🌺 Page 001

She talks about him all the time.
I’m reading a story about some children who get lost on a mountain.
I’ve been thinking about what you said, and I’ve decided that you’re right.
Does anyone have any questions about tonight’s homework?
* be about
“It’s a really good film.” “What’s it about?” “It’s about some students in New York.”
* all about sth
Mom wanted to know all about my new job.
a book on 18th-century European literature
Professor Dodd is giving a lecture on medieval history.
* opinions/ideas/views on
a survey of young people’s opinions on marriage
* opinions/ideas/views on +how/why/what
We would like to hear your views on how services could be improved.
The police have new information concerning the identity of the murder victim.
Thank you for your letter regarding my student loan.
* deal with sth
The book deals with the problems of poverty and unemployment.
These issues are dealt with again in Chapter 4.
The church is about a mile away.
It’s about 2 years since I last saw him.
“What time would you like me to come?” “Oh, about 9 o’clock.”
The murder was committed at around noon on Friday.
It cost around $1,500.
We will be landing at Heathrow in approximately 30 minutes.
Approximately 30% of the community is Polish.
A new computer like this one would cost roughly $2,000.
There were roughly 50 people there.
* a hundred/forty/twenty odd
It’s been thirty-odd years since I’ve seen him.
There are fifty odd channels, and still nothing to watch.

🌺 Page 002

“How many people are coming?” “Oh, about a dozen or so.”
A month or so later, they heard that Blake was dead.
* or so
She’s been working there for two years, give or take a few weeks.
I decided to accept the job.
The President has accepted an invitation to visit Beijing.
If they offered you a place on the course, would you accept it?
He says he’ll take the job if they offer it to him.
This is a wonderful opportunity; I think you should take it.
* say yes
We’d love you to come with us to France this summer. Please say yes!
He doesn’t usually lend his CDs, so I was surprised when he said yes.
They’ve asked me to do a talk at the conference, and I’ve agreed.
* agree to do sth
I wish I had never agreed to teach him to drive.
* take sb up on sth/take up sb’s offer
“If you need a babysitter, give me a call.” “Thanks – I may take you up on that sometime!”
In the end, he took up his parents’ offer of a loan.
Take my advice and go to see a doctor.
* take sth from sb
My mother always warned us never to take candy from strangers.
* take it or leave it
100 dollars is my final offer; take it or leave it.
We hope you’ll accept this small gift.
Jerry wouldn’t accept any payment for helping Mr. Smythe.
* accept sth from sb
The minister was accused of accepting bribes from oil companies.

🌺 Page 003

He was beginning to accept the idea that there may be some truth in what she was saying.
* accept +that
The judge accepted that Carter had not intended to harm anyone.
I spoke to my boss yesterday about postponing the meeting, and she agreed.
* agree +to
We want to have a big party, but I don’t think my parents will agree to it.
* agree +that
Everyone agreed that Dave should be in the team.
Most companies have welcomed the idea of job-sharing.
* be warmly welcomed
These new proposals were warmly welcomed by the German Chancellor.
There’s nothing we can do; we have to accept the voters’ decision.
* accept +that
We have to accept that the airport will carry on getting bigger.
* put up with sth
I don’t know how you put up with all this noise day after day.
You see what I have to put up with – the kids never stop quarrelling.
For years the workers have had to tolerate low wages and terrible working conditions.
I don’t know why his mother tolerates his behavior.
* live with sth
You have to learn to live with stress.
We don’t really like the new system, but I suppose we’ll just have to live with it.
* be resigned to sth/resign yourself to sth
Joe is resigned to the fact that he will miss tomorrow’s big race.
Pat knew her husband wasn’t coming back and she was resigned to being alone.
She had resigned herself to a life of cooking and cleaning.
* make the best of it/make the most of it
It’s not the college I really wanted to go to, but I suppose I’ll just have to make the best of it.
It rained every day we were in Paris, but we made the most of it.
The State Assembly passed a law which banned smoking in public places.
The bill was passed by 197 votes to 50.

🌺 Page 004

The Medical Research Council said it could not approve the use of the new drug.
The deal has already been approved by shareholders.
The parking proposals have been given the mayor’s approval.
* have an accident
She had an accident while she was playing basketball and broke her arm.
* serious accident
The park is now closed following a serious accident last week.
* riding/climbing/skiing accident
Greg has been unable to walk since he was injured in a riding accident.
We saw an accident on the motorway this morning.
Older drivers have fewer accidents on the roads than people under 25.
* bad/serious accident
There are delays on the main road into town following a serious accident.
* fatal accident
There were two fatal accidents in the factory last year.
* road/car accident
Road accidents are the biggest cause of death among young people.
Wearing a seat belt can save your life in a crash.
* plane/train/car crash
Her husband died in a plane crash when he was only 30.
* have a crash/be in a crash
Have you ever had a crash?
The plane crashed just after take-off.
I lost control on the first bend and crashed.
Someone stole my car and crashed it.
* crash +into
The truck skidded across the road before crashing into a wall.
The wreck caused a 5-mile traffic jam.
Several cars were involved in a collision on the expressway this morning.
* collision +with
The 25-year-old man was thrown from his motorcycle in a collision with a truck.
* collision +between
a mid-air collision between two planes
Two cars were involved in a head-on collision.
The pile-up happened in thick fog.
* get run over/get run down
I could cross the street tomorrow and get run over by a truck, and no one would care.
I nearly got run down by some crazy taxi driver.

🌺 Page 005

Thousands of people were killed or injured in the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Could your hospitals cope with a major disaster like a train crash?
* natural disaster
Natural disasters such as earthquakes are common in this part of the world.
The destruction of the ozone layer could lead to an environmental catastrophe.
I fear a possible nuclear catastrophe.
I accidentally burnt a hole in her sofa with my cigarette.
* by accident
Doctors discovered the new drug quite by accident, while they were researching something else.
* by mistake
Gary wandered into the wrong hotel room by mistake.
Police believe Burton may have shot the woman by mistake.
Some male science teachers unintentionally discourage the girls in their classes.
* didn’t mean to do sth
Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.
I’m sure Rachel didn’t mean to leave the door unlocked.
The court recorded a verdict of accidental death on a man who drowned in the river.
Villagers were in shock after the accidental shooting of a 7-year-old last week.
Any offense these remarks might have caused was wholly unintentional.

🌺 Page 006

* it was an accident
It was an accident – the handle just came off when I picked it up.
Keanu Reeves is my favorite actor.
The actor who played Macbeth was really good.
* lead/leading actor
She’s starred with many leading actors.
Hundreds of fans gathered to watch the stars arriving at the Oscar ceremony.
* film/movie star
a glamorous Hollywood movie star
I first started acting when I was twelve years old.
She always enjoyed acting.
Before he became famous, James Dean studied acting in New York.
a career in acting
* play Hamlet/Cleopatra/James Bond
Timothy Dalton was the fourth actor to play James Bond.
The taxi driver is played by Jamie Foxx.
* play the part (of sb)
We still need someone to play the part of the messenger.
* be in sth
He was very young when he was in “Home Alone.”
The children perform a Christmas play every year.
The group will be performing “Cats” in the Open Air Theatre.
She won an Oscar for her performance in “Monster.”
* give a good/bad performance
Meryl Streep gave a marvelous performance as the mother.
“Heat” is a police drama starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
* star +in
Can you name the actress who starred in “Gone with the Wind”?
* star +as
Bob Hoskins stars as a private detective.
* leading role/lead role/starring roll
Judy Garland became famous after her starring role in “The Wizard of Oz”.
* play the leading/lead/starring roll
Michael Keaton played the leading role in the first two “Batman” movies.
* play the lead
He was given the chance to play the lead when Pamela Anderson became ill.

🌺 Page 007

Moore’s character is a New York policeman who drinks too much.
She knew she wanted the part as soon as she read the script.
* play the part of sb
She played the part of the Wicked Stepmother in “Snow White”.
The book would look a lot more attractive if they added a few color pictures.
* add sth to sth
Adding fertilizer to the soil will help the plants to grow more quickly.
The fresh chilies add a spicy flavor to the sauce.
* add on sth
We’re having a bedroom added on at the back of the house.
* add sth and sth/add sth to sth
“What do you get when you add 68 and 32?” “100.”
The builder added an extra $150 to the bill for no reason.
* add (sth) to sth
Watson’s recent victory added $30,000 to his total prize money in 1996.
Using better quality paper will add to the cost.
The company will increase your salary after six months, provided your work is satisfactory.
* increase sth by sth
We need to increase our prices by 8%.
* put sth on sth
The new tax will put another ten cents on the price of goods.
* addition +to
The latest addition to the museum’s collection is a picture by Salvador Dali.
* make an addition
The chair makes a good addition to the room.
This product contains no artificial additives.
I admire the way she’s brought up those children on her own.
Which world leader do you most admire?
* admire sb for sth
She had to admire him for the way he handled the situation.
All the staff respected him.

🌺 Page 008

* respect sb for doing sth
I don’t agree with him, but I respect him for sticking to his principles.
* look up to sb
I always looked up to my older brothers.
Marilyn Monroe was idolized by movie fans all over the world.
* in/with admiration
We listened with admiration as she played the violin.
* admiration +for
The other players were full of admiration for him.
* respect +for
My respect for my teacher grew as the months passed.
* great respect
I have great respect for Tony’s judgment.
* earn/win sb’s respect
She always managed to win the kids’ respect.
When I was young, David Bowie was my hero.
Thousands of fans were at the airport to greet their idol.
pop idol, Robbie Williams
* admit +(that)
Blake finally admitted he had stolen the money.
She admitted that she had made a mistake.
* admit (to) doing sth
Many workers admit to taking time off work when they are not sick.
He admitted taking the car without the owner’s permission.
* admit responsibility
The hospital has refused to admit responsibility for his death.
After two days of questioning, he finally confessed.
* confess +(that)
She later confessed that she had killed her husband.
* confess to a robbery/murder/crime
People were forced to confess to crimes they had not committed.
* confess to doing sth
Edwards eventually confessed to being a spy.
* own up
Unless the guilty person owns up, the whole class will be punished.
* own up to (doing) sth
No one owned up to breaking the window.

🌺 Page 009

He says that he was beaten and forced to sign a confession.
* make a confession
At 3 a.m., Higgins broke down and made a full confession.
I’m surprised to hear you make such an admission.
* admission +(that)
The Senator’s admission that he had lied to Congress shocked many Americans.
* admission of guilt/failure/defeat
The court may assume that your silence is an admission of guilt.
“Yes, I was frightened,” he admitted.
* admit +(that)
I know you don’t like her, but you have to admit that she’s good at her job.
* admit (to) doing sth
He admitted to lying to his wife and her family.
* I must admit (that)/I have to admit (that)
I must admit I really enjoy watching soap operas.
* admit it
You were wrong, weren’t you? Come on, admit it!
Admittedly, the questions were fairly easy, but you all did very well.
The treatment is painful, admittedly, but it is usually very successful.
The cost of the trip is $59 for adults and $30 for children.
Some children find it difficult to talk to adults.
Grown-ups are so boring! All they ever do is talk!
Margaret has two grown-up sons.
Ryan felt very grown-up being allowed to stay up so late.
* full grown/fully grown
A fully grown blue whale may be up to 30m long.
* grow up
What do you want to do when you grow up?
We plan to go and live in Florida when the children have grown up.

🌺 Page 010

* adult life
He has spent most of his adult life in the US.
Children with the disease have little chance of surviving to adulthood.
* reach adulthood
By the time we reach adulthood our heart-rate has dropped to around 70 beats per minute.
There are several methods of saving money, but this one has obvious advantages.
* advantage +of
The advantage of cycling to work is that I get some exercise.
* big advantage
One of the biggest advantages of a digital camera is that you can see the photos as soon as you’ve taken them.
* the good thing about sth
The good thing about this job is that I can work from home whenever I want.
Tourism has brought many benefits to the area.
* benefit +of
the benefits of a healthy lifestyle
What are the benefits, for Britain, of belonging to the European Union?
Nuclear power has a lot of disadvantages – for example, what do you do with all the nuclear waste?
* disadvantage +of
The main disadvantage of being a nurse is working irregular hours.
It’s a good-looking car – the only drawback is the price.
* drawback +of
One of the drawbacks of working for a large company is that you never know who is really in charge.
* drawback +to
The only drawback to her new job was having to get up really early in the morning.
* advantages and disadvantages +of
We had to write about the advantages and disadvantages of living in a big city.
* pros and cons +of
Your doctor should explain the pros and cons of the different treatments available.
* weigh up the pros and cons
Students should weigh up the pros and cons of each university.
* pluses and minuses +of
She talked about some of the pluses and minuses of being self-employed.

🌺 Page 011

* have an advantage
The American team seemed to have all the advantages – better training, better facilities, and much better financial support.
* give sb an advantage +over
I had already lived in France for a year, and this gave me a big advantage over the other students.
MPs have a number of special privileges, such as free travel on the railways.
* the privilege of sth
Not everyone has the privilege of a private education.
At that time, the universities were only open to a privileged minority.
* have a disadvantage
She has one big disadvantage – she lacks experience.
* be at a disadvantage
In basketball, smaller players are at a disadvantage.
How much does Coca-Cola spend on advertising?
Cigarette advertising isn’t allowed on TV anymore.
Beth wants a job in advertising.
How much do you think you are influenced by advertising?
* advertising campaign
a nationwide advertising campaign for a new range of soap
The show’s organizers spent over $500,000 on publicity alone.
* good/bad publicity
The band appeared on the Larry King show, which was good publicity for their US tour.
I’m looking for a job in marketing.
Good marketing has always been a major factor in the company’s success.
Despite all the hype, I thought the film was pretty boring.

🌺 Page 012

* advertisement +for
In the autumn, the newspapers are full of advertisements for winter breaks.
He began his acting career by doing shampoo adverts on TV.
* ad/advert +for
The local papers are full of ads for cheap furniture, washing machines, and other things.
Have you seen the new Levi’s commercial?
* commercial break
We’ll be right back with you after a short commercial break.
A lot of people find pop-ups really annoying.
People were handing out flyers all along Oxford Street.
A dry-cleaning company that used the slogan “We know the meaning of cleaning.”
Beside the freeway was a huge billboard covered in ads for washing powder.
There was a big poster advertising a well-known brand of cola.
a small company that can’t afford to advertise on TV
* be advertised on TV/the radio
“How did you find out about the new software?” “It was advertised on TV.”
* be advertised in a newspaper/magazine
The concert was advertised in all the national newspapers.
Meg Ryan is in Europe to promote her new movie.
* promote sth as sth
They’re trying to promote Dubai as a tourist destination.
* advise sb to do sth
I advise you to think very carefully before making a decision.
All US citizens in the area have been advised to return home.
* advise sb against doing sth
Her lawyers have advised her against saying anything to the newspapers.

🌺 Page 013

* advise sb on/about sth
Your teacher will be able to advise you about what qualifications you will need.
* strongly advise
I’d strongly advise you to get medical insurance if you’re going skiing.
* say sb should do sth/say sb ought to do sth
My friends keep saying I ought to learn to drive.
Her mother said she should call the police immediately.
* tell sb to do sth
I told him to go and see a doctor if he was worried.
* tell sb (that) they should do sth
I told him he should take more exercise.
“Why not ask Dad?” he suggested.
* suggest +(that)
Sarah suggested that I should apply for this job.
* give advice
The center gives advice to young people who have drug problems.
* give sb advice
Can you give me some advice? I’m thinking of buying a new computer.
* ask sb’s advice
Can I ask your advice? I need to find somewhere to stay in London.
* ask sb’s advice +on/about
I always ask my brother’s advice about computers.
If the symptoms persist, consult your doctor.
I want to consult my lawyer before I say anything.
* consult sb about sth
Tonight the President will consult his military advisers.
* take sb’s advice/follow sb’s advice
I’ve decided to take your advice and go to art school.
If she had followed my advice, this would never have happened.
* listen to sb
You tell him, Dad – I’m sure he’ll listen to you.
Bob warned us about this. I wish we’d listened to him.
* on sb’s advice/o the advice of sb
On her doctor’s advice, she took a few days off work.
The decision was made by the president on the advice of a Supreme Court judge.

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Get some advice from the people in the tourist office.
* advice +on/about
For advice on AIDS, phone this free number.
* give sb advice
My doctor gave me some good advice about how to eat sensibly.
* piece of advice
Years ago, my father gave me a piece of advice that I’ve never forgotten.
* medical/legal/professional advice
You should get legal advice before you sign the contract.
Here’s a good tip: if you spill red wine on a carpet, pour salt on it to get rid of the stain.
* tip +on
useful tips on how to take better photos
* give guidance on sth
Your teacher can give you guidance on choosing a career.
Parents should give moral guidance to their children.
The college provides counselling for students who have emotional problems.
Victims of violent crimes often need counseling.
* financial/legal/careers adviser
Talk to an independent financial adviser before you invest your money.
* advisor +on
the government’s senior adviser on the environment
* adviser +to
She’s been appointed as scientific advisor to the President.
After the party, Jo stayed behind to help clean up the mess.
What are you going to do after you finish college?
Let’s eat after the movie.
Less than a month after he left England, he wanted to go home.
* after that
In the summer, Joni left him, and after that, he always looked sad.
* just after
My mother died just after Mark was born.
* straight after/right after
We’ll be starting the class straight after lunch.
Afterwards, Rick said he’d never been so nervous in his life.
What’s the point of going to the gym if you always eat a chocolate bar afterwards?
* two years/three months afterwards
A couple of years afterwards I met him by chance in the street.

🌺 Page 015

* soon/shortly afterwards
Her husband became ill and died soon afterwards.
Can you remember what happened next?
First we asked Jim what to do. Next we tried asking Dad.
First we played tennis, and then we went swimming.
Add a cup of sugar. Then beat in three eggs.
Could you call again after 6 o’clock?
After 1800, more and more people worked in factories.
* just after
If they left just after twelve, they should be here soon.
Wake up! It’s past 9 o’clock!
* past midnight
We didn’t get home till past midnight.
* way/well past
Sorry, it’s way past closing time.
We will be at our new address from next week.
* from/as from
As from tomorrow, all accidents must be reported to me.
* from then on
He went to his first football game when he was four, and from then on he was crazy about it.
* after a week/several hours/a long time
After half an hour, we got tired of waiting and went home.
Jane was very shy, but after a while she became more confident.
* after a week/a year of (doing) sth
The war ended after another six months of fighting.
* in a minute/a few hours/a month
I’ll be with you in a minute.
Rosie should be home in a week or two..
He gets his exam results in a couple of days.
* in an hour’s time/a few minutes’ time
In a few weeks’ time I’ll be off to university.
* within a month/two weeks/a year
One of the soldiers was bitten by a snake and was dead within three hours.
Within minutes the building was full of smoke.
* within a month/a few days of doing sth
The plane got into difficulties within a few minutes of taking off.
See you later.
He later became Governor of California.
* three months/two years/ten days later
A couple of days later I saw her in a downtown bar.
* later on
The first half of the movie is really boring, but it gets better later on.
* much later
Eventually he got married, but that was much later.
Later that month we got another letter, asking for more money.

🌺 Page 016

* later in the morning/evening/day
Let’s meet for dinner later in the week.
* the next day/week
I finished my classes on the 5th, and the next day I went home to Cleveland.
* next Monday/week/August
Next Thursday is my birthday.
* the day / Monday/month /year after
The party’s not this Saturday but the Saturday after.
The weather changed the morning after we arrived.
I felt rather tired the day after the party.
* the following day/month/year
The following day she woke up with a splitting headache.
They agreed to meet the following week.
The agreement came after six months of negotiations.
* come three weeks/five days after sth
My first chance to talk to her again came three days after the argument.
We saw each other a lot in the months that followed.
The long period of stability that followed the war
* be followed by sth
The wedding was followed by a big party at the Chelsea Hotel.
* be closely followed by sth
His release from prison was closely followed by the sudden death of his father.
Could you ask the next patient to come in, please?
Look at the diagram on the next page.
I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for the next train.
* come next
Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon – who comes next?
* be next
Hey, I’m next! I was here before you!
* be after sth/come after sth
My name is after hers on the list.
In American addresses, the name of the city always comes after the name of the street.

🌺 Page 017

* a later date/time/chapter/meeting
We can decide on the final details at a later stage.
This will be discussed more fully in a later chapter.
* in later years,/months/centuries
In later years, he became a Buddhist.
Many of Marx’s theories were disproved by subsequent events.
The first meeting will be in the City Hall, but all subsequent meetings will be held in the school.
Taylor explains his theory in the pages that follow.
* be followed by sth
In English words, the letter O is normally followed by a U.
Each chapter is followed by a set of exercises.
* four days in a row/three times in a row
He won the competition five years in a row.
I was late for school four days in a row.
* one after another
There were three loud explosions, one after another.
If you miss work for more than three consecutive days, you need a letter from your doctor.
* fourth/seventh consecutive
It was their fourth consecutive win this season.
* series +of
She gave a series of talks at the university.
Harris finally resigned after a series of public scandals.
Would you say that again? I didn’t hear you.
Julie! It’s your sister on the phone again.
Nice to see you again.
Oh no! Here comes that boy again.
I rang the bell again, but no one answered.
* once again/once more
Once again I must remind you of the seriousness of the problems we face.
The crops had failed, and once more famine threatened the region.
* yet again
Yet again, Flora had changed her mind.
It seems that yet again the police have allowed a very dangerous man to escape.
* again and again
I’ve told you again and again – don’t play ball in the house!
* over and over (again)
I’ve told him over and over again not to call me at work.
She practiced the lines over and over until she had them memorized.

🌺 Page 018

* one more time/once more
He kissed her one more time before he left.
* just one more time/just once more
Can we practice that just once more?
* call (sb) back
I’ll call back as soon as I have some news.
Can I call you back later?
* write back (to sb)
I wrote back to them, thanking them for their invitation.
* invite/ask sb back
Her kids wrecked the house last time they were here; that’s why I’ve never asked them back.
* do sth again
I’d like you to do this exercise again.
She spilled coffee on the application form and had to do it all again.
* repeat a test/experiment/exercise/process/performance
Repeat the process again and again until you can do it in 30 seconds.
If you repeat the exercise 20 times a day, you’ll soon have firmer, more muscular arms.
I’m afraid you’ll have to do it over.
I’m sorry I messed it up – let’s start over.
* all over again
At the police station they asked me the same questions all over again.
* start (sth) all over again
The computer crashed and I had to start the essay all over again.
I can’t read a word of this – you’ll have to redo it.
She retook her driving test five times before she passed.
* start again
The drilling noise started again in the next room.
* start work/school again
After her vacation Trish really didn’t feel like starting her classes again.
* start doing sth again
Have you and Larry started talking to each other again?
* start to do sth again
It’s starting to snow again.
* bring back sth
Do you think they should bring back the death penalty?
a seventies revival
* revival +of
the recent revival of interest in alternative medicine
* go back to sth
I wouldn’t like to go back to full-time work again.
* go back to doing sth
Tim was determined he would never go back to using drugs.

🌺 Page 019

* be against sth/be opposed to sth
I’m not against people eating meat, but I don’t think people should kill animals for sport.
60% of the population is opposed to the war.
* be strongly opposed to sth
They are strongly opposed to any form of violence.
* object to sth
What I object to most is the way the book portrays women.
* strongly object to sth
Most of the students strongly object to the new rules.
* not agree with sth
I don’t agree with all these new anti-smoking laws, do you?
My grandmother doesn’t agree with divorce.
* not approve of sth
These guys didn’t approve of women cops.
He doesn’t really approve of drinking, let alone drinking and driving.
* not believe in sth
She doesn’t believe in sex before marriage.
I don’t believe in hitting children for any reason.
* anti-war/anti-smoking/anti-American
Anti-war demonstrators gathered on Capitol Hill.
anti-Communist propaganda
a debate between an anti-abortion group and its opponents
* opponent +of
All opponents of the government are likely to be imprisoned.
* life-long opponent
a life-long opponent of nuclear weapons
Plans to build the airport faced a lot of opposition from local people.
* opposition +to
Opposition to the war was growing rapidly.
* strong opposition
The new law was passed, despite strong opposition.
* widespread opposition
Widespread opposition to the military government led to violence on the streets.
* have an objection
If anyone has any objections, please let us know as soon as possible.

🌺 Page 020

* objection +to
What were her father’s objections to their marriage?
* raise an objection
Club members raised a number of objections to the proposals.
* have no objection
I’ll give them your name as a witness if you have no objection.
* the age of sb/sth
The average age of the students is 18.
Can anyone tell me the approximate age of the Earth?
* sb’s age
I tried to guess her age.
The children’s ages range from three to seventeen.
* be sb’s age
When I was your age, I was already working.
* the same age as sb/sth
Their house is about the same age as ours.
* of my age/her age
I’m surprised a girl of your age didn’t know that!
* at the age of 10/20
He died in 1995 at the age of 73.
* over/under the age of 16/30
Anyone over the age of 14 had to pay the full fare.
* be small/tall for your age
Jimmy’s very tall for his age.
She’s 86, but very fit for her age.
“How old are you?” “I’m 24.”
I’m not sure how old my grandfather is.
How old were you when you got married?
Archaeologists are trying to discover how old these buildings are.
* be 5/10/27
Julie will be 30 on her next birthday.
* be 5/10/27 years old
Simon’s almost 75 years old.
The school is 100 years old next year.
* be 5/10/27 years of age
He appeared to be about 35 years of age.
* 5-year-old/60-year-old
27-year-old Susan Walker is the new world champion.
an eight-year-old car
a six-week-old baby
* a man of 50/a child of 5
If a man of 55 loses his job in this city he’ll never get another.
This calculator is so simple a child of five could use it.
* in your 20s/40s/80s
I’m not sure how old she is – I think she’s in her 50s.
* in your late 20s/30s/40s
Police say that the man is tall, has dark hair, and is in his late thirties.
* in your early 20s/30/40s
He first visited Europe when he was in his early twenties.
My grandparents are both in their mid-eighties.

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* aged 5/l0/27
McIntosh died on April 25th, aged 67.
He wrote a song for his daughter Soraya, now aged six.
A man aged 20 has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
preserving the environment for future generations
There was now a whole generation of people who had never experienced peace.
* of sb’s generation
People of my father’s generation aren’t used to computers.
She was one of the best writers of her generation.
* the younger/older generation
There is not much interest in politics among the younger generation.
Saga specializes in holidays for the older generation.
* age group
Boys in this age group watch TV for an average of five hours a day.
a competition for the 11-15 age group
* the over-50s/under-5s
an aerobics class for the over-50s
She teaches young children, mostly the under-5s.
I think it’s too expensive. Do you agree?
“That’s right,” Richard agreed.
* agree +with
Everyone agreed with Karen.
* agree +on/about
I agree with you about the color – it looks awful.
The one thing all the parties agreed on was the need for fair elections.
* agree +that
Many experts agree that the best way to lose weight is to do more exercise.
* be in agreement
No decision can be made until everybody is in agreement.
* share sb’s view
Many people shared Davidson’s view and thought the plan should be stopped.
* share this/that view
This view is shared by many doctors.
* unanimous decision/vote/verdict
Harvey was elected by a unanimous vote.
The committee reached a unanimous decision.
The decision to end his contract was almost unanimous.

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The members voted unanimously to appoint her as chairperson.
Charles suggested going for a picnic, and we all agreed.
* agree to sth
The Council of Ministers would never agree to such a plan.
* go along with sb/sth
We went along with Eva’s idea, as no one could think of a better one.
Often it was easier just to go along with him, rather than risk an argument.
* agree +on
We’ve finally agreed on a date for the party.
* agree to do sth
They agreed to meet again later in the week.
* agree +that
In the end, everyone agreed that the best thing to do was to wait.
* it is agreed
It was agreed that the price should be fixed at $200.
* we’re (all) agreed
Right then, are we all agreed?
* reach an agreement/come to an agreement
After two years of talks, the Russians and Americans finally reached an agreement.
British Airways and the unions hope to come to an agreement before Monday.
The employers will have to be ready to compromise if they want to avoid a strike.
We are not prepared to compromise on safety standards.
* make a deal/do a deal +with
The government denied making a deal with the kidnappers.
* agree to do sth
I’ve agreed to look after Pat’s children next weekend.
Why did I ever agree to teach him to drive?
* make an agreement
They made a secret agreement not to tell anyone about their plans.
* sign an agreement
The US has signed a trade agreement with China.
* under an agreement
Under the agreement, UN troops will remain in Bosnia for another year.

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* reach/find a compromise
After several hours of discussions, they managed to reach a compromise.
* compromise +between
The treaty represented a compromise between the Communists and the Nationalists.
The Treaty of Versailles ended the First World War.
* sign a treaty
A peace treaty was signed in 1975.
My contract says I have to work 35 hours per week.
* sign a contract (with sb)
REM signed an $80 million contract with Warner Brothers.
Are all your grandparents still alive?
He was badly injured, but at least he was alive.
* alive and well
The children were found alive and well after two days.
Mary’s brother is her only living relative, and he lives in Australia.
Seamus Heaney is Ireland’s greatest living poet.
* the living
Funerals help the living accept the death of a loved one.
She’s seriously ill, but the doctor thinks she’ll live.
Without light, plants cannot live.
People are living longer these days.
* live for 2 years/3 months/a long time
He lived for five years after his heart operation.
Cats normally live for about 12 years.
* stay alive
They managed to stay alive by eating insects and berries.
* keep sb alive
He is being kept alive on a life-support machine.
Only two of the passengers survived.
She survived the war, but died of old age six months later.
My grandmother is too old to survive another operation.
* survivor +of
survivors of the First World War
* sole survivor
The sole survivor of the crash was the pilot.
They’re all having lunch.
The new government banned all political parties.

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* we all/you all/them all
We all passed our English test.
He thanked us all for coming.
Have you all finished your dinner?
* all the/these/their/my
All the teachers at my school are women.
Did you take all these photos yourself?
* all of
I invited all of my friends to the party.
Do we have to read all of the books on this list?
It’s going to be a difficult day for all of us.
* almost/nearly all
Almost all my friends have got cars.
The plates rolled off the shelf and nearly all of them broke.
* all dogs/all cars/all children
All mammals are warm-blooded.
The new law will affect all cars over 5 years old.
Every room in the house was painted white.
The bank has branches in every city in France.
She bought presents for every member of her family.
Every teacher knows the problems that difficult children can cause.
* every single
It rained every single day of our vacation.
The police questioned every single passenger on the plane.
The calendar has a different picture for each month of the year.
She had a ring on each finger of her right hand.
The president shook hands with each member of the team.
* each of
She gave each of them a hug.
* we each/they each/us each
My brother and I each have our own room.
She gave us each a pen and a piece of paper.
* in each/for each/to each
She dug several tiny holes in the soil, planting a seed in each.
Everything in the store costs less than $10.
I agree with everything she said.
I think everyone enjoyed the party.
If everybody is ready, I’ll begin.
Has everyone gone home?
Many party members agreed with their leader, but they certainly weren’t unanimous.

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* unanimous decision/agreement/verdict
The committee made a unanimous decision to expel the three students.
* all the/this/that/my
He spends all his money on beer and cigarettes.
I’ve finished all my homework.
Did you eat all that bread?
* all of the/this/my/it
I enjoyed the book although I didn’t understand all of it.
* it all
Is there any left, or did you spend it all?
* all day/week/year
I spent all day cleaning the house.
Police searched the whole area for the murder weapon.
She was so frightened, her whole body was shaking.
I didn’t see her again for a whole year.
* the whole of
She spent the whole of the journey complaining about her boyfriend.
The Romans conquered almost the whole of western Europe.
They discovered the complete skeleton of a dinosaur.
He has a complete collection of Elvis records.
Please write your full name and address.
I used my student card, so I didn’t have to pay the full price.
It was the worst day of my entire life.
A single CD-ROM can hold the entire text of a 20-volume encyclopedia.
We wasted an entire day waiting at the airport.
Any student who wishes to go on the trip should sign this list.
You can buy the magazine at any good bookstore.
* any of the/these/my/them
You are welcome to borrow any of these books.
Will any of your friends be going to the same university?
I went shopping with Kathy, but we didn’t buy anything.
You can write about anything you enjoy doing.
Do you know anything about computer networks?
If anything goes wrong with the car, call the garage straight away.
This would be an ideal job for anyone who speaks French and Italian.
Peter’s more intelligent than anybody I know.
If anyone needs more information, come and see me after the class.

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* whatever sb does/says/wants
They told me I could eat whatever I wanted from the fridge.
We’ll do whatever we can to help.
It’s best just to agree with whatever he says.
You can invite whoever you want to your party.
It seems that whoever is in charge of the team, we always lose.
They want a total ban on cigarette advertising.
My parents had complete control over my life.
The complete destruction of the rainforest
The old part of town remains virtually unchanged.
The theatre was practically empty.
It’s virtually impossible for a woman to become president in this country.
Tom knew practically everyone at the party.
Virtually all the children come to school by car.
* just about/more or less
I had more or less convinced her that I was telling the truth.
Dinner’s just about ready.
All the rooms are more or less the same size.
She’s invited just about everyone she knows.
* not quite
She hasn’t quite finished her homework yet.
This skirt isn’t quite long enough.
Give me five minutes – I’m not quite ready.

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* not quite as good/big/strong
The female bird isn’t quite as big as the male.
I just managed to get there before the train left.
We could just see the coast in the distance.
* only just
These pants only just fit me.
* just big enough/old enough
The tunnel is just wide enough for two trucks to pass each other.
I hadn’t seen him for 12 years, but he’d hardly changed at all.
* can/could hardly do sth
I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open.
* hardly any/anyone/anything
There’s hardly any fuel left in the tank.
* hardly ever
She hardly ever goes to church.
* alone/on your own/by yourself
She was sitting alone on a park bench.
I wanted to be on my own.
Do you share the apartment, or do you live by yourself?
* all alone/on your own/by yourself
Wendy was frightened, all alone in that big old house.
* leave sb alone/on their own/by themselves
The first time his parents left him alone in the house, he set fire to the kitchen.
Mark’s not well. I can’t go out and leave him on his own.
* on your own/by yourself
I don’t like going to restaurants on my own.
Surely he’s old enough to get dressed by himself, isn’t he?
* all on your own/all by yourself
How did you manage to prepare so much food all on your own?
She brought up three children single-handedly.
In 1992, he rowed across the Atlantic single-handed.

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I flew solo for the first time this weekend.
* go solo
He played in a band for five years before going solo.
Her first solo album will be released next week.
He took a long, solitary walk.
Martha felt very lonely when she first arrived in New York.
a lonely old woman
I get so lonesome here with no one to talk to.
Many old people complain of loneliness.
Young single parents often feel isolated and forgotten.
When are you coming home? I miss you.
It was great living in Prague, but I really missed all my friends.
Jo has always been a bit of a loner.
After her husband died, she became a complete recluse.
She was always ready to listen to my problems.
Why do you always blame me for everything?
He always has sandwiches for his lunch.
We always meet for lunch on Thursdays.
* all (of) the time
They quarreled all the time.
My neck hurts every time I move.
He jumped every time he heard his father’s voice.
The coach says we should go out on the field expecting to win every time.

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He goes to visit Amy whenever he’s in town.
You can use my computer whenever you like.
* whenever possible
Try to use public transport whenever possible.
We use the car almost every day.
Thousands of tourists visit Bali every year.
* nine times out of ten
I often leave work early, and nine times out of ten no one notices.
I’ll always remember the first time I went to Paris.
She said she would always love him.
Don’t worry! Things won’t always seem this hard!
I’d like to stay here forever.
If you wait for Victor to make up his mind, you’ll be waiting forever.
a disease which can cause permanent brain damage
The accident left him permanently disabled.
There’s no such thing as a job for life anymore.
If you help me, I’ll be your friend for life!
* be jailed for life
She was jailed for life in 1965 for the murder of her husband and children.
* for good
He said he was tired of boxing and was giving it up for good.
I’m leaving her, and this time it’s for good.
Have you always lived here?
He’s always wanted to work in TV.
I always thought there was something strange about him.
* all along
He realized that she’d been right all along.
I spent all morning looking for my keys, and they were in my purse all along!
* from the start
Their marriage was a disaster from the start.
* right from the start
They liked each other right from the start.
* all (of) the time
I seem to be tired all the time these days.
Do you wear your glasses all the time, or just for reading?
There’s always loud music coming from the room upstairs.
As Jim is always telling us, things were different when he was a boy.
* the whole time
He talked about himself the whole time.
We realized that Duncan had been standing there the whole time.
His constant complaining is really beginning to annoy me.
a constant supply of fresh water

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We were constantly in debt.
The English language is constantly changing.
a country in a permanent state of crisis
He seems to have a permanent smile on his face.
* permanent feature/fixture
He’s become a permanent fixture in this Arsenal side.
This door is kept permanently locked.
* the amount of sth
The amount of tax you pay depends on how much you earn.
Try to reduce the amount of fat in your diet.
* a small/tiny amount
The water here contains small amounts of calcium and other minerals.
* a large/enormous/considerable amount
Finding the right house takes a considerable amount of time and effort.
* how much time/money/food
How much money do I owe you?
I’ll get you some paint if you’ll tell me how much you need.
How much did your jeans cost?
Do you realize how much trouble you caused?
How much gas is left in the tank?
* quantity +of
Make sure that you add the correct quantity of water.
Use equal quantities of flour and butter.
* a large/small/enormous quantity
An enormous quantity of chemical waste had been dumped in the river.
* the level of sth
a device that measures the level of carbon monoxide in the air
The rising level of crime in the inner cities
* a high/low level
At that time, Spain had a very high level of unemployment.
* 100 pounds’ worth/ten dollars’ worth +of
Over $10 million worth of heroin was seized in the raid.
The company owns millions of dollars’ worth of real estate in downtown Tokyo.
* the extent of sth
Government inspectors will assess the extent of the damage.
Considering the extent of his injuries, he’s lucky to be alive.

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* a large/enormous sum
It cost over $25,000, which was an enormous sum in those days.
* a sum of money
She left a small sum of money to her two granddaughters.
* the volume of trade/sales/traffic/business
The volume of traffic on our roads increases every year.
After 1929, there was a rapid fall in the volume of trade.
* the number of
We need to know the number of students in each class.
* a number of
Sally had spent a number of years in Italy.
* a large/ small number
A large number of reporters had gathered outside the house.
Thousands of men apply to join the Marines but only a small number are accepted.
How many cups of coffee do you have a day?
He wouldn’t tell us how many girlfriends he’d had.
How many of you can swim?
* a quantity of
Thieves escaped with $850 in cash and a quantity of cigarettes.
* a large/small/huge quantity
We had no sugar, just a large quantity of coffee.
* 100 pounds’ worth/ten dollars’ worth +of
Police recovered over a million pounds’ worth of stolen diamonds.
$100,000 worth of rugs were destroyed in the fire.
* percentage +of
The percentage of women students at the university has increased steadily.
A slight fall in the percentage of nitrogen in the air
* a high/large percentage
A high percentage of the population lives in poverty here.
The disease is serious, and in a small percentage of cases it can be fatal.
* proportion +of
a program to increase the proportion of women and black people in the police service
* a high/low/large/small proportion
Part-time workers now make up a high proportion of employees.

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* the ratio of sth to sth
The ratio of students to teachers is about 5 to 1.
* the crime/divorce/suicide/murder rate
The city has a murder rate of more than one a day.
Computers can now do the same job at a fraction of the cost.
The disease affects only a tiny fraction of the population.
I was so angry that I could hardly speak.
A crowd of angry demonstrators gathered outside the embassy.
After the program, the TV station received hundreds of angry phone calls.
* angry +with
She was angry with him because he had lied to her.
* angry +about
Don’t you feel angry about the way you’ve been treated?
* angry +at
At first, I was angry at him.
* angry +that
Local people are angry that they weren’t consulted about plans to expand the airport.
Rachel slammed the door angrily on her way out.
Tom will be real mad when he sees what you’ve done to his car.
* mad +at
She used to get mad at Harry because he was always changing his mind.
* mad +about
Maria, what are you so mad about?
I’ll be annoyed if he’s forgotten to post my letter.
* annoyed +with
Joe was annoyed with her for being late.
I was annoyed with myself for playing so badly.
* annoyed at/by
Kay was clearly annoyed at John’s remark.
* annoyed +that
I was really annoyed that she didn’t tell me herself.
She got irritated because they hadn’t cleaned up after themselves.
* irritated +by/at
Coleman was irritated by all the questions.
* irritated +with
She was irritated with herself for feeling nervous.
I’ve never been so furious in all my life.
A furious argument
* furious +with
She’d be furious with me if she knew I was reading her diary.
* furious +at/about
He came home furious at something his boss had said.
“Stop it,” shouted Ralph furiously.
“Was he angry when you got in so late?” “Angry? He was livid!”
I know I shouldn’t have spoken to her like that, but I was absolutely livid.

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A lot of Muslims were offended when the book came out.
I hope you won’t be offended if I leave early.
* offended +by
Many readers were offended by the newspaper’s anti-Irish comments.
Do you think Dad will be cross when he finds out what happened?
* cross +with
Are you cross with me?
* fed up with sth/sick of sth
I’m really fed up with this awful weather.
Joe was getting sick of Carol’s stupid comments.
I left the job because I got fed up with being treated like a servant.
* get angry/get mad
He tends to get angry if he loses.
* get angry/get mad +at
Just calm down. There’s no need to get mad at me.
* lose your temper
I’ve never seen Denise lose her temper before.
“I’ve told you already,” said Kathryn, trying hard not to lose her temper.
* lose your temper +with
Whatever you do, don’t lose your temper with the students – you’ll only make things worse.
* throw a tantrum/have a tantrum
Josie threw a tantrum in the supermarket again today.
Our teacher was a bad-tempered old woman.
Pressure at work was making her more and more bad-tempered.
* be in a bad mood
Why’s Jenny in such a bad mood this morning?
* put sb in a bad mood
I missed the bus, which put me in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
a grumpy old man
Her illness made her grumpy and impatient.
Dan is always tired and grouchy in the mornings.
Tara had been moody and difficult all day.
The heat was making me irritable.
Zoe hadn’t had much sleep and was feeling tired and irritable.
She always gets a little touchy when you ask her about her parents.
* touchy +about
Don’t say anything about his bald patch – he’s a little touchy about it.

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a sulky child
After a while, he stopped looking sulky.
She just sat in the corner and stared sulkily at the floor.
Henry’s the most annoying person I have ever met.
I got into the shower, and the phone rang. It was so annoying.
Steve has an irritating habit of leaving the fridge door open.
I do find it irritating when people keep interrupting me.
It’s so frustrating when you’re in a hurry and the traffic isn’t moving.
Learning a new language can be a frustrating experience.
* be a nuisance
My car’s broken down again. It’s a nuisance, isn’t it?
* what a nuisance!
Oh, what a nuisance! I’ve left my sandwiches at home.
He always pretends he doesn’t understand what I’m saying. It’s absolutely infuriating.
infuriating delays
* make sb angry/make sb mad
Sophie tried not to do anything that would make Henry angry.
* it makes sb angry/mad when
It always makes me mad when people drive up behind me and start flashing their lights.
The only reason she went out with him was to annoy her parents.
Are you doing that just to annoy me?
* it annoys sb that/when
It annoys me that Kim never returns the books she borrows.
That silly smile of hers always irritated him.
After a while, the loud ticking of the clock began to irritate me.
I’m sorry if I offended you.
Some people were offended by Leary’s racist jokes.
* get on sb’s nerve
The noise from the apartment upstairs was beginning to get on my nerves.
I hope Diane isn’t going to be there – she really gets on my nerves.
* drive sb crazy/drive sb mad
Turn that music down – it’s driving me mad!
Being alone all day with three small kids is enough to drive anyone crazy.

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She would never have hit you if you hadn’t provoked her.
* provoke sb into doing sth
Charlie was trying to provoke him into losing his temper.
He was finding it difficult to control his growing anger.
Her heart was filled with sadness more than anger.
* with anger
His face went bright red with anger.
* with rage
By now Samuel was white in the face and absolutely shaking with rage.
* a fit of rage
Verlaine shot Rimbaud in a fit of jealous rage.
* in/with frustration
Jess stared out of the window, almost crying with frustration.
Kay stamped her foot in frustration and marched out of the room.
* tell sb off
She’s always telling her kids off or shouting at them.
* tell sb off +for
He’s upset because the teacher told him off for talking in class.
* get told off
I got told off by my dad when I got home.
* yell at sb
It was so embarrassing – he just started yelling at his wife.
* get yelled at
I got yelled at in school because I was wearing the wrong shirt.
“I’ve lost my pencil.” “Don’t worry, here’s another.”
* another person/thing/glass
Would you like another drink?
You’ll get another chance to see him after the show.
* another one
“That was a good cup of coffee.” “Would you like another one?”
* another one +of
This is just another of his crazy ideas. Ignore it.
* one more
One more drink and then I really have to go.
I’ll give you one more chance to tell the truth.
Bring an extra set of clothes in case you decide to stay overnight.
We need an extra pint of milk for tomorrow.
* spare room/key/tire
You can sleep in the spare bedroom if you like.
I always leave a set of spare keys with my neighbor.

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Jamie thought carefully before answering.
I said hello to her, but she didn’t answer.
“Why don’t you just leave?” “I’d like to,” she answered, “but I have nowhere else to go.”
* answer a question
You still haven’t answered my question.
* answer a question +that
Hugh answered that he knew nothing about the robbery.
* answer sb
Why don’t you answer me?
I called out her name, but there was no answer.
Each time I ask him when the work will be done, I get a different answer.
* give sb an answer
I should be able to give you a definite answer tomorrow.
* the answer is (that)
Why don’t people complain? The answer is that they are frightened of losing their jobs.
* answer +to
These are important questions, and we want answers to them.
“I’m so sorry,” he replied.
Before she could reply, Grant put the phone down.
* reply +that
Lisa replied that she didn’t like playing tennis.
* reply to a question
The Senator refused to reply to any more questions.
Kathy murmured a reply, but I couldn’t hear it.
* reply to a question/request
He turned and left the room, without waiting for a reply to his question.
* write back
I wrote back and said that of course they could stay with us.
* write back +to
You must write back to Amy and tell her all the news.
I wrote to Franca three weeks ago but she hasn’t replied yet.
* reply to a letter/invitation/advertisement
Becky hasn’t replied to our invitation so I assume she isn’t coming.
Any customer who complains to the bank will receive a reply within 48 hours.
* reply +to
We got over a hundred replies to our advertisement.
He spent the morning answering letters in his study.
Paola got the job by answering an ad in the paper.

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I knocked and knocked but no one answered.
* answer the phone/the door/a call
A strange man answered the phone.
He still isn’t answering my calls.
“I think that’s the phone.” “It’s OK. I’ll get it.”
Can someone get the door? I’m in the shower!
* there was no answer/there was no reply
She knocked on Mike’s door but there was no answer.
I’ve been trying to call Cathy all day and there’s no reply.
Write your answers on a postcard and send it to this address.
* the answer
And the answer is … Washington DC!
* answer +to
What’s the answer to question 4?
* the right/wrong answer
The first person to call us with the right answer will win 10 CDs of their choice.
* answer a question
You have 20 minutes to answer all the questions.
* answer correctly/wrongly
If you answer correctly, you could win a video camera.
Have you worked out the solution yet?
* solution +to
The solution to last week’s crossword puzzle is on page 25.
* answer +to
There are no easy answers to our environmental problems.
* the answer
Some people think cars should be banned from the city, but I don’t think that’s the answer.
* solution +to
Nuclear power can never be the only solution to our energy problems.
* find a solution,/come up with a solution
So far, all attempts to find a solution have failed.
* solve a problem
The only way to solve the city’s housing problems is to build new homes.
* know what to do
Go and ask Larry – he’ll know what to do.
* know what to do +about
Carrie thought her boyfriend was seeing another girl, but she didn’t know what to do about it.

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There will be sunshine in most areas tomorrow.
* area +of
A substantial area of Brazil is still covered by rainforest.
* industrial/agricultural/rural area
The news hadn’t reached the rural areas yet.
There have been reports of fighting throughout the region.
They finally settled in the north-west region.
* region +of
Wild dogs are rare, even in the more remote regions of Africa.
San Francisco and Tokyo are both located in earthquake zones.
They want the Pacific Ocean to become a nuclear-free zone.
* war/battle zone
UN troops are unwilling to enter the war zone.
* area +of
They used to live in Marylebone, an area of London.
* poor/rich area
Diego was brought up in a very poor area of Buenos Aires.
* the surrounding area
Police are searching Blickling and the surrounding area for the missing child.
The financial district is in the center of Manila.
* district +of
Their apartment is in the Chongwen district of Peking.
Freddie and his family lived in a big house in a wealthy neighborhood.
Everyone in the neighborhood seemed to have heard the news.
* suburb +of
Amy teaches at a school in a suburb of Boston.
* the suburbs
It took about an hour to drive through the suburbs.
She lived three blocks away, on 32nd Street.
Most of the families on our block are Italian Americans.
The fourteenth precinct
There were several damp areas on the living room walls.
* area +of
The garden has a small area of grass, with a few fruit trees around it.
a white kitten with black patches
* damp/dirty/icy patch
icy patches on the road are making driving dangerous.
* patch of dirt/damp/grease
a patch of dirt in the middle of the rug

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Jim and Beth seem to spend all their time arguing.
* argue +with
Don’t argue with me, John. Just do what I tell you.
* argue +about/over
Out in the street, a cab driver and his passenger were arguing about the fare.
A lot of time was spent arguing over the details of the contract.
They haven’t spoken to each other since they quarreled.
* quarrel +with
She left home after quarrelling with her parents.
* quarrel +about/over
The two brothers had quarreled over ownership of the farm.
* have a fight/have a row +with
I had another fight with Mom last night.
* have a fight/have a row +about
Kelvin and his wife have endless rows about money.
Oh, for goodness sake, stop squabbling, you two!
* squabble +about/over
The kids always squabble about who should do the dishes.
* fall out with sb
I think she’s fallen out with her boyfriend.
* fall out with sb +about/over
I don’t want to fall out with you over something so unimportant.
* have an argument
My sister and I had a terrible argument and haven’t spoken since.
* argument +about/over
the usual family arguments about what time we should be home at night.
* have an argument +with
I could hear her on the phone, having an argument with someone from the bank.
* get into an argument
Phil got into an argument with a guy at the bar.
* start an argument
I didn’t want to start an argument, so I kept quiet.
a family quarrel
* quarrel +with
I was tired of these stupid quarrels with my parents.
* have a quarrel
They had some sort of quarrel years ago, and they haven’t spoken to each other since.
* disagreement +about/over
There were the occasional disagreements about money, but mostly we got on well.
* disagreement +with
Ginny had left the company after a disagreement with her boss.
* disagreement +between
a disagreement between the USA and China
There were always rows when my dad got home.

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* a blazing row
The couple in the house next door were having a blazing row.
Uncle Matt bought them a computer game to share, which led to endless squabbles.
* squabble +about/over
a noisy squabble over who should sit in the front of the car.
* dispute +over/about
an international dispute over fishing rights
* dispute +with
Morris has been involved in a long legal dispute with his publisher.
* dispute +between
a bitter dispute between the two countries
* settle a dispute
All efforts to settle the dispute have so far failed.
When he drinks too much, he becomes very argumentative.
She had had enough of all her quarrelsome relatives.
* make up/make it up
I’m glad to see that you two have made up at last.
* make up/make it up +with
Have you made it up with your sister yet?
* settle your difference
By the early 1970s, France and Britain had settled their differences over European trade.
Is it at all possible that you and your husband could settle your differences?
the armies of Britain and France
* be in the army
Both my brothers are in the army.
* join the army/go into the army
He joined the army when he was seventeen.
* the armed forces
people who served in the armed forces during the war
* the military
The company supplies electronic equipment to the US military.
In 1976, there was a coup and the military seized power.

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The supreme US military commander in Europe
The airport is used by civilian and military planes.
Thousands of French troops died in the attack.
Troops were sent in to stop the riots.
The captain ordered his men to fire.
More than 30 officers and men are still missing.
* commanding officer
The commanding officer of the 1st Battalion
* join the army/navy/air force/marine
He wants to join the air force when he finishes school.
My dad joined up at the beginning of the war.
By the end of 1975, over 700,000 men had enlisted.
* enlist +in
Frank enlisted in the Marines at the age of 19.
When was conscription introduced in Britain?
Many young men went abroad to avoid the draft.
All males between the ages of 18 and 30 were liable for military service.
* do military service
Did you have to do military service?
* be called up/be drafted
I was called up three months after the war started.
Thousands of young Americans were drafted to fight in Vietnam.
A group of students sat around the table chatting.
She was wearing a silver chain round her neck.
a package with tape wrapped around it
* all around/all round
Enemy soldiers were now all around us.
a long garden with high walls all round

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* be surrounded by
The lake was surrounded by trees.
Jill sat on the floor surrounded by boxes.
* on/from all sides
Mountains rose steeply on all sides.
There was the sound of gunfire from all sides.
Police surrounded the house.
Football fans ran onto the field and surrounded the referee.
* gather around/gather round
A crowd of young boys had gathered round.
* gather around sth/sb
People were gathering around the TV to watch the game.
* crowd around/crowd round
The children crowded round, eager and excited.
Dozens of journalists crowded around the Princess and started asking her questions.
* go/fly/travel/run around sth
The Earth goes around the Sun.
* round and round
The helicopter flew round and round above us.
* in circles
Birds flew in circles above the lake.
As the dog got more and more excited, it started running around us in circles.
The plane circled the airport several times before landing.
* circle around/above
Sea gulls were circling above the cliffs.
a TV satellite that orbits the Earth every 48 hours
What time do you think we’ll arrive?
* arrive at the house/hotel/airport
It was already dark by the time they arrived at their hotel.
* arrive in France/Tokyo
The British Prime Minister arrived in Tokyo today.
* arrive here/there/back/home
When I first arrived here none of the other students would talk to me.

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* arrive +from
Some friends were arriving from Australia for Christmas.
It’ll take us about half an hour to get to the airport.
* get back to sth
I’ll call her when I get back to Chicago.
* get there/here/home
What time do you usually get home in the evening?
I want to get there before the stores close.
When the visitors come, bring them up to my office.
Has the mail come yet?
* come home
What time is Dad coming home?
It took them over three days to reach the top of the mountain.
On March 3rd the US 1st Army finally reached Cologne.
* be here
Susan, your friends are here.
Is Nick here yet?
* turn up/show up
Steve turned up half an hour late as usual.
Some of the people I invited never showed up.
The plane arrived two hours late.
* arrive +in/at/from
I’m catching a train that arrives in Osaka at 5:30.
Planes carrying military supplies have been arriving at the airbase.
* get in
What time does your train get in?
* get in +to
The ferry gets in to Milwaukee around noon.
* land +at
When the plane landed at JFK, it was three hours late.
* land +in
What time did you land in Miami?
* come in to land
There’s a plane coming in to land now.
* come in
Crowds had gathered at the harbor to watch the ship come in.
Has the Air India flight come in yet?
* sb’s arrival
Joe’s sudden arrival spoiled all our plans.
* the arrival of sb/sth
We apologize for the late arrival of flight 605.
* sb’s arrival +at/i
The TV crew went to film his arrival at Heathrow.
the day after our arrival in Paris
* on sb’s arrival
On his arrival, he was greeted by the President.
* dead on arrival
She was rushed to hospital but she was dead on arrival..

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* end up +in/at
I fell asleep on the bus and ended up in Denver.
We had planned to go straight home, but we all ended up at Tom’s place.
* come to sth
We were walking through the forest when we came to a waterfall.
a book about German art in the 19th century
What kind of art do you like?
the History of Art
* work of art
Several priceless works of art were badly damaged when the palace was bombed.
Tracy Emin’s latest work has just gone on display.
Her later works reflected her growing depression.
one of the great Italian masterpieces
Many people regard this painting as Raphael’s masterpiece.
The walls of the room were covered with pictures.
* picture +of
I like that picture of the cathedral.
* draw/paint a picture
Did you draw that picture?
He asked her permission to paint her picture.
* take sb’s picture/take a picture of sb
Stand over there and I’ll take your picture.
a 17th century Dutch painting
* painting +of
a painting of a woman lying on a bed
* painting +by
a painting by Turner
* drawing +of
a 16th century drawing of the canals in Venice
the wonderful illustrations in Van Allsburg’s children’s books

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The painting shows a young couple sitting at a pavement cafe.
I want a photograph that shows his face clearly.
Her drawings depict life in an African village.
The first painting portrays the Battle of Trafalgar..
an exhibition of work by young artists
Pissarro was a famous French painter.
Botticelli painted ‘The Birth of Venus’.
The students were drawing a Chinese vase that stood on the table.
Small children love to draw with colored pens.
Eve Arnold photographed Marilyn Monroe many times.

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There’s a small art gallery in the center of the town.
the National Gallery
The museum has a few of Van Gogh’s early works.
the Museum of Modern Art
Have you been to the Picasso exhibition yet?
* exhibition +of
an exhibition of black and white photographs

🌺 Page 047

* be/feel ashamed
When she thought about what she’d said, she felt ashamed.
* ashamed of doing sth
Frank was ashamed of having lied to his mother.
* ashamed of yourself
You ought to be ashamed of yourself – coming home drunk like that!
* ashamed of sb
No one wants their own children to feel ashamed of them.
* feel ashamed +(that)
Later, he felt ashamed that he had not offered to help.
“Please don’t tell my dad about this,” he said, blushing with shame.
* shame +of
I suppose he wants to avoid the shame of a public confession.
* in shame
As Philip entered the courtroom, he hung his head in shame.
* in disgrace
Browne was caught selling drugs, and was sent home from college in disgrace.
* disgrace +of
Garton killed himself because he could not bear the disgrace of a public scandal.
I had to apologize in front of all the other students – it was so humiliating!
I knew there was something wrong, but I didn’t like to ask.
* ask (sb) what/how/why
Ask Kim what she’d like for her birthday.
I asked why, but they wouldn’t give a reason.

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* ask (sb) if/whether
I asked her if she was English.
He asked whether I was looking for accommodation.
* ask (sb) about sth
At the interview, they’re sure to ask you about your work experience.
* ask (sb) a question
Would anyone like to ask me any questions?
* ask sb
If you need any more information, ask your doctor.
* consult a doctor/lawyer/expert
Before starting any exercise program, you should consult your doctor.
* consult sb about sth
He should have consulted his advisors about this before taking any action.
Half of the people we questioned thought the President should resign.
* question sb about sth
The police have already questioned him about the missing $50,000.
Police officers interrogated him for 24 hours until he confessed.
* make inquiries/make enquiries
We went to the French Embassy to make inquiries.
* make inquiries lalso make enquiries +about
A detective was here earlier, making inquiries about your friend Gary.
If you ever need any help, just ask.
I need some more money, but I don’t dare ask my dad.
* ask (sb) for sth
A lot of people don’t like asking for help.
* ask sb to do sth/if
Ask him to wait outside for a moment.
I asked him if he would teach me German.
* ask to do sth/if
She walked right in here and asked to speak to the manager.
He asked if he could join in.
Have you ordered the wine yet?
Nina orders a lot of her clothes from mail-order catalogues.
Parents are demanding greater control over their children’s education.
* demand to know/see sth
They stopped me and demanded to see my passport.
She begged and begged until finally they agreed to let her come.
* beg sb to do sth
I begged Greg not to tell Cindy about it.
* beg +for
The prisoners were begging for mercy.
Oh, stop nagging – I’ll do it later!
* nag sb to do sth
My parents keep nagging me to get my hair cut.

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There was a job vacancy at the radio station, and 150 people applied.
* apply +for
Why don’t you apply for a loan?
* apply to do sth
In the 1960s, thousands of people applied to emigrate to South Africa.
Thousands of people who should get welfare payments never even bother to claim them.
* claim sth from sb
If you were unfairly dismissed, you will be able to claim compensation from your employer.
* appeal +for
Aid agencies are appealing for food and clothes for the refugees.
* appeal to sb for sth
Police appealed to the public for any information about the missing girl.
The pilot requested permission to land.
* request +that
His lawyer requested that the case should be heard immediately.
* request sb to do sth
All members are requested to attend the annual meeting.
In London there are more and more homeless kids begging in the streets.
An old man was panhandling outside the bus terminal.
There were several questions she wanted to ask.
* question +about
Does anyone have any questions about the homework?
* answer a question
The teacher never answered my question.
* a difficult/awkward question
I hope the interviewers don’t ask too many difficult questions.
* request +for
The bank refused his request for a loan.
* make a request
We’ve already made a request for some new equipment.
* on request
Information about the test is available on request.
The kidnappers sent a list of demands to a national newspaper.
* demand +for
a demand for a 10% pay increase
A recent survey showed that 50% of 18-22-year-olds had tried drugs.
* survey +of/into
a survey of people’s eating habits
We are carrying out a survey into the effects of TV violence on children.
* opinion poll
Opinion polls show that the Democrats are way ahead.

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* complete a questionnaire
Complete our questionnaire and you might win a car!
She was attacked on her way to the station.
A big dog jumped out and attacked me.
* attack sb with sth
He’d been attacked with some kind of heavy object.
Could you give me a description of your attacker>
He’s been mugged twice since he moved to London.
An armed gang ambushed a security vehicle and killed the driver.
Several police officers were assaulted by demonstrators.
Enemy planes attacked the city throughout the night.
General McArthur gave the order to attack.
In the summer of 1968, Soviet troops invaded Czechoslovakia.
Shortly after dawn a small group of commandos raided the enemy camp.
* retaliate by doing sth
Protestors retaliated by throwing stones at the police.
* in retaliation for sth
The rockets were fired in retaliation for Tuesday’s bomb attack.
The British counter-attack forced the French back into their own territory.
The General ordered two divisions to counter-attack.
The attack took place as Mr Owen was leaving his home.
Police are investigating a series of racial attacks in the city.
* attack +on
a serious attack on a young Turkish worker in Germany yesterday

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Every year there are thousands of muggings on the subway.
Reed was serving a 5-year jail sentence for burglary and assault.
* assault on
Statistics show an increase in the number of assaults on women.
The attack began at dawn.
a terrorist attack
* attack on
a carefully planned attack on American air bases
* launch/mount an attack
Troops launched an attack on the city in the early hours of the morning.
Troops spent three months preparing to launch the invasion.
* invasion of
the invasion of Normandy in 1944
* American/French/British invasion
the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
* raid on
Several raids were made on nearby villages.
* air raid
A series of air raids almost totally destroyed the ancient city center.
Four soldiers were killed in an ambush outside the camp.
The victim received serious head injuries.
* be the victim of a crime/assault/attack
Saleem, aged 76, was the victim of a vicious racial attack yesterday evening.
* target for
Government buildings have recently been a target for terrorist attacks.
* prime target
Airports are a prime target.
Coffee, tea, and snacks will be available throughout the day.
This treatment is not available in all hospitals.
Every available space on the walls was covered with posters.
* available to
Only a few documents were available to him.
* available from
His latest book is available from all good bookstores.
* readily/freely available
Drugs like heroin are readily available on the streets.
* make sth available
These statistics are never sold or made available to the public.

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There are some spare chairs in the next room if you need them.
Bring plenty of spare clothes if you want to stay for the weekend.
* spare change/cash
I need 50 pence for the coffee machine – do you have any spare change?
Is this seat free?
The conference room is free this morning.
* have sth free
The hotel never has any rooms free over the Christmas period.
Fresh fruits were unavailable in winter.
Good apartments to rent had become almost unobtainable.
If we learn from our mistakes, we can avoid future problems.
It’s important to take measures to avoid the risk of fire.
Helping students to avoid common errors.
* avoid doing sth
Students should try to avoid getting into debt.
It’s best to avoid going out alone after dark.
* get out of sth
I’m supposed to stay at home with my sister this evening, but I’ll try to get out of it.
* get out of doing sth
He always manages to get out of paying for the drinks.
* get around sth/get round sth
There’s no getting around it – you’re going to have to tell her the truth.
Isn’t there any way of getting round these regulations?
I’m sure Sarah’s been avoiding me recently.
It’s best to avoid the city center during the rush hour.
* avoid sb/sth like the plague
Since their divorce, they’ve avoided each other like the plague.
* stay away/keep away from
That evening he received a note warning him to stay away from the camp.
Keep away from my children, or I’ll call the police.
* stay/keep well away
She walked along the path, keeping well away from the cliff’s edge.
* steer clear of sb/sth
We were told to steer clear of the main roads, where we might be recognized.
She advised me to steer clear of Matthew – she said he couldn’t be trusted.

🌺 Page 053

Try to avoid subjects like sex or religion that might offend people.
Like a lot of politicians, he just kept avoiding the question.
* steer clear of sth
Steer clear of controversial topics.
All of the journalists’ questions were met with vague, evasive answers.
When we asked him where his wife was, O’Hare suddenly became evasive.
I had to swerve to avoid the truck.
* avoid doing sth
Penny jumped out of the way to avoid being hit by the falling branch.
* get out of the way
“Get out of the way!” he yelled, as the wall began to crumble.
* get out of the way +of
He ran off the track to get out of the way of the horses.
If she hadn’t ducked, the ball would have hit her.
I forgot to duck and hit my head on the doorway.
He managed to dodge the traffic as he ran across the road.
If I hadn’t dodged at the last second, they would have caught me.
* dodge +behind/into/through
He saw the policeman and dodged into an alley.

🌺 Page 054

Who will look after the baby when you go back to work?
* new baby
Have you seen Rachel’s new baby?
* newborn baby
The average weight of a newborn baby is about seven pounds.
* baby boy/girl
A four-day-old baby boy.
* baby son/daughter
Steve and Martha are proud to announce the birth of their baby daughter, Kate Louise.
* unborn baby
There are a lot of sounds that an unborn baby can hear.
They had their first child after ten years of marriage.
* unborn child
The rubella virus can seriously harm the unborn child.
* be born
The baby was born two months early.
Where were you born?
* birth +of
It’s quite common for fathers to be present at the birth of their babies.
* at birth
He only weighed 7.5 kg at birth.
Many premature babies have breathing problems.
* three months,/seven weeks premature
The baby was six weeks premature.
* have a baby
Helen had her second baby at home.
* have a boy/girl
Val’s just had another baby boy!
* give birth
An Italian woman has given birth at the age of 67.
* give birth to a boy/girl/son/daughter
The King hoped she would give birth to a son.
drugs that ease the pain of childbirth.

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* in labor
She was in labor for over 16 hours with her first child.
* go into labour
Anna was at work when she went into labor.
Have you heard that Liz is pregnant?
* get pregnant
She got pregnant while she was only 15.
* twelve weeks/eight months pregnant
Helen’s three months pregnant.
* be going to have a baby
I’ve got something to tell you all: I’m going to have a baby!
This drug should not be taken during pregnancy.
* teenage pregnancy
an increase in the number of teenage pregnancies.
* have a miscarriage
She had a miscarriage when she was three months pregnant.
* lose the baby
Patricia lost the baby six months into her pregnancy.
In Europe there are over 2 million abortions a year.
The Catholic Church remains strongly opposed to abortion.
* have an abortion
She had an abortion when she was only 15.
The mother bird will stay with her young until they are four weeks old.
* baby rabbit/elephant/monkey
The baby monkey was following its mother.
* in labor
She was in labor for over 16 hours with her first child.

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* go into labour
Anna was at work when she went into labor.
Have you heard that Liz is pregnant?
* get pregnant
She got pregnant while she was only 15.
* twelve weeks/eight months pregnant
Helen’s three months pregnant.
* be going to have a baby
I’ve got something to tell you all: I’m going to have a baby!
This drug should not be taken during pregnancy.
* teenage pregnancy
an increase in the number of teenage pregnancies.
* have a miscarriage
She had a miscarriage when she was three months pregnant.
* lose the baby
Patricia lost the baby six months into her pregnancy.
In Europe there are over 2 million abortions a year.
The Catholic Church remains strongly opposed to abortion.
* have an abortion
She had an abortion when she was only 15.
The mother bird will stay with her young until they are four weeks old.
* baby rabbit/elephant/monkey
The baby monkey was following its mother.

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* nothing special
The town’s nice, but the beach is nothing special.
“Was the food good?” “It was okay, but nothing special.”
a second-rate horror movie
It was a pretty awful speech, full of second-rate jokes.
The team gave another mediocre performance last night.
A lot of the teaching was pretty mediocre.
If the weather’s bad, we could go to the museum instead.
I’m afraid I have some bad news.
bad housing conditions
Terry started shouting at me, which just made things worse.
* a bad day/year/time
It had been a bad day, and I just wanted to go home.
The company has had a very bad year, and profits have fallen dramatically.
It was awful!
That’s terrible!
Surely they can’t just fire you for no reason.
She had a horrible nightmare that night.
a drug with unpleasant side effects
The news came as an unpleasant shock.
It has an unpleasant taste and smell.
The room was unpleasantly damp.
the appalling suffering caused by the civil war
No ship could leave port in such appalling weather.
a bad car crash
“How are things at home?” “Bad!”
It was the worst mistake I ever made.
* a bad cold/headache
Jane’s not at school today – she has a bad cold.
a bad attack of asthma
Several people were killed or badly injured.
The furniture was badly damaged in the fire.
There was a serious accident on the freeway.
serious head injuries
Youth unemployment is a serious problem in Britain.
Her father is seriously ill with pneumonia.
a legal case that seriously damaged her political career
Her husband was killed in a horrific riding accident.
a horrific attack on an innocent child
That cough sounds nasty – you ought to see a doctor.
He had a nasty cut on his head.

🌺 Page 058

* can’t stand sth/can’t bear sth
Marcia couldn’t stand the pain any longer.
* can’t stand/bear the thought of sth
They can’t bear the thought of selling their home.
* can’t bear to do sth
I couldn’t bear to see her with another man.
* can’t take sth
Careful what you say – he can’t take criticism.
* can’t take any more of sth
I can’t take any more of this – she’s always complaining about something.
Without him, life would be unbearable.
Richard was in unbearable pain.
Lifeguards are trained to deal with any emergency.
* in an emergency
In an emergency dial 911 for the police, the fire department, or an ambulance.
* the emergency services
The emergency services in this area couldn’t cope if there was a major terrorist attack.
The Cuban missile crisis of 1960 was probably the closest we have been to nuclear war.
Their marriage was going through a crisis which almost ended in divorce.
an economic crisis
A mining disaster in which 108 people lost their lives
the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster
* natural disaster
A fund set up to deal with natural disasters such as earthquakes or floods.
In spite of all the bad things he had done, I still loved him.
In most movies, the bad guy gets caught in the end.
Is there any crime worse than murdering a child?
He had a bad influence on his younger brothers.
He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t resist taking the money.
* it is wrong to do sth
It is wrong to tell lies.
* it is wrong that
It’s wrong that so many people are starving, when there is plenty of food in the world.
Many people think that testing drugs on animals is immoral.
Letting children go hungry is immoral.

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An evil dictator
They spread terrible rumors about him. It was wicked!
Should parents smack children if they’re naughty?
We’ve been looking for you everywhere, you naughty boy!
He’s a very spoilt little boy.
Those kids are definitely spoiled – they need to learn some manners.
She was a mischievous little girl, who was always playing tricks on people.
Ben smiled mischievously.
Two or three badly-behaved children are causing all the problems in the class.
The school is full of rich brats.
* bad teacher/driver/player
He’s the worst driver I’ve ever seen.
The problem was caused by bad management.
* bad +at
I was always bad at French!
* bad at doing sth
I’m very bad at remembering people’s names.
Kate plays the violin very badly.
The company had been badly managed from the start.
* not very good
He’s a nice guy, but he’s not a very good actor.
* not very good +at
I’m afraid I’m not very good at algebra!
* not very good at doing sth
She’s not very good at communicating with other people.
* not very well
“Do you play the piano?” “Not very well.”
* no good at sth
I’m no good at tennis.
* no good at doing sth
He can drive quite well, but he’s still no good at parking.
I can speak a bit of French, but my accent’s terrible.
She’s very intelligent but she’s a hopeless cook.
* terrible/useless/hopeless +at
I’m useless at spelling.
This government is totally incompetent.
incompetent management

🌺 Page 060

* in bad condition
When we bought the house, it was in pretty bad condition.
The city’s drains are ancient and in very bad condition.
* be falling apart
My trainers were falling apart so I threw them out.
a battered old suitcase
Professor Dewey got out a battered copy of Shakespeare’s plays.
a couple of battered wooden chairs
The window frames were rotten, so we had to replace them.
A few rusty nails held the door in place.
The railings were old and rusty.
You can’t see it, but underneath the car is covered in rust.
Paul was wearing a shabby old suit.
Their hotel room was dark and shabby.
Most of the factories are now empty and dilapidated.
The dilapidated building was barely fit for storage.
Do you think this meat smells bad?
Bad eggs can make you sick.
* go off/go bad
In this heat, fish goes off very quickly.
The fruit went bad before we could eat it all.
I wanted to be an actor but my parents disapproved.
* disapprove +of
Debbie’s father disapproves of her boyfriend.
* disapprove of sb doing sth
My friends disapprove of me smoking.
* strongly disapprove
I strongly disapprove of any form of gambling.
* think sth is wrong
Do you think abortion is always wrong?
* think it is wrong to do sth
I think it’s wrong to hit a child, whatever the circumstances.
* with/in disapproval
She looked at my clothes with obvious disapproval.
* sb’s disapproval/the disapproval of sb
Pete was determined to go to art school, despite his parents’ disapproval.
* disapproval +of
They tried not to show any disapproval of Sandy’s lifestyle.
John gave me a disapproving look when I suggested another drink.
“Do you think you should be doing that?” he said, in a disapproving voice.

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an outrageous waste of public money
I thought their behavior was disgraceful.
* be a disgrace
The state of some of these classrooms is a disgrace.
* it’s a disgrace that
It’s an absolute disgrace that my wife had to wait five hours to see a doctor.
Which bank do you use?
She works for a bank in Manhattan.
I need to go to the bank on the way home.
* building society/savings and loan association
I’ve been to see my building society about getting a mortgage.
* pay in/into
I have a cheque for $100 that I want to pay in.
* withdraw $100/$200
You may withdraw up to $500 a day.
* take out
How much are you going to take out?
* check your balance
I’d like to check the balance in my deposit account, please.

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Can I transfer $500 from my deposit account to my current account?
* make a transfer
I need to make a transfer to my son’s account.
I went to see my bank manager to ask about a loan.
Your building society will be able to arrange a mortgage for you.
* have a $50/$300 overdraft
I’ve got a $200 overdraft.
* give sb an overdraft
The bank manager gave me an overdraft.
* online banking/internet banking
Online banking allows customers instant access to their accounts.
* check +for
a check for $300
* pay by cheque/check
Can I pay by cheque?
* credit card
We accept all major credit cards.
credit card fraud
* direct debit
You can arrange to pay your bills by direct debit.

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a beautiful woman with long black hair and green eyes
Karen was even more beautiful than I had remembered.
She has a beautiful smile.
Ginny was tall and good-looking.
A good-looking woman dressed in black came into the room.
If anything, she seems to get better-looking with age.
Maureen’s really pretty, isn’t she?
a pretty girl in white jeans
She has a pretty face.
Frances was a charming and attractive girl.
Your wife’s a very attractive woman.
* find sb attractive
A lot of men find plump women attractive.
A nice-looking girl came up and offered to help.
Look at that girl – isn’t she cute?
What was the name of that gorgeous girl you met in France?
* look gorgeous
You look absolutely gorgeous in that dress!
The picture showed a glamorous young woman sitting in a sports car.
With her blonde hair, blue eyes, and long legs, she was really glamorous.
stunning French actress Juliette Binoche
* look stunning
Beth looked stunning in a beautiful green silk dress.
An elegant young woman sat at the next table, sipping a cocktail.
* look elegant
a woman in a well-cut navy coat who, despite the rain, still looked elegant
She showed me a photo of a good-looking young soldier.
He was a tall, attractive man in his mid-forties.
* find sb attractive
Do you find Sam attractive?
I don’t know why she won’t go out with him. I think he’s kind of cute.
Look at that guy over there. Isn’t he gorgeous?

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Richard was a handsome man with a lot of charm.
My brother was two years older than me, taller, and more handsome.
* look handsome
He looks really handsome in his uniform, doesn’t he?
I suppose he’s quite nice-looking, but he’s not really my type.
Parents always think their baby is the most beautiful baby in the world.
On her desk there was a photograph of two beautiful children.
They’ve got three lovely kids.
Rosie’s a lovely baby.
* look lovely
Your daughter looks lovely.
He’s really naughty, but he’s so cute.
You were such a cute baby!
* look cute
Doesn’t he look cute in that baseball cap?
* beautiful bird/horse,/animal/feathers/fur
a beautiful bird with bright blue feathers
A beautiful grey horse trotted up to the gate.
* cute/sweet kitten/puppy/dog/baby bird
Look at those cute kittens!
She has a funny little dog – he’s really sweet!
She owned a magnificent pair of racehorses.
a magnificent golden eagle
The Siberian Tiger is a magnificent animal.
“Do you like the house?” “Like it? It’s beautiful!”
Thanks for the flowers, they’re lovely!
one of Europe’s loveliest churches
a beautifully decorated house
The presents were all beautifully wrapped in pink paper
pretty wallpaper with yellow flowers on it
What a pretty vase!
In the middle of the room was a magnificent oak dining table
a magnificent 17th-century castle
* gorgeous dress/coat/color
I love your dress! It’s such a gorgeous color!
The apartment had been furnished in rich, deep colors and gorgeous fabrics.

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an exquisite gold and diamond ring
Look at this handbag – it’s exquisite.
They were staying in an elegant 17th-century hotel in Oxfordshire.
an elegant rosewood dining table
She was wearing an elegant black suit.
Florence is such a beautiful city.
Cornwall has some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Britain.
a restaurant with beautiful views over Sorrento and the Gulf of Naples
The woods are lovely at this time of year.
You are so lucky to live here with all this lovely countryside around you.
The garden was looking lovely.
The view from the top of the mountain was stunning.
breathtaking views of the Himalayas
magnificent views across the valley
the magnificent mountains around Lake Titicaca
We visited the picturesque fishing village of Lochinver.
The old part of the town is very picturesque.
* scenic route/journey/drive/road
a scenic road through the Welsh mountains
We had plenty of time so we took the scenic route.
the beauty of the countryside in spring
He had written a poem about Sylvia, praising her charm and beauty.
* of great beauty
ancient carvings of great beauty
* good looks
Although over 50, she had not lost her good looks.
Julian’s book was a big success and he quickly became rich and famous.
The weather was becoming warmer.
After a while, my eyes became accustomed to the dark.
* it becomes clear/difficult/quiet
It soon became clear that the fire was out of control.

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The man got annoyed and started shouting at me.
The situation doesn’t seem to be getting any better.
I’m getting too old for this kind of thing.
* it gets dark/cold
It normally gets dark at about 8:30 p.m.
* grow old/tired/worse/larger
As we grow old, we worry more about our health.
The sound of footsteps grew louder.
They had grown tired of waiting.
The children were late, and she was growing anxious.
* go grey/white/red/dark
Her face went bright red with embarrassment.
* go mad/wild/crazy
Your dad’ll go crazy when he finds out.
* go quiet/silent
As soon as the band started playing, the crowd went quiet.
* go bad/sour/cold
My coffee’s gone cold.
* turn red/blue/white
My father’s hair turned grey when he was only 40.
In autumn the leaves turn red and yellow.
In the 19th century, the city became a major trading center.
Since she won all that money, she’s become a very unpleasant person.
* become a doctor/writer/teacher
Theroux decided to give up teaching and become a writer.
* change into sth/turn into sth
A caterpillar eventually changes into a beautiful butterfly.
During the brewing process, all the sugar turns into alcohol.
* develop into sth
In 20 years, the company has developed into a huge multinational organization.
a minor illness which developed into a serious chest infection
Think carefully before you give your final answer.
The family left France just before the war.
Before I could say anything, Dave walked away.

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* before doing sth
Before taking the medicine, read the instructions carefully.
You should check the oil before starting a long drive.
* before this/that
We spent two years in America, and before that we lived in Japan.
* the night before/the day before/the week before
The night before the wedding, she was really nervous.
* a week/2 days/5 years before
I was born just 7 months before my brother.
We had agreed beforehand exactly where to meet.
* ahead of time
Everything had been laid out for the party ahead of time.
* in advance
This is a meal you can easily prepare in advance.
* tell/warn sb in advance
I wish you’d told me in advance that you might be late.
* six months in advance/a year in advance
Preparations for the visit had been made months in advance.
life in pre-war Britain
* pre-war/pre-school/pre-Christmas
The government seems to have forgotten all its pre-election promises.
Call me back before 4:30.
* just before
She was born just before Christmas.
* the day before yesterday
I saw Jean the day before yesterday.
* by 6 o’clock/Friday/next winter
I’ll be home by 6, I promise.
Make sure you get the work done by Friday.
By 9 o’clock, all the guests had arrived.
I’ve never seen such a big spider before.
Have you ever been to the States before?
* the day/week/month before
He was in Norway last week, and Denmark the week before.
* five minutes/two weeks/20 years ago
He went out half an hour ago, but he’ll be back soon.
She died two months ago.
* a long time ago
“When did you live in Germany?” “Oh, it was a long time ago – in 1967.”
* ages ago
He wrote to me once, but that was ages ago.
This is an example of what I was talking about earlier.

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* earlier in the day/year
I saw Barbara earlier in the day – she looked very upset.
* 20 years earlier/10 minutes earlier/moments earlier
Three years earlier, he had been happily married with a good job.
This is the simplest method, as I mentioned previously.
The attack was carried out by a previously unknown group of terrorists.
A few weeks previously, I had met him at a conference.
* two days/three weeks/six months previously
He was formerly editor of a national newspaper.
Zimbabwe was formerly known as Rhodesia.
She has two children from her previous marriage.
In her previous job, she had an office in the center of town.
The previous owner kept the car in a garage.
* the previous day/week/year
The previous day, my father had looked perfectly healthy.
* in previous years
The weather that summer was much better than in previous years.
The last apartment we lived in was much smaller than this one.
Clare broke up with her last boyfriend because he drank too much.
* last night/week/year
I couldn’t sleep last night because of the heat.
What did you do last Saturday?
* ex-wife/ex-boyfriend/ex-policeman/ex-soldier
I don’t have much contact with my ex-husband.
Joe’s father’s an ex-policeman.
* sb’s old job/car/girlfriend/boss
How much did you sell your old car for?
I tried to call Jim, but I only have his old phone number.
We had a big family room in our old house.
The new hospital is a big improvement on the one before.
* the day before/the week before/the year before
The day before had been rainy.
In his will, he left everything to his former wife.
* the former president/chairman/director
the former president of Chile
* the former East Germany/Yugoslavia
the former Soviet Union

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Sally’s predecessor had warned her that the class could be very difficult.
Kennedy’s predecessor, President Eisenhower.
Did the Americans really get to the moon first?
Let Michael choose first. He’s the youngest.
* be the first to do sth
My sister always said I would be the first to get married, but she was wrong.
I think you were before me in line, weren’t you?
What happened in the program before this one?
Harajuku station is one stop before Shibuya station on the Yamanote Line.
* in front of/ahead of
The man in front of me let me go first.
There were about fifty people ahead of us in the queue.
In a previous chapter, we considered how children learn language.
He played the part of Tommy in a previous series of the show.
His later plays lack the wit and energy of his earlier work.
The minister had denied the accusations in his earlier statement.
* the one before
I don’t like this song – the one before was much better.
In the series 2, 4, 8, 16, each number is twice as big as the one before.
Write to the above address for more information.
The above diagram shows a normal car engine.
* the above
Contact any of the above for more details.
* the beginning +of
It will be ready by the beginning of next week.
The beginning of the movie is very violent.
* at the beginning (of sth)
There’s always a spelling test at the beginning of each class.
* from the beginning
It was obvious from the beginning that the plan would fail.
* in the beginning
In the beginning, I didn’t trust her at all.
* the start of sth
The runners are now lining up for the start of the race.

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* at the start
At the start, their relationship was very good.
* right from the start
We’ve had problems with this car right from the start.
* from start to finish
a book that holds your attention from start to finish
* a good/bad start to sth
First, the car broke down — which wasn’t a very good start to the vacation.
* get off to a good/bad start
The year got off to a good start.
AIDS became widespread in the 1980s, but no one is certain of its origin.
* origin +of
a dictionary that explains the origins of words
* starting point +for/of
They took the present situation in South Africa as the starting point for their discussion.
* a good starting point
If you want to learn about financial management, this book is a good starting point.
* at the beginning/at the start
We agreed at the start that we would discuss any problems openly.
* at the beginning/at the start +of
Your rent is due at the beginning of every month.
The team was doing well at the start of the season.
* at first
Barney was shy at first, but gradually he became more confident.
They offered her the job, initially on a temporary basis.
Initially, the President didn’t support this proposal.
My initial impression was that she was shy and a little unhappy.
Our family originally came from Scotland.
Originally, the book was published as a series of magazine articles.
Our original aim was to raise around $5,000.
I’ll be seeing him early next week.
* early in the game/story/century
United scored early in the game.
We’re spending two weeks in Malaysia in early May.
A man in his early thirties.
The story of her early life in India.
You’ll understand the poems better if you read the introduction first.
* introduction +to
The lecture began with a brief introduction to the topic.
The author writes in the preface to his book that he enjoyed researching it.
Gore wrote the foreword to this book on the environment.

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* introductory remark/paragraph/sentence
Write an introductory paragraph giving the background to your research.
How does Sam behave at school?
* behave well/badly/unreasonably
I’m not going to talk to him until he starts behaving reasonably.
* behave as if
The next time I saw him, Frank behaved as if nothing had happened.
* behave like sb/sth
Oh, be quiet! You’re behaving like a two-year-old.
* behave towards sb
William was behaving very strangely towards me.
* behave in a sensible/silly/strange way
Sally behaved in a very responsible way.
* be rude/helpful/silly
Don’t be so rude!
The waiter was really friendly and helpful.
Stop being silly!
Why is she being so nice to us?
* act strangely/stupidly/oddly
Tina’s been acting very strangely lately.
* act like sb/sth
He has been accused of acting like a dictator.
* act as if
She acts as if she owns the place and we’re her servants.
How did she react when you told her the news?
* react angrily/violently/calmly
Parents reacted angrily when the school asked them to keep their children at home.
* react to sth
People are likely to react badly to the announcement.
* react by doing sth
The crowd reacted by shouting and booing.
* treat sb well/badly
Amy’s treated him really badly — no wonder he’s upset.
* treat sb like sb/sth
I’m sick of my parents treating me like a child.
* treat sb with respect/contempt/kindness
Employers should always try to treat their staff with respect.
I decided to complain about the unfair treatment I’d received.
* treatment +of
The council promised to improve its treatment of homeless people.
* special/preferential treatment
Although I was the boss’s daughter, I didn’t get preferential treatment.
If you two don’t behave, I’m taking you straight home.
* behave well/beautifully
All of the children behaved very well.
* behave yourself
Make sure you behave yourselves when we visit Grandma.
I was always very good at school.
He’s a good little boy.

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Can I bring my dog? She’s very well-behaved.
The crowd was noisy but well-behaved.
* be on your best behaviour
Dinner was very formal, with everyone on their best behavior.
* behave badly
I knew I’d behaved very badly and I was sorry.
The kids behaved so badly that I was embarrassed.
Kids often misbehave when they are bored or tired.
We never dared to misbehave in Miss Dill’s classes.
* mess around/fool around
Some of the kids were just messing around in the back of the classroom.
* mess around/fool around +with
Instead of doing his homework, he’s fooling around with the computer.
* act up
During his parents’ divorce, Robert began acting up in class.
His behavior in school is beginning to improve.
That kind of behavior is not acceptable.
* good/bad behaviour
Reward your children for good behavior.
The driver’s manner was very unfriendly.
She impressed everyone with her businesslike manner.
Did the police believe her story?
No one believed me when I explained that the gun wasn’t mine.
* believe +(that)
People used to believe the Earth was flat.
The government believes that its campaign against drugs is working.
* believe in sth/sb
Do you believe in ghosts?
If you don’t believe in God, why are you getting married in church?

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* firmly/strongly believe
Kit firmly believed that he was doing the right thing.
Most people accepted the official explanation.
I’m not sure whether your story would be accepted by a jury.
* accept +that
I don’t accept that he knew nothing about these payments until now.
* be taken in
He told me that it was a genuine diamond, and I was completely taken in.
* be taken in +by
Don’t be taken in by products claiming to make you lose weight quickly.
I was so gullible — I thought he loved me!
* religious/political beliefs
They were put in prison because of their religious beliefs.
* belief +that
He never lost his belief that democracy would finally come to Russia.
* a strong/firm belief
our strong belief in the importance of education
* contrary to popular belief
Contrary to popular belief, eating carrots does not improve your eyesight.
* faith +in
Marion has strong faith in God.
* have faith (in sb/sth)
Many people no longer have faith in the government.
There is an old superstition that walking under a ladder is unlucky.
These people lived in an age of superstition and ignorance.
There was a lot of convincing evidence that he was guilty.
His explanation sounds fairly plausible to me.
I need to think of a plausible excuse for not going to the meeting.
Don’t believe everything you read in the newspapers.
I told her I was sorry, but she didn’t believe me.
* not believe +(that)
I can’t believe he’s only 25!
* not believe a word of it
They say they’re going to send me the money, but I don’t believe a word of it.
* find sth hard to believe
I found his explanation hard to believe.
Kim never doubted his story.

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* doubt +if/whether
You can complain, but I doubt if it will make any difference.
* I doubt it
He might come, but I doubt it.
* doubt very much
She says she’ll leave him, but I doubt very much if she will.
“You can trust me,” he said. Roxie looked skeptical.
Russell’s skeptical attitude towards the Christian religion
* skeptical +about
I wish him luck, but I’m skeptical about his chances of success.
* highly skeptical
You should be highly skeptical about what you read in the press.
You can’t believe what politicians say — but maybe I’m too cynical.
* cynical +about
Since her divorce, she’s become very cynical about men.
Disbelief is a common reaction to bad news.
* stare/watch in disbelief
I stared at him in disbelief. “You’re not serious, surely?”
* you’re kidding/you’re joking
“They got married!” “You’re kidding!”
* come off it
“I’m going to fail!” “Oh come off it, you couldn’t possibly fail after all the work you’ve done.”
Bend your arms and then stretch them upwards.
* bend +forward/towards/across
Martha bent towards me and whispered in my ear.
* bend over/bend down
She bent over to pick up the coin.
I can’t bend down because I’ve hurt my back.
Remember to bow when you meet the Princess.

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He crouched behind some bushes until the police had passed.
* crouch down
Emma was crouching down, watching the spider.
* curl up
I just want to curl up with a good book.
I hit the nail too hard and bent it a little.
* bend sth into sth
Bend the wire into an ‘S’ shape.
* bend sth back/down
He grabbed the man and bent his arm back.
Laura twisted the handkerchief in her hands nervously.
* twist sth into/around/through sth
Her hair was twisted into a knot at the back of her head.
shoes with flexible rubber soles
High-quality leather is firm yet pliable.
a bendy rubber doll
a sheet of stiff cardboard
The framework of the aircraft is rigid but light.
The sofa cushions are fairly firm.
a supple young gymnast

🌺 Page 076

the twisted wreckage of the plane
a sword with a curved blade
A series of wavy lines appeared on the screen.
She had long wavy brown hair.
Anna’s long curly hair
We came to a bend in the river.
The car came around the bend too fast.
* a sharp bend
After you’ve passed the church, you go around a sharp bend.
From here the railway curves away towards the town.
a sandy beach curving gently around the bay
a wide curving staircase
* wind *through/along/around
The trail winds through the forest, then descends towards the lake.
a peaceful little town on the banks of a winding river
* zigzag +down/across/through
Ski routes zigzag down the mountainside.
The best ice-cream in the world is made in Italy.
Two of their best players were injured.
She got the award for ‘Best Actress’ for her part in the movie.
What’s the best way to cook sweet potatoes?
* the best
I chose a Japanese camera because I wanted to buy the best.
* the best in the country/the world/the class
Woods is the best player in the team.
Their heart surgery unit is the best in the country.
* by far the best/easily the best
It was by far the best vacation I’ve ever had.
* the best thing to do
I think the best thing to do would be to call a doctor.

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* sb’s best friend
Maria’s my best friend at school.
I’ve tried a lot of shampoos, but this is the one I like best.
Nadia was the best-dressed woman at the conference.
Picasso was one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
The First World War produced some of the greatest poetry ever written.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Marlon Brando was perhaps the finest film actor of them all.
Many people regard Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony as his finest work.
We use only the finest ingredients.
one of the world’s top tennis players
Several top rock acts will be performing at the charity concert.
By the age of 18, she was already a top fashion model.
* star player/performer/student/pupil
Their star player earns millions of dollars.
the Washington Post’s star reporter
They’re a pretty good class, but Laura’s undoubtedly the star.
* at your best
At his best, Maradona was one of the most exciting players in the world.
This recording shows Grappelli at his very best.
* be at your peak
Long-distance runners are usually at their peak in their mid-30s.
At his peak, he was making $500,000 a year.
My best subject at school was history.
He’s good at lots of sports, but his best event is the high jump.
She loved baking, and cakes were her specialty.
He also runs the 200 meters, but the 400 is his specialty.

🌺 Page 078

* sb’s best friend
Maria’s my best friend at school.
I’ve tried a lot of shampoos, but this is the one I like best.
Nadia was the best-dressed woman at the conference.
Picasso was one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
The First World War produced some of the greatest poetry ever written.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Marlon Brando was perhaps the finest film actor of them all.
Many people regard Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony as his finest work.
We use only the finest ingredients.
one of the world’s top tennis players
Several top rock acts will be performing at the charity concert.
By the age of 18, she was already a top fashion model.
* star player/performer/student/pupil
Their star player earns millions of dollars.
the Washington Post’s star reporter
They’re a pretty good class, but Laura’s undoubtedly the star.
* at your best
At his best, Maradona was one of the most exciting players in the world.
This recording shows Grappelli at his very best.
* be at your peak
Long-distance runners are usually at their peak in their mid-30s.
At his peak, he was making $500,000 a year.
My best subject at school was history.
He’s good at lots of sports, but his best event is the high jump.
She loved baking, and cakes were her specialty.
He also runs the 200 meters, but the 400 is his specialty.* better +than
Your stereo’s better than mine.
* better at sth
Paul’s better at tennis than I am.
Here, let me do it – I’m better at drawing.
* it is better to do sth
I think it would be better to go tomorrow instead.
* much/far/a lot better
The sales figures are much better than we expected.
You can probably explain this better than I can.
His superior technique helped him win the game.
* superior +to
Are French wines really superior to British ones?
* vastly superior
a vastly superior army.
Come early next week on Monday, preferably.
We need well-qualified people, preferably with good computer skills.
I hope the weather’s better next week.
* better +than
The food here’s a lot better than it used to be.
* get better
His work got better after he changed schools.
* much/far/a lot better
I’m still not very good at Japanese, but I’m much better than I used to be.
* be an improvement +on
The new heating system needs to be a clear improvement on the old one.
* a big/dramatic improvement
There has been a big improvement in our profits.
a new and improved version of the two-liter engine.
improved relations between the two countries.
The improved quality of health care in recent years has resulted in people living longer.
* that’s more like it
Can’t you walk faster – that’s more like it!
He’s reduced his price to $400. Now that’s more like it!
* do better
You’d do better if you practiced more often.
* do better +than
John did better than most of the other students in the class.
Come on – you can do better than that!
* improve on sth
We have improved on last year’s results.
Smithson has 165 points, and I don’t think anyone will improve on that.

✨ Page 079

Clare is always trying to outdo her sister.
Is Helen better yet?
* get better
I hope you get better soon.
* feel better
Are you feeling better today?
Do you think you’ll be well enough to go to the party?
Get well soon.
She had chickenpox, and it took her ten days to recover.
* recover +from
Rooney is recovering from a knee injury.
* be fully recovered
Mitchell is fully recovered and will be taking part in the race.
a big red car
a large class of between thirty and forty students
My old computer was a lot bigger than this one.
Do you have this T-shirt in a larger size?
Boeing is the world’s largest commercial airplane manufacturer.
a huge leather chair
The company is enormous, employing around 70,000 people worldwide.
Huge crowds had gathered outside the embassy.
A gigantic wave more than 40 feet high crashed against the boat.
These gigantic creatures became extinct in the Jurassic period.

🌺 Page 080

London is the biggest city in Europe.
Their new house isn’t as big as the old one.
Flooding spread over a large area of Wales.
They have a huge garden.
The kitchen was enormous.
The family once owned huge areas of land.
a spacious apartment in Manhattan
All the bedrooms are spacious, light, and airy.
the company’s spacious offices in Oxford
China is a vast country.
Whales can communicate across vast distances.
My grandfather was a very big man.
A large woman in her early 50s answered the door.
A huge policeman stood outside the gate.
To a small child, Miss Trunchball seemed enormous.
* large amount/quantity/number
The thieves escaped with a large amount of money.
Large quantities of nuclear waste have been dumped into the sea.
* large sum
He had invested a large sum of money in stocks and shares.
* in large numbers
People turned out in large numbers to vote in Thursday’s election.
* huge/massive/enormous +amount/number/increase/reduction
The government spends huge amounts of money on health care.
There has been a massive increase in the number of people living below the poverty line.
An enormous number of studies have been done on this subject.
Many old people cannot afford the high cost of heating their homes.
Levels of pollution are unacceptably high.
very high interest rates on bank loans

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Our biggest problem is lack of money.
There will have to be some big changes around here.
Your clothes can make a big difference to the way you feel about yourself.
Advances in technology have had a huge impact on the way people work.
The show was apparently an enormous success.
* major difference/change/difficulty/problem
We have been told to expect major changes in the Earth’s climate.
There is one major difference between these two systems of government.
Teachers and parents are protesting about class sizes in schools.
It takes a cat two years to reach full adult size.
* size +of
plans to reduce the size of the army
* of this/that size
You’d need six liters of paint for a room of that size.
* the size of sth
A whole library of information can be stored on a microchip the size of a fingernail.
* a good/fair/nice size
The kitchen is a good size.
* how big
I’m not sure how big the apartment is.
How big do these fish grow?
* the scale of sth
Rescue workers are trying to assess the scale of the disaster.
Scientists are only just beginning to realize the scale of the problem.
* on a large/massive/huge scale
The rainforest is being destroyed on a massive scale.
* get bigger
The hole in the ozone layer is getting bigger every year.
* get bigger and bigger
The waves were getting bigger and bigger as the wind grew stronger.
Mark’s business grew rapidly in the first year.
Our annual profits grew by 24% last year.
Tokyo has grown a lot over the last ten years.
The sports and leisure market is expanding more quickly than ever before.
The computer industry has expanded rapidly over the last decade.
* swell up
One side of his face had swollen up.
The boy’s right knee was badly swollen.
The jeans will stretch a little when you start wearing them.

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Stretch the canvas so that it covers the whole frame.
a photocopier that can enlarge documents by up to 700%
* have/get sth enlarged
That’s a lovely photo of Amy. Why don’t you get it enlarged?
a microscope that can magnify an object up to forty times
The hotel has been recently renovated and extended.
We’re thinking of extending the kitchen.
She sat there nervously biting her fingernails.
Don’t worry about the dog; he won’t bite.
* bite +into/through
Hannah bit into the juicy apple.
A shark had bitten right through our nets.
* bite sb on the hand/leg
I was bitten on the leg by a snake.
* bite sth off
He took a cigar and bit the end off.
* have a bite/take a bite
“This looks delicious,” he said, taking a bite.
Sandy picked up a doughnut and took an enormous bite.
* have a bite/take a bite +of
Can I have a bite of your candy bar?
It’s healthier if you chew your food slowly.
Helen chewed her pencil, trying to think what to write next.
Stand very still, and the pigeons will peck the breadcrumbs straight from your hand.
* peck +at
Hens pecked at the corn on the ground.
* gnaw +at/on
The dog was gnawing on a bone.
He always blames someone else when things go wrong.
It was your idea, so don’t blame me if it hasn’t worked.

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* blame sb for sth
At first, everyone blamed the pilot for the crash.
* blame sth on sb/sth
You can’t blame everything on the government.
* blame yourself
For many years, I blamed myself for her death.
* say sth is sb’s fault +(that)
How can you say it’s my fault you lost your job?
* put the blame on sb
Don’t try to put the blame on me!
* put the blame for sth on sb
Richard still puts the blame for the divorce on his wife.
* accuse sb of doing sth
Are you accusing me of telling lies?
* be accused of murder/armed robbery
West has been accused of murder.
* get the blame
The other kids all ran off, and I was the one who got the blame.
* get the blame +for
I always seem to get the blame for other people’s mistakes.
Clark’s wife accused the government of using her husband as a scapegoat.
* be sb’s fault
Parents usually feel that it’s their fault when things go wrong.
* be sb’s own fault
If you miss the train, it’ll be your own fault.
* be sb’s own fault +(that)
I’m sorry. It’s my fault that we’re late.
* be sb’s fault for doing sth
It’s my fault for not checking the tickets.
* be to blame
Anna’s family say the authorities are to blame.
* be to blame +for
Some people think television is to blame for a lot of the problems in modern society.
* be responsible +for
The police are trying to find out who was responsible for the attack.
* feel responsible
Dan spent the rest of his life feeling responsible for the accident.
* not be sb’s fault
Don’t worry; it’s not your fault.
She felt guilty, even though the accident wasn’t her fault.
* not be sb’s fault +(that)
It wasn’t Carl’s fault that you didn’t get the message.
* sb can’t help it
“Stop worrying all the time!” “Sorry, I can’t help it.”
* sb can’t help it +if
I can’t help it if the computer keeps crashing.

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* be not to blame +for
The report said that no one was to blame for the accident.
Hospital workers were not to blame for the nine-year-old’s death, a court decided yesterday.
* take the blame
It’s not my fault, and I don’t see why I should take the blame.
* take the blame +for
The coach took the blame for the team’s defeat.
* take full responsibility/accept full responsibility +for
The Chairman of the airline said he accepted full responsibility for the accident and immediately resigned.
Exercise is good for your body and mind.
My body ached all over, and I knew I was getting the flu.
The cancer may have spread to other parts of her body.
* the human body
There are over 1000 muscles in the human body.
Tina has a very good figure.
* keep your figure
She’d managed to keep her figure and youthful appearance.
Teenagers are often embarrassed about their bodies.
* have a good/wonderful/great body
At the age of fifty, she still has a great body.

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Brad was strong, with the physique of a rugby player.
You seem to be in good physical health.
During the war, people suffered terrible physical and emotional hardships.
At the end of the week, I was physically and mentally exhausted.
a boring job in an office
a long boring lecture on economic planning
I thought the movie was really boring.
What a boring way to spend an evening!
* not very interesting
I watched a documentary on medical research, but it wasn’t very interesting.
There was nothing very interesting in the local newspaper this week.
The weekly sales meeting tends to be very dull.
It was a really dull movie.
* monotonous work/job/routine
a monotonous factory job
* monotonous sound/voice/rhythm
The teacher’s low monotonous voice almost sent me to sleep.
a tedious journey
Card games can be extremely tedious.
I hope I’m not boring you.
* bore sb with sth
He’s one of those people who bore you with their holiday photographs.
* bore sb to death/to tears
Being alone with a baby all day bored her to tears.
He’s so boring — all he ever talks about is football.
Diana’s husband is the most boring person I’ve ever met.
Our neighbors are OK, but they’re a bit dull.
Alison, don’t be such a bore!
He was being a bore, so I made an excuse and left.

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My family lived in a boring little town miles from anywhere.
It’s so boring here. I wish we lived in New York!
In summer, we get a few visitors, but most of the time this place is dead.
It’s absolutely dead here when all the students go away for the summer vacation.
* nothing ever happens
Nothing ever happens around here. Why can’t we move to the city?
I was sent to yet another dreary government office.
Laurie gazed out over a dreary landscape of factories and waste ground.
The situation got drearier with each passing day.
a dull Midwestern town
Dad, can we go home now? I’m bored!
gangs of bored teenagers wandering around the streets
* get bored
She seems to get bored very easily.
* bored with doing sth
Julia soon got bored with lying on the beach.
* bored +with
I’m bored with pasta. Let’s have something else for a change.
* bored to tears/bored stiff
There’s nothing to do here – I’m bored stiff!
Her husband’s out working all the time, and she’s really fed up.
* fed up +with
We were getting the same computer problems every day, and we were all fed up with it.
* fed up with doing sth
I’m fed up with listening to her complaints the whole time.
* get fed up
When you have to stay in and study every night, you just get fed up with it.
* be tired of sth/be sick of sth
We’re always arguing, and I’m just tired of it.
I’m really sick of him; he’s always criticizing.
* be tired/sick of doing sth
People are tired of hearing politicians make promises that they never keep.
I’m sick of cleaning up after you!
* get tired/sick of sth
He couldn’t make a decision, and I got tired of waiting.
* have had enough
After 10 years of teaching, Allan had had enough.
* have had enough of (doing) sth
I’d had enough of living abroad, and I wanted to go home.
the boredom of office life

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* out of boredom
Some kids cause trouble at school out of boredom.
* relieve the boredom
On long journeys we would play games, just to relieve the boredom.
* be born
Until recently, most babies were born at home.
* born in July/in 1961
Shakespeare was born in 1564.
* born on February 8th/29th August
Katie was born on 23rd of May, 1992.
* born in Russia/Texas/Oxford
Jodie was born in a small town in Nebraska.
* come from/be from
We live in California now, but we’re from Boston originally.
“Where do you come from?” “Bari, in southern Italy.”
* home town
She left her home town of Glasgow at the age of 18 and never returned.
* place of birth
Please write your name, address, and place of birth on the form.
* birthplace of
The city of Assisi is known as the birthplace of St. Francis.
Can I borrow your calculator? I left mine at home.
She asked if she could borrow 50 cents to get a coffee.
* borrow sth from sb/sth
You’re allowed to borrow six books from the library at a time.
Rwanda applied to borrow $12 million from the World Bank.
* borrow heavily
Companies that borrowed heavily are now having trouble paying their debts.
* take out a loan
We had to take out a three-year loan to buy the car.

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* rent a house/apartment/building/office/room
They are renting a flat near the park.
Malcolm rented a shop in downtown Seattle and turned it into a bar.
* rent sth from sb
When I was in Paris, I rented a flat from a friend of my father’s.
Rented accommodation is very expensive in this part of town.
I don’t feel like going out — why don’t we rent a DVD instead?
We hired a car at the airport and drove to our hotel.
* rent/hire sth from sb/sth
You can hire skis and boots from the ski school.
If you need more money, we can arrange a loan.
* a $5000/$20,000 loan
The organization asked for a $2 million loan to plant new trees in the rainforest.
* take out a loan
We took out a loan to buy a new car.
* pay off/repay a loan
It will take over three years to repay the loan.
First, find a property you would like, then apply for a mortgage.
* take out a mortgage
I didn’t want to take out a mortgage until I had a steady job.
* pay the mortgage
Some months we only just have enough to pay the mortgage.
* pay off a mortgage
We paid off the mortgage early, after Jeff inherited some money.
* a mortgage on a house/apartment
They have a large mortgage on their home in Central Park West.
You have to be very brave to be a firefighter.
Your husband is a very brave man.
a brave rescue attempt
* be brave
This may hurt a little, so be brave!
* it is brave of sb to do sth
It was very brave of you to tell her the truth.
soldiers who fought bravely for their country
Throughout his life, he was a courageous fighter for justice.
She died yesterday, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
He courageously opposed apartheid for over 20 years.
His sister was very daring, and swam the English Channel when she was only 16.
a daring attack on an enemy village

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a famous war hero
The women who died for the cause became heroines.
Many architects copied Nash’s new and daring style.
In those days, girls who smoked were considered very daring.
The company needs a leader who is bold enough to make some tough decisions.
bold new policies for reviving the inner-city areas
* a bold move,/step
In a bold move, the company sacked its chairman and chief executive.
You can also go hang-gliding or bungee-jumping, if you dare.
* dare to do sth
She was the only one who dared to stand up and ask questions.
* have the guts
He wouldn’t have the guts!
* have the guts to do sth
OK, she made a mistake, but at least she had the guts to admit it.
* have the nerve
I knew that I should leave him, but I didn’t have the nerve.
* have the nerve to do sth
She didn’t have the nerve to ask him.
Martha showed great courage during her long illness.
* have the courage to do sth
Governments must have the courage to deal firmly with terrorism.
* it takes courage to do sth
It takes courage to get back on a horse after falling off.
Both sides fought with great bravery.
Two police officers received medals for bravery.
You need guts and determination to succeed in motor racing.
* it takes guts to do sth
It took a lot of guts to tell the boss he was wrong.
If you refused to fight, you were accused of being a coward.
I hated myself for acting like a coward.

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The bombing was described as ‘a cowardly attack on innocent citizens.’
He was a weak, cowardly man.
She was too cowardly to tell him what had happened.
Don’t be such a wimp! Just jump.
I wanted to go with the other boys, but I didn’t dare.
* not dare to do sth/not dare do sth
I wouldn’t dare do a parachute jump, would you?
We stood outside the old house, not daring to go in.
* hardly dare
Velda hid behind the door, hardly daring to breathe.
* lose your nerve
At the top of the ski slope, I lost my nerve.
Jane went to the police right away, before she lost her nerve.
* wimp out
We’ve come all this way to talk to her, so you’d better not wimp out now.
* wimp out of (doing) sth
I bet he wimps out of giving that speech tomorrow.
He dropped the vase and it broke.
I’m sorry, but I’ve broken one of your plates.
* get broken
A few of the cups got broken when we moved to the new house.
* break (sth) in two/break (sth) in half
A tile came off the roof and broke in two as it hit the ground.
I broke the chocolate in half and gave a piece to my brother.
One of the wine glasses cracked while I was washing it.
A stone hit the car window and cracked it.
I heard something smash on the floor in the kitchen.
Angry crowds smashed windows in the city center.
* be smashed to pieces/bits
Their little boat hit the rocks and was smashed to bits.
* smash (sth) to pieces/bits
The ball went straight through the window, smashing it to pieces.

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a twig snapped under his feet
High winds snapped power lines in the city.
* snap (sth) in two/half
The hurricane snapped telephone poles in two.
* snap off (sth)
The handle on the pan snapped off.
A big water jug slid off the table and shattered into a thousand pieces as it hit the floor.
The huge blast shattered office windows 500 meters away.
“Can I use your camera, Dad?” “OK, but be careful you don’t break it.”
I’m afraid I might have broken the video machine.
She unwrapped the present carefully, trying not to tear the paper.
Mark had torn his jacket climbing over a fence.
* tear up sth/tear sth up
Crying bitterly, she tore up his letter.
* tear sth in half
He took my ticket and tore it in half.
* break your arm/leg/ankle
Nicola broke her leg when she went skiing.
* fracture your skull/leg/ribs
The X-ray showed that he had fractured his skull.
One of the front tires burst, causing the car to swerve and crash.
Thousands of gallons of oil flowed into the river when an oil pipeline burst.
The front tire blew, and we skidded off the freeway.

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* break off
The handle on the saucepan just broke off.
She broke off a bit of bread and dipped it in the soup.
* come off
Can you fix the door? The handle has come off.
A wheel had come off a car and rolled to the side of the road.
Be careful with those glasses – they’re fragile.
The package was marked – FRAGILE HANDLE WITH CARE.
The air was so smoky it was difficult to breathe.
The boy was unconscious, but he was still breathing.
* breathe deeply
I want you to breathe deeply and relax.
* breathe heavily
Grandad climbed the stairs, breathing heavily.
* breathe in
My chest hurts every time I breathe in.
* breathe in air/fumes
They stood on the cliff breathing in the fresh sea air.
* breathe out
The doctor told him to breathe in, then breathe out slowly.
I blew as hard as I could, but couldn’t get a sound out of the trumpet.
* blow +on/into
She blew on her coffee to cool it.
Breathing became more difficult as we got higher up the mountain.
She bent over the crib and listened to her baby’s breathing.
His breath smelt of alcohol and cigarettes.
* hold your breath
I can swim underwater, but I can’t hold my breath for very long.
* bad breath
His teeth were rotten and he had bad breath.
She was sniffing all the way through the movie.
Hank was fast asleep with his mouth open, snoring loudly.
Does your partner’s snoring keep you awake?

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* sigh deeply
My father put his head in his hands and sighed deeply.
* sigh with relief
“Thank God that’s over,” she said, sighing with relief.
“What’s Jake done this time?” Dad said with a sigh.
* breathe/give a sigh of relief
Irene closed the door behind her and breathed a big sigh of relief.
The crowd gasped as the plane burst into flames.
* gasp with amazement/shock/pain
One of the boys hit him in the face, and he gasped with pain.
* gasp of astonishment/pain/admiration
There were gasps of astonishment from the audience.
Do you get breathless going up and down stairs?
* out of breath
By the time we reached the top of the hill, we were all out of breath.
Matt was still panting after his run.
The dog was panting in the heat.
* gasping for breath
His mother was coughing and gasping for breath.
* get your breath back
Hang on a minute while I get my breath back.
* can’t breathe
I couldn’t breathe in there – there were too many people.
The worst thing about asthma is the feeling that you can’t breathe.
Scott was on the floor, red in the face and choking.
* choke +on
People can die by choking on a chicken bone.
Many of the birds had suffocated in their boxes.
It was very hot inside the car, and I felt as though I was suffocating.
Glue-sniffing carries the risk of suffocation.
From the top of the hill they could see the bright lights of the city below them.
We set off in bright sunshine.

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The fire was burning brightly now.
a brightly lit hall
She closed her eyes against the brightness of the sun.
The light from the flashlight wasn’t strong enough to read by.
The plant prefers strong light, and if possible direct sunlight.
Very few people went outside in the blazing midday sun.
The blazing lights of the casino shone out across the bay.
We emerged from the cinema into dazzling sunshine.
There was a blinding flash and then a loud bang.
The kitchen was always bright and cheerful.
Claire had a nice bright bedroom, decorated in yellow and white.
She always tried to park in a well-lit area at night.
To avoid eye problems, make sure that your desk is well-lit.
The kitchen is light and airy, with a fantastic view.
I struggled to read by the dim light of the fire.
The restaurant has a romantic atmosphere, with soft lights and background music.
The floor was covered in broken glass.
The handle on her suitcase was broken.
In the hut there was an old table and a couple of broken chairs.
Cracked glasses should always be thrown away.
The tiles were old and cracked.
His jeans were torn at the knees.
a thick book with a torn green cover
The cover on the bed was torn in several places.

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One little boy had a broken arm.
The doctor thought it was unlikely that the bone was broken.
She suffered several fractures in the fall.
* be falling down
Several of the farm buildings were falling down.
the crumbling walls of a medieval castle
some derelict houses near the docks
* not working/doesn’t work
The dishwasher’s not working.
Do you know your brake lights aren’t working.
Take the camera back to the store if it doesn’t work.
* there’s something wrong with
If there’s something wrong with your computer, call the IT helpdesk.
I don’t know, my watch is broken.
a broken old fax machine
* out of order
Every phone I tried was out of order.
The toilets were out of order.
Fires in the home are often caused by faulty electrical equipment.
* be down
The system’s down so you won’t be able to use email or the Internet until it’s working again.
* go down
When the system went down, many passengers were stranded at the airport.
* break down
I took the bus because my car broke down.
The elevators in this block are always breaking down.
* go wrong
Our TV went wrong last night.

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* go wrong with
Something keeps going wrong with the heating system.
The network crashed and we lost half a day’s work.
* build a house/church/school/road/bridge
Our house was built in the early 1930s.
The Romans built roads all over Europe.
The cost of building the new football stadium was over $3 million.
* be built of concrete/stone/wood
In those days, most of the houses were built of wood and were easily destroyed by fire.
The church is one of the oldest buildings in the city.
* a farm/office/government building
a brand new office building in the center of Tokyo
The roof is being fixed by a local builder.
There are plans to construct a new bridge across the river.
The building was constructed using local stone.
the construction of the new library
We spent the afternoon walking around Rome, admiring the architecture.
a fine example of Gothic architecture
She studied architecture at university.
St. Paul’s Cathedral was designed by the famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren.
She lit a fire and burned his letters one by one.
* badly burned
The paintings were badly burned in the fire.
* burn a hole in sth
Someone had dropped a cigarette and burned a hole in the carpet.
The cake is slightly burnt, I’m afraid.
The kitchen smelled of burned toast.
* burn down sth
Police believe students are responsible for burning down the school.

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* burn sth down
Her ex-husband threatened to burn the house down with her and the kids inside.
The walls of the house were still scorched and blackened from the fire.
I scorched my shirt when I was ironing.
* burn yourself
Don’t touch the iron. You’ll burn yourself.
* burn your hand/leg/mouth
The soup was so hot it burnt my mouth.
* badly burned
Jerry was badly burned in the explosion.
The coffee scalded his tongue.
* scald yourself
It’s easy to knock a pan off the stove and scald yourself.
* severe/serious/minor burns
Billy was taken to the hospital with severe burns.
Vandals set fire to an empty warehouse near the docks last night.
In the dry season, the slightest spark can set fire to the grass.
Rioters set cars on fire and attacked the police.
* light a cigarette/fire/candle
Ricky sat down and lit a cigarette.
We searched around for twigs, so we could light a fire.
* put out the fire/the blaze
It took firefighters four hours to put out the blaze.
* put out a cigarette/pipe
I put out my cigarette and went back into the house.
She threw sand on the fire to put it out.
Would all passengers please extinguish their cigarettes?
It took six days to extinguish the fires on the slopes of Table Mountain.
* blow out a candle/a match/a fire
See if you can blow out all the candles on your cake!
* blow sth out
We tried to light a fire, but the wind kept blowing it out.
* stub out a cigarette/cigar
Butler stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and reached for the phone.
* stub a cigarette/cigar out
He worked without a break, pausing only to stub his cigarette out and light another.
They could smell wood burning in the yard.
* burn brightly
At one end of the room, a coal fire burned brightly.
He escaped by jumping from the fourth floor of a burning apartment block.
* be on fire
The whole house was on fire by the time the firefighters arrived.

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* burn down
The hotel burned down in 1990.
* be in flames
A large part of the building was in flames, and some people were trapped on the roof.
We sat in front of a blazing log fire.
An old woman was rescued from the blazing house by a neighbor.
A cigarette was smoldering in the ashtray.
The remains of the fire still smoldered in the grate.
* catch fire
Two farm workers died when a barn caught fire yesterday.
The car turned over, but luckily it didn’t catch fire.
* burst into flames
The plane burst into flames on the runway.
* go up in flames
If the firefighters hadn’t arrived when they did, the whole place might have gone up in flames.
* break out
$200,000 worth of damage was caused when fire broke out in the hospital.
Caution! Flammable substances.
* highly flammable
Petrol is highly flammable.
Business in Europe has been badly affected by economic conditions.
* do business (with sb)
We do business with a number of Italian companies.
* on business
She’ll be back next week; she’s in Korea on business.
* in business
The company has been in business for over 30 years.
* go into business
A lot of graduates decide to go into business.

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* trade with/between
Trade between the two countries has increased.
Britain’s trade with the United States
The region has tried to attract new industry in order to reduce unemployment.
* steel/textile/automobile/manufacturing industry
the recent decline in the manufacturing industry
* in industry
Salaries are much higher for people in industry.
* heavy/light industry
Heavy industry involves the production of oil, metals, and coal, and of large goods such as cars and aircraft.
Light industry involves the production of goods such as kitchen equipment, TVs, and computers.
industrial waste
industrial pollution
Commercial pressures are forcing many companies to cut jobs.
We need to protect our commercial interests.
Commercially, the movie was a disaster.
The company is a leading supplier of e-commerce services.
I had a business deal to complete in Turin.
Wicks lost a lot of money on property deals.
* deal with
a $55 million deal with a Japanese automobile company
* sign a deal
He recently signed a deal with a major record company worth over three million dollars.
* do business
STC is one of our regular customers; we’ve done business for years.
They do a lot of business with Italian companies.
* in business
Her father was in business in Korea.
They’ve been in business for about 10 years, and are doing quite well.
* set up in business
I decided to set up in business as a financial consultant.

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Slater’s company continued to trade, even though it was in trouble.
* trade in
a French firm that trades in farm machinery
* trade with
The two nations have not traded with each other for over thirty years.
* trading partner
Japan is one of our major trading partners.
* deal with sb
The firm deals directly with the manufacturers.
I’ve dealt with Bill Harrison for years and always found him very reliable.
Tim Knight is a highly successful businessman who runs his own electronics company.
Local entrepreneur Tony Ridley started his computer company five years ago and is now a millionaire.
Sorry, I haven’t called you, but I’ve been really busy.
Can I speak with you for a moment, or are you too busy?
* busy doing sth
Alex is busy studying for his exams.
* busy with
Marion was busy with preparations for the wedding.
There were plenty of activities to keep the kids busy.
* have a lot to do
She had a lot to do before she could go home.
* be snowed under
I can’t stop for lunch today. I’m completely snowed under.
* be snowed under with
We’ve been snowed under with emergency calls this morning.
* be rushed off your feet
I’ve been rushed off my feet getting ready for the party.
By 10 o’clock, the supermarket was really busy.
a busy main road
a doctor in a busy hospital
July and August are our busiest times.
* busy day
I’ve had a terribly busy day at the office.
It was really hectic at work today.
The band had a hectic recording schedule.
When she lived in London, she had a hectic social life.

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* the rush hour
In the rush hour the trains are always crowded.
* rush hour traffic
She got held up in rush hour traffic.
* the rush
Sam got to the theatre early to avoid the rush.
* the Christmas/summer/weekend rush
Shop by mail and beat the Christmas rush!
* not busy
Let’s find a time when you’re not so busy, and talk about this calmly.
Hopefully by March we won’t be so busy.
* not have much to do
I could help if you want – I don’t have much to do this weekend.
I’m busy all day today, but I’m free tomorrow morning.
Which days is she free next week?
* free time
What do you do in your free time?
a quiet suburb of Seattle
I spent a quiet weekend at home.
* out of season/in the off season
It’s much cheaper if you go there out of season.
Rooms in the off season are as cheap as $50 a night.
He’s just gone to buy some cigarettes.
The painting was bought by a museum in New York.
* buy sb sth
Let me buy you a drink.
* buy sth for sb/sth
The money was used to buy new equipment for the hospital.
* buy sth from sb/sth
Ella buys a lot of her clothes from second-hand stores.
* buy sth for $10/$50
They bought their house for $200,000.
Did you get some bread?
* get sb sth
I’m getting Dad a bottle of whiskey for his birthday.
* get sth for sb
Why don’t you get a video game for Greg?
* get sth for $10/$50
She got that skirt for $10 in the market.
The cost of purchasing new equipment for the science laboratories was over $700,000.
* purchase +from
Tickets may be purchased in advance from the box office.

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* snap up sth
You can snap up some real bargains in the sales.
* snap sth up
It was only $10, so I snapped it up.
* stock up
Stores are full of people stocking up for Christmas.
* stock up +on
We always stock up on cheap wine when we go to France.
* splash out on sth/splurge on sth
Why don’t you splash out on a new dress for the party?
We splurged on an expensive hotel for the last night of the holiday.
* go shopping
That afternoon, Jo and Emma went shopping in Oxford Street.
* do the shopping
I spent all day Saturday doing the shopping and cleaning the apartment.
* do your/my/his shopping
We do all our shopping at the supermarket.
* go to the shops/go to the store
I’m just going to the shops for a newspaper — do you want anything?
If you go to the store, could you get me some milk?
* shop +at
I usually shop at Tesco.
* shop around
You could probably get the same camera cheaper if you shop around.
* window shopping
We went to the city center, just to do some window shopping.
Several customers complained about how rude the waiters were.
We offer a 10% discount to regular customers.
streets crowded with Christmas shoppers
Have you found a buyer for your house yet?
Potential buyers can view the paintings the day before the sale.
Consumers are demanding cheaper food.
* the consumer
The consumer is interested in high-quality goods, not just low prices.

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Everyone praised Douglas for the calm way in which he handled the situation.
We’ll talk about this when you’re feeling calmer.
* keep/stay calm
Keep calm and try not to panic.
The other kids were screaming, but Ellie calmly picked up the snake and threw it out of the window.
George greeted us in his friendly, relaxed way.
You seem much more relaxed since you changed jobs.
* stay cool/keep cool
He’s the kind of player who always manages to stay cool, even under pressure.
* keep your cool
Mark managed to keep his cool and ignore her last comments.
She walked coolly to the front of the hall and picked up the microphone.
In this job, you need to be good at keeping your head in a crisis.
Nigel’s fun and very laid-back.
* laid-back attitude/manner/approach
I really liked his laid-back attitude to life.
* calm down
It took Mum a little while to calm down.
* calm sb down
He put his arms around Christine and tried to calm her down.
* calm down
Calm down! There’s nothing to worry about.
Relax! Everything will be fine.
* take it easy
Hey, take it easy! Nobody’s saying you’re not good at your job.
* it’s okay/it’s all right
It’s okay, I’ll be home by midnight.
It’s all right, don’t cry. Mummy’s here.

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“Can you speak Japanese?” “Yes, I can.”
Can you come for lunch on Saturday?
Adrian could read when he was four.
Even a small computer can store huge amounts of information.
If we had a boat, we could row across to the island.
The engine’s making a funny noise — can you hear it?
* be able to do sth
Will you be able to carry those bags on your own?
If you want to join this expedition, you must be able to speak some Spanish.
Three weeks after the accident, she was able to walk and even exercise in the gym.
* be capable of sth
The car is capable of a top speed of 200 mph.
No one thought he was capable of murder.
* be capable of doing sth
He’s a very good player, and capable of beating anyone in the world when he’s at his best.
* be perfectly capable of doing sth
Don’t worry, she’s perfectly capable of dealing with the situation.
* have the ability to do sth
She seemed to have the ability to make people do anything she wanted.
* it is possible for sb to do sth
Would it be possible for you to come to a meeting on Tuesday?
It might be possible for him to stay with friends of mine in Florida.

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If you want to come with us, you can.
* can do sth
It’s my house and I can do what I want here.
Can I borrow your car?
Only the Supreme Court can change these laws.
* be able to do sth
You might be able to get a temporary passport.
As senior students, we were able to attend some university classes.
* have the power to do sth
The judge has the power to order a witness to give evidence.
Each state had the power to make its own laws.
* be in a position to do sth
You should talk to the police – at least they are in a position to do something about it.
* be authorized to do sth
If the police have a search warrant, they are authorized to enter the building, by force if necessary.
The ship is legally authorized to carry 203 passengers.
* ability to do sth
Our ability to speak makes us different from other animals.
You’ll need the ability to communicate with a wide range of people.
* have the ability
Are you confident he has the ability to do this job?
These exercises develop the student’s reading and writing skills.
You need computing skills for most office jobs.
* capability to do sth
There’s a huge question mark over the organization’s capability to adapt and change.
* capability +of
The task is well within the capabilities of the machine.
* capability of doing sth
He has this unique capability of bringing the best out in people.
* enable sb to do sth
The money from my grandmother enabled us to buy the house.
This training and advice will enable them to get new jobs.
* make it possible to do sth
The direct flight makes it possible to get from London to Tokyo in 12 hours.

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* make it possible for sb to do sth
Loans are available to make it possible for people to continue their education.
* means someone can do something
This facility means you can easily change the layout of the text.
I live just a mile away, which means I can walk to work in the morning.
* allow sb to do sth/let sb do sth
The Internet allows us to access information almost instantly.
Your card lets you get cash from machines all over the world.
“Can you drive?” “No, I can’t.”
* can’t/cannot do sth
Tom can’t see anything without his glasses.
I packed so much into my suitcase that I couldn’t lift it!
I’m afraid Mr. Martin couldn’t see you now — he’s with a client.
Human beings cannot survive for long without water.
* not be able to do sth
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to help them.
I don’t think I’ll be able to come to the meeting after all.
The doctor told Tina she wouldn’t be able to have children.
* be unable to do sth
He lay awake all night, unable to sleep.
Many passengers were unable to reach the lifeboats in time.
* not know how to do sth
I still don’t know how to drive.
I don’t know how to get there. Do you?
* be incapable/not be capable +of
She’s no longer capable of looking after herself.
Matthew seemed to be incapable of keeping a job.
Some people believe that his party is incapable of government.
* not be in a position to do sth
I’m afraid I’m not in a position to answer your questions.
We are not in a position to publish the results of the survey yet.
* It is not possible for sb to do sth
It won’t be possible for the Director to see you this morning.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible for my daughter to come with me.
* inability to do sth
Her actions show an inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
* sb’s inability to do sth
I felt frustrated by his inability to accept new ideas.
“I really want to see that film.” “I’m sorry, you can’t. You’re too young.”
The President cannot change a law that has been approved by Congress.

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* can’t do sth
You can’t get married until you’re 16.
I found out that you can’t work in the States without getting a work permit.
Members of the public cannot enter the building without official permission.
* not be able to do sth
If you don’t have a library card, you won’t be able to borrow any books.
* powerless to do sth
Although we all thought the decision was unfair, we were powerless to change it.
You’ll be OK with Jane; she’s a very careful driver.
Everyone learns to be careful when dealing with electricity.
* careful!/be careful!
That vase is very delicate. Be careful!
* careful +with
Careful with that cigarette!
* careful (not) to do sth
You have to be careful not to slip on the ice.
* careful +(that)
We were always very careful that the teachers didn’t catch us.
* careful how /what/who
Be very careful how you handle those glasses!
Goodbye, Sarah — drive carefully!
If we’re too cautious, we might lose a good business opportunity.
My dad always goes really slowly — he’s a very cautious driver.
* cautious +about
I’ve always been cautious about giving people my phone number.
Slowly and cautiously, we made our way along the edge of the cliff.
* watch out!/look out!
Watch out! You’re going to spill the paint.
Look out, Phil — there’s a car coming!
* with care/with caution
Some roads may be icy, and motorists are advised to drive with caution.
* be handled with care
The paintings are fragile and must be handled with care.
* be on your guard
Police are warning women in the area to be on their guard.
* be on your guard +against
People were advised to be on their guard against doorstep salesmen.
* not take any chances/take no chances
I’ve lost a lot of money in the past, so I’m not taking any chances this time.
a careful, hard-working student

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* careful +with
Try to be more careful with your punctuation.
* careful to do sth
They were careful not to touch anything until the police arrived.
Check your essay carefully for spelling mistakes.
* take care +with
You need to take a little more care with your work.
* take care +over
Martin always took great care over every detail.
* take care to do sth
Take care to label all the disks with the correct file names.
Our mechanics will check everything; they’re very thorough.
All the equipment has been thoroughly tested.
Ryan has always been a conscientious worker.
The chairman carried out his duties conscientiously.
The jewelry was beautifully made, and obviously the work of a meticulous craftsman.
* meticulous +about
John’s very meticulous about keeping accounts.
Investigators worked meticulously through the evidence for several months.
* pay attention to sth
In financial matters, it helps to pay careful attention to the details.
They have a reputation for carrying out methodical research and they always publish their findings.
I learned to take my time and be more methodical.
A careful inspection showed cracks in the foundation of the building.
Her book is the result of years of careful research.
The police have made a thorough search of the area.
The doctor gave me a thorough check-up.
It’s essential to have a systematic way of organizing your work.
a systematic approach to record-keeping
The whole area was systematically explored, mapped, and investigated.
They began the long and painstaking task of compiling a bibliography.
The poet’s house has been painstakingly restored.

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a careless driver
the careless handling of explosives
* careless +about
The airline was accused of being careless about security.
Someone had carelessly dropped a cigarette end into the wastebasket.
Her injuries were caused by someone else’s carelessness.
As a child, I was tall and clumsy.
Paula always felt clumsy when she had to serve food to people.
a large man with big, clumsy hands
I got up, clumsily knocking against the table.
I think teenage boys are far more irresponsible than girls.
The government has joined the police in condemning the irresponsible behavior of a small minority of fans.
He was angry, and that always made him reckless.
* reckless driving
The driver of the car was arrested for reckless driving.
a reckless disregard for human life
people who recklessly risk their lives in a dangerous sport
Dr. Forbes was found guilty of medical negligence.
You can claim compensation if your injury is a result of your employer’s negligence.
The court said that the teacher had been negligent in not reporting the accident.
I made a few careless mistakes.
* careless +with
Don’t be so careless with your money.
* it is careless of sb (to do sth)
It was very careless of you to leave your purse lying on the desk.
He had carelessly switched off his computer without saving the data.
Lyra’s weaknesses are carelessness and a lack of organizational skills.
At school, his work was always sloppy.
The company’s failure was blamed on sloppy management.
I advised him to think carefully and not do anything rash.

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* a rash promise/statement
Don’t make any rash promises that you may regret later.
I rashly offered to lend her the money.
I think I was a little hasty. I shouldn’t have accused him of lying.
* a hasty decision
Don’t make any hasty decisions.
He later admitted that he had acted too hastily.
A porter helped me carry my bags.
* carry sth to/out of/around
The women have to carry water from the well to the village.
I’ve been carrying this tape-recorder around with me all day.
* be weighed down with sth/be loaded down with sth
She struggled back, weighed down with shopping bags.
Cora was loaded down with two massive suitcases.
* he loaded with sth
A truck loaded with cement had crashed into the wall.
* be heavily loaded
a bus heavily loaded with passengers
* portable TV/computer/typewriter/heater
She has a small portable TV in the kitchen.
He still writes his novels on an old portable typewriter.
I caught the ball with my left hand and threw it back to Ted.
* catch!
Here’s your lighter – catch!

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“I bet you can’t catch me!” Katie said, running off.
The police caught two of the three bank robbers after a car chase through the city.
The rebel leader was captured and publicly executed.
They captured twenty enemy soldiers.
* take sb prisoner
350 enemy soldiers were killed, and 300 more were taken prisoner.
Police have so far failed to catch the murderer.
The thieves were never caught.
Police arrested nine men in a drugs raid.
* arrest sb for sth
Wayne was arrested for dangerous driving.
His confessions led to the arrest of several well-known gangsters.
* make an arrest
Police made a number of arrests after a fight in a city bar.
* be under arrest
A man is now under arrest for the assault.
* place/put sb under arrest
He was brought in for questioning and placed under arrest.
They never actually got the man who did it.
Did the police get the people who stole your car?
* catch sb doing sth
Monica caught her son stealing money from her purse.
* get caught
Be careful you don’t get caught!
* be/get caught doing sth
Paul was caught cheating in a test.
“Are you sure Gavin took it?” “I caught him red-handed!”
Did you catch any fish?
a trap to catch mice
Some of the birds had been shot, others trapped.
The wolf had been caught in a trap.

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Smoking causes cancer.
The fire caused $3,000 worth of damage.
A lot of traffic accidents are caused by carelessness.
* cause sb embarrassment/anxiety/pain
Robert’s behavior is causing his family a lot of anxiety.
* cause sth to do sth
Inflation has caused fuel prices to rise sharply in recent months.
* make sb/sth do sth
Sarah’s really funny — she always makes me laugh.
A new hairstyle can make you look years younger.
* make sb angry/happy/nervous
Stop staring at me — you’re making me nervous!
* make sth better/worse/easier
The senator’s recent remarks seem to have made the situation worse.
* make it easy/difficult/impossible for sb to do sth
The new rail service should make it easier for commuters to get to work.
* be responsible for sth
I felt partly responsible for the fact that her boyfriend left her.
Who is responsible for all this mess?
* bring about st
The war brought about huge social and political changes.
Many improvements in public health have been brought about by advances in medical science.
* result in sth
The train crash resulted in the deaths of all 52 passengers.
All these changes in the rules have resulted in great confusion.
* lead to sth
His research eventually led to the development of a vaccine.
The bank has offered a reward for any information leading to the arrest of the robbers.
* trigger off sth
the events that triggered off World War I
The increase in violent crime has several causes.
* cause +of
They still haven’t found out the cause of the fire.
* root cause
The root cause of Britain’s economic problems is lack of investment.

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The rise in crime is mainly due to factors such as unemployment
* factor +in
Wright’s skill and experience has been an important factor in the team’s success.
* get/have the chance
It’s a beautiful building – you should go and see it if you have the chance.
* get/have the chance +to do sth
I never got the chance to thank him for all his help.
* give sb the chance to do sth
I wish he’d just give me the chance to explain.
* a second chance
Viewers will have a second chance to see Saturday’s concert on Channel 4 tonight
* take the chance to do sth
Take the chance to travel while you’re still young.
* sb’s last chance
It was her last chance to see him before she left town.
* miss a chance
Diane never misses the chance of a free meal.
* jump at the chance (of doing sth)
You’re so lucky. I’d jump at the chance of going to Hollywood.
* have the opportunity (to do sth)
He didn’t have the opportunity to go to university when he was younger.
* opportunity for sb (to do sth)
Companies should provide more opportunities for workers to broaden their skills.
* take/seize an opportunity
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support.
* career/job opportunities
There are a wide range of career opportunities for young people.
* golden opportunity
I saw it as a golden opportunity – the chance I’d been waiting for.
* a golden opportunity (for sb) to do sth
This is a golden opportunity for you to go back to college. Don’t waste it.
* the chance of a lifetime
It was the chance of a lifetime – I had to go.
* by chance
I met an old friend by chance on the train.
* quite/purely/entirely by chance
Quite by chance, we both ended up working for the same company.
* by accident
I got involved in this field of research almost by accident.

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* quite/entirely/purely by accident
We met quite by accident.
* what a coincidence!
What a coincidence! I didn’t know you were going to be in Geneva too.
* by coincidence
By coincidence, Jill was wearing the same dress as me.
* by a strange/curious/amazing coincidence
By a strange coincidence, all three girls had boyfriends called Simon.
* happen to do sth
A Police car just happened to be driving past when the robbery took place.
* as it happens
“I’m thinking of selling my guitar.” “Well, as it happens, I know someone who’s thinking of buying one.”
* it’s a matter of luck/it’s just luck
There’s no skill in roulette; it’s all a matter of luck.
It was fate that we should meet.
* by a twist of fate
By a strange twist of fate, the twin brothers married twin sisters.
The city has changed a lot in recent years.
She’s really changed since she went to college.
the changing role of women in society
* change +into
The caterpillar eventually changes into a beautiful butterfly.
* change from sth to/into sth
In the 18th century, Britain changed from a mainly agricultural society to an industrial one.
* change color
It was October, and the leaves on the trees were starting to change color.
His mood suddenly altered and he seemed a little annoyed.
The political situation altered dramatically in 1979.
Ticket prices to New York vary, depending on the time of year.
* vary considerably/widely
Her income varies considerably from one month to the next.
* vary according to
These dates may vary according to the requirements of the course.
* it varies
“What kind of food do you like best?” “Well, it varies.”
* turn into sth
a story about a frog that turns into a prince
A trip to the beach turned into a nightmare for a local family yesterday.
* go from … to …
In less than five years, he went from being a communist to being a member of the military government.
His face went from pink to bright red.

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Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation.
Being at college has changed her – she seems much more confident now.
The border was closed, and they were forced to alter their plans.
You can alter the color and size of the image using a remote control.
* make changes
Williams intends to make a few changes.
* make changes +to/in
When you get married, you’ll have to make some changes to your lifestyle.
plans to reform the voting system
Health care needs to be completely reformed.
How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment?
a modified version of the original computer program
You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.
* adapt/modify sth for sth
All our facilities have been modified for use by people in wheelchairs.
When she smiled, her face was completely transformed.
* transform sth into sth
In the last 20 years, Korea has been transformed into a major industrial nation.
* turn sth into sth
We’re planning to turn the study into an extra bedroom.
The book was later turned into a movie.
Computers have revolutionized the way we work.
flexible working hours
Your schedule should be flexible enough to cope with interruptions or unexpected tasks.
In the future, we are sure to see a lot of changes.
Many people are frightened of change.
House plants are often sensitive to changes in the temperature.

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* social/ economic / political / technological change
1989 was a year of great political change in Eastern Europe.
* big/major change
There have been big changes in the way languages are taught in schools.
* a change for the better/worse
For most ordinary workers, the new tax laws represent a change for the worse.
* alteration +in
Recently, there had been a definite alteration in his manner.
* make alterations (to sth)
We’ve made one or two small alterations to the house.
* minor alteration
After a few minor alterations, the proposal was accepted.
* reform +of
the reform of local government
* radical reform
The Socialists have promised a program of radical social reform.
* economic/educational/welfare reform
the slow process of economic reform
* revolution +in
Piaget’s ideas caused a revolution in education.
* scientific/technological/social revolution
The 1970s saw the beginnings of a new technological revolution, based on microelectronics.
* upheaval +for
Moving to a different school can be a major upheaval for young children.
* social/political/emotional upheaval
The recent civil war caused enormous social and economic upheaval.
I’m thinking of changing my car.
* change jobs/schools/doctors
Alex will be changing schools in September.
* change places/seat
Would you mind changing places so I can sit next to my girlfriend?
* change from sth to sth
Nowadays, people change from one cellphone to another all the time.
* switch (from sth) to sth
She worked as a librarian before switching to journalism.
We hope more and more travelers will switch from road to rail.
* switch jobs/sides
School-leavers often switch jobs several times before finding one that suits them.
Karen doesn’t live here anymore – she’s moved.
* move +to
We moved to Memphis when I was eight.
* move +into
The new offices should be ready for the company to move into very soon.
* convert to sth
She converted to Catholicism at the time of her marriage.

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* change your mind
Are you still coming out tonight, or have you changed your mind?
* change your mind +about
I’ve changed my mind about Terry – he’s actually a pretty nice guy.
* have second thoughts
At first, she agreed, but then she seemed to have second thoughts.
* have second thoughts +about
Martin was having second thoughts about accepting the job.
* get cold feet
The whole project failed after the biggest sponsor got cold feet.
* come around/come round
We had to work hard to persuade her, but she finally came around.
* come around to sb’s point of view/come around to an idea
Give him time, and I’m sure he’ll come round to your point of view.
Which day do you want to meet? I’m fairly flexible.
* flexible +about
It’s easier to find a job if you can be flexible about where you work.
Children are often more adaptable than adults.
All my life I’ve moved around and I’ve learned to be adaptable.
We’re hoping to find a permanent solution to the problem.
a permanent job
The accident left her with permanent brain damage.
The classes begin and end at fixed times.
* fixed income/price/rate
Workers are paid a fixed rate per hour.
An animal’s fur helps it to maintain a constant body temperature.
* remain/stay constant
The noise level remained constant throughout the day.
a steady improvement
They drove along at a steady 80 kilometers per hour.
* a steady stream/flow
There’s been a steady stream of visitors at the center.
The standard of living has been rising steadily for 20 years.
Fuel prices have become more stable after several increases last year.
* remain stable
His temperature remained stable throughout the night.

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Myra had strong views and could be very stubborn at times.
* be set in your ways
I’m too old and set in my ways to get married again now.
The opposition has accused the government of being too rigid in opposing the Kyoto treaty on global warming.
the rigid sexual morals of Victorian Britain
In the mountains, the weather is very changeable.
the changeable international situation
The price of petrol is variable, depending on where you buy it.
My shoes were really cheap – they only cost $15.
The cheapest way to get to Chicago is to take the bus.
* it is cheap to do sth
It’s cheaper to phone after six o’clock.
* relatively cheap
Wooden houses are relatively cheap to build.
* get sth cheap
If you want to get something cheap, go to the market.
You can buy electronic diaries fairly cheaply nowadays.
The furniture is inexpensive but well-made.
Beans and lentils are an inexpensive source of protein.
* not cost much
We had a very good meal and it didn’t cost much.
* it doesn’t cost much to do sth
It doesn’t cost much to rent a TV.
Gas is usually the most economical fuel for heating a house.

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* be economical to use/run/operate
This is a well-designed car that is also very economical to run.
* it is more economical to do sth
If you compare the prices, it’s more economical to buy the big packet.
The tourist shops were full of cheap souvenirs.
a woman smelling of cheap perfume
* cheap and nasty
The jewelry in this catalogue looks really cheap and nasty.
* be good value
The meals at Charlie’s Pizza are really good value.
* good value for money
There’s a special ticket that means you can see six concerts, which is definitely good value for money.
Did you get any bargains at the market?
I got this shirt when I was in Thailand. It was a real bargain.
* be a good buy
The Brazilian white wine is a good buy at only $2.99 a bottle.
* good deal
They’re selling three liters for the price of two, so it’s a really good deal.
* give sb a good deal
They gave me a pretty good deal on my camera.
* get a good deal
We got a good deal on the tickets, which meant we could afford to stay in a better hotel.
They sell good-quality computer equipment at reasonable prices.
Only $75 a night? That’s very reasonable!
The bookstore is having a closing-down sale.
* the sales
The sales start in January. I bought this coat half price in the sales.
* on sale
“How much was your jacket?” “I got it on sale for $45.”
Everything is reduced because the store’s closing down next month.
* reduced +from … to …
The CDs were reduced from $10 to $5.
* $5/$20/10% off
There’s 20% off all computers in Dixon’s summer sale.
* get a discount
Do you get a discount if you pay in cash?
* get a discount +on
Workers at the store get a discount on books and records.
* 30%/$50 discount
a 30% discount on all electrical goods
* at a discount
Air UK are currently offering tickets to students at a special discount.
* special offer
There’s a special offer of two meals for the price of one.

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* special offer +on
Look out for this week’s special offer on Australian wines.
Cut-price goods or services are cheaper than normal.
cut-price cigarettes
a travel operator offering cut-price deals on winter holidays
Be careful of salesmen who come to the door. They may be trying to cheat you.
* cheat sb out of sth
The woman claims that the company cheated her out of $36,000.
He was jailed in 1992 for attempting to swindle the insurance company he worked for.
* swindle sb out of sth
Investors have been swindled out of millions of pounds.
* con sb out of sth
Baker conned his followers out of $100 million.
* con sb into doing sth
The gang conned an elderly woman into giving her cash card away.
My boss thinks I’ve been fiddling my travel expenses.
* fiddle the books/fiddle the accounts
The company secretary had been fiddling the books for years.
He has been charged with embezzling money from public funds and could face up to 70 years in jail.
As she made her wedding vows, she was already planning how she could fleece him of every penny he had.
The authorities are trying to recover the money he fleeced from investors.
The cab driver overcharged us by $20.
* overcharge sb for sth
The meal was good, but we were overcharged for the wine.
* rip sb off
They really ripped us off at that hotel.
* rip off sb
Bars by the sea make huge profits by ripping off tourists.
* a rip-off
“It cost $200 to get it fixed.” “What a rip-off!”
* a complete/total rip-off
The meal cost me $80 – it was a total rip-off.

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Anyone caught cheating will automatically fail the exam.
* cheat +at
Jenny always cheats at cards.
Some of the boys were suspected of cheating.
* copy +from
Jenny was accused of copying from the girl next to her.
Big losses due to theft and fraud forced the company to close.
Credit card fraud is very common.
There was a scam in which thousands of people sent $20 to register with a non-existent agency.
a $2 million insurance swindle
The newspaper exposed the swindle in July.
Bergstrom accused his opponent of being a cheat.
He was a handsome conman who charmed women into giving him money.
a convicted swindler
“Are you sure this is the right phone number?” “Yes, I’ve just checked.”
Remember to check your spellings in a dictionary.
* check +(that)
I’ll just check I locked the door.
Check that the meat is cooked thoroughly before serving it.
* check +if/whether
Before your trip, check if your insurance covers you abroad.
* make sure
I don’t think Sarah’s back yet, but knock on her door just to make sure.
* make sure +(that)
I phoned the hotel to make sure that they had reserved a room for us.
Make sure there are no cars behind you before you drive off.
“Did you switch the heating off?” “Yes, I double-checked.”
I can’t have got it wrong. I checked and double-checked all my calculations.

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How many children are there in your class?
Every child was given a present.
A gang of kids were playing in the yard.
I really enjoy working with kids.
Jamie’s a bright kid.
I used to live in Spain when I was a boy.
Harry teaches in a boys’ school in Glasgow.
* little boy
Her best friend was a little boy called Sam.
What’s that girl’s name?
More girls than ever before are choosing to study science.
* little girl
A little girl was sitting on the front doorstep.
a playgroup for mothers and toddlers
She called her first child Katrin.
The house seems very quiet now all the children have left home.
One of her children lives in Australia now.
All I ever wanted was to get married and have kids.
* the kids
Could you look after the kids this evening?
We have two teenage sons.
Her son used to work in Scotland.
My aunt had five daughters and three sons.
* little boy/little girl
Paula’s had to go home – her little girl’s sick.
“How old’s your little boy?” “He’s three.”
Leila was an orphan whose parents had been killed in the war.
They’ve known each other since childhood.
* early childhood
I spent my early childhood in California.
* in infancy/during infancy
Three of her children died in infancy.

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I can’t decide what I want. You choose.
Will you help me choose a present for Warren?
* choose to do sth
I chose to learn Spanish rather than German or French.
* choose +whether/which/when
It took her three hours to choose which dress to wear.
* choose +between
We had to choose between two houses that were in our price range.
* choose +from
When hiring a car, you can choose from a wide range of vehicles.
Pick a number from one to five.
Students have to pick two modules during their first year.
We asked Steve to help us select the music for the wedding.
Our wines have been carefully selected from vineyards throughout Europe.
* decide on sth
Have you decided on a name for the baby yet?
* go for sth
She always goes for the most expensive thing on the menu.
* make a choice
You don’t have to make a choice yet. Think about it a bit longer.
* make the right/wrong choice
He’s decided to study law. I hope he’s made the right choice.
* opt +for
The government is likely to opt for an election early next spring.
* opt to do sth
When her parents divorced, Mary Ann opted to live with her father.
Companies are now using computers to help them choose new workers.
* choose sb as sth
He was chosen as team captain because of his age and experience.
* choose sb to do sth
Eventually, they chose Jane to be their representative.
The college selects only 72 students from the thousands who apply.
* select sb for sth
We selected four applicants for interview.
* select sb to do sth
Ernst had been selected to play in the game against Belgium.
The company has appointed a new Sales Director.
* appoint sb as sth
They have appointed Jane Staller as their new East Coast manager.
* appoint sb to do sth
A committee was appointed to consider changes to the Prison Service.
Joe picked Steve and Terry to be on his team.
a change in the way the Conservative Party picks its leader

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It was a difficult choice, but we finally decided that Hannah should have the prize.
Of course, financial considerations will influence your choice.
* first/second choice
Greece was our first choice for a vacation, but all the flights were full.
* sb’s choice of sth
I don’t like his choice of friends.
She showed me a selection of her drawings.
a selection of songs from ‘West Side Story’
* choice +of
The school seems OK, but there isn’t a great choice of courses.
* have a choice of
You will have a choice of twelve questions in the exam.
* wide/good choice
There is a wide choice of hotels and hostels in the town.
* have an option
You have only two options.
* option +for
We’ve considered a range of options for dealing with the situation.
* keep your options open
Anne hasn’t decided which college to go to yet. She’s keeping her options open.
* alternative +to
Is there an alternative to the present system?
The company has already explored possible alternatives to job cuts.
* have no alternative
I didn’t want to go to the police, but I had no alternative.
* selection +of
A wonderful selection of cakes and pastries was displayed in the window.
* wide/large selection
The restaurant offers you a wide selection of local dishes.
I get offered a lot of work now, so I can be more choosy.
* choosy +about
She’s very choosy about what airline she travels on.
Don’t be so picky! Eat what you are given.
She was always very fussy about her clothes.
* selective +about
People are becoming more and more selective about what foods they buy.

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At one time, success was based on class rather than on ability.
the professional and managerial classes
* the class system
The old class system is slowly disappearing.
* social class
There is a clear link between social class and educational achievement.
The school takes kids from all sorts of backgrounds.
We come from the same town and have a similar background.
* working-class/ middle-class background
The changes are designed to encourage children from working-class backgrounds to go to university.
Like many upper-class Englishmen, he was proud of his athletic abilities.
He spoke with an upper-class accent.
* the upper class/the upper classes
the privileges of the upper classes
Her parents are terribly posh.
* posh school/hotel/restaurant
She went to a posh girls’ school in Switzerland.
members of the British aristocracy
the French aristocracy
a newspaper whose readers are mostly middle-class
They live in a middle-class neighborhood on the edge of town.
* the middle class/the middle classes
The government needs the support of the middle classes to win the next election.

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* white-collar worker/job/employee
The economic recession has put many white-collar workers in danger of losing their jobs.
Most of the people who live round here are working-class.
He’s from a working-class background.
* the working class/the working classes
Cuts in welfare spending affect the working class most.
He was born into a lower-class family in the East End of London.
* the lower class/the lower classes
Rich people look down on the lower classes.
* blue-collar worker/job/employee
His political support comes mainly from blue-collar workers.
Increasing unemployment led to the creation of an underclass.
My mother was such a snob she wouldn’t let me play with the local children.
Some of the other parents seemed very rich and very snobbish.
He changed into a clean shirt.
I’ll put some clean sheets on the bed.
New houses are much easier to keep clean.
* nice and clean/lovely and clean
Our hotel room was lovely and clean.
* clean water/air
What the villagers need most is a supply of clean drinking water.
Nina keeps the kitchen absolutely spotless.
* spotlessly clean
He was wearing a spotlessly clean white shirt.
You shouldn’t let the cat walk on the table. It’s not hygienic.
Meat products must always be kept in hygienic conditions.

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I clean the windows every Saturday.
Tony was cleaning his car.
How often do you clean the kitchen?
* clean sth up/clean up sth
There was mud all over the carpet, and it took me a long time to clean it up.
* clean your teeth
Dentists recommend that you should clean your teeth at least twice a day.
* clean +behind/under
Make sure you clean behind the stove.
I hate cleaning!
* do the cleaning
Her husband does most of the cleaning.
Barry spent the weekend spring-cleaning.
I want to spring-clean the whole apartment before Easter.
The waiter was wiping the tables.
* wipe sth up/wipe up sth
If you spill any paint, wipe it up immediately.
I had to stand on a chair to dust the top shelf.
* dust +behind/under
How often do you dust behind the pictures on your walls?
She polished the piano until the wood shone.
a polished wooden floor
My mom used to iron my dad’s shirts, shine his shoes and press his trousers.
You should brush your jacket – it’s covered in dust.
* brush sth off sth
I brushed the crumbs off the sofa.
* brush your teeth
Have you brushed your teeth yet?
I had a job in a restaurant, washing the dishes and scrubbing the floors.
Scrub the potatoes and boil them for 5-10 minutes.

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When everyone had left, Ed swept the floor.
* sweep up sth/sweep sth up
Can you help me sweep up all the pieces of glass?
Have you vacuumed the living room?
Lack of hygiene in the restaurant had attracted rats.
* personal hygiene
Young people need to learn about the importance of personal hygiene.
She cleaned and disinfected the cuts on his hands.
Disinfect the toilet regularly using bleach.
Has the needle been sterilized?
Babies’ bottles can be sterilized simply by boiling them in water.
We finish work at six, and then the cleaners come in.
a window cleaner
* dry cleaner’s
My best suit is at the dry cleaner’s.
Can you collect my dress from the cleaner’s?
What brand of detergent do you use?
The instructions in the manual aren’t very clear.

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* clear about/on sth
Your contract should be absolutely clear about your conditions of employment.
* clear to sb
The rules seem clear enough to me.
* make it clear (that)
Barlow made it very clear that he did not agree with us.
The teacher explained everything to us very clearly.
She spoke clearly and carefully, using plain simple language.
We now write documents in plain English, and words like ‘vendor’ and ‘purchaser’ have been replaced by ‘buyer’ and ‘seller’.
He told her plainly what he thought of her work.
The conditions of sale are stated plainly on the bill.
There was a clear view across the valley.
We could see the harbor lights shining clearly in the distance.
* the naked eye
These tiny creatures are invisible to the naked eye.
* with the naked eye
On a clear night, it’s just possible to see the planet with the naked eye.
There is an obvious connection between the two murders.
“Why is she leaving?” “Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?”
* it is obvious that
It was obvious that there was something wrong.
* obvious to sb
The answer might be obvious to you, but it isn’t to me.
* for obvious reason
For obvious reasons we have had to cancel tonight’s performance.
* it is clear (that)
It was clear that she was very upset by what had happened.
* it is clear to sb
It was clear to me that my father was dying.
* it becomes clear
It soon became clear that more police officers were needed to deal with the situation.
* clear evidence/example/sign
There is clear evidence that unemployment and crime are related.
We’re obviously going to need more help.
Clearly, the situation is more complicated than we first thought.
“Is she pleased with the decision?” “Obviously not!”
The children were clearly upset.
* can tell +(that)
I can tell that he isn’t happy.
Den could tell that they wanted to be left alone.
* can tell +by
I could tell by her face that she didn’t like him.
* it is easy to see +(that)
It’s easy to see that he isn’t well.

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* it is easy to see +how/why/what
It’s easy to see why this car is so popular.
It’s easy to see how the mistake was made.
a noticeable difference in temperature
* it is noticeable that
It was noticeable that she had invited everyone except Gail.
When he was shown the letter, Simmons became noticeably nervous.
The company’s refusal to hire him was a blatant act of discrimination.
blatantly racist comments
The reasons for his resignation are still unclear.
* unclear/not clear +whether/what/why
It’s not clear why the local police did not start the search immediately.
It is still unclear whether the drug will reduce heart disease.
* unclear/not clear +about
His ideas are good, but he’s very unclear about how he’s going to achieve them.
The last part of her letter was deliberately ambiguous.
The contract was worded ambiguously.
Politicians are always making vague promises.
* vague +about
He was rather vague about the reasons why he never finished school.
The man was vaguely described as ‘medium build with brown hair’.
All these rules and regulations are very confusing.
I found the movie confusing because several of the characters looked almost exactly the same.
His voice on the phone was so faint I could hardly hear it.
the faint light of dawn
There was a faint smell of lavender in the bathroom.
The patterns look the same at first, but there are subtle differences between them.
The photographs were very blurred.
Everything looks blurred when I take my glasses off.
Most kids love climbing trees.
Trying not to look down, Alan began to climb.
* climb +up/over/onto
Several fans climbed onto the roof of the arena to get a better view.
* climb down
The prisoner had escaped by climbing down a drainpipe.
The rescue team had to scale a 300-meter cliff to reach the injured climbers.

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Eva’s hobbies are horse-riding, climbing, and aerobics.
climbing boots
Mountaineering can be a very dangerous sport.
a mountain climber
The search is continuing for a group of climbers reported missing in the region.
I need to buy some new clothes.
She always wears very nice clothes.
* baby/school/work clothes
He quickly changed out of his work clothes.
basic necessities such as food and clothing
* warm/light/protective/outdoor clothing
Make sure that you take plenty of warm clothing – it can be very cold up there.
* piece/item/article of clothing
There was nothing in the chest apart from a few items of clothing.
* something to wear
I must buy something to wear for Julia’s wedding.

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She wore a black suit for the interview.
Bob was wearing a business suit.
I’ve bought a new outfit for Kate’s birthday party.
Natalie was wearing a blue and purple outfit.
Do you have to wear a uniform if you work at McDonald’s?
* school uniform
I used to hate wearing school uniform.
* in uniform
Most of the old soldiers came to the ceremony in uniform.
* swimming/football/tennis things
Don’t forget to bring your swimming things when we go to Brighton.
The play was great and the costumes were brilliant.
* national costume
The dancers were dressed in Ukrainian national costume.
She was wearing shorts and sandals.
What do you think I should wear for the party?
* wear black/red/green
A lot of people wear black for work.
* in a suit/in a red dress
There was a man in a linen suit standing at the bar.
a couple of girls in jeans and T-shirts
She had on a red hat and a pair of matching shoes.
* have a coat/jacket/suit on
All the men had suits on.
* be dressed
It’s 11 o’clock and you still aren’t dressed!
* be dressed +in
Each child was dressed in a clean shirt.
a woman dressed in green
* be dressed as sb
Some of the children were dressed as soldiers.
* put sth on
Put your coat on if you’re going out.
She put on her bathrobe and went downstairs.
* get dressed
Go and get dressed. It’s nearly time for school.
Sandra’s in the bedroom getting dressed.
* try sth on
If you like the shoes, why don’t you try them on?
I tried on a beautiful coat, but it was too big.
* dress up/get dressed up
Most teenagers hate getting dressed up.
It’s an informal party, so you don’t need to dress up.

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* take sth off
Why don’t you take your coat off?
If I take my glasses off, I can hardly see anything.
* take off sth
He took off his jacket and put it around my shoulders.
* get undressed
She got undressed and went to bed.
Paul went into the bathroom to undress.
* get changed
The boys ran upstairs to get changed.
Are you going to get changed before the party?
I’ll just change my shirt and I’ll be with you in a minute.
* change +into
She changed into a sweater and some jeans.
* change +out of
Can you wait while I change out of these dirty clothes?
* strip off
The guys stripped off and dived into the pool.
* strip sth off
She ran upstairs, stripped off her jeans and put on a nice dress.
These jeans are too tight I can’t get them on.
a tight miniskirt
Loose clothes are best in summer.
She wore a loose sweater and leggings.
a comfortable baggy sweater
He was wearing baggy jeans and a T-shirt.
The photograph showed a well-dressed man in his early 50s.
Shorter skirts are fashionable these days.
a pair of fashionable and expensive-looking trainers
a smart suit
You’re looking very smart today, Paul.
a casual jacket
Change out of those scruffy jeans.
You look too scruffy to go to a restaurant.
That shirt doesn’t really match your jacket.

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* hat/scarf/tie to match
I’ve got some blue shoes – now I need a bag to match.
Short skirts don’t really suit me.
Do those shoes still fit you?
I’ve put on so much weight that this skirt doesn’t fit any more.
I like the color, but I don’t really like the style.
70s styles are coming back into fashion.
shops selling all the latest fashions
the fashions of the 1960s
* have nothing on/not have anything on
Don’t come in yet – I haven’t got anything on!
She seemed to have nothing on underneath her dress.
He was lying on the bed completely naked.
The magazine was full of pictures of naked men.
* stark naked/buck naked
Lizzie was standing there stark naked.
Upstairs, George was already undressed and in bed.
Her dress left her shoulders completely bare.
In summer, the kids go around in bare feet.
an oil painting of a nude model reclining on a bed
She has refused in the past to do nude scenes.
a cold January morning
This is the coldest winter we’ve had for years.
* it’s cold
Put your gloves on – it’s cold outside today!
* freezing cold
It gets freezing cold at night in the mountains.
* bitterly cold
a bitterly cold north wind
* cold weather
We’ve been warned to expect very cold weather next week.
* the cold
Come in. Don’t stand out there in the cold!
a cool sea breeze
* it’s cool
Although the days are very hot, it’s much cooler at night.
a chilly morning in April
* get chilly
It’s getting chilly – I think we’ll go inside.
a bright frosty morning
The freezing weather continued all through February.
* it’s freezing/it’s freezing cold
It was freezing cold outside.
Take your gloves – it’s freezing.

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Tonight, we can expect some wintry showers on the hills.
wintry weather
a wintry day
The next day was icy cold, and frost covered the ground.
An icy wind blew through the house.
* be cold
Dad, I’m cold. Can I put the heater on?
* feel cold
He woke up in the middle of the night feeling cold.
* look cold
Come and sit by the fire. You look cold.
“Are you warm enough?” “No, I’m absolutely freezing!”
You must be frozen! Come and sit by the fire.
I was shivering in my thin sleeping bag.
* shiver with cold
We stood in the doorway shivering with cold.
He waited an hour for the train on a cold platform.
* it’s cold
Why is it always so cold in this office?
Our hotel room was cool, even during the day.
* it’s cool
It’s much cooler downstairs.
I slept in a chilly little room at the top of the house.
* it’s chilly
It’s chilly in here why don’t you turn the heater on?
a draughty old farmhouse
The heating broke down and the classrooms were freezing.
* it’s freezing
It’s freezing in here!
I wanted a bath but the water was cold.
a cold stone floor
His friends pulled him from the freezing water.
* freezing cold
The river was freezing cold.
Ruth put her cool hand on my burning forehead.
a selection of cold meats
Serve the quiche hot or cold, with a salad.
* get cold/go cold
Come and eat your dinner before it gets cold.
* stone cold
By the time I’d finished on the phone my coffee was stone cold.
I really need a cool drink.
a bottle of chilled champagne
This soup is delicious served chilled.
All I had in the freezer was a couple of frozen pizzas.
an ice-cold beer

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* get cold/get colde
It’s got a lot colder recently.
Tell John his coffee’s getting cold.
* cool down
Leave the bread on a wire tray to cool down.
It begins to cool down around 6 o’clock.
As the metal cools, it will decrease in size.
Do you collect stamps?
I’ve started collecting old bottles.
a coin collector
The auction room was full of art collectors and dealers.
* collection +of
The museum has one of the world’s finest collections of impressionist paintings.
I’m collecting American league baseball cards – I only need one more to have the set.
* set +of
a complete set of magazines from 1984 to 1992
Blue is my favorite color.
Yellow is a nice bright color.
Her hair was the same color as mine.
* what color is…?
“What color is your new car?” “Silver.”
* change color
In September the leaves start to change color.
Softer shades are in fashion this season.
* shade of blue/green
Valerie’s eyes are a beautiful shade of blue.
This lipstick is perfect for your coloring.
He had his mother’s looks and coloring.
Frogs are green, toads are brown – that’s how you can tell the difference.
The Japanese flag is white with a red sun on it.

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The town hall was decorated with hundreds of colored ribbons.
panels of colored glass
an artist who loved bright colors
If you are cycling at night, always wear something bright.
* bright blue/red/yellow
The front door was painted bright red.
a bright yellow van
a brightly painted boat
brightly colored balloons
women in colorful summer dresses
Children’s books need to have large clear letters and colorful pictures.
* brilliant white/blue/green
a brilliant blue sky
The room was painted a brilliant white.
They both have brown hair, but Tina’s is slightly lighter than Jan’s.
* tight blue/green/brown
The leaves are light green with small purple markings.
The wine has a pale color but a lively flavor.
* pale blue/pink/yellow
a pale pink blouse pale yellow wallpaper with a white daisy pattern
The bedrooms have all been painted in cool pastel shades.
Everyone at the funeral was dressed in dark colors, except for Rita, who wore a pink dress.
* dark blue/brown/green
She has beautiful dark brown hair.
a dark grey suit
a deep, rich shade of crimson
* deep blue/purple/red
A few stars began to appear in the deep blue sky.
a delightful book containing 200 color photographs of wild flowers
My parents didn’t buy a color TV until the late 1970s.
* in color
All the pictures are in color.
* black and white
an old black and white movie starring Charlie Chaplin
* in black and white
Karsh’s famous photographs of Churchill were all in black and white.
I bet she dyes her hair.
* dye sth blue/yellow
I’m gong to dye this skirt dark blue.
Over the years the green curtains had faded.
Her red T-shirt had faded to pink.

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I was so warm and comfortable in bed I didn’t want to get up.
Are you comfortable lying on the floor like that?
* make yourself comfortable
Sit down and make yourself comfortable.
* get comfortable
My shoulder was hurting and I couldn’t get comfortable.
Brian was sitting comfortably in front of the television.
“Comfy?” “Yes, thanks.”
She looks really snug under all those blankets.
* in comfort
Jardine sat down by the fire to enjoy his whiskey in comfort.
The car is big enough for the whole family to travel in comfort.
Our hotel room was very comfortable.
a comfortable leather armchair
Can you just wait a moment while I change into something more comfortable?
* comfortable to sit on/lie on/wear
Harder mattresses are often more comfortable to lie on.
a comfortably furnished apartment
a comfy little cabin in the woods
a comfy chair
a small cozy apartment
The bar looked lovely and cozy, with a log fire burning brightly.
a luxurious yacht, once owned by Aristotle Onassis
The hotel we stayed in was really luxurious.
You can’t be very comfortable on that stool.
The heat was making us all feel very uncomfortable.
She was wearing very uncomfortable-looking shoes.
cramped living conditions
They worked from cramped offices near the main station.
a bumpy ride up the mountainside in an old bus
We had a rough crossing and most of the passengers were seasick.
It’ll be rough out there today with all this wind.

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The company employs over 70,000 people worldwide.
* oil/insurance/phone company
the second largest insurance company in Japan
* work for a company
My father used to work for one of the big oil companies.
* join a company
This year, we have had several new executives joining the company.
* set up/start a company
The company was set up in 1975.
The firm employs about 75 full-time staff.
* law/electronics/building firm
She works for a law firm in Amsterdam.
* firm of lawyers/accountant
Ed’s just got a job with a firm of accountants in Boston.
* join a firm
Sara joined the firm when she was only 16.
Norm’s a gardener – he has his own business.
* manage/run a business
She’s running her own printing business now.
* set up/start a business
Profits have slowly increased since we started the business three years ago.
IBM is one of the biggest corporations in the US.
the British Broadcasting Corporation
Mitsubishi is a multinational company, whose head office is in Japan.
the power of the big multinationals
* subsidiary +of
The Isle of Man Bank is now a subsidiary of NatWest Bank plc.
Parker Plastics is the city’s biggest employer, with about 3000 workers.
Your employer is responsible for ensuring safety in the workplace.

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Compare prices before you buy a new DVD player.
* compare sth/sb with sth/sb
If you compare rents in London with rents in Paris, you’ll find they are about the same.
I hate the way you always compare me with your ex-boyfriend.
* comparison +of/between
The students were asked to write a comparison between the two poems.
a comparison of the number of deaths from heart disease in Britain and America
* make a comparison
The documentary makes a comparison between working conditions before and after the war.
* compared to/compared with
Their house seems like a palace compared to our apartment.
Compared with some other EU countries, Britain has a low standard of living.
* in comparison/by comparison
After months of living in a tropical climate, Spain seemed cool by comparison.
* in comparison/by comparison +with
In comparison with London, life in our small town was very quiet.
* in contrast/by contrast
These stocks have gone up by 5%. By contrast, technology stocks have gone down 2%.
* in contrast to/by contrast with
In contrast to his previous visit, there was little publicity.
* relative importance/advantage/amount/size
the relative importance of money and job satisfaction
the relative advantages of different methods of transporting goods

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We have a relatively small budget.
This technique is relatively simple.
He was awarded first prize in the National Poetry Competition.
* win a competition
A student from St. Paul won the speechwriting competition.
* enter a competition
Enter our free competition and win a weekend in Paris.
* a competition to do sth
a competition to think of a name for the new building
the World Chess Championship
* win a championship
At 17, Becker was the youngest player to win the Men’s Tennis Championship.
an international golf tournament
* win a tournament
Telford won the local five-a-side football tournament.
* win a contest
The singing contest was won by Sven from Sweden.
Two of the competitors failed to turn up for the first race.
The next contestant is Alice Jones from Vancouver.
Each contestant has to answer questions on a variety of subjects.
* compete +in
Athletes from 197 countries competed in the last Olympic Games.
* compete +against
Ten teams will compete against each other for the National Trophy.
* compete with
Today we compete more and more with foreign companies.
* compete +for
two little children competing for their mother’s attention
* can’t compete with
Small British car companies just can’t compete with giants like BMW and Volkswagen.

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* compete to do sth
Fujitsu, Hitachi, and NEC are competing with US firms to build the world’s fastest supercomputer.
* fight +for
Both aircraft companies are fighting for the contract.
* fight sb for sth
Williams fought several rivals for the leadership of the party.
* competition +for
Competition for these jobs is very tough; we’ve had over 200 applications.
* competition +between
There’s a lot of competition between the big supermarket chains.
* fierce/strong/tough competition
There is fierce competition for places in the Olympic team.
Advertising is a very competitive industry.
* highly competitive
The atmosphere at our school was highly competitive.
* rivalry +between
Rivalry between brothers and sisters is quite normal.
the longstanding rivalry between Coca-Cola and Pepsi
* intense/fierce rivalry
There was intense rivalry between the Brazilian and Italian teams.
* battle +for
The President’s advisors were engaged in a battle for power.
Their major competitors are IBM and Sun Microsystems.
The two teams had always been rivals.
* the competition
Our sales figures are 10% ahead of the competition.
* strong competition
The team overcame strong competition to gain their place in the finals.
I hate playing tennis with her – she’s so competitive.

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We had to remove the advertisement because so many people complained.
* complain +about
Local residents have complained about the noise from the club.
* complain +that
Jenny’s always complaining that her boss gives her too much work.
* complain +to
If the hotel isn’t satisfactory, you should complain to the Tourist Office.
* make a complaint
Write to this address if you wish to make a complaint.
* make a complaint +to
Parents made a complaint to the principal about bullying in the school.
* protest +about/against/at
Workers protested angrily about job losses.
a large crowd protesting the war
The neighbors might object if you park your car in front of their house.
* object +to
Does anyone object to these proposals?
I’m fed up with hearing you moaning the whole time!
* moan +about
Why do people always moan about the weather?
The old man turned away, grumbling as he went.
* grumble +about
She was grumbling about having to work so late.
* make a fuss +about
The couple sitting next to us made a big fuss about their bill.
If you have any complaints, please contact our customer relations department.
* complaint +about
Channel 4 received hundreds of complaints about the show.
Students’ fees were increased, despite protests on all the college campuses.
* in protest
When two members of the team were fired, the rest of them walked out in protest.
* outcry +about/over
the international outcry over French nuclear tests in the Pacific
* public outcry
The shooting of a teenager by police caused a public outcry.

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The drug is completely safe.
Make sure that the tank is completely full.
I was fed up with school, and I felt like trying something completely different.
* complete success/failure/disaster
Our first date was a complete disaster.
* make a complete recovery
Doctors say he will make a complete recovery.
* a complete waste of time/money
To me, fishing seems like a complete waste of time.
* absolutely right/correct
They said it would be a waste of money, and they were absolutely right.
* absolutely marvelous/amazing/brilliant
That’s an absolutely brilliant idea.
* absolutely certain/sure
Are you absolutely sure you don’t mind?
* absolutely exhausted/soaked/ruined
By the end of the day, I was absolutely exhausted.
* fully understand/realize/appreciate
I fully appreciate your concern.
* fully aware/informed
Please keep me fully informed of any developments.
* fully furnished/equipped
The house is fully furnished and has a dishwasher and a microwave.
* totally refuse/ignore/reject/fail
He totally ignored my advice.
* totally impossible/unacceptable/ridiculous
The whole thing is totally ridiculous.
* not entirely
I’m not entirely sure what he meant.
The reasons for his departure weren’t entirely clear.
* almost entirely
The class consisted almost entirely of girls.
* utterly ridiculous/impossible/useless
At first, the idea sounded utterly ridiculous.
The map was utterly useless.
The town was utterly destroyed by bombing.
* in every way
The two drawings are the same in every way.
It was an excellent course in every way.

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It’s a difficult test, but she seems fairly confident.
He read his speech in a strong, confident voice.
* confident about (doing) sth
I’m much more confident about the race than I was.
* feel confident
I don’t feel very confident about going back to work.
She answered each question confidently and competently.
He was smiling confidently.
Jess was only 12, but she was very self-confident.
When you have had more experience, you become more self-confident about speaking in front of groups of people.
* sure of yourself
He sounded so sure of himself that I didn’t bother to argue.
Barnes looked older, and seemed less sure of himself.
The hotel bar was full of brash, noisy journalists.
a brash young salesman from New York
Most actors are natural extroverts.
* give sb confidence
If you understand the grammar, it will give you a lot more confidence.
* have the confidence to do sth
In this job you have to have the confidence to make tough decisions.
* give sb the confidence to do sth
Going to college was good for me – it gave me the confidence to work on my own.
* full of confidence
I went into the test full of confidence, but it was more difficult than I had expected.
He’s only 19 but he has plenty of self-confidence.
* low/high morale
We’ve had a lot of problems recently, and the morale among the teachers is pretty low.
* keep up morale
They sang songs to keep up their morale until the rescuers arrived.

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She was very shy, and didn’t like using the phone.
Five years ago, I was a shy, clumsy, overweight teenager.
* too shy to do sth
I wanted to ask a question, but I was too shy to say anything.
* lack confidence
Francine lacks confidence and needs a lot of encouragement and support.
* lose confidence
Men who are out of work for a long time tend to lose confidence.
* be unsure of yourself
He was only 21 and still very unsure of himself with women.
Ben’s parents’ divorce left him lonely and insecure.
* insecure +about
Even though she’s a model, she’s very insecure about how she looks.
I’m a little confused – could you explain it again?
She felt hurt and confused when her husband left her.
* confused +about
Andrea is still confused about what happened on the night of the accident.
* get confused
It’s easy for bank customers to get confused and take out a loan they don’t really understand.
The doctors are puzzled – they’ve never seen anything like this disease before.
She had a puzzled expression on her face.
* puzzled +by/at
Mandy was puzzled by Bill’s behavior; why was he being so unfriendly?
He was bewildered to find three policemen at the front door.
* bewildered +by
At first she was bewildered by all the noise and activity of the city.
The new rules have caused a lot of confusion.
* confusion +about/over
There is some confusion about how the new law actually works.
The road signs were very confusing and we ended up getting lost.
I found some of the questions really confusing.
Jan’s decision not to take part in the race was very puzzling.
I find it puzzling that no one noticed them leave.

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Elderly people often find hospitals bewildering and frightening places.
* bewildering choice/variety/range
There was a bewildering variety of styles to choose from.
You will confuse the students if you give them too much new information at once.
Try not to confuse ‘your’ and ‘you’re’.
* confuse sb with sb
I always confuse Anthea with her sister – they look so alike.
* mix sth up/mix up sth
Children often mix up ‘b’ and ‘d’ when they’re learning to write.
* get sb/sth mixed up
Which one’s Jane and which one’s Jen? I always get their names mixed up.
* be connected with sth
The police want to talk to people who saw anything that might be connected with the crime.
* be related to sth
Most of my problems were related to work.
* be closely connected/related
The two languages are closely related.
Achievement at school is closely connected with a child’s home life.
* be closely/strongly linked
Diet and health are strongly linked.
Drug dealing has always been closely linked with organized crime.
* have/be something to do with
I don’t know much about his job, but it has something to do with finance.
“What’s wrong with your car?” “I’m not sure. I think it’s something to do with the starter motor.”
How can the weather affect the way people vote? I don’t see any connection.
* link/connection +between
The link between smoking and lung cancer has been definitely proved.
the connection between sports and gambling

🌺 Page 148

* link/connection +with
The firm has formed a trading link with Japan.
Do they think her murder has any connection with her political activities?
* relationship +between
the relationship between poverty and crime
Make sure that everything you write in your answer is relevant.
We can’t make a decision until we have all the relevant information.
* relevant +to
I don’t think your arguments are relevant to this discussion.
* not connected/not related
The two diseases seem similar, but they are not related in any way.
* not connected/not related +with
The group is not connected with any political party.
* have/be nothing to do with
Your age has nothing to do with your ability to do the job.
Those boxes are nothing to do with me. Sally left them there.
* have no connection with sth
The first chapter of the book seems to have no connection with the main story.
The two robberies are said to be unconnected.
* unrelated to/unconnected with
Most of his books seem completely unrelated to real life.
She kept asking irrelevant questions.
His age is irrelevant, as long as he can do the job.
* completely/totally irrelevant
What you are saying is true, but it’s totally irrelevant.
* that’s beside the point
“He wasn’t drunk.” “That’s beside the point. He shouldn’t have been driving at all.”
* what has that got to do with …?/what does that have to do with …?
You already told me you had to work Saturday. What’s that got to do with me?
The bag contained a razor, some soap, and a towel.
Some paints contain lead, which can be poisonous.
Try to avoid foods that contain a lot of fat.

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* have sth in it
Does this coffee have sugar in it?
She can’t eat anything that has nuts in it.
The bedroom had a huge double bed in it.
This jug holds about two liters.
The lecture theater can hold up to 200 students.
The car only takes five people, so the rest of you will have to take a taxi.
Our bookshelves won’t take any more books.
* can carry
The new plane can carry up to 450 people.
We will continue our struggle for independence.
* continue to do sth
She continued to live in the same room after Benny left.
Despite all the warnings, many people continue to smoke.
* continue doing sth
Senator Gramm continued speaking for another ten minutes.
* continue +with
My teacher advised me to continue with my studies.
* go on/carry on doing sth
She ignored my question and carried on talking.
Why do they go on living together if they argue so much?
* go on/carry on +with
Don’t stop. Carry on with your work.
They decided to go on with their meeting instead of going to lunch.
* keep doing sth/keep on doing sth
Keep driving till you come to a crossroads.
We were all tired but we knew we had to keep moving.
If you keep on trying, I’m sure you’ll get what you want.
He’s 35 and he’s still living with his parents.
You’re not still working, are you?
Why are you still wearing your sweater? It’s hot in here.
He always tried to maintain the old family traditions.
It is important that the US maintains its relationship with China.
The good weather seems likely to continue.
We don’t know how long the strike will continue.

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* continue for three months/several weeks/a long time
The war continued for another two months.
* continue happening/continue to happen
Several people have lost work, and this will continue to happen until we get the computer system fixed.
* last two hours/six month/a long time
The concert lasted all day.
It’s not certain how long the ceasefire will last.
* last +from/until
The meeting lasted until lunchtime.
* go on
How long does this TV show go on for?
* go on +until/till
The party went on till three in the morning.
* go on and on
The noise went on and on – it was driving us crazy.
* drag on
The lesson dragged on for another hour.
* stay open/warm/calm
The library stays open until 8 pm on Fridays.
It will stay cold for the next few days.
* remain silent/calm/loyal
She remained calm and waited till he had finished shouting at her.
Can you please remain seated?
* remain a secret/mystery/problem
The details of his death remain a closely guarded secret.
* remain the same
His doctors say that his condition remains the same.
* remain friends
They remained friends after their divorce.
At the age of 50, Marlene was still a beautiful woman.
I’m still confused. Would you explain it again?
After a short time, the rain stopped and the game continued.
Can we continue this discussion later?
* continue doing sth
When the audience had stopped cheering, he continued speaking.
* go on/carry on
It’s one o’clock now – shall we carry on after lunch?
Go on, I’m listening.
* go on/carry on doing sth
The doctor looked up from her desk for a moment and then went on writing.
* go on/carry on doing sth +with
As soon as Mr. Saunders gets back we’ll carry on with the meeting.
Do you want me to go on with my story?
* go back to sth
Melanie made herself a cup of coffee and went back to her reading.
The north coast has had several days of continuous rain.
Education does not stop when you finish school – it’s a continuous process.
Radio Moscow played solemn music continuously throughout the day.

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He suffered constant pain in the months before his death.
The refugees live in constant fear of being attacked.
We need to be constantly aware of the risk of accidents.
She talked non-stop for over an hour.
48 hours of non-stop rain
There has been a steady increase in the number of students going to college.
A steady drop in road accidents
The divorce rate has risen steadily since the 1950s.
* day after day/week after week
The fighting went on week after week and there seemed no end to it.
She sits at home day after day, waiting for a message from her husband.
* day and night/around the clock
Security guards watch the fence around the clock.
She nursed him day and night until he recovered.
Our local convenience store is open 24/7.
The company used to control half of the world’s oil trade.
Republican politicians now control the main congressional committees.
The parts of the brain that control the breathing process
* be in control
The president has been arrested, and rebel forces are now in control.
* be in control of
He is in control of over half the TV channels in the country.
* keep/get sth under control
Firefighters struggled to keep the blaze under control.
We aim to be able to get the virus under control by 2005.
It was obvious that the teacher couldn’t control the class.
Religion was just another way in which the country’s rulers tried to control the people.

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* keep sb under control
Police were struggling to keep the demonstrators under control.
Can’t you keep that dog under control?
It was obvious that the husband completely dominated her.
His dominating manner
The group’s manager skillfully manipulated the media, and they quickly became as famous as the Beatles.
Sweet as she was, there was a manipulative side to her character.
This button controls the temperature in the building.
How do you control the speed of the drill?
* keep sth under control
He’s been trying for years to keep his drinking under control.
The administration has certainly succeeded in keeping inflation under control.
Sweating helps you regulate your body temperature.
* control yourself
She was really annoying me, but I managed to control myself and not say anything.
* control your temper/anger
I wish he’d learn to control his temper.
The German team showed amazing self-control throughout the game.
* lose control
He made her so angry that she lost control and hit him.
* get carried away
It’s easy to get carried away and buy a lot of things that you don’t need.
Tony got a bit carried away on the dance floor.
* lose control
The car skidded on the ice, and I lost control.
* lose control of
Parents who lose control of their children
O’Connor recently lost control of the company he had run for seven years.

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* take control
In 1949 the Chinese Communist Party took control.
* take control of
Troops were called in to take control of the prison.
* take over
People are wondering who’s going to take over when the old dictator dies.
* take over sth/take sth over
CBS Records was taken over by Sony.
* take over from
She took over from Barton as Managing Director in 1994.
Barbara was shaking with uncontrollable laughter.
An uncontrollable rage
* out of control
The fire was out of control.
Teenage crime was now out of control.
* get out of control
It’s easy to let spending on credit cards get out of control.
I’d like to talk to the manager – can you suggest a convenient time?
* convenient for
We need to arrange a meeting. Would 11 o’clock on Tuesday be convenient for you?
* a good time
“I’m too busy to talk to you now.” “When would be a good time?”
* a good time to do sth
Now might be a good time to think about what you really want to do.
* a good time for
I’m afraid Friday isn’t a good time for me – I have to go to the dentist.
Let’s go see a film next week.
Which day would suit you best?
Finding a time that suits everyone is going to be difficult.
* be OK/be okay
I’ll drive over and get you. Is 10 o’clock OK?
* be OK/be okay for
Friday’s probably okay for me, but I’ll check with Jean.
* fit in with sth
We’d like to take you out for a meal on Thursday – does that fit in with what you’re doing?
Credit cards are probably the most convenient way of paying for concert tickets.
* it is convenient to do sth
I could take the train, but it’s more convenient to go by car.
* convenient for the school/shops/station
The hotel is very convenient for the station – it’s only a two-minute walk.

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Many fruit juices are now available in handy little cartons.
It’s a handy way of keeping a record of your spending.
* handy for the school/shops/station
Our house is very handy for the shops.
I’m afraid he’s come at an inconvenient time.
* inconvenient/not convenient for
I can call you back later if it’s not convenient for you to talk now.
The trouble with living in the country is that it’s not very convenient for work.
* it is inconvenient to do sth
If you find it inconvenient to come to the office, we can mail the papers to you.
* a bad time
Sorry – have I come at a bad time?
* a bad time to do sth
It was definitely a bad time to ask Mr Field for more money.
I’m usually too tired to cook when I get home from work.
Prick the sausages with a fork before cooking them.
* cook lunch/supper/a meal
I usually cook lunch on Sunday.
* cook (sth) for sb
I helped Mom cook Christmas dinner for the whole family.
Mix the vegetables and the mayonnaise with the cooked rice.
Is that pasta cooked yet?
My mother used to make delicious strawberry jam.
I think I’ll make fish pie for supper.
I’ll make the salad.
* make lunch/dinner/supper
Martin was in the kitchen making lunch.
* make sb sth
I’ll make you some sandwiches to take with you.
* get breakfast/lunch/dinner
Sit down and let me get dinner.
* get sb their lunch/dinner
Joey was downstairs getting the kids their breakfast.

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* fix breakfast/lunch/dinner
I have to fix lunch now.
* fix sb sth
You’re too late for supper but I can fix you some scrambled eggs.
Prepare a sauce with cream, lemon juice, and mustard.
Mrs Fujimoto had prepared a delicious meal for them when they got home.
Boil the potatoes until they are soft.
The beans should be boiled for at least 20 minutes.
Boiled eggs
Let the soup simmer for five minutes.
* simmer gently/slowly
Simmer the sauce gently until it thickens.
Fry the onions gently for five minutes.
Mushrooms are best when fried in olive oil.
Put the cake into a hot oven and bake for 35 minutes.
Baked potatoes
Roast the chicken for three hours in a hot oven.
Roast potatoes
There’s some cold roast beef in the fridge.
Grill the steak for about five minutes on each side.
Brush the ribs lightly with oil and broil them.
Grilled fish
Steam the courgettes for 3-4 minutes.
A steamed pudding
Why don’t we barbecue some chicken and pork ribs tonight?
Barbecued kebabs
* grill sth over flames/charcoal
Grill the burgers over flames for 3 or 4 minutes each side.
Swordfish grilled over charcoal
Add eggs to the flour and butter, and mix well.
* mix sth with sth
I usually make salad dressing by mixing olive oil with vinegar and adding a little mustard.
* mix sth together
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
She kept stirring the mixture until it was completely smooth.
Heat the soup in a pan, stirring constantly.
* stir in sth
When the sauce has cooled, stir in the grated cheese.
Carry on beating the margarine and sugar until they are light and fluffy.

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My mother whisked the eggs and sugar in a large bowl.
A salad made with raw carrots, nuts, and raisins
Sushi consists of raw fish and rice.
Uncooked pastry
Uncooked meat should be stored separately.
It can be dangerous to eat undercooked pork.
The potatoes were underdone.
This steak’s a little overdone.
I hate overcooked vegetables.
Oh no! I’ve burnt the turkey!
The smell of burnt toast
His hobbies include cooking and cycling.
* do the cooking
Who does the cooking in your house?
* sb’s cooking
Stop criticizing my cooking!
My favorite subject at school was cookery.
The restaurant is famous for its excellent cuisine.
Rabbit pie made to a traditional country recipe
* recipe for
Could you give me the recipe for that chocolate cake?
Jane works as a cook in an Italian restaurant.
A good/excellent/terrible cook
Marco’s a chef in a big hotel in Oxford.

🌺 Page 157

They were arrested for illegally copying video recordings.
Copy the graph on page 25, then answer the questions.
* copy sth from/into/onto sth
The drawings had been copied from photographs.
I copied her address onto a piece of paper.
We had to copy all our files onto floppy disks.
* make a copy of
I’ll make a copy of my report for you.
Are you allowed to make copies of this software?
I photocopied the letter before sending it off.
Where can I get these papers Xeroxed?
* copy of
This statue is a copy of the one in the Louvre.
* exact copy
The movie’s set was an exact copy of the one used in the original TV series.
* photocopy of
Please send a photocopy of your birth certificate.
Xeroxes of the company’s accounts
A duplicate set of keys
It’s a good idea to keep duplicate files on floppy disk.
* model of
We bought a little plastic model of the Eiffel Tower as a souvenir.
* model ship/airplane
There was a shelf in his bedroom full of model planes.
A replica gun
* replica of
You can now drive a perfect replica of this classic racing car.
The building is an exact replica of the original Globe Theatre.
Of course, this picture isn’t the original – it’s only a reproduction.
* reproduction of
A reproduction of a beautiful Ming vase
* reproduction furniture/chair/table
Beautiful pieces of reproduction furniture
Any student caught copying from someone else will be sent out.
She was furious when she discovered that another scientist had copied her ideas.
* copy sth from/out of sth
She had copied the article from the encyclopedia.

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The thief had forged my signature on a cheque.
He must have entered the country using a forged passport.
The passports were forgeries.
Further investigation showed that the so-called ‘Hitler Diaries’ were a forgery.
Police have warned stores to look out for counterfeit $50 bills.
* pirate copies/videos/CDs
They were selling pirate copies of Harry Potter.
Girls all over the country copied her hairstyle.
Whatever Billy does, his little brother copies him.
When children play, they frequently imitate adults.
A lot of writers have tried to imitate Lawrence’s style.
* do what sb does
Just watch the other kids and do what they do.
* follow sb’s example
Perhaps Britain should follow America’s example and keep religion and education separate.
She’s really good at imitating our teacher’s Scottish accent.
* do an impression of sb/do an impersonation of sb
He did a pretty stupid impression of Charlie Chaplin.
* cost of
The cost of bread went up by 200%.
Many old people cannot afford the cost of heating their homes.
* high/low cost
The high cost of building land in Tokyo

🌺 Page 159

* heating/transportation/legal cost
Delaney still owes his lawyer over $20,000 in legal costs.
* the cost of living
The cost of living is much higher in London than in the north of England.
There’s a great new clothes store on Main Street, and the prices seem very reasonable.
* price of
What’s the price of a pack of cigarettes nowadays?
* half price
I bought these jeans half price in the sale.
* reduce/cut prices
Comet has reduced the prices of most electrical goods by 25%.
* rising price
Football fans have been complaining about rising ticket prices.
* oil/food/house prices
House prices have increased a lot in recent years.
* asking price
I didn’t think the house was worth the asking price, so I made a lower offer.
My folks want me to go home for Christmas and said they’d pay my fare.
* taxi/bus/plane fare
How much is the taxi fare home?
* pay rent
She pays $350 a month rent for a one-bedroomed apartment.
* high/low rent
Office rents are highest in the center of town.
* put up the rent/raise the rent
Our landlord has just raised the rent again.
* bank/delivery/electricity charges
How much do you pay in bank charges a month?
* charge for
Is there an extra charge for using the swimming pool?
There’s no charge for disabled parking.
My lawyer has increased his fee to $200 an hour.
* school/legal/medical fees
My insurance paid all the medical fees.
How much did that coat cost?
* cost $10/$20/a lot
The holiday costs $600 per person.
It only costs 50 cents.
* cost sb $10/$20
That sofa cost me nearly $1000.
* cost (sb) a fortune
This is costing us a fortune in phone bills.
* it costs $10/$20/a lot to do sth
It costs about $500 to fly to America.
* how much
How much is that table?
That’s a beautiful ring – how much did you pay for it?
By the way, how much does it cost to use the swimming pool?

🌺 Page 160

* be $5/$20/a lot of money
“That’s a nice shirt – how much was it?” “It was only five pounds.”
I can’t remember how much it cost. I think it was around $400.
* value +of
The value of the painting was estimated at $500,000.
* increase/fall in value
Some fine wines increase in value as they get older.
* be worth
How much is your ring worth?
* be worth $500/$10
I guess their house must be worth about $500,000.
That old piano can’t be worth more than $200.
* charge $10/50 (for sth)
He charges $200 an hour.
The engineer charged $70 for labor and $45 for parts.
* charge sb $10/$50
How much are they charging you for the repairs?
The bank will charge its customers 6% interest from next week.
* ask $100/$3000 for sth
He was asking $2000 for it, and was happy to take $1800.
* want $20/$50 for sth
How much do you want for the video recorder?
The final cost was $2000 higher than the original estimate.
* estimate +for
I’ve asked the builders to give us an estimate for fixing the roof.
Get a few quotations from different firms so you can compare prices.

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Katherine counted her money.
There was almost $50 left.
* count up
Count up the number of calories you have each day.
The teacher was counting the children as they got onto the bus.
* add up sth
When we added up the receipts we realized we had spent too much.
* add sth up
The books cost quite a lot of money, when you added them all up.
* top up sth
Dan took his calculator and totted up some figures.
* top sth up
I reckon there are around 230, if you tot them all up.
* keep count
I don’t know what the score was. I wasn’t keeping count.
* keep count +of
She was trying to keep count of how many stations they’d passed.
Their accountant calculated the total cost of the project.
* calculate how much/how many/how far
I’ll try to calculate how long it will take us to get home from here.
* calculate +that
Sally calculated that she needed $300 to pay all her bills.
NASA calculations put the cost of the space program at $118 billion.
* work out sth
I always use a calculator to work out percentages.
* work sth out
“How much do I owe you?” “I haven’t worked it out yet.”
* work out how much/ how many/how far
We need to work out how much food we’ll need to take with us.
* estimate +that
It’s been estimated that the number of car owners will increase by about 15%.
* estimate what/how many/how much
It is impossible to estimate how many illegal guns there are on the streets.
As a rough estimate, we currently recycle about 5% of the paper we use.
* add sth and sth
If you add 24 and 36 you get 60.
* add sth to sth
Add 10% to the total.
Eight plus six is fourteen.
The cost is $45 plus $5 for delivery.

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* take sth (away) from sth
If you take 17 from 100 you get 83.
Take 19 away from 48 and then add 15.
To convert the temperature into Celsius, subtract 32, then multiply by 5 and divide by 9.
* subtract sth from sth
Subtract 12 from 32.
30 minus 5 leaves 25.
* multiply sth by sth
If you multiply ten by seven you get seventy.
* multiply +by
To find the price in yen, you must multiply by 86.
* multiplied by
11 multiplied by 10 is 110.
Use your calculator for multiplication.
Five times six equals thirty.
What’s nine times eighteen?
* divide +by
It is easier to divide by 10 than by 12.
* divide sth by sth
If you divide thirty by five you get six.
* divided by
36 divided by 2 is 18.
We didn’t learn division until we were older.
Brazil is one of the biggest countries in the world.
How many countries are there in Europe?
The northeast of the country was badly hit by the hurricane.
I’ve travelled all over the country.
* the country
The explosion in Paris shocked the whole country.

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Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim nation.
Representatives from the world’s eight leading industrial nations will meet in Geneva this week.
The flag symbolizes a new united, democratic South African nation.
* the nation
The President will broadcast to the nation this evening.
a celebration that united the whole nation
In 1830 Greece became an independent state.
the member states of the European Union
* one-party/capitalist/democratic state
For more that 70 years the Soviet Union was a one-party state.
Long ago, in a far away land, there lived a wicked queen.
His journey took him to many foreign lands.
* your native land
They were honest men who loved their native land.
* a land of opportunity
Australia represented a land of opportunity for thousands of people.
the Czech Republic
the Republic of Ireland
the Roman Empire
the government of an empire
Algeria was formerly a French colony.
In Britain, we live in a monarchy.
* be from/come from
Maya’s father is from Sri Lanka and her mother is from Brazil.
“Where do you come from?” “Australia.”
I’ve lived abroad most of my life but I still think of England as my home.
* back home
Back home we never had to lock our doors at night.
* go/travel/fly home
Air fares go up in December because everyone flies home for Christmas.
* border +with
The river runs along Mexico’s border with the US.
* on the border
Jeumont is a small town on the French-Belgian border.
* cross the border
The refugees crossed the border at night.

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He became a Dutch citizen after working there for eight years.
The US government is advising all American citizens in the war zone to come home.
We had to write our name and nationality on the form.
people of different nationalities
* US/Japanese citizenship
She married him so that she could get Swiss citizenship.
Ice hockey is the national sport of Canada.
The Day of the Dead is a national holiday in Latin American countries.
national and local news
Nationally there was a 12% drop in crime last year.
All domestic flights have been cancelled, but a few international flights are still running.
The factory produces cars mainly for the domestic market.
an international conference on human rights
international trade agreements
Hal Hartley’s latest movie has been an international success.
* multinational company/bank/corporation
a huge multinational oil corporation
We’re just good, patriotic Americans ready to defend our freedom.
At school we had to raise the flag and sing patriotic songs every morning.
As nationalistic feelings grew, life became increasingly difficult for immigrants.
the rise of nationalism and military power that led to war in 1914

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* Scottish/Welsh/Quebec nationalists
The Scottish nationalists won a record number of votes in the local elections.
the nationalist campaign in French-speaking Canada
Basque nationalism
a villa with wonderful views over the surrounding countryside
* the French/Sussex countryside
Cezanne’s paintings of the French countryside
* in the country
I’d hate to live in the country – I’d get really bored.
They have an apartment in town and a cottage in the country.
People living in rural areas depend on having a car.
a shortage of rural housing
* rural France/India
In many parts of rural India there is no electricity.
We grew up in the countryside surrounded by nature.
the beauty of nature
Prepare the salad, and cover it until it’s time to serve.
* cover sth with sth
She covered her face with her hands and ran upstairs.
* cover up sth/cover sth up
They used special paint to cover up the cracks in the wall.
* put sth over sth
Before you paint the walls, put some old sheets over the furniture.
Have you wrapped all your Christmas presents yet?
* wrap sth up/wrap up sth
Open it if you want to, I can always wrap it up again.
* wrap sth (up) in sth
Her gift was wrapped in beautiful gold paper.

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* coat sth with/in sth
Coat the chicken with garlic butter and cook it at 200° C.
I’ve bought some cushion covers to brighten up my room.
It’s a good idea to buy a dust cover for your computer keyboard.
There were old record covers scattered all over the floor.
* floor/wall covering
The prison cells have no electricity and no floor coverings.
a saucepan lid
She wiped the lid and screwed it back on.
* floor/wall covering
Sam lifted the lid of his desk and took out a calculator.
Why don’t you ever put the top back on the toothpaste?
I can’t get the top off this bottle.
The empty stadium was littered with burger wrappers and empty cans.
chewing-gum wrappers
* floor/wall covering
* layer +of
A layer of dust covered everything in the room.
The original wallpaper was hidden under several layers of paint.
* a film of oil/grease/sweat/dust
There was a film of oil floating on the surface of the water.
The tent is made from nylon with a waterproof coating.
* coating +of
ice-cream with a thick coating of chocolate
* be covered in/with sth
The ground was covered with snow.
Look at your clothes! They’re covered in mud.
a wall covered with ivy
* be coated in/with sth
Serve the chicken with new potatoes coated in butter.
My parents think I’m crazy, but I’ve always enjoyed dangerous sports.
You agreed to marry him? Are you mad?
Both his brothers are such crazy drivers.
* go crazy/mad
I’ll go crazy if I stay in this house much longer.
* drive sb crazy/mad
Stop that noise! You’re driving me crazy.

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* be crazy/mad to do sth
You must be crazy to lend him all that money!
Anyone who takes a boat out in this weather must be insane.
* out of your mind
Tell the police? Are you out of your mind?
He drives like a maniac.
Some lunatic threw paraffin on the fire.
You must be barmy, hanging around outside on a night like this.
zany comedian Vic Reeves
Some of my colleagues are pretty zany.
* be nuts/be crackers
People will think you’re crackers if you go around talking to yourself.
That guy is nuts.
He’s a complete nutcase.
You see drivers do some crazy things.
Jade wants to build a swimming pool in the garden.
I think it’s a mad idea.
* it’s crazy
The farmers get more money from the government if they don’t plant crops – it’s crazy.
For some insane reason, he decided to do the whole drive in one day.
* it is insane to do sth
It would be insane to try to climb the mountain in weather like this.
* be lunacy/be madness
They can’t close the hospital – it’s madness!
* it is sheer lunacy/madness to do sth
It would be sheer lunacy to turn down such a good job offer.
The number of crimes reported to the police has increased.

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* commit a crime
We believe that the crime was committed around 7:30 p.m.
* crime +against
Violent crimes against the elderly are on the increase.
* serious crime
The police say that 50% of serious crimes are drug-related.
* solve a crime
a terrible crime which was never solved
He has been charged with several offenses, including homicide.
* commit an offence
Bates is being tried for offences committed in the 1980s.
* criminal offence
Driving when drunk is a criminal offence.
* serious offence
The number of women convicted of serious offences is still relatively small.
* minor offence
a minor traffic offence
* speeding/parking offence
Speeding offenses are usually punishable by a fine.
He was caught selling illegal drugs.
fraud and other illegal activities
* it is illegal to do sth
In Britain, it is illegal to sell cigarettes to anyone under 16.
Drinking alcohol in a public place is against the law.
* it is against the law to do sth
In Sweden, it is against the law to hit a child.
* break the law
People who break the law must expect to be punished.
I didn’t realize I was breaking the law.
James made around $100,000 from his criminal activities.
* criminal record
It’s very difficult to get a job if you have a criminal record.
* criminal charge
West’s wife faced serious criminal charges in connection with the murders.
a support group for victims of crime
Voters are increasingly concerned about the level of crime.
* violent crime
Violent crime increased by 36% last year.
* serious crime
Victims of serious crime are often too scared to talk about their experiences.
* petty crime
Leo became involved in petty crime at a very young age.
The police described him as a violent and dangerous criminal.