illness: She had to stay inside during her illness.

Imagination: The scenes described in the book fired my imagination.

Immediate family: How many people are there in your immediate family?

Keen on: Being keen on something may or may not lead to addictive behaviour.

Keep (sth) short: There isn‟t much time so keep the speech short.

Kind-hearted: He was a kind-hearted man who would do anything for you. Sb who wants
to help people.

Kindness: Thank you so much for your kindness in letting me stay.

Look after: When children are young it‟s better for one parent not to work and to look after
them.

Lose touch: Don‟t lose touch – let‟s exchange numbers before you move.

Loss: The loss of his home sent him into a deep depression.

Make sure: I think they‟re all coming but I‟ll make sure.

Mate: Nicola‟s not my girlfriend – she‟s just a mate.

Meet: I find it quite difficult to meet new people.

Members: Members of our family are encouraged to do housework.

Membership: Membership of the club is only open to men.

Mind-blowing: Last summer I lived a mind-blowing experience. (alucinante)

Moving: It was a moving moment for them.

Neighbourhood: The neighbourhood is less safe than it used to be.

Newborn: That newborn baby is so tiny.

Nappies:

Notion: Notions of grammatical correctness are changing.

No wonder: My parents were always nicer to me so no wonder my sister hated me.

Nuclear family: Single-parent families are replacing the nuclear family in some areas.

Obsessed with: I became obsessed with keeping up my tan.

Omit: Omitting „the‟ or „a‟ is common among non-native speakers of English.

Only child: I don‟t have any brothers or sisters – I‟m an only child.

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On speaking terms: We don‟t get on; in fact, we aren‟t on speaking terms.

Open to: The extent of behavioural addictions is open to debate.

Partner: I live in a small house with my partner.

Partnership: Jack and Pat have gone into partnership to open a shop.

Plan in advance: We need to plan in advance what we‟re going to say.

Poor: I was poor at French when I was at school.

Poverty: He was born into poverty but worked hard to make money.

Prediction: His prediction is that people will holiday in space in the near future.

Promise: I made a promise to my father that I would look after my mother when he died.

Propose: I want to propose to my girlfriend tonight.

Proud of: We‟re really proud of the fact that he overcame his addiction.

Rack your brains: He racked his brains but couldn‟t remember her name.

Raised: Her parents died when she was a baby and she was raised by her grandparents.
Educated, nursed.

Relative: I‟m my mother‟s closest relative.

Relation: Only friends and relations were invited to the wedding.

Relationship: We used to have a good relationship but we don‟t know.

Remain: Those who insist on standard English grammar remain in a powerful position.

Require: Pure grammatical correctness is not required in order to understand someone.

Rivalry: There was a lot of rivalry between me and my sister when we were younger.

Romantic: I took her out for a romantic meal.

Run in the family: My sisters both have red hair; it runs in the family.

Sadness: I realized with a sense of sadness that I‟d never be back.

See eye-to-eye: I don‟t see eye-to-eye with my father about politics.

Self-esteem:

Shame: I feel nothing but shame for the way I treated him. Compunction, conscience.

Share: I share a lot of hobbies with my sister.

Single-parent family: The rise in divorce has led to many single-parent families.

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Split up: When did you split up with Marco?

Spontaneous: She‟s very spontaneous, but her boyfriend tend to plan ahead (before).

Spread out: Nowadays, families are often spread out across the country. Expand, diffuse.

Step-brother: When my father remarried I acquired a step-brother.

Step-parents: Because of remarriage, many children live with step-parents.

Step-sister: My step-sister looks more like me than my sister does. To measure something.

Take: Nurses took my temperature and blood pressure.

Take after: She takes after her mother, who is also dark-haired.

Tell a white lie: I didn‟t want to upset him so I told him a white lie.

Tension: There was always a lot of tension in our house – our parents always argued.

That far back: I‟m only fifteen, so I can‟t remember that far back.

That‟s a shame: Paul can‟t come? Oh, that‟s a shame.

The black sheep of the family: As the black sheep of the family, he was never welcome.

The late 1700s: The French Revolution took place in the late 1700s.

Thus: He lost his temper in the interview and thus didn‟t get the job.

Time-consuming: Genealogy is time-consuming but worth all the effort.

Traits: Are there any family traits that members of your family share? Appearance,
personality.

Transcribe: The transcribed dialogue was different to the one on the CD.

View: Many people view this as an unresolvable problem.

Wear the trousers: My sister-in-law wears the trousers in that marriage!

Wisdom: Wisdom is a quality that increases with experience.

Your own flesh and blood: How can you treat your own flesh and blood so badly?

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SIMILES

As blind as a bat: I‟m as blind as a bat without my glasses.

As deaf as a post: You‟ll have to shout. He‟s as deaf as a post.

As good as gold: The children behaved well and were as good as gold.

As quick as a flash: He barked an order at us and then, as quick as a flash, he was gone.

As stubborn as a mule: She won‟t change her mind. She‟s as stubborn as a mule.

As white as a sheet: What‟s the matter? You look as white as a sheet!

Drink like a fish: You‟ll need more wine for the meal. Tom drinks like a fish.

Eat like a horse: She‟s only a little girl but she eats like a horse.

Sleep like a log: The bed was so comfortable. I slept like a log.

Work like a dream: My plan to get Sam and Amy together worked like a dream.

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SOUNDS AND THE HUMAN

VOICE

Bang: Did you hear that bang? It sounded like a gun.

Buzz: I could hear the buzz of a fly, but I couldn't see it anywhere

Click: To get the new software, just click on the 'download' icon/ a mousse button.

Crash: We heard the crash but didn‟t see the accident.

Creak: I felt nervous when I heard the floorboard creak.

Crunch: I heard the crunch of their feet walking through the snow.

Drip: Please turn the tap off properly, otherwise it'll drip. A melting icicle. sweat

Giggle: When I told her the joke she giggled uncontrollably.

Giggle (at sth): Several of the girls giggled at Paul‟s silly joke. To laugh in a silly way.

Groan: Approaching the crash, we heard a man groaning in pain.

Hiss: The snake reared its head and gave an angry hiss. Air coming out of a tyre.

Hoot: I hate people who hoot at me when I slow down at an amber light.

Hum: I don't remember the words of the song, but I can hum the tune. Distant traffic.

Mumble: Don‟t mumble. The people at the back can‟t hear you. To speak or say
something in a quiet voice and in a way that is not clear

Rattle : Every time a bus or lorry goes by, the windows rattle.

Roar: We could hear the roar of the crowd in the football stadium from our hotel.

Scream: The children screamed in delight when the clown came on. To make a loud, high
cry because you are hurt, frightened or excited.

Screech, crash: I heard the screech of brakes as the driver tried to stop, and then a loud
screech.

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Sigh: He sighed unsympathetically when I said I‟d need time off. To take in and then let out
a long, deep breath, e.g. to show that you are disappointed, tired or relieved

Slam: Please don't slam the door! Close it quietly

Slurp: Don't slurp your soup! Eat it quietly

Sniff: Don't sniff! Get a tissue and blow your nose

Snore: I can't share a room with you if you snore, I won't be able to sleep.

Sob: She took the news very badly and began to sob. To cry noisily, taking sudden sharp
breaths.

Splash: There was a splash as he jumped into the swimming pool.

Stammer: He managed to stammer an embarrassed apology.

Stammer/Stutter: (Two words) Because he was so nervous, Jacob stammered all the way
through his presentation. To speak with difficulty, often repeating sounds or words

Tap: When I'm nervous I often tap my fingers on the table.

Tick: This clock has a very loud tick.

Whisper: People were whispering about the scandal.

Whisper (to sb): They whispered to each other because they didn‟t want anyone else to
hear. To talk very quietly so that other people can't hear you

Whistle: Some of the players carried on playing because they hadn't heard the __________

Yell: Babies normally yell when they are given an injection.

Yell (at sb): From the way he yelled at her, we could tell that she‟d done something pretty
bad. To shout loudly, e.g. because you are angry

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SPORT

Arena: The horse racing competition took place in the arena.

Attain a sense of unity: Yoga helped me to attain a sense of unity.

Beat: Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-0.

Burn calories: To burn calories you need to undertake aerobic exercise.

Captain: Which player is the captain of your team?

challenge yourself: I decided to challenge myself by doing a ten-kilometre run.

Circuit: There is a Formula 1 circuit in Bahrain.

Coach: My dad is a tennis coach.

Consecutive: She ran three consecutive marathons in 23 hours and 50 minutes.

Course: Went round the 18-hole golf course together.

Court: There‟s a tennis court in our local park.

Crowd: There was a huge crowd waiting to get into the stadium.

Draw: We don‟t want to draw – we want to win the match.

Eliminate: We will eliminate their team from the competition.

Fan: I‟m a Manchester United fan.

Freezing: The sea was freezing so we didn‟t swim.

Generate: I didn‟t think the competition would generate this amount of media attention.

Get fit: I want to lose weight and get fit before my wedding.

Get injured: Try not to get injured in the football match.

Gym: I go to the gym every morning for 45 minutes.

Humidity: The humidity here is 80 per cent in the summer.

Infested: The river is infested with crocodiles.

Insulting: The player was sent off for insulting the referee

Joint: Wear good running shoes to prevent injury to your joints.

Kayak: Why did you agree to kayak down the Amazon?

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Knock out: Do you think we can knock out their team from the competition?

Lose: They accept money to lose matches.

Master the postures: Once I‟d mastered the postures, I found yoga quite easy.

Paddle: We used a wooden paddle to move the boat.

Penalty: Their best player missed the penalty.

Perform six pressups: Before doing a yoga course, I was unable to perform six press-ups in a
row.

Pitch: The football pitch was very muddy.

Player: Who is the best player in your team?

Pool: I dived into the pool.

Positive: Did you have a positive experience when you went abroad?

Practical: Heavy boots aren't very practical for running.

Press-ups: Men and women are meant to do press-ups differently.

Prone: If you‟re prone to back problems, you should seek advice before doing pilates.

Referee: The referee blew his whistle.

Risky: This is a very risky trip.

Scuba dive: I want to learn to scuba dive when we go to Spain.

Send off: I think the referee should send off that player.

Set personal targets: It can be motivating to set personal targets when doing exercise.

Sit-ups: The sit-ups really helped tone my stomach muscles.

Skydiving: I went skydiving when I was in New Zealand.

Slope: We went really fast down the ski slope.

Snorkeling: I love snorkelling and looking at the fish.

Spectator: I was a spectator at the Wimbledon men‟s final this year.

Spine: High-impact yoga may adversely affect the spine.

Sports hall: You can play basketball in the sports hall.

Stadium: They built a new stadium for Arsenal a few years ago.

Stretch: A general, stretch-based yoga burns fewer calories.

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Stride: When running, muscles are exercised with every stride.

Surface: I can see my reflection in the surface of the water.

Tai-chiI: do tai-chi to help me relax.

Team: There are eleven players in a football team.

Tired: I‟m really tired so I‟m going to bed.

Tiring: Swimming in the sea is really tiring.

Track: I ran twice around the race track.

Train: How many hours do you train for every day?

Trunk: A course of yoga will provide greater trunk-flexibility.

Umpire: The umpire at the cricket match sent one of the players off the field.

Warm up: It‟s important to warm up before you do exercise.

Win: I really want to win this competition.

Work out: I like to work out at the gym three times a week.

Yoga: I teach Ashtanga yoga on Monday evenings.

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TECHNOLOGY

Adaptor: You need an adaptor when you go abroad.

Alarm: I programmed the alarm on my phone to wake me up.

All over the place: Someone broke in and threw paint all over the place.

A lot more lax: I used to keep a diary every day but now I‟m a lot more lax. Careless.

App: Have you seen the latest app for counting calories?

Backlash against: I don‟t think there‟ll be a backlash against technology. Adverse reaction,
repercussion.

Become hooked on (sth): People who are hooked on a substance often don‟t think it‟s an
addiction. Become adopt.

Behavioural addictions: Behavioural addictions include compulsive use of the Internet.

Blogger: This blogger has some really controversial views.

Broadsheets: (+respectable than a tabloid, large paper)

Busy: I‟m afraid the line is busy at the moment.

Call: I couldn‟t call you because I lost my phone.

Can‟t be bothered: I really should make lunch but I can‟t be bothered. Interrupt.

Charge: Don‟t forget to charge your phone before you go out.

Compulsive behavior: Compulsive behaviour makes people feel better about themselves
temporarily.

Computer programmer: Mark Zuckerberg, the American computer programmer and

inventor of Facebook, was born in 1984.

Cut off: If you don‟t pay your bill, you‟ll get cut off.

Device: I love my new smartphone – it‟s a very useful device.

Dial: Can you dial the number for me? To turn, rotate.

Directory: Our phone number isn‟t in the directory.

Disconnect: Disconnect your MP3 player from the computer.

Edgy and tense: He often feels edgy and tense. Irritable.

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Electronic device: You cannot use an electronic device on this plane.

Engaged: I tried to call you but the line was engaged.

Etiquette: Do you know about mobile phone etiquette?

Eye-catching headlines: Yellow press appeal readers‟s attention with eye-catching

headlines. Attractive.

For the sake of it: He‟s trying to keep life normal for the sake of his two boys. In order to help
or bring advantage to someone.

Get through: She tried your number but couldn‟t get through. Communications by
telephone.

Give me a ring: Give me a ring to let me know where you are.

Go down: If the Internet connection goes down, I‟m lost.

Gossip magazines: I don‟t like these gossip magazines.

Hands-free: This hands-free kit means I can phone you from the car.

Hang up: He hung up on me in the middle of the conversation. Suspend.

Harmless: Behavior that seems harmless can lead (guide, conduct) to dependency.
Inoffending, safe, innofensive.

Have it in for sb: He‟s paranoid and thinks the world has it in for him. to be determined to
harm or criticize someone.

Headphones: Do you normally listen to music with headphones or with speakers?

Hits: My blog had 531 hits in the first week. Execution, achievement.

If you must take a call: If you must take a call in the car, use a hands-free set.

Impressive pictures: Yellow press uses impressive pictures to take our attention.

Information overload: She always sends too many emails – it‟s an information overload.
Excess.

In my lifetime: We won‟t see space tourism in my lifetime

Install: You need to install an update before using this program.

Irritation: Information overload is a modern irritation for many people.

Junk TV: I can't stand watching the junk that's on TV these days.

Keyboard: Do you prefer to use a keyboard with or without a mouse?

Landline: I called you on your mobile as well as your landline. Traditional telephone line.

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Leave a message: Please leave a message after the beep.

Make a call: Sorry, I‟ve got to go out to make a call.

Memory stick: My memory stick is so important now – I save all my work on it.

Missed call: Have you checked your phone for missed calls?

Mouse: I bought a new wireless mouse for my computer.

Obscure: The internet has made it easier to find obscure information.

Off button: I pressed the off button on the TV.

On button: I pressed the on button on my laptop.

Original: Stephen Wozniak designed the original Apple I and Apple II computers.

Overcome addictions to: She successfully overcame addictions to shopping and the
Internet.

Overwhelmingly anxious: Gamblers feel overwhelmingly anxious if they can‟t gamble.

Pay phones: I stopped using pay phones as soon as I got a mobile.

Phone: Hold old were you when you got your first mobile phone?

Phone charger: I put my phone charger into a socket.

Phone box: We don‟t have a phone box here any more – everyone has a mobile.

Plug: How many pins do plugs in your country have? Plug your computer into the socket.
Connection.

Preset: This app disconnects you from the web at preset times. Preparing.

Productive: I‟ve had lots of time, but I haven‟t been very productive.

Put through: I asked the operator to put me through. Communications by telephone.

Quiet zone: This is a quiet zone – so please turn off your mobile.

Relevant: Much of the information is not relevant or useful.

Remote control: Where‟s the remote control for the TV?

Rescue: We were lucky someone came to rescue us.

Ring: Oh no! I forgot to ring my mother.

Run out of: I‟ll have to go because I‟m running out of credit. Expire, finish, consumed.

Screen: My mobile has a large screen and I can watch videos.

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Screen saver: I have a picture of my children as my screen saver.

Seek treatment: His marriage broke up when he refused to seek treatment. Try, look for.

Set: I set my alarm clock for 7.30 a.m.

Shut off: When watching TV it‟s easy to shut off from the world.

Silent mode: I switched my phone to silent mode during the meeting.

Silhouette: It incorporated Jobs‟ silhouette with the white Apple logo.

Silicon: Silicon is used to manufacture electronic parts.

Socket: I plugged (advertise) my phone charger into a socket. Outlet.

Speaker: Do you normally listen to music with headphones or with speakers?

Speak up: You‟ll have to speak up because it‟s a bad line.

Switch: I can‟t find the switch to turn it on. Button.

Switch off: Switch off your mobile phone, please.

Tabloid: The story was seized on (accepting) by the tabloid press, who printed it under
huge headlines. (- respectable than a broadsheet, ordinary newspaper, sensational)

Technological: Can you help me? I‟m not very good with technological problems.

Top up: I need to top up my mobile soon. An amount added to something in order to raise
or to maintain it at a desired level.

To some extent: To some extent, we were happier when we were poorer. Partly.

Transfer: I‟ll need a USB cable to transfer the pictures to my computer.

Tricky: Finding time for my family can be tricky with my job. Delicate or difficult.

Turn down: Could you turn down the volume? It‟s too loud.

Turn off: I wish people would turn off their mobiles in the cinema.

Turn up: Can you turn up the volume? I can‟t hear it. I was amazed when a letter I sent last
year turned up.

Unplug: I always unplug my computer when I turn it off. Disconnect.

Upset: I‟m a bit upset and I don‟t feel like talking.

USB cable: I‟ll need a USB cable to transfer the pictures to my computer.

Vibrate mode: Your phone should be switched to vibrate mode at the cinema.

Voicemail: Leave a message on my voicemail.

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Volume: I made the volume on the TV louder.

Yellow press: Yellow press is a kind of journalism which focuses on sensationalism and a way
of exaggerating news.

You have to keep your phone on: You have to keep your phone on so that I can contact
you.

You must not use your phone: You must not use your phone in the library.

Webcam: I use a webcam to communicate with my friends in New Zealand.

Wreck lives: Addictions wreck lives and should be treated seriously. Destroy or damage.

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TRANSPORT

Avoid: Try to avoid the motorway because there is a huge traffic jam at the moment.

Bus stop: You can buy a ticket at the bus stop.

Car crash: I broke my leg in a car crash last month.

Carriage: My seat is in carriage F. Compartment.

Child seat: You should buy a child seat for your car.

Coach: We went on a coach to France.

Collided: She was riding in a bus when it collided with a tram.

Cross: What‟s the quickest way to cross a busy city?

Cycle lane: It‟s safer to use a cycle lane when you‟re on your bike.

Driving simulator: A British car magazine tested drivers in a driving simulator.

End up: People end up multitasking, which can make them even more stressed.

Get stuck: I always get stuck in traffic on my way to work.

Go over: Don‟t go over the speed limit.

Lorry: My brother drives a lorry.

Mobile: I left my mobile on the bus!

Motorboat: My brother bought a motorboat last weekend.

Motorway: The speed limit is 70 miles per hour on the motorway in the UK.

One mile: How long does it take you to walk one mile?

Overground train: You should take the overground train from Waterloo.

Parking fine: I left my car on double yellow lines and I got a parking fine.

Pedestrian crossing: Children should always use a pedestrian crossing.

Permit: Do you have a permit to park here?

Petrol station: I stopped at a petrol station to fill up the car.

Platform: The train leaves from this platform.

Public transport: I never use public transport because I love driving.

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Race: I won the race.

Railway: The government has announced an ambitious programme to modernize the

railway network. Railroad.

Reach: When do you think you will reach the station? Arrive.

Ring road: You have to drive round the ring road to get to that part of town.

Roadworks: Roadworks are starting on this road next week so traffic will be bad.

Route: Which is the best route to the station?

Run out: What will we do if we run out of petrol?

Rush hour: The traffic is always bad in rush hour.

Satnav: I use my satnav when I go on long journeys.

Scooter: My daughter uses her scooter to get to work.

Seat belt: You must wear a seat belt in cars in this country.

Set off: We set off early to avoid (abstain from) the traffic. Begin.

Speed camera: There‟s a speed camera over there so don‟t drive too fast.

Speed limit: What‟s the speed limit on this road?

Taxi rank: There‟s a taxi rank outside the station.

The Tube: I hate travelling on the Tube. Subway.

Traffic jam: Sorry I‟m late – there was a terrible traffic jam.

Traffic lights: Turn right after the traffic lights.

Tram: I go to work by tram.

Turn around: You should turn around because you‟re going the wrong way.

Turn red: When the lights turn red you have to stop.

Underground: I use the London Underground every day.

Van: My uncle is a builder and he has his own van.

Watch / look out!: Look out! You‟re going to crash!

Worse: You should leave now because the traffic is getting worse.

Zebra crossing: It‟s safest to cross the road at the zebra crossing.

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TRAVEL AND TOURIST

A bit of a fluke: I was going to travel round the East, so settling in Spain was a bit of a fluke.

Abort: The pilot had to abort the take off.

Above: The helicopter hovered (fly) above us for a few minutes.

Accelerate: There is a critical moment when the plane is accelerating.

Accompany: Can I accompany you to the bus stop?

Accurate: The film review was quite accurate. Correct, exact, precise.

Acquit: He was acquitted and allowed to go free. Exculpate, absolve.

Across: She swam across the river to reach her friend. Arrive, access.

Adventure: I want an adventure so let‟s go travelling together.

Airline: there is a sensible drinking policy on all airlines.

Airport terminal: Airport terminal 3 is used mostly for domestic flights.

Aisle: You can usually ask for a window or an aisle seat.

A long way away: Tim lives a long way away, in another country.

Along: He walked along the corridor until he reached the door.

Amazing: The view from our hotel room is amazing.

Anecdote: he told me an anecdote about his time as a pilot.

Anonymous: “Air Babylon” is written by an anonymous author.

Apply: she tried to apply the new techniques she had learnt to her own life. Solicitor.

Around: The earth goes around the sun.

Arrangement: Have you made an arrangement for tomorrow morning?

At: Turn left at the lights, and you‟ll see it on your right.

Await: A marvellous reception awaited me on my first day at work.

Away: She walked away from me, and didn‟t look back.

Awful: the atmosphere was awful – it was all very awkward. Terrible, unpleasant.

Awkward: the atmosphere was awful – it was all very awkward. Uncomfortable.

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Baggage drop off: You can drop off your baggage at the airport the day before your trip.
Leave, deposit.

Baggage reclaim: He went to baggage reclaim to pick up his luggage.

Ban: She was banned from driving for two years. Prohibition, limitation.

Basic phrase: Try to learn some basic phrases before you travel to another country.

Bedcovers: I hid (camouflage, cover) from my sister under the bedcovers.

Below: I live in the flat below yours, on the ground floor.

Bilingual: Jane is bilingual, she speaks French and Dutch.

Bit by bit: Bit by bit I got used to the noise.

Blend in: You should try to blend in with the locals.

Boarding pass: A boarding pass is a document provided by an airline during check-in.

Bored: I‟m bored – let‟s do something.

Cabin crew: Want a career that will take you places? Then a career as Cabin Crew could
be for you!

Calculate: I am able to calculate space and distance.

Cancel a trip: The company cancelled the trip because the guide was ill.

Chaos: the snow caused chaos for people going to work.

Check in: Web check-in service will reduce your waiting time at airport queues (lines).

Check in desk: Straight to the check-in desk when you get to the airport.

City break: We had a free weekend so took a city break to Rome.

Collect: I'll collect you from the station. Bring together.

Complain: I began complaining how uncomfortable I was. Criticize, denounce.

Confusing: The map was confusing and we got lost.

Connecting flights: If you are looking for information about connecting flights, visit the
website now to find out more.

Consequence: we use “so” / “such”… (“that”) to express consequence.

Controllers: It‟s important for controllers to have good English.

Convention: Where are they holding (impeding, stopping) their party convention?

Co-pilot: It was the co-pilot who landed the aircraft (dirigible, airplane).

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Courtesy: We received a free flight courtesy of British Airways.

Crew: Most air crew enjoy their jobs.

Customs: The flight has landed, they‟ll go through customs soon.

Cut-price: “Ryanair” and “Easyjet” are two cut-price airlines.

Cut short a trip: We had to cut short our trip when it began snowing heavily.

Damage: In some cases birds can do some damage to engines.

Day trip: There are several day trips within easy reach of here.

Deafening: The music was deafening. Loud.

Declare: The official asked, “Do you have anything to declare?”

Decision: Have you made a decision about your holiday yet?

Delayed: there was such a long delay because of fog.

Departures board: Choose your station and see the arrivals and departure (take-off)
boards in real time.

Direct flights: The Obama administration on Friday authorized six American airlines to begin
direct flights to Cuba.

Distinctly: I distinctly remember having met you before. Clearly.

Dramatic: The results of the experiment were dramatic with a 60 per cent reduction in
violent crimes.

Drop off: The demand for mobile phones shows no signs of dropping off. Decrease.

Embarrassed: I was embarrassed when I fell over in the town centre.

Events: can you go through the events of the story again?

Exit: it‟s worth listening to information about emergency exits.

Fare: Train fare increases of five percent are envisaged for the next year. A fee paid,
usually for transportation.

Fate: destino

Feel a bit down: I always feel a bit down when we come home after a holiday.

Fill in: llenar

Flash around: If you flash your money around like that you‟ll get robbed.

Force: potencia, fuerza

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Frustrated: I‟m really frustrated by our new camera.

Fumes: if there‟s a fire there will be smoke and fumes. (gases, vapor, humo)

Gate: taquilla, compuerta

Get on: subir a

Go camping: What I remember about going camping is the wet tent.

Goods: mercancías (Illegal goods)

Go on an outing: Why don‟t we go on an outing to a castle or a park?

Guided tour: The guided tour of the castle was fascinating.

Hasn‟t gone too far down that road: You‟ll find burger joints in Milan, but Italy hasn‟t gone
too far down that road.

Imposing: he looked very imposing, nearly two metres tall. (impresionante, imponente)

In: Please keep this document in a safe place.

Incapable: I felt terrible – incapable of doing anything at alll. (incapaz, imponente)

Incapacitated: what would happen if they were both incapacitated? (incapacitado)

Inside: We ate inside the restaurant because it was cold.

Into: He poured the liquid into his glass and drank it.

Jet lag: descompensación horaria

Journey: The guided tour of the castle was fascinating. distancia entre 2destinos

Land: aterrizar

Language barrier: When we moved to China, my biggest problem was the language
barrier.

Last-minute: Are there any last-minute holiday bargains (discount, marked-down price)
available?

Living the dream: Living in Milan, I was really living the dream.

Loads of things: There are loads of things I miss about the UK.

Long-haul: You should try to exercise before a long-haul flight.

Low-cost airline: Low-cost airlines often charge for meals.

Luggage: some airports are notorious for losing luggage. (equipaje)

Major: birds are one of the major problems for any airport. (gran, grande)

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Manners: Saying please and thank you shows that you have good manners.

Martial: Steven Seagal is a martial arts expert. (marcial, military)

Nap: you‟re sleepy – have a nap.

Navigation: basic navigation equipment is very important. (navegación)

Nightclub: We went to a nightclub until 2.00 a.m.

Notorious: some airports are notorious for losing luggage. (de mala fama / reputación)

Obey: Many of the locals don‟t obey the traffic rules.

Off: She fell off her bike and hurt her leg.

Off the beaten track: We like to be independent and find places off the beaten track.

On: Please don‟t leave the towel on the floor.

On board: have you ever had a problem with a passenger on board? (a bordo)

On top: It‟s a chocolate cake with cream on top.

On top of: I‟ll put the suitcase out of the way on top of the wardrobe.

Onto: The toddler climbed onto the chair and then stood up.

Out: He took out his wallet and gave the taxi driver a note.

Out of: Take your hands out of your pockets.

Outside: We met outside the cinema because it was less crowded.

Over: I used to live in a flat over a shop.

Package holiday: If you just want sea and sand then a package holiday is ideal.

Past: If you go past the library, the museum is on your left.

Pick up: recoger

Poisoning: once I got food poisoning on a flight. (envenenamnto, intoxicación)

Policy: there is a sensible drinking policy on all airlines. (política, regla, póliza)

Politically biased: Dan finds the news here quite politically biased.

Porter: we had such heavy cases that we had to ask for a porter. (maletero, portero,
botones)

Postpone a trip: Let‟s postpone the trip. It‟ll be less crowded next week.

Public holiday: It‟s a public holiday on Monday so we won‟t go to work.

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Put a trip off: She put the trip off until next week.

Rack your brains: He racked his brains but couldn‟t remember her name.

Reclaim: he went to baggage reclaim too pick up his luggage. (recuperar) Take back

Recover: I slept so badly that it took me two days to recover. (recuperarse, reponerse)

Round: She drove round the roundabout twice.

Runway: pista

Seatbelts: airlines recommend wearing the seatbelt at all times. (cinturones de seguridad)

Security: seguridad

Set off on a journey: We‟d only just set off on our journey when Sue said she felt ill.

Set out on a journey: Before you set out on any journey, check that you‟ve packed
everything you need.

Sharp objects: objetos afilados

Simulator: pilots have to practise on a simulator before flying. (simulador)

Simultaneous: check-in staff communicate via simultaneous email. (simultáneo)

Site: We visited the site of the ancient Icelandic parliament.

Snacks: a flight attendant brought us some hot snacks. (tentenpié, refrigerio)

Snore: he was snoring the whole journey. (roncar, ronquido)

Sprint: I had to sprint to catch the train this morning. (correr velozmente)

stick to: When in a strange city, you should stick to well-lit places.

Stopover: The flight to Australia has a one-night stopover in Singapore.

Surviving: the chances of surviving a crash are not high. superviviente

Sword: he was carrying an enormous samurai sword. (espada) weapon

Take Off: despegar

Take out insurance: He was glad he‟d taken out insurance when he broke his leg on
holiday.

Terminals: most big airports have several different terminals. (terminal aeropuerto)

That far back: I‟m only fifteen, so I can‟t remember that far back.

That‟s a shame: Paul can‟t come? Oh, that‟s a shame.

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The late 1700s: The French Revolution took place in the late 1700s.

Through: We took a shortcut through the churchyard.

Thunderstorm: the wind often changes direction during thunderstorms. (tormenta,

tempestad, temporal)

Time-consuming: Genealogy is time-consuming but worth all the effort.

To: He‟s gone to the library.

Touristy: We used to be the only visitors but now it‟s very touristy.

Towards: As I walked towards her, I suddenly realized who she was.

Transatlantic: the transatlantic flight takes over ten hours.

Transfer: a lot of transferred luggage got left behind at Heathrow. (trasladar, transferir)

Transport: transporte

Travel: They say that travel broadens the mind. Explicar actividad viaje

Trip: While we were there, we took a boat trip to the island. todo lo hecho, donde fue

Trolleys: carros

Type: he took a really long time to type the letter (tipo, clase)

Typhoon: tifón

Turbulence: turbulencias

Under: When we drove under the bridge we lost the radio signal.

VIP lounge: sala VIP

Vital: fundamental

Warning: alarma, advertencia

Waste: malgastar, desperdiciar

Wheelchairs: silla de ruedas

Worth: mérito (be worth, estar valorado

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WEATHER

Absorb: trees can absorb a household‟s emissions of CO2.

According to: According to the statistics it will get hotter.

Air-conditioned: I‟ll need an air-conditioned car in this heat (high temperature, hot
weather).

Air-conditioning: I don‟t understand the need for air-conditioning.

Appliances: Don‟t keep your electrical appliances on standby.

Below zero: The temperature will be below zero tomorrow.

Black dark: It as a black dark night.

Blizzard: The strong winds and snow created a real blizzard.

Brake: When you brake, the car‟s battery is charged.

Breeze: It‟s not too windy, there‟s just a pleasant breeze.

Bridesmaid: Sarah was invited to be a bridesmaid at the wedding.

Bright: Tomorrow will be sunny and bright, although cold.

Budget: „Titanic‟ was a really high budget movie.

Bulbs: Use only energy-saving light bulbs.

Bulletins: I stayed up all night watching the TV bulletins.

Canal: The canals were full of rubbish and old bikes.

Catastrophe: Death from heart disease is a catastrophe.

Changeable: The weather will be changeable – wet and sunny.

Chaos: The snow caused chaos for people going to work.

Chilly: It‟s a bit chilly, so take a coat with you.

Clear: On a clear day you can see the coast of Wales.

Climate change: Climate change is an issue we can‟t avoid.

CO2 emissions: We have to reduce CO2 emissions as soon as possible.

Coastal: The number of serious coastal storms will double.

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Combat: Their leader is trying to combat climate change.

Compensate: We have to compensate for our CO2 emissions.

Cool: Our house is cool in summer, due to the stone walls.

Damp: It‟s a bit damp outside, although it isn‟t raining.

Dilemma: So now she had a terrible dilemma. To fly or not?

Displace: The floods displaced hundreds of millions of people.

Dozen: Two or three dozen trees were planted in the field.

Drizzling: It‟s still drizzling a bit, so take your umbrella.

Drought: There were terrible droughts in Africa again last year.

Drown: Every year, children are drowned in pools.

Environmental: Try to support an environmental organization.

Epic: The epic journey took her nearly two months.

Equation: Sandman uses the following equation: for most people risk = hazard (or danger) +
outrage (or horror)

Equipped: The pub is equipped with a large fan during summer.

Flood: The flood left hundreds of farms under water.

Foggy:

Footprints: His carbon footprint is huge – he‟s always flying.

Freezing: The Antarctic is always below freezing.

Gale-force: The ship was battered by gale-force winds.

Get soaked: You‟ll get soaked if you go out in this heavy rain!

Get sunburnt: Put on some suncream, don‟t get sunburnt.

Glaciers: Many glaciers will have melted completely.

Grab: I had to grab hold of her so I wouldn‟t be blown over.

Habitable: Low-lying islands will no longer be habitable.

Hailstorm: The cars were damaged by ice during the hailstorm.

Hazard: The hazards of flying aren‟t very high.

Heatwave: We‟re in a heatwave, it‟s been hot for weeks.

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Heavy rain: In Scotland there will be strong winds and heavy rain.

Horizon: There are storm clouds on the horizon.

Household: They create too much household waste.

Humid: It‟s very humid today, there‟s no air at all.

Hurricane: A hurricane has caused widespread destruction.

Hybrid: A hybrid car has a normal and electric motor.

Ice-cold: I really enjoy ice-cold beer.

Icy: Driving will be dangerous as the roads will be icy.

Impassable: I tried various routes but every road was impassable.

Lack: The ski resorts closed down due to lack of snow.

Lifestyle: Barbara decided to make big changes to her lifestyle.

Lightning: Look at the lightning – I love thunderstorms.

Load: A whole load of trucks were stuck in the snow.

Looters: I was afraid of looters breaking in and stealing things.

Low-lying: Low-lying islands like the Maldives are in danger.

Melt: The snow was melting minutes after it fell.

Mess: Havana was in a dreadful mess after the hurricane.

Mild: Winters are usually quite mild in England.

Moderate: Half the world will be having moderate droughts.

Monsoon: There is usually a monsoon after the long dry season.

Organic (food): I buy organic food, which has been grown locally.

Overcast: It was a very overcast day, but at least at least it didn‟t rain. Cloudy.

Overflow (v): There was a real danger that the river would overflow.

Perverse: I had a kind of perverse desire to be the last to leave.

Polar: The extinction of polar bears is expected soon.

Pouring (with rain): It‟s pouring with rain outside, let‟s wait until it stops.

Recycle (v): We regularly recycle paper, glass, and plastic.

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Resort: 50% of the world‟s ski resorts will close down.

Rising: We stayed to watch the water level rising.

Routes: I tried various routes but the roads were blocked.

Rubbish bin: The street was full of overflowing rubbish bins.

Scare (v): Risks that scare people and risks that kill are different.

Scorching: Yet another scorching, sunny day – 42 degrees.

Sea level: Sea levels may rise if we carry on polluting.

Set off: I could hear cars starting up and setting off.

Settled: The weather will become more settled on Friday.

Shiver: You‟re shivering, do you want to borrow my jacket?

Showers: They are expecting some snow showers.

Slippery: Be careful! The pavement‟s very slippery.

Slush: The snow turned to slush as the temperature rose.

Soil: Hurricane force winds ripped trees out of the wet soil.

Solar: We will all be using solar power to heat our houses.

Species: Many animal species will become extinct.

Strong: These strong winds are damaging the trees.

Stuck: Many of the trucks were stuck in the snow.

Sue (v): Parents of an injured child might sue the school.

Sunny: Tomorrow will be sunny and bright.

Sweat: He was sweating heavily because of the heat.

Thaw: Even if it thaws tomorrow, the damage is done.

Thick: There will be thick fog in the hills and near the coast.

Thunder: I don‟t mind the lightning, but I‟m afraid of thunder.

Threat: Terrorism is less of a threat than heart disease

Tsunami: The number of tsunamis will have doubled.

Unbearably: It was unbearably cold – the electricity was cut off.

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Visualize: No one could possibly have visualized the damage.

Wade: He was wading into the water to see how deep it was.

Warm: It isn‟t warm enough to turn the central heating off.

Wet: It‟s going to be wet, with rain for most of the day.

Windy: It‟s not too windy outside, there‟s a pleasant breeze.

Yard: We made a snowman in the yard.

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WORDS THAT ARE OFTEN

CONFUSED

A foreigner: He was a foreigner, but I couldn‟t tell which country he was from.

A stranger: We‟d been apart for so long we were like strangers.

Actually: She says she‟s a doctor but actually she‟s a nurse.

Advertise: He advertised his bike in a local shop window.

Affect: The news didn‟t seem to affect her at all.

An outsider: Although I‟d lived there for twenty years, I was still considered an outsider.

Announce: The BBC has announced that they‟re going to cut jobs.

Ashamed: When he was caught stealing he was deeply ashamed.

Beside: He sat beside me and put his arm around me.

Besides: You‟re too young to live with him. Besides, you haven‟t got any money.

Commitment: Owning a pet is a lifetime commitment.

Compromise: We couldn‟t reach a compromise on where to go on holiday, so we stayed

home.

Currently: Currently, four of our best players are injured.

Deny: In spite of strong evidence, he denied the accusations.

Economic: The economic crisis has affected many businesses.

Economical: This car has low fuel costs, making it economical to run.

Effect: The crisis has had an effect on the public‟s spending.

Embarrassed: He was embarrassed when someone mistook him for a girl.

Lay: Battery hens lay their eggs in terrible conditions.

Lie: I‟m going to lie down upstairs.

Refuse: The bus driver refused to let me take my dog on board.

Suit: Could you take my suit to the dry cleaner‟s for me?

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Suite: The bedrooms in the hotels were all the size of suites.

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WORK

Academic: I was never a particularly academic child. Scholastic, erudite, scholarly,

educational, learned.

Academic qualifications: She never went to university, so she doesn‟t have many
academic qualifications.

Advertisement: I'm not a very good advertisement for the diet since I've actually put on
weight!

Advertising: Fiona works in advertising.

Application: Have you looked at John Jackson‟s application for the new job?

Apply for: she applied for a job with a company in London. Did you apply for that teaching
job? (solicitor)

Apply for a position: I‟m going to apply for a position as a sales assistant at the new
shopping centre, which is opening soon.

Assertive: My boss is assertive, she has a strong personality.

Attach: I attach a full CV.

Be a good communicator: Obviously teachers have to be good communicators.

Beauty counter manager: Find out more about a typical beauty counter manager job by
reviewing our job profiles at hair and beauty jobs.

Be dismissed: I think he'd dismissed me as an idiot within five minutes of meeting me. Usually
presumed to be the employee‟s fault. Be reject.

Be fired: She was fired after she was caught stealing from her employer. An employee is
fired when his personal performance is unsatisfactory, or if he does not comply with
company standards. More quickly “take it with you and leave”.

Be laid off: we have to lay off all of workers. Generally done for economic reasons, such as
a showdown in business, downsizing or a shift in the economy. It can be temporary and
often involves many employees rather than just one. Be maid redundant.

Be multi-tasking: Women are often very good at multitasking.

Benefits: The tangible (usually monetary) advantages of a job, such as health insurance or
pension scheme. Perks

Be self-employed: Do you pay less tax if you're self-employed?

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Be of work: Be await for work because a buildness or another reason.

Be out of work: my father was out of work at the time, so we struggled, obviously. Be
unemployed.

Be sacked: any official found to be involved would be sacked on the spot. Be fired

Bonus: Having made a big profit, the company paid staff a bonus.

Break my heart: It breaks my heart when I see pictures of malnourished children on the TV.

Build up: the traffic begins to build up at around 7 o‟clock on weekdays.

Calm: It‟s important to keep calm in an emergency.

Campaign: They organized a controversial new advertising campaign.

Can‟t take sth: I can't take it any more. I'm leaving. To not be able to deal with an
unpleasant situation:

Capacity: I only use social media in a professional capacity.

Cashier: Cashiers receive and pay out money in a shop, bank, restaurant, etc.

Career: I began my career in journalism (newspaper writing, reporting) 25 years ago.

Career ladder: he‟s very ambitious, so he‟s hoping to climb the career ladder as quickly as
possible. Collocation)

Carefully: Think about it very carefully before deciding. Step by step

Catch up with: I was slow to learn at first but I eventually caught up. Recover.

Catch up: His lies will catch up with him one day. Cause problems.

Catch you eye: I was looking around the store for a present for my mom, and this book
caught my eye. Draw your attention.

Challenging: my job as a divorce lawyer is very challenging. Difficult

Challenges: I wish I had always said yes to challenges.

Check out: The commissioner sent an investigator to check out the rumors. Decide if true.

Clients: Most of our clients are independent clothes shops.

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Clock off: they clocked off duty and left at ten to three. To leave work, specially by
recording the time you leave on a special machine.

Clocking work: she cleared her desk and locked the drawers before clocking off. Finishing
work. (collocation)

Colleagues: I really enjoy working with my colleagues. Co-workers, partner, associate.

Commercial: I always switch the TV off when the commercials come on.

Company: Within a few years, Feldman was delivering to 140 companies.

Compassionate leave: William is on compassionate leave because his mum has just passed
away (die).

Comfort zone: I was nervous of leaving my comfort zone and coming to London.

Confident: Try to act confidently, even if you feel nervous. sure, certain, secure.

Consensus: The general consensus in the office is that he can't do his job. Agreement.

Contract: We signed the contract.

Counter: Bob's decision not to take the job ran counter to his family's expectations.

Co-workers: For in her they have come to lose one of their oldest and most distinguished
co-workers. Colleagues.

Customer: Shops are being forced to put their prices down in order to attract customers. Client,
shopper, buyer.

Consultant: I work as a business consultant. Specialist.

Dealings: Have you had any dealings with their Paris office? Business, bargaining, selling.

Deal with: Staff in customer services deal with difficult clients. Have to do with, cope with
treat and communiate with.

Degree: She has a physics degree/a degree in physics from Edinburgh. Subject of study.

Degree: To what degree do you think we will be providing a better service? Amount or
level of something.

Delay: My plane was delayed by an hour. Put off

Demanding: The work isn‟t that intellectually demanding (challenging, exigent).

Dentist: The dentist scaled (removed) and polished (shine) my teeth last week.

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Diploma: It‟s a document given by a college or university to show that you have passed a
particular exam or finished your studies. Certificate, degree.

Doing my head in: Turns that music off! It‟s doing my head in.

Do voluntary work: I did voluntary work before looking for a paid position.

Driving instructor: she was my driving instructor when I was eighteen.

Dynamic: She's young and dynamic and will be a great addition to the team. Energetic.

Economic crisis: The country's leadership is in an economic/financial crisis.

Efficiently: She runs the business very efficiently. Competently, effectively.

Employee: All new employees complete the induction programme.

Employer: A good employer is one that looks after its workforce.

Employ sb: He wants to employ a new assistant to deal with his mail. Hire sb.

Events management: If you are good at organizing parties, you could work in events
management.

Experience: Your job history: work experience. Collocation.

Face it head-on: You must face the problem head-on.

Fair deal: You will always get a fair deal when you book with us. Just agreement.

Famous for: The clinic is famous for helping celebrities.

Farmer: My grandfather was a pig farmer.

Fill (sb) in: I ring Jo every week to fill her in on all the gossip.

Find a job: When I was twenty I found a job in a British School.

Fire: The fire in her speech inspired everyone. Strong emotion.

Forward: From that day forward they never spoke to each other.

Freelance journalist: As a freelance journalist, I can write for who I like.

Full-time occupation: Look after small children is a full-time occupation.

Get a job: I‟ve got no money so I really need to get a job.

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Get a pay rise: Last month I got a pay rise for doing better my job.

Get a rise: My salary‟s very low so I‟m hoping to get a rise soon. Get an increase salary.

Get fired: She got fired from two jobs because of her bad attitude.

Get promoted: She got promoted to manager within her first year. Get a better job in the
same company.

Get sacked: My poor time-keeping record was the reason I got sacked.

Get stuck: We showed them where the crates had to be moved to, and they got stuck in
straightaway. Stand doing something enthusiastically but finally can‟t continue do it.

Get used to: I just can't get used to getting up early. To become familiar with something or
someone.

Get wearing: I don‟t mind dealing with the public, but it gets wearing answering the same
questions all day.

Get work experience: You need to get work experience before you apply for a job in the
media.

Give something back: Give the bike back if you're not using it any more. Reflect, repay

Go blank: My mind‟s gone blank! I can‟t remember my own phone number!

Good at computers: She‟s a good colleague because she‟s good at computers.

Good prospects: A job with good prospects offers chances for promotion.

Good telephone manners: Good manners are good for business, while great manners can
set you apart.

Graduate: Tom has just graduated with first-class honours in psychology.

Grit your teeth: I hate my job, but I just grit my teeth and get on with it.

Hardworking: he‟s always putting a lot of effort and care into his work, because of that, I
think that he‟s a hardworking employee.

Helpful to: It can be helpful to talk to someone about it.

Hesitate: Tell them that you will not hesitate to change banks if they don‟t improve their
service. Doubt, wait, be uncertain.

High pressure: A high-pressure job requires lots of skills because involving a lot of
responsibility or worry.

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High-profile: There is a growing number of women in high-profile positions in the

government. Attracting a lot of attention and interest from the public and newspapers,
TV…

Hire sb: I was hired by the first company I applied to. To give someone‟s job. Employ, take
on, engage. Employ sb.

Hours: The hours are flexible but I usually work 8.30 to 4.30.

Humorous: He complained in a humorous way about the terrible service.

Impressive: His experience is really impressive so I think we should give him the job.
(impresionante)

In a sense: Life was tough, but, in a sense, it made me a better person.

In charge of: I‟m in charge of Sales, so it‟s a very responsible job.

Interpersonal social skills: IT support worker:

Job-hunting: As part of her job hunt, she attended a networking event. Without a career
choice, job hunting is no more than drifting. (Problem, ir a la deriva). Job seeking or job
searching is the act of looking for employment.

Job security: In the poor economic climate job security is crucial.

Job seeking: These should be accompanied by a clear commitment (agreement) to

actively support job seeking.

Job searching: I'm tired of all this job searching, you know what I'm saying?

Job vacancies: Receive in your e-mail the job vacancies that fit to your profile.

Keep up with: He‟s never made an effort to keep up with current events. Hold on.
Continue, maintain the place.

Kind: She's a very kind and thoughtful (considerate, polite, unselfish) person. Well-meaning,
considerate.

Know your own mind: She‟s an independent person who knows her own mind.

Laid-back: I can imagine he's good to work for - he seems very laid-back. relaxed, not get
anxious or angry very often.

Laid off: Because of falling orders, the company has been forced to lay off several hundred
workers. To stop employing someone, usually because there is no work for them to do.

Lawyer: I want to be a lawyer when I grow up.

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Leadership: He lacks (require) leadership qualities/skills. authority, control, management.

Life or death: I wouldn‟t worry about the interview- it‟s not a matter of life or death.

Look down: my father is an intellectual snob. He looks down on people who haven‟t been
to university.

Look for a job: When you finish your exams you should look for a job straightaway.

Made (sb) redundant: I was made redundant when the company lost the contract.

Maternity leave: She worries that if she takes time off for maternity leave her career will
suffer. Paternity leave; parental leave.

Management: A job that involves organising parties, conferences etc.: events

management. Collocation

Manager: Organizational ability is an essential attribute for a good manager. Director,

supervisor

Marketing: Gareth works in marketing.

Monotonous: I‟m checkout assistant in a supermarket. I really enjoy my job, but it can be a
bit monotonous and repetitive. Unchanging, boring

Motivating: Makes you feel like you want to work.

Moving: I find some of Brahms's music deeply moving. Emotional, touching, affecting,
exciting, inspiring.

Musician: Peter is an excellent musician and plays the trumpet in a world-famous orchestra.

Occurrence: Street-fights are an everyday occurrence in this area of the city.

Off work: When I broke my legs I was off work for six months.

On a short-term contract: After being on a short-term contract I‟d like some job security.

On maternity leave: She‟ll be on maternity leave for nine months in total.

On the whole: On the whole, I think that women make better journalists (columnist) than
men. Generally, principally.

Open-plan offices: Workers in open-plan offices are more distracted, unfriendly and
uncollaborative than those in traditional workplaces. Employees who have to share their
office with more than two people experience high levels of colleague distrust and form
fewer co-worker friendships than those working in single-occupancy offices.

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Out of work: After being made redundant I was out of work for a year. Unemployed

Overall: Best Company to Work For awards, coming, sixth overall and winning outright
(entirelly) in the categories for most exciting future and best personal growth. Principally,
complete, general.

Over-prepare: she hates being under pressure and tends to over-prepare.

Overtime: How much overtime do you do every month?

Paternity leave: I‟ve been on paternity leave since the birth of my son last week!

Patient: Making small-scale models takes/requires a great deal of patience.

Part-time: I want to find a part-time job when I go to university.

Perks: The intangible advantages of a job, such as a short commute or good reputation of
the company. Like get a car, get bonuses, get free lunch. Benefits.

Permanent: I wish I could get a permanent job. (A long-term job without a definite limit:
permanent contract, collocation)

Permanent contract: I‟m hoping they give me a permanent contract when I finish my
three-month trial period.

Personal growth: we should learn different ways to encourage our personal and spiritual
growth.

Pharmacist: I would like to be a pharmacist so I have to study pharmacy at university.

Ploy: That‟s the ploy, it would be difficult to go anywhere else after this. Trick.

Polite: She sent me a polite letter thanking me for my invitation.

Post: He‟s applied for a post at the university.

Practical: Qualifications are important but practical experience is always a plus. The service
offers young people practical advice on finding a job. Functional, useful.

Profession: Nursing is not a profession that pays high salaries.

Profitable: Is your company profitable? Useful.

Profits: I shared the profits from the business with my wife. Interest, earnings, gains.

Provide: This booklet provides useful information about local services. Give, offer.

Promote: I hope they promote me soon.

Promotion: Congratulations on your promotion, Dave!

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Pull his socks up: He will have to pull his socks up if he wants to pass. Make an effort to
improve one‟s work, performance or behavior. (ponerse manos a la obra?)

Pursue: Even though my family was against it, I pursued my love of acting.

Put off: The meeting has been put off for a week. Delay

Put sb heart and soul into sth: She puts her heart and soul into her work.

Qualifications: What kind of qualifications do you have? (School or university certificates:

academic qualification. collocation) exams you passed or studies you are completed.

Quit: the United boss says he‟ll quit after his team‟s defeat (derrotar). Resign, stop work.

Quit a job: Would you quit your job if you inherited lots of money? Stop, leave off.

Raised: Her answers raised doubts/fears/suspicions in my mind.

Redundant: They made 20 people redundant last month.

References: mentioning, citing, associating.

Register: You need to use a formal register in a job application.

Relevant: For further information, please refer to the relevant leaflet (advertisement,
announcement, circular).

Reliable: We have reliable information that a strike(labor dispute) is planned next month.

Repetitive: I‟m checkout assistant in a supermarket. I really enjoy my job, but it can be a bit
monotonous and repetitive.

Require: This is a very sensitive case requiring extreme circumspection (caution,

carefulness).

Resign: If they don‟t promote me then I will resign. Retire, abandon.

Resignation: Have you read Lynne‟s letter of resignation?

Resourceful: She's a very resourceful manager.

Responsible for: That‟s the man who‟s responsible for publicity.

Retire: I will be 70 when I retire. sackIf you are caught stealing they will sack you.

Resign: He resigned from the company in order to take a more challenging job. Quit, stop
work.

Repetitive: We are working in a repetitive job/task. Unchanging, boring

Rewarding: I‟m a teacher. I find working with young people very rewarding. He was given a
bonus to reward him for his performance. (Gives you a good feeling, satisfying)

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Run a business: He was much happier running a business than working for someone else.

Sacked: They gave him the sack for being late. Dismiss from a job.

Salary: I can‟t save much on a salary of £20,000 a year.

Scientist: My aunt is a scientist and she works for a pharmaceutical company.

Secure: She's just left a secure job to start up her own company.

Self-confident: At school he was popular and self-confident, and we weren't surprised at his
later success. Calm, self-sufficient.

Self-employed: I would love to be self-employed and just work for myself.

Set up: I want to set up my own company. Promote, work on, inaugurate.

Several: We are striving to reach an agreement which will satisfy the several interests of the
parties concerned. Various.

Sick leave: Mark is not in the office today. He broke his leg yesterday, so he's on/he's taken
sick leave.

Skills: Good communication skills are important in most jobs. Particular abilities like speak
languages, good computers.

Slang: You should omit slang when talking to a non-native speaker. Colloquialism,
vulgarism.

Staff: The company has a staff of nearly 500. Workers, assistants, crew.

Stick to your guns: His parents were horrified by his choice of career but he stuck to his guns.

Sue: When the man fell into the hole he decided to sue the council.

Take it or leave it: That's my final offer - you can take it or leave it. Accept or refuse the offer
completely.

Take on: She took too much on and made herself ill. To accept a particular job or
responsibility. Employ, give work to, give a job to, to hire

Team: It was a real team effort - everyone contributed something to the success of the
project. Partners, organization, workmates

Tease: He said he was going to leave us there, but I think he was only teasing. Parody,
ridicule.

Tedious: He lost interest in the job because it was so tedious. Boring and unsatisfying

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English Vocabulary

Temporary: This is a temporary job which lasts for three months. Temporal, transitory,
unstable.

The money: The money isn‟t great but I‟ve managed to save some.

The opportunity to: I‟d like a job that gives me the opportunity to travel.

The paperwork: The paperwork involved in doing the simplest thing frustrates me.

Till: the till does all the maths and it does become robotic. (cajero person)

Timetable: Teachers work far more hours than those on the timetable.

To be a pain: (ser un coñazo)

To hire: - employ, give work to, give a job to

Training course: Have you done that training course on time management?

Translator: She speaks French and Italian so she works as a translator.

Troubleshooter: They‟ve employed me as a kind of troubleshooter. Mediator.

Turn down: He was offered the chance to work in New York but he turned it down.

Under pressure:

Unemployed: How long have you been unemployed?

Unpaid: nursing is often described as unpaid job, even though it may be badly paid.

unpaid work: You should include paid and unpaid work on your CV.

Unpaid leave:

Wages: Waiters‟ weekly wages aren‟t high but they get tips.

Welcome

Well-being: Take control of your environment and find well-being! - prosperity, happiness,
fortune, comfort, pleasure. Human well-being, social well-being, financial well-being.

Well-qualified: My brother is really well-qualified but he still can‟t get a job.

White lie: (mentira piadosa)

Work experience: the company is offering work experience to students in their final year of
school.

Work environment:

Work flexitime:

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English Vocabulary

Workforce: There are a lot of women in the workforce but hardly any female directors. the
group of people who work in a company, industry, country.

Work freelance:

Work long hours:

Work on commission:

Work flexitime:

Work freelance:

Work long hours:

Work on commission:

Work overtime:

work part-time: I work part-time but I‟m hoping to increase my hours.

Work under pressure:

Worn out: I‟m completely worn out, I just want to sit down. (desgastado)

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