Phrasal verbs, or multi-word verbs, are verbs that are combined with one or two particles (a preposition or adverb), for example, 'over' or 'under', to make verbs with new meanings. These new meanings are usually non-literal.
For example, to get means to obtain or possess (she's got a new car) but to get over someone means to feel better after someone you were romantically involved with has made you unhappy (Helen's mum said that Helen was getting over Michal).
Phrasal verbs - over
Talk it over: [talk over sth or talk sth over]
Discuss something = to discuss a problem or situation, especially before making a decision about it
...Helen's mum said she'd talk it over with Helen's dad.
...Don't just walk out! Let's talk it over first.
...I'd like to talk things over with my wife first.
...[often + with] = I'll talk it over with Marty and see what he thinks.
Hand something over / Hand over something: Give something to someone esp. after being asked or told
...You need to hand over your passport when you talk to the immigration officer.
...The robbers told us to hand over our wallets, purses and jewellery.
...We were ordered to hand over our passports.
...The driver was forced to hand over the car keys and was left standing on the roadside
...I've got a gun! Hand over your wallet.
...Hang over / Hang over someone or something: Worry about something that might happen
...The threat of unemployment hangs over the country when the economy isn't doing well.
...This essay has been hanging over me all weekend. I know I have to finish it but I'd much rather go out with my friend and have some fun.
....Uncertainty again hangs over the project.
...The prospect of famine hangs over many areas of the world.
...I've got this job interview hanging over my head. (= making me feel worried)
Be doubled over: doubled up [terbongkok2-ketawa-membuatkan]
To be bent over because you are in pain or are laughing
...When she told me that joke I was doubled over with laughter. She was doubled over with the pain.
...Most of the crowd doubled up with laughter at every joke.
...She was doubled up/over with the pain in her stomach.
...A sudden, sharp pain made him double over
Paper over (the cracks): smooth over the cracks
Try to hide a problem rather than finding a solution to it. = [to hide an unpleasant situation, especially a problem or disagreement, in order to make people believe that it does not exist or is not serious]
...He tried to paper over the country's deep-seated problems
...There's no point trying to paper over the issue. We need to face it and deal with it now.
...They tried to paper over the cracks but eventually the boss realised there was a problem.
...She tried to paper over the cracks, but I could see that the relationship was failing.
...The two-party coalition has so far been successful in papering over the cracks.
I'm tired of smoothing over the cracks in our marriage - I want a divorce! [sometimes + in]
Chew something over / Chew over something: [memikir2kan]
Think about something carefully or discuss it with other people before deciding what to do.[slightly informal]
...Let me chew it over first. I'll let you know my decision tomorrow.
...You should chew over what he said. He had some really good ideas in the meeting.
...I've been chewing the problem over since last week.
...They've been chewing the problem over since last week.
...We meet every now and then to chew over the past.
Blow over: [reda/berakhir-berlalu-tidak hangat lagi]
A situation that was possibly dangerous or embarrassing has stopped being a problem
...The government hopes the scandal will blow over before the election next month.
...She thought the problem was going to drag on for months but it actually blew over very quickly.
...I thought that after a few days the argument would blow over.
...Like most arguments, after a few days it just blew over.
...I think the government hoped that the whole affair would blow over, but it didn't.
Phrasal verbs - under
Go under:
Fail financially (of a business or enterprise) [bankrap]
...The business went under and they lost everything.
...If the economy continues on this downward trend, thousands of companies will go under.
...The government has refused any financial assistance to stop the company from going under.
...Thousands of small businesses went under during the recession.
...The charity will go under unless a generous donor can be found within the next few months.
Be snowed under: Have too much work to do
[kerja seseorang bertimbun-dihujani-]informal
...I'm sorry I won't be able to come to your party. I'm snowed under at the office just now.
...I'm snowed under at work but my boss never seems to notice.
...I couldn't finish the report on time because I was snowed under with work.[often + with]
...You look snowed under. Would you like some help?
...I'm absolutely snowed under with work at the moment
Vocabulary
cheerful :
happy-positive
...He's usually fairly cheerful.
...You're in a cheerful mood this morning.
...She manages to stay cheerful (= happy and positive) despite everything.
...The doctor's waiting room was bright and cheerful with yellow walls and curtains.=[describes a place or thing that is bright and pleasant and makes you feel positive and happy]
...Turn that dreadful wailing music off and put on something cheerful
...cheerfulness [noun [U]
pretty :
quite / but not extremely / adverb INFORMAL
...The house has four bedrooms, so it's pretty big.
...I'm pretty sure it was her.
...I've got a pretty good idea of how to get there.
...I've got a pretty clear idea of what's going on.
...She was pretty tired.
..."How are you feeling?" "Pretty good, thanks."
2 - pretty = much/well almost:
...I've pretty much finished here.
...She knows pretty well everything there is to know on the subject.
...I've pretty much finished packing now.
What's new with you?
How are you? What's your news?
...What's new (= What is different in your life)?" "Not much, what's new with you?"
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Food vocabulary 159
Here is some vocabulary about food and restaurants
Types of meals:
a barbecue / a bbq
an informal meal which you eat outside (in your garden, a park or other outside space). The food is cooked on an outdoor gril.
noun [C] (UK AND AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH INFORMAL barbie, WRITTEN ABBREVIATION BBQ)a metal frame on which meat, fish or vegetables are cooked outside over a fire, or a meal prepared using such a frame which is eaten outside, often during a party.
...Their traditional sausages are delicious grilled or barbecued[verb]
..I like catfish cooked on a barbecue.
...Our neighbors ited all of us to a backyard barbecue.
...During the summer we barbecue all the time. [verb]
...barbecued chicken wings [verb]
a picnic
an informal meal which you eat outside (in your garden, a park or other outside space). The food is either pre-cooked or uncooked. Almost all the food is served cold
...If the weather's nice we could have a picnic in the park.
...Why don't you take a picnic with you?
...a picnic area/lunch/table
...a picnic basket/hamper
...There were several families picnicking on the river bank.
....Being a single parent is no picnic, I can tell you.-[to be a difficult or unpleasant situation]
...Bringing up four children on your own is no picnic, I can tell you.
a buffet
a meal in a restaurant or at a party where you help yourself (rather than being served by waiters) and pick and choose what food and how much of it you want to eat.
...Are you having a sit-down meal or a buffet at the wedding?
...Will it be a buffet or a sit-down meal?
an all-you-can-eat buffet
a special kind of buffet which restaurants serve where you can go back to the buffet table as many times as you want and eat as much food as you care to for a fixed price
There are several places in the greater Phoenix area where you can get your fill for a very reasonable price. These all-you-can-eat buffets are great for people who like to eat a lot, like lots of variety, don't like to dress up, and they will be popular with the kids, too.
an early bird special / an early bird menu
a fixed-price meal that is offered to customers early in the afternoon (from about 6.00 - 7.30 pm), before restaurants become busy during the evening.
...early bird - [a person who gets up or arrives early]
...Ellen's the early bird in this house, not me.-[someone who gets up early in the morning]
Ways of describing food:
raw
uncooked but edible (you can eat it). For example, carrots, tuna or beef can be raw.
...raw fish.
...Oil is an important raw material which can be processed into many different products, including plastics.
....They claimed that raw sewage was being pumped into the sea.=(of materials) not processed; in a natural state.]
fresh
in a natural condition rather than artificially preserved by, for example, freezing.=(of food or flowers) recently picked, made, or cooked]
...fresh fruit and vegetables
...fresh fish/meat
...fresh coffee
...fresh-baked bread
...Elise is in the garden cutting some fresh flowers for the table.
...There's a fresh pot of coffee on the stove.
...Fresh food is also food in a natural condition rather than artificially preserved by a process such as freezing.
ripe
completely developed and ready to be eaten.=[esp. of fruit ready to be collected or eaten]
...Those bananas aren't ripe yet - they're still green.
...The tomatoes aren't ripe.
off
no longer fresh or good to eat because it's too old=(of food and drink) no longer fresh or good to eat because of being too old]
...I'd better eat this cheese before it goes off
...This bacon smells a bit funny - do you think it's gone off?
rotten [adjective] decayed
fruit or vegetables which are no longer fresh = [become gradually damaged, worse or less]
...The room smelled of rotten vegetables.
...the smell of decaying meat
rancid [adjective]
butter or oil which is no longer fresh
sour
milk which is no longer fresh
...Hot weather sours milk.[verb]
...Milk sours in hot weather.[verb]
...I'm afraid the milk has soured.[verb]
...The four basic tastes are sweet, salty, bitter, and sour.[adjective]
Things you might find in a Chinese restaurant:
chopsticks
two slim pieces of wood, plastic or metal which are used for eating food from East Asian food
a lazy Susan
a circular piece of wood or plastic which is put on a table and can be turned around so that everyone at a circular table can reach the food that is on it
a fortune cookie
a hollow biscuit which, when you break it open, contains a message, usually about your future. These biscuits are not given to customers in restaurants in China but are often given in Chinese restaurants outside China
Vocabulary
game= [adjective]
willing to do things that are new, risky or difficult.[sanggup]
...It was a difficult challenge, but Roberta was game.
...She's game for anything
...I'll look after the baby, " he said gamely (= bravely).
...The ocean water's cold but I'm going in anyway -- are you game?
testicles
either of the two round male sex organs which produce sperm, below and behind the penis
ventured [mempertaruhkan]
risked going somewhere that might be dangerous, unpleasant or here, unfamiliar
...I didn't dare venture an opinion. [v]
...If the snow stops I might venture out. [v][to leave a safe place and go somewhere that may involve risks ]
...She rarely ventured outside, except when she went to stock up on groceries at the corner shop.
...As we set off into the forest, we felt as though we were venturing (forth) into the unknown.
...She tentatively ventured the opinion that the project would be too expensive to complete, but the boss ignored her.
Isn't that the truth?
That is very true
Types of meals:
a barbecue / a bbq
an informal meal which you eat outside (in your garden, a park or other outside space). The food is cooked on an outdoor gril.
noun [C] (UK AND AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH INFORMAL barbie, WRITTEN ABBREVIATION BBQ)a metal frame on which meat, fish or vegetables are cooked outside over a fire, or a meal prepared using such a frame which is eaten outside, often during a party.
...Their traditional sausages are delicious grilled or barbecued[verb]
..I like catfish cooked on a barbecue.
...Our neighbors ited all of us to a backyard barbecue.
...During the summer we barbecue all the time. [verb]
...barbecued chicken wings [verb]
a picnic
an informal meal which you eat outside (in your garden, a park or other outside space). The food is either pre-cooked or uncooked. Almost all the food is served cold
...If the weather's nice we could have a picnic in the park.
...Why don't you take a picnic with you?
...a picnic area/lunch/table
...a picnic basket/hamper
...There were several families picnicking on the river bank.
....Being a single parent is no picnic, I can tell you.-[to be a difficult or unpleasant situation]
...Bringing up four children on your own is no picnic, I can tell you.
a buffet
a meal in a restaurant or at a party where you help yourself (rather than being served by waiters) and pick and choose what food and how much of it you want to eat.
...Are you having a sit-down meal or a buffet at the wedding?
...Will it be a buffet or a sit-down meal?
an all-you-can-eat buffet
a special kind of buffet which restaurants serve where you can go back to the buffet table as many times as you want and eat as much food as you care to for a fixed price
There are several places in the greater Phoenix area where you can get your fill for a very reasonable price. These all-you-can-eat buffets are great for people who like to eat a lot, like lots of variety, don't like to dress up, and they will be popular with the kids, too.
an early bird special / an early bird menu
a fixed-price meal that is offered to customers early in the afternoon (from about 6.00 - 7.30 pm), before restaurants become busy during the evening.
...early bird - [a person who gets up or arrives early]
...Ellen's the early bird in this house, not me.-[someone who gets up early in the morning]
Ways of describing food:
raw
uncooked but edible (you can eat it). For example, carrots, tuna or beef can be raw.
...raw fish.
...Oil is an important raw material which can be processed into many different products, including plastics.
....They claimed that raw sewage was being pumped into the sea.=(of materials) not processed; in a natural state.]
fresh
in a natural condition rather than artificially preserved by, for example, freezing.=(of food or flowers) recently picked, made, or cooked]
...fresh fruit and vegetables
...fresh fish/meat
...fresh coffee
...fresh-baked bread
...Elise is in the garden cutting some fresh flowers for the table.
...There's a fresh pot of coffee on the stove.
...Fresh food is also food in a natural condition rather than artificially preserved by a process such as freezing.
ripe
completely developed and ready to be eaten.=[esp. of fruit ready to be collected or eaten]
...Those bananas aren't ripe yet - they're still green.
...The tomatoes aren't ripe.
off
no longer fresh or good to eat because it's too old=(of food and drink) no longer fresh or good to eat because of being too old]
...I'd better eat this cheese before it goes off
...This bacon smells a bit funny - do you think it's gone off?
rotten [adjective] decayed
fruit or vegetables which are no longer fresh = [become gradually damaged, worse or less]
...The room smelled of rotten vegetables.
...the smell of decaying meat
rancid [adjective]
butter or oil which is no longer fresh
sour
milk which is no longer fresh
...Hot weather sours milk.[verb]
...Milk sours in hot weather.[verb]
...I'm afraid the milk has soured.[verb]
...The four basic tastes are sweet, salty, bitter, and sour.[adjective]
Things you might find in a Chinese restaurant:
chopsticks
two slim pieces of wood, plastic or metal which are used for eating food from East Asian food
a lazy Susan
a circular piece of wood or plastic which is put on a table and can be turned around so that everyone at a circular table can reach the food that is on it
a fortune cookie
a hollow biscuit which, when you break it open, contains a message, usually about your future. These biscuits are not given to customers in restaurants in China but are often given in Chinese restaurants outside China
Vocabulary
game= [adjective]
willing to do things that are new, risky or difficult.[sanggup]
...It was a difficult challenge, but Roberta was game.
...She's game for anything
...I'll look after the baby, " he said gamely (= bravely).
...The ocean water's cold but I'm going in anyway -- are you game?
testicles
either of the two round male sex organs which produce sperm, below and behind the penis
ventured [mempertaruhkan]
risked going somewhere that might be dangerous, unpleasant or here, unfamiliar
...I didn't dare venture an opinion. [v]
...If the snow stops I might venture out. [v][to leave a safe place and go somewhere that may involve risks ]
...She rarely ventured outside, except when she went to stock up on groceries at the corner shop.
...As we set off into the forest, we felt as though we were venturing (forth) into the unknown.
...She tentatively ventured the opinion that the project would be too expensive to complete, but the boss ignored her.
Isn't that the truth?
That is very true
Monday, 29 December 2008
Giving Advice 31
There are several different structures that you can use when giving advice.
Should:
This is probably the most common of the structures for giving advice. After should, and its negative - shouldn’t - we use the base form of the infinitive of the verb:
...You should wise up
...We shouldn’t cheat
...I shouldn't worry about it if I were you.
...I shouldn't (= I advise you not to) let it worry you.
It is common to use 'I think' and 'I don’t think' with should:
...I think you should put the answers back
...She doesn't think they should use them
Had better :
This structure is common in spoken English and it is usually used in the contracted form. After had better, and its negative - had better not, we use the base form of the infinitive of the verb :
...You’d better return the answers to the lecturer
...You’d better not tell anyone that you found them
...I'd better leave a note so they'll know I'll be late.
...You'd better get moving if you want to catch your train
If I were you
This version of the second conditional is often used when giving advice, especially in spoken English. Note the use of were with I in the first clause.
In the second clause, we use would - contracted to d - and wouldn’t. After would and wouldn’t, we use the base form of the infinitive of the verb:
...If I were you, I’d give them back to the lecturer
...If I were you, I wouldn’t use the answers
...If I were you, I'd probably go.
...I think I'd take the money if I were you.
...If I were in your shoes, I think I'd write to her rather than try to explain over the phone.
Ought
This is the most formal of the structures used for giving advice, and so it isn't so common.
After ought, and its negative - ought not (oughtn't), we use the full infinitive of the verb:
...You ought to contact the police
...You ought not to cheat in exams
...You ought to be kinder to him.
...We ought not/oughtn't to have agreed without knowing what it would cost.
..."We ought to be getting ready now." "Yes, I suppose we ought (to)."
Vocabulary:
you're kidding.
you're joking. We use this expression when you don't believe what someone has said
...Oh no, I've forgotten your birthday! Hey, just/only kidding!
...You won first prize? You're kidding! (= I'm really surprised.)
...I'm just kidding you
...He says there's a good chance she'll come back to him but I think he's kidding himself. [kid yourself to believe something that is not true, usually because you want it to be true]
wise up [phrasal verb MAINLY US INFORMAL ]
stop being stupid. We often use this expression when we think someone is being naïve or too innocent about life - "to start to understand a situation or fact and believe what you hear about it, even if it is difficult or unpleasant"
...Those who think this is a harmless recreational drug should wise up.
...It's about time employers wised up to the fact that staff who are happy work more efficiently.
...It's about time that Congress wised up to the fact that most citizens do not trust politicians to tell the truth.
pass with flying colours /come through with flying colors
do very well in a test or exam - to pass an examination with a very high score or to complete a difficult activity very successfully
...She took her university entrance exam in December and passed with flying colours.
...The officer training was gruelling, but he came through with flying colours.
hand them in :
(idiom) return them
...Have you handed in your history essay yet?
...I've decided to hand in my resignation (= tell my employer I am leaving my job)."to give something to someone in a position of authority"
...She handed her term paper in late.
Should:
This is probably the most common of the structures for giving advice. After should, and its negative - shouldn’t - we use the base form of the infinitive of the verb:
...You should wise up
...We shouldn’t cheat
...I shouldn't worry about it if I were you.
...I shouldn't (= I advise you not to) let it worry you.
It is common to use 'I think' and 'I don’t think' with should:
...I think you should put the answers back
...She doesn't think they should use them
Had better :
This structure is common in spoken English and it is usually used in the contracted form. After had better, and its negative - had better not, we use the base form of the infinitive of the verb :
...You’d better return the answers to the lecturer
...You’d better not tell anyone that you found them
...I'd better leave a note so they'll know I'll be late.
...You'd better get moving if you want to catch your train
If I were you
This version of the second conditional is often used when giving advice, especially in spoken English. Note the use of were with I in the first clause.
In the second clause, we use would - contracted to d - and wouldn’t. After would and wouldn’t, we use the base form of the infinitive of the verb:
...If I were you, I’d give them back to the lecturer
...If I were you, I wouldn’t use the answers
...If I were you, I'd probably go.
...I think I'd take the money if I were you.
...If I were in your shoes, I think I'd write to her rather than try to explain over the phone.
Ought
This is the most formal of the structures used for giving advice, and so it isn't so common.
After ought, and its negative - ought not (oughtn't), we use the full infinitive of the verb:
...You ought to contact the police
...You ought not to cheat in exams
...You ought to be kinder to him.
...We ought not/oughtn't to have agreed without knowing what it would cost.
..."We ought to be getting ready now." "Yes, I suppose we ought (to)."
Vocabulary:
you're kidding.
you're joking. We use this expression when you don't believe what someone has said
...Oh no, I've forgotten your birthday! Hey, just/only kidding!
...You won first prize? You're kidding! (= I'm really surprised.)
...I'm just kidding you
...He says there's a good chance she'll come back to him but I think he's kidding himself. [kid yourself to believe something that is not true, usually because you want it to be true]
wise up [phrasal verb MAINLY US INFORMAL ]
stop being stupid. We often use this expression when we think someone is being naïve or too innocent about life - "to start to understand a situation or fact and believe what you hear about it, even if it is difficult or unpleasant"
...Those who think this is a harmless recreational drug should wise up.
...It's about time employers wised up to the fact that staff who are happy work more efficiently.
...It's about time that Congress wised up to the fact that most citizens do not trust politicians to tell the truth.
pass with flying colours /come through with flying colors
do very well in a test or exam - to pass an examination with a very high score or to complete a difficult activity very successfully
...She took her university entrance exam in December and passed with flying colours.
...The officer training was gruelling, but he came through with flying colours.
hand them in :
(idiom) return them
...Have you handed in your history essay yet?
...I've decided to hand in my resignation (= tell my employer I am leaving my job)."to give something to someone in a position of authority"
...She handed her term paper in late.
Apologising 102
In English we apologise not only when we've done something wrong but also when we want to interrupt someone, show our feelings when something bad has happened to someone else or ask someone to repeat something.
Saying sorry – for doing something wrong:
Informal
...I'm sorry I'm late.
....I'm so sorry I forgot your birthday
Formal
...I beg your pardon madam, I didn't see you were waiting to be served.[a polite way of saying "I am sorry" or "Could you repeat what you just said]
....I'm awfully sorry but those tickets are sold out now.
....I must apologise for my children's rude behaviour.
...I must apologize to Isobel for my lateness.
...Trains may be subject to delay on the northern line - we apologize for any inconvenience caused.
...She apologized profusely for having to leave at 3.30 p.m.
...I have an apology to make to you - I'm afraid I opened your letter by mistake.
...He's demanding a full apology from the newspaper for making untrue allegations about his personal life.
..."Was he at all sorry for what he'd done?" "Oh he was full of apologies (= extremely sorry)."
...She complained to the company about its awful service and they sent her a written apology.
....I owe you an apology - I'm afraid I forgot to send Amanda that report.a letter of apology.
Saying sorry – giving a reason:
Usually as well as apologising, we give a reason for our behaviour:
...I'm sorry I'm late but my alarm clock didn't go off this morning.
...I'm so sorry there's nothing here you can eat, I didn't realise you were a vegetarian.
Saying sorry – for interrupting someone:
...Excuse me, can you tell me where the Post Office is please?
...I'm sorry but can I get through?
Saying sorry – when something bad happens to someone else:
I'm sorry to hear you've not been feeling well.
I'm so sorry to hear your dad died.
I heard you failed your driving test. I'm really sorry but I'm sure you'll pass next time.
[+ to infinitive] We were both sorry to hear you've been ill again.
Saying sorry – for doing something wrong:
Informal
...I'm sorry I'm late.
....I'm so sorry I forgot your birthday
Formal
...I beg your pardon madam, I didn't see you were waiting to be served.[a polite way of saying "I am sorry" or "Could you repeat what you just said]
....I'm awfully sorry but those tickets are sold out now.
....I must apologise for my children's rude behaviour.
...I must apologize to Isobel for my lateness.
...Trains may be subject to delay on the northern line - we apologize for any inconvenience caused.
...She apologized profusely for having to leave at 3.30 p.m.
...I have an apology to make to you - I'm afraid I opened your letter by mistake.
...He's demanding a full apology from the newspaper for making untrue allegations about his personal life.
..."Was he at all sorry for what he'd done?" "Oh he was full of apologies (= extremely sorry)."
...She complained to the company about its awful service and they sent her a written apology.
....I owe you an apology - I'm afraid I forgot to send Amanda that report.a letter of apology.
Saying sorry – giving a reason:
Usually as well as apologising, we give a reason for our behaviour:
...I'm sorry I'm late but my alarm clock didn't go off this morning.
...I'm so sorry there's nothing here you can eat, I didn't realise you were a vegetarian.
Saying sorry – for interrupting someone:
...Excuse me, can you tell me where the Post Office is please?
...I'm sorry but can I get through?
Saying sorry – when something bad happens to someone else:
I'm sorry to hear you've not been feeling well.
I'm so sorry to hear your dad died.
I heard you failed your driving test. I'm really sorry but I'm sure you'll pass next time.
[+ to infinitive] We were both sorry to hear you've been ill again.
Money vocabulary 146
Expensive or cheap
Expensive
to cost a fortune. "to be extremely expensive"
...I can't afford that dress, it costs a fortune!
...The repair work cost an arm and a leg/a small fortune (= was very expensive).
...I'd love to buy a Rolls-Royce, but they cost an arm and a leg.
extortionate: "extremely expensive"
I can't believe you paid that much just for a bag. That's extortionate!
The price of books nowadays is extortionate.
First-class travel is extortionately expensive
Cheap
cheap as chips
...These shoes were cheap as chips in the sale.
a bargain
"something on sale at a lower price than its true value"
...She got a real bargain on that flight because she booked it so far in advance
...This coat was half-price - a real bargain.
...The airline regularly offers last-minute bookings at bargain prices.
...The sales had started and the bargain hunters (= people looking for things at a low price) were out in force.
...We got tickets to the show at half-price, a real bargain.
...Farmers bought up the land at bargain-basement (= extremely low) prices
Rich or poor
Rich
be rolling in it [extremely rich]
(ALSO rolling in money) INFORMAL
If money rolls in, it arrives in large amounts
...He's rolling in it. He's got four sports cars.
...Business was great and the money was rolling in.
...If they can afford a yacht, they must be rolling in it.
be stinking rich
to be extremely rich
...Most of us are stinking rich compared to the average citizen in the Third World.
...Palm Beach has the highest concentration of filthy rich folk in the world.
...They won the lottery and are stinking rich now.
be made of money
to be rich
...Do you think I'm made of money? Of course we can't afford that!
...No you can't have another bike - I'm not made of money!
Poor
be as poor as a church mouse
to be very poor
...He's been unemployed for years and now he's as poor as a church mouse
...When we first got married, we were as poor as church mice.
to not have a penny to your name
to be very poor (not have two pennies to rub together/not have two nickels to rub together)
...I don't have a penny to my name. I don't know how I'll manage until pay day next week
...She's been out of work for months and doesn't have two pennies to rub together.
Easy or difficult ways to make money
Easy
money for old rope {informal / be money for jam}
"if a job is money for old rope, it is an easy way of earning money"
money you get for doing something very easy
...She loves animals so working in a pet shop is like money for old rope for her.
...Babysitting is money for old rope if the children go to sleep early.
...Most people think being a professional footballer is money for jam.
...Babysitting is money for old rope if the children don't wake up.
a licence to print money
people become very rich without having to make much effort (or by doing something that's very easy for them)["if a company or activity is a licence to print money, it causes people to become very rich without having to make any effort "
...These shopping channels are just a licence to print money.
...The Rolling Stones are going on tour again. I think it's just a licence for them to print money when they do those huge stadium concerts.
Difficult
Money doesn't grow on trees[there's no such thing as a free lunch]
[something that you say which means you should be careful how much money you spend because there is only a limited amount ]
...No, you can't have any more shoes. I bought you a pair just last week. Money doesn't grow on tree
...'Dad, can I have a new bike?' 'We can't afford one. Money doesn't grow on trees, you know.'
...Mum, I'd like a new bike." "I'll have to think about it - money doesn't grow on trees, you know!"
..."I get to travel with my job but the downside is I have to give talks." "Well, there's no such thing as a free lunch [said to emphasize that you cannot get something for nothing]
....something that you say which means that if someone gives you something, they always expect you to give them something or to do something for them [He offered me a room in his house, but he seems to expect me to do all the housework. I should have known there's no such thing as a free lunch]
Time is money
You shouldn't waste time, because you could be using it to earn money
...OK, enough of this chit-chat and coffee drinking. Time is money, you know. Let's get to work!
Vocabulary
to cramp your style
to stop you doing something fun because someone interrupts you or wants to join you in what you're doing.-"to prevent someone from enjoying themselves as much as they would like, especially by going somewhere with them "
...Are you sure you don't mind your old mother coming along with you? I'd hate to cramp your style.
...Like more and more women, she believes marriage would cramp her style.
...shyness will cramp their style
...its cramps my style to have you watching over me all the time.
...he hate playing golf in rainy weather, its cramps his style.
some strings attached -OPPOSITE- no strings (attached)
some conditions or things you must do so that you can get something else (here, Helen has to work hard to get a trip to China)-"If something such as an agreement has strings attached, it involves special demands or limitations"
...Most of these so-called special offers come with strings attached.
...The bank's agreed to lend me £1000, no strings attached.
...It's very rare that you get a loan that size with no strings attached.
...The donation has no strings attached, so the charity is free to use it for whatever purpose it chooses
...Most of their so-called 'special offers' come with strings attached, so beware
gets down to some serious work
starts working hard
fare
money you pay for a journey on a plane, bus or train
...Train fares are going up again
...We shared a taxi and split the fare
a reasonable arrangement
a fair agreement -"based on or using good judgment and therefore fair and practical"
...If you tell him what happened, I'm sure he'll understand - he's a reasonable man.
...He went free because the jury decided there was a reasonable doubt about his guilt.
Expensive
to cost a fortune. "to be extremely expensive"
...I can't afford that dress, it costs a fortune!
...The repair work cost an arm and a leg/a small fortune (= was very expensive).
...I'd love to buy a Rolls-Royce, but they cost an arm and a leg.
extortionate: "extremely expensive"
I can't believe you paid that much just for a bag. That's extortionate!
The price of books nowadays is extortionate.
First-class travel is extortionately expensive
Cheap
cheap as chips
...These shoes were cheap as chips in the sale.
a bargain
"something on sale at a lower price than its true value"
...She got a real bargain on that flight because she booked it so far in advance
...This coat was half-price - a real bargain.
...The airline regularly offers last-minute bookings at bargain prices.
...The sales had started and the bargain hunters (= people looking for things at a low price) were out in force.
...We got tickets to the show at half-price, a real bargain.
...Farmers bought up the land at bargain-basement (= extremely low) prices
Rich or poor
Rich
be rolling in it [extremely rich]
(ALSO rolling in money) INFORMAL
If money rolls in, it arrives in large amounts
...He's rolling in it. He's got four sports cars.
...Business was great and the money was rolling in.
...If they can afford a yacht, they must be rolling in it.
be stinking rich
to be extremely rich
...Most of us are stinking rich compared to the average citizen in the Third World.
...Palm Beach has the highest concentration of filthy rich folk in the world.
...They won the lottery and are stinking rich now.
be made of money
to be rich
...Do you think I'm made of money? Of course we can't afford that!
...No you can't have another bike - I'm not made of money!
Poor
be as poor as a church mouse
to be very poor
...He's been unemployed for years and now he's as poor as a church mouse
...When we first got married, we were as poor as church mice.
to not have a penny to your name
to be very poor (not have two pennies to rub together/not have two nickels to rub together)
...I don't have a penny to my name. I don't know how I'll manage until pay day next week
...She's been out of work for months and doesn't have two pennies to rub together.
Easy or difficult ways to make money
Easy
money for old rope {informal / be money for jam}
"if a job is money for old rope, it is an easy way of earning money"
money you get for doing something very easy
...She loves animals so working in a pet shop is like money for old rope for her.
...Babysitting is money for old rope if the children go to sleep early.
...Most people think being a professional footballer is money for jam.
...Babysitting is money for old rope if the children don't wake up.
a licence to print money
people become very rich without having to make much effort (or by doing something that's very easy for them)["if a company or activity is a licence to print money, it causes people to become very rich without having to make any effort "
...These shopping channels are just a licence to print money.
...The Rolling Stones are going on tour again. I think it's just a licence for them to print money when they do those huge stadium concerts.
Difficult
Money doesn't grow on trees[there's no such thing as a free lunch]
[something that you say which means you should be careful how much money you spend because there is only a limited amount ]
...No, you can't have any more shoes. I bought you a pair just last week. Money doesn't grow on tree
...'Dad, can I have a new bike?' 'We can't afford one. Money doesn't grow on trees, you know.'
...Mum, I'd like a new bike." "I'll have to think about it - money doesn't grow on trees, you know!"
..."I get to travel with my job but the downside is I have to give talks." "Well, there's no such thing as a free lunch [said to emphasize that you cannot get something for nothing]
....something that you say which means that if someone gives you something, they always expect you to give them something or to do something for them [He offered me a room in his house, but he seems to expect me to do all the housework. I should have known there's no such thing as a free lunch]
Time is money
You shouldn't waste time, because you could be using it to earn money
...OK, enough of this chit-chat and coffee drinking. Time is money, you know. Let's get to work!
Vocabulary
to cramp your style
to stop you doing something fun because someone interrupts you or wants to join you in what you're doing.-"to prevent someone from enjoying themselves as much as they would like, especially by going somewhere with them "
...Are you sure you don't mind your old mother coming along with you? I'd hate to cramp your style.
...Like more and more women, she believes marriage would cramp her style.
...shyness will cramp their style
...its cramps my style to have you watching over me all the time.
...he hate playing golf in rainy weather, its cramps his style.
some strings attached -OPPOSITE- no strings (attached)
some conditions or things you must do so that you can get something else (here, Helen has to work hard to get a trip to China)-"If something such as an agreement has strings attached, it involves special demands or limitations"
...Most of these so-called special offers come with strings attached.
...The bank's agreed to lend me £1000, no strings attached.
...It's very rare that you get a loan that size with no strings attached.
...The donation has no strings attached, so the charity is free to use it for whatever purpose it chooses
...Most of their so-called 'special offers' come with strings attached, so beware
gets down to some serious work
starts working hard
fare
money you pay for a journey on a plane, bus or train
...Train fares are going up again
...We shared a taxi and split the fare
a reasonable arrangement
a fair agreement -"based on or using good judgment and therefore fair and practical"
...If you tell him what happened, I'm sure he'll understand - he's a reasonable man.
...He went free because the jury decided there was a reasonable doubt about his guilt.
Future forms 9
We can use different forms to talk about future time in English, for example, will, going to and shall.
We will look at other forms (present continuous, present simple and future perfect) in another language point.
will + base verb:
To make a prediction based on personal opinion
...I think you'll love this film. It's got John Cusack in it.
...She's convinced that the team won't win the cup.
Note: In spoken English will is usually shortened to 'll.
To express a decision made at the moment of speaking
...You go with Michal and I'll iron the shirts.
...We've run out of sugar. I'll buy some later today.
To express future facts
...Beijing will host the next Olympics.
...The class will finish at 7:30 tonight.
In formal written style to express future events (often planned in detail)
...This clinic will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday.
...We are sorry there will be no deliveries of mail during next week's postal strike.
be + going to + base verb:
To make a prediction based on present evidence
...Look at those dark clouds, it's going to rain.
...The traffic is terrible! We're going to be late.
To talk about plans already made
...I'm going to see a film tonight (I've already bought my ticket).
...I've been working hard all week so this weekend I'm not going to do anything at all!
shall + base verb:
Used with 'we' or 'I' in formal situations or in writing
We shall be delighted to have you over for dinner.
I shall visit London from the 4th to the 7th of June
If you do that one more time, I shall be very cross.
I shall never forget you.
Shall we be able to get this finished today, do you think?
I'm afraid I shall not/shan't be able to come to your party.
FORMAL I shall look forward to meeting you next week.So we'll see you at the weekend, shall we (= is that right)?
We shall (= intend to) let you know as soon as there's any news.
Vocabulary:
a favour (n): an act of kindness over and above what is usual. "something you say in answer to a ridiculous and impossible suggestion"
...Could you do me a favour and lend me £10?
...Why don't you tell the police what happened?" "Oh, do me a favour!"
...Could you do me a favour - would you feed my cat this weekend.
...Could you do me a favour please?
...I wanted to ask you a favour.
to hit the books : (informal): to study
...I can't go out tonight. I've got to hit the books.
They seem made for each other:
They are a perfect couple.
...Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston seemed made for each other. Everyone was really surprised when they got divorced .
a courier (n): a person or company that delivers packages or documents very quickly. "a person who carries important messages or documents for someone else"
I want to have this package delivered by motorcycle courier.
We will look at other forms (present continuous, present simple and future perfect) in another language point.
will + base verb:
To make a prediction based on personal opinion
...I think you'll love this film. It's got John Cusack in it.
...She's convinced that the team won't win the cup.
Note: In spoken English will is usually shortened to 'll.
To express a decision made at the moment of speaking
...You go with Michal and I'll iron the shirts.
...We've run out of sugar. I'll buy some later today.
To express future facts
...Beijing will host the next Olympics.
...The class will finish at 7:30 tonight.
In formal written style to express future events (often planned in detail)
...This clinic will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday.
...We are sorry there will be no deliveries of mail during next week's postal strike.
be + going to + base verb:
To make a prediction based on present evidence
...Look at those dark clouds, it's going to rain.
...The traffic is terrible! We're going to be late.
To talk about plans already made
...I'm going to see a film tonight (I've already bought my ticket).
...I've been working hard all week so this weekend I'm not going to do anything at all!
shall + base verb:
Used with 'we' or 'I' in formal situations or in writing
We shall be delighted to have you over for dinner.
I shall visit London from the 4th to the 7th of June
If you do that one more time, I shall be very cross.
I shall never forget you.
Shall we be able to get this finished today, do you think?
I'm afraid I shall not/shan't be able to come to your party.
FORMAL I shall look forward to meeting you next week.So we'll see you at the weekend, shall we (= is that right)?
We shall (= intend to) let you know as soon as there's any news.
Vocabulary:
a favour (n): an act of kindness over and above what is usual. "something you say in answer to a ridiculous and impossible suggestion"
...Could you do me a favour and lend me £10?
...Why don't you tell the police what happened?" "Oh, do me a favour!"
...Could you do me a favour - would you feed my cat this weekend.
...Could you do me a favour please?
...I wanted to ask you a favour.
to hit the books : (informal): to study
...I can't go out tonight. I've got to hit the books.
They seem made for each other:
They are a perfect couple.
...Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston seemed made for each other. Everyone was really surprised when they got divorced .
a courier (n): a person or company that delivers packages or documents very quickly. "a person who carries important messages or documents for someone else"
I want to have this package delivered by motorcycle courier.
All and everyone 124
Words like 'all' and 'everyone' are similar but aren't used in exactly the same ways.
Helen said "What does everyone want to do?" With the same meaning she could have said "What do all of us want to do?" but not "What do all want to do?"
All and everybody / everyone
All and everyone or everybody can't be used interchangeably
Helen said "What does everyone want to do?" With the same meaning she could have said "What do all of us want to do?" but not "What do all want to do?"
All and everybody / everyone
All and everyone or everybody can't be used interchangeably
All of them are French. [/] Everybody of French. [x]
All of us are students. [/] All of everybody are students. [x]
We say all of you/ us / them but not everybody of or everybody of
All of them are French. [/] Everybody of French. [x]
All of us are students. [/] All of everybody are students. [x]
All and everything
Sometimes we can use all and everything in expressions like these interchangeably
all he can / everything he can
all we need / everything we need
all you want / everything you want
We'll do everything we can to help you enjoy your stay with us.
We'll do all we can to help you enjoy your stay with us.
We can't use all on its own:
She thinks she knows everything. [/] She thinks she knows all.[x]
He knows everyone there. [/] He knows all there.[x]
But you can use all with about:
They know all about fashion.
He knows all about modern art.
We use call all (but not everything) to mean the only thing/s:
All he likes is football. [/] Everything he likes is football.[x]
Every / everybody / everyone / everything:
1-These words are singular so we use singular verbs with them:
Everyone has to work late on Thursday.
Every ticket was sold within half an hour.
2-But you can also use plural pronouns after everyone / everybody
Everyone said they wanted to go.
or
Everyone said he or she wanted to go
Vocabulary
it won't be long till : soon
...It won't be long till spring comes
pick : take or choose. "to take some things and leave others"
...Pick a card from the pack.
...One of my sisters has been picked for the Olympic team.
[+ object + to infinitive] : She was picked to play for the team.
...The police asked him if he could pick (out) the killer from a series of photos.
...The fairest way to decide the winner is to pick a name out of a hat/at random (= without looking or choosing).
...They picked their way (= carefully chose a route) down the broken steps.
...He's brilliant at picking winners (= choosing what will be successful).
...The richest universities can pick and choose which students they take.
a tenner : (informal, British currency)ten pounds
fiver : noun [C] UK INFORMAL.five pounds, or a note worth five pounds:
...This CD only cost me a fiver.
...Can you change a tenner for two fivers
Business vocabulary 112
Business people
a businessman or a businesswoman
a person who works in their own business or is a manager in a company or organisation She's a very successful businesswomen who runs her own company.
...He was a successful businessman before becoming a writer.
an entrepreneur: (noun)a person who starts his or her own business. "someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves risks"
...He's a real entrepreneur. As soon as he's set up one business successfully, he's looking for his next challenge.
...He was one of the entrepreneurs of the eighties who made their money in property.
...She'll make money - she's got that entrepreneurial spirit
...He's an entrepreneur who made his money in computer software
a self-made man or a self-made woman:
a person who is rich and successful because of his or her own work."rich and successful as a result of your own work and not because of family wealth":
...He came from quite a poor background. But he's a self-made man and is now incredibly wealthy.
...a self-made man/millionaire
a magnate, a mogul, a tycoon or a baron:
a person who is in charge of a big business or who owns a lot of businesses. Here are some of the industries and business which collocate (go with) with these words:
...a movie/media/industry mogul (an important person who has great wealth or power)
...a business/property/shipping tycoon
...a press/media/drugs baron (an extremely powerful person in a particular area of business:)
...a real estate/media magnate
...a well-known shipping magnate (a person who is very rich and successful in business or industry)
...movie/media/industry moguls
self-employed: (noun)
work for yourself, not for someone else
...She hated working for her last boss so she decided to start her own business and loves being self-employed now.
...a self-employed builder
...Do you pay less tax if you're self-employed?
...They run an advice centre for the self-employed.(plural noun)
...self-employment (noun)
Business places
an office:
a room or part of a building in which people work, especially sitting at tables with computers, telephones, etc.
He doesn't like working in an office all day. He'd rather be out and about meeting people.
an open-plan office:
an office which has few or no walls inside, so it is not divided into smaller rooms. An office where a lot of people all work together. "describes a room or building which has few or no walls inside, so it is not divided into smaller rooms"
...We work in a huge open-plan office so it's difficult to have any privacy.
head quarters (HQ):
the main offices of an organization or a business."the main offices of an organization such as the army, police or a business company"
...Microsoft's HQ is in Washington in the USA.
...The company's headquarters is/are in Amsterdam.
...We've just received instructions from HQ.
Types of work and ways of working
a full-time job: work that you do for the whole of the normal working week.
...She's got two kids but still manages to hold down a full-time job
...Most children in the UK remain in full-time education until they are at least 16 years old.
...She went back to work full-time when her youngest child went to school.
...Keeping a garden tidy is a full-time job [an activity which uses a lot of your time]
a part-time job:
work that you do for only part of the normal working week
...He has a part-time job in a shop and spends the other two days a week working on his art projects.
...part-timer
a permanent job:
work that doesn't finish after a fixed period of time.
...She was lucky to get a permanent job in teaching. Now she has a job for life, if she wants.
a temporary job or a fixed-term contract:
work that finishes after a fixed period of time.
...I've got a temporary job for 4 weeks with the Post Office over the busy Christmas period.
...The ceasefire will only provide a temporary solution to the crisis.
...temporary staff
flexible working or flexi-working:
when you are allowed to choose what time you start and finish your work and how many hours you do each day (as long as you do the required numbers of hours in a week)
...They let me do flexi-working so I can come in late some mornings and just work a bit later in the afternoon. It's really handy when I have to drop the kids off at school.
...My schedule is quite flexible - I could arrange to meet with you any day next week.
...The advantage of this system is its flexibility.(noun)
Vocabulary
retiring :
stopping work because you are a certain age (65 years old in Britain, for example
...The match ended in disappointment for the retiring captain, Viv Richards
heading off to the sun :
going to a country with a warm climate
...What time are you heading off? (to start a journey or leave a place)
...I tried to head the dog off by running towards it.[to force someone or something to change direction]
to take over the reins
to take responsibility for, or control of, something from someone else. "to begin controlling an organization or a country"
...She offered good advice to the new Speaker as he took over the reins of leadership in the House of Representatives.
a businessman or a businesswoman
a person who works in their own business or is a manager in a company or organisation She's a very successful businesswomen who runs her own company.
...He was a successful businessman before becoming a writer.
an entrepreneur: (noun)a person who starts his or her own business. "someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves risks"
...He's a real entrepreneur. As soon as he's set up one business successfully, he's looking for his next challenge.
...He was one of the entrepreneurs of the eighties who made their money in property.
...She'll make money - she's got that entrepreneurial spirit
...He's an entrepreneur who made his money in computer software
a self-made man or a self-made woman:
a person who is rich and successful because of his or her own work."rich and successful as a result of your own work and not because of family wealth":
...He came from quite a poor background. But he's a self-made man and is now incredibly wealthy.
...a self-made man/millionaire
a magnate, a mogul, a tycoon or a baron:
a person who is in charge of a big business or who owns a lot of businesses. Here are some of the industries and business which collocate (go with) with these words:
...a movie/media/industry mogul (an important person who has great wealth or power)
...a business/property/shipping tycoon
...a press/media/drugs baron (an extremely powerful person in a particular area of business:)
...a real estate/media magnate
...a well-known shipping magnate (a person who is very rich and successful in business or industry)
...movie/media/industry moguls
self-employed: (noun)
work for yourself, not for someone else
...She hated working for her last boss so she decided to start her own business and loves being self-employed now.
...a self-employed builder
...Do you pay less tax if you're self-employed?
...They run an advice centre for the self-employed.(plural noun)
...self-employment (noun)
Business places
an office:
a room or part of a building in which people work, especially sitting at tables with computers, telephones, etc.
He doesn't like working in an office all day. He'd rather be out and about meeting people.
an open-plan office:
an office which has few or no walls inside, so it is not divided into smaller rooms. An office where a lot of people all work together. "describes a room or building which has few or no walls inside, so it is not divided into smaller rooms"
...We work in a huge open-plan office so it's difficult to have any privacy.
head quarters (HQ):
the main offices of an organization or a business."the main offices of an organization such as the army, police or a business company"
...Microsoft's HQ is in Washington in the USA.
...The company's headquarters is/are in Amsterdam.
...We've just received instructions from HQ.
Types of work and ways of working
a full-time job: work that you do for the whole of the normal working week.
...She's got two kids but still manages to hold down a full-time job
...Most children in the UK remain in full-time education until they are at least 16 years old.
...She went back to work full-time when her youngest child went to school.
...Keeping a garden tidy is a full-time job [an activity which uses a lot of your time]
a part-time job:
work that you do for only part of the normal working week
...He has a part-time job in a shop and spends the other two days a week working on his art projects.
...part-timer
a permanent job:
work that doesn't finish after a fixed period of time.
...She was lucky to get a permanent job in teaching. Now she has a job for life, if she wants.
a temporary job or a fixed-term contract:
work that finishes after a fixed period of time.
...I've got a temporary job for 4 weeks with the Post Office over the busy Christmas period.
...The ceasefire will only provide a temporary solution to the crisis.
...temporary staff
flexible working or flexi-working:
when you are allowed to choose what time you start and finish your work and how many hours you do each day (as long as you do the required numbers of hours in a week)
...They let me do flexi-working so I can come in late some mornings and just work a bit later in the afternoon. It's really handy when I have to drop the kids off at school.
...My schedule is quite flexible - I could arrange to meet with you any day next week.
...The advantage of this system is its flexibility.(noun)
Vocabulary
retiring :
stopping work because you are a certain age (65 years old in Britain, for example
...The match ended in disappointment for the retiring captain, Viv Richards
heading off to the sun :
going to a country with a warm climate
...What time are you heading off? (to start a journey or leave a place)
...I tried to head the dog off by running towards it.[to force someone or something to change direction]
to take over the reins
to take responsibility for, or control of, something from someone else. "to begin controlling an organization or a country"
...She offered good advice to the new Speaker as he took over the reins of leadership in the House of Representatives.
Sunday, 28 December 2008
Family vocabulary 2 (143)
Words we use to talk about our families (mother, family, marriage etc.) can also have other meanings, either on their own or as part of compound words or phrases.
Family
Ways of describing families and family relations
step-mother (also step-brother / step-sister / step-father / step-parent )
a woman who is married to someone's father but who is not their real mother
...After she married Chris, she became step-mother to his three children (as well as having her own daughter from her first marriage).
ex-husband (also ex-wife / ex-boyfriend / ex-partner)
used to describe someone you used to have a relationship with
...It was such a bitter divorce that she never spoke to her ex-husband after the divorce.
Other words with 'family'
run in the family
a trait or type of behaviour that is similar in brothers and sisters or in children and parents. "If a quality, ability, disease, etc. runs in the family, many members of the family have it"
...She's great at singing. But it's no surprise really, being musical runs in the family. You know her grandfather was a famous opera singer and all her sisters play the piano.
...Intelligence seems to run in that family.
...Athletic ability runs in the family : his father played basketball in college and his mother was a high school athlete.
...We're all ambitious - it seems to run in the family.
start a family (mempunyai anak)
have your first child, become a parent for the first time
...Paul and Alison are hoping to start a family (= have children) soon.
...They've been married for five years and now they want to start a family.
be in the family way
(informal) to be pregnant, be expecting a baby
...Have you heard that Jean's in the family way?
...No wine for me, just some orange juice. You know I'm in the family way, don't you? So no booze for me for a while
blended family
new family made up of two people (who were previously married to other partner) and the children from those previous marriages .
Marriage
Other words with 'marry' or 'marriage'
be married to something
be very close to something, very committed or very involved with something
...Rachel seems to be married to (= very involved with) her new job at the moment, so we hardly ever see her.
....He's completely married to that marketing idea but I just don't think it's going to work.
a marriage of things
two things joined together
...Her work is a marriage of art and politics
Marry in haste, repent at leisure (fixed saying)
if you marry someone quickly, without knowing them well, you will regret it later. "something that you say which means if you marry someone too soon, without knowing for certain that they are the right person for you, you will have an unhappy marriage.
...She's only 17 and she won't listen to anyone but you know the old saying 'Marry in haste, repent at leisure'
...It's true I've only known him for six months and I know you're thinking 'marry in haste, repent at leisure' but I'm telling you, he's the man for me.
Stages of a relationship
see someone : be involved in a romantic.
...How long have you been seeing her?
sleep with someone : (informal)
have a sexual relationship with someone
He says he's not going to sleep with anyone until he gets married.
He found out that his wife had been sleeping with his best friend.
be engaged (to someone) :
agree to marry someone (often people exchange rings and set a date for the wedding): "having formally agreed to marry"
...They've been engaged for five years! I don't know if they're ever going to get married.
...Debbie and Chris have just got engaged.
...She was engaged to some guy in the army.
...FORMAL: They're engaged to be married in June.
...They announced their engagement at the party on Saturday.(noun)
...an engagement party
get hitched / tie the knot : (informal) get married
...Is Tracy really getting hitched then?
...So when are you two going to tie the knot?
...When are you two going to tie the knot?
...She's planning to tie the knot with her German boyfriend next June. [often + with]
...Have you heard? Callum's just tied the knot! I thought he was a confirmed bachelor.
be separated (from someone)
no longer live with someone you are married to
...They decided to separate even though they'd only been married for a year or two.
...My parents separated when I was six and divorced a couple of years later
...If two married people separate, they stop living together as husband and wife, often as a part of a legal arrangement.
...separation is an often legal arrangement by which two married people stop living together as husband and wife.
divorce (someone) : divorcee
formally end a marriage
...Ford divorced his wife, Anne, in 1964, and married Cristina a year later.
...He never understood why his parents didn't get divorced (= end their marriage legally).
...I got a divorce when the children were small
...She's divorcing her husband
...The last I heard they were getting a divorce.
...Divorce is on the increase.Ellie wants a divorce.
...What are the chances of a marriage ending in divorce?
...She's divorced.
...They got divorced after only six months of marriage.
...She divorced him after she found out he had been having an affair.
Vocabulary
save your marriage
work at your relationship after you have had some difficulties, rather than splitting up or getting divorced
...He was desperately trying to save their failing marriage
give it a go : try, :
attempt "give sth a go"
...Only a few people are successful as sports professionals, but it's worth giving it a go.
vows : serious promises
...[+ to infinitive] She took/made a vow never to lend money to anyone again
...[+ (that)] The guerillas vowed (that) they would overthrow the government.
...[+ to infinitive] After the awful meals we had last Christmas, I vowed to do more of the cooking
...
Family
Ways of describing families and family relations
step-mother (also step-brother / step-sister / step-father / step-parent )
a woman who is married to someone's father but who is not their real mother
...After she married Chris, she became step-mother to his three children (as well as having her own daughter from her first marriage).
ex-husband (also ex-wife / ex-boyfriend / ex-partner)
used to describe someone you used to have a relationship with
...It was such a bitter divorce that she never spoke to her ex-husband after the divorce.
Other words with 'family'
run in the family
a trait or type of behaviour that is similar in brothers and sisters or in children and parents. "If a quality, ability, disease, etc. runs in the family, many members of the family have it"
...She's great at singing. But it's no surprise really, being musical runs in the family. You know her grandfather was a famous opera singer and all her sisters play the piano.
...Intelligence seems to run in that family.
...Athletic ability runs in the family : his father played basketball in college and his mother was a high school athlete.
...We're all ambitious - it seems to run in the family.
start a family (mempunyai anak)
have your first child, become a parent for the first time
...Paul and Alison are hoping to start a family (= have children) soon.
...They've been married for five years and now they want to start a family.
be in the family way
(informal) to be pregnant, be expecting a baby
...Have you heard that Jean's in the family way?
...No wine for me, just some orange juice. You know I'm in the family way, don't you? So no booze for me for a while
blended family
new family made up of two people (who were previously married to other partner) and the children from those previous marriages .
Marriage
Other words with 'marry' or 'marriage'
be married to something
be very close to something, very committed or very involved with something
...Rachel seems to be married to (= very involved with) her new job at the moment, so we hardly ever see her.
....He's completely married to that marketing idea but I just don't think it's going to work.
a marriage of things
two things joined together
...Her work is a marriage of art and politics
Marry in haste, repent at leisure (fixed saying)
if you marry someone quickly, without knowing them well, you will regret it later. "something that you say which means if you marry someone too soon, without knowing for certain that they are the right person for you, you will have an unhappy marriage.
...She's only 17 and she won't listen to anyone but you know the old saying 'Marry in haste, repent at leisure'
...It's true I've only known him for six months and I know you're thinking 'marry in haste, repent at leisure' but I'm telling you, he's the man for me.
Stages of a relationship
see someone : be involved in a romantic.
...How long have you been seeing her?
sleep with someone : (informal)
have a sexual relationship with someone
He says he's not going to sleep with anyone until he gets married.
He found out that his wife had been sleeping with his best friend.
be engaged (to someone) :
agree to marry someone (often people exchange rings and set a date for the wedding): "having formally agreed to marry"
...They've been engaged for five years! I don't know if they're ever going to get married.
...Debbie and Chris have just got engaged.
...She was engaged to some guy in the army.
...FORMAL: They're engaged to be married in June.
...They announced their engagement at the party on Saturday.(noun)
...an engagement party
get hitched / tie the knot : (informal) get married
...Is Tracy really getting hitched then?
...So when are you two going to tie the knot?
...When are you two going to tie the knot?
...She's planning to tie the knot with her German boyfriend next June. [often + with]
...Have you heard? Callum's just tied the knot! I thought he was a confirmed bachelor.
be separated (from someone)
no longer live with someone you are married to
...They decided to separate even though they'd only been married for a year or two.
...My parents separated when I was six and divorced a couple of years later
...If two married people separate, they stop living together as husband and wife, often as a part of a legal arrangement.
...separation is an often legal arrangement by which two married people stop living together as husband and wife.
divorce (someone) : divorcee
formally end a marriage
...Ford divorced his wife, Anne, in 1964, and married Cristina a year later.
...He never understood why his parents didn't get divorced (= end their marriage legally).
...I got a divorce when the children were small
...She's divorcing her husband
...The last I heard they were getting a divorce.
...Divorce is on the increase.Ellie wants a divorce.
...What are the chances of a marriage ending in divorce?
...She's divorced.
...They got divorced after only six months of marriage.
...She divorced him after she found out he had been having an affair.
Vocabulary
save your marriage
work at your relationship after you have had some difficulties, rather than splitting up or getting divorced
...He was desperately trying to save their failing marriage
give it a go : try, :
attempt "give sth a go"
...Only a few people are successful as sports professionals, but it's worth giving it a go.
vows : serious promises
...[+ to infinitive] She took/made a vow never to lend money to anyone again
...[+ (that)] The guerillas vowed (that) they would overthrow the government.
...[+ to infinitive] After the awful meals we had last Christmas, I vowed to do more of the cooking
...
Somebody, anybody, nobody, everybody 71 (chapter 2)
Anybody, anyone, anything, anywhere
These words are used in questions and negative sentences, to refer to a person, thing or place, without identifying which person, thing or place.
anybody / anyone: an unidentified person
anything: an unidentified thing
anywhere: an unidentified place
Are you seeing anybody else?
I've just moved to a new town, and I don't know anyone.
I haven't had anything to eat since I arrived.
'any-' words are also used to express conditions:
...'You can park anywhere' = 'if you need a place to park, use one of these spaces.'
...'It's easy to find. Ask anyone' = 'if you can't find it, ask someone: everybody knows where it is.'
Nobody, no-one, nothing, nowhere
These words are used in positive sentences, but they have negative meanings: they refer to an absence of people, things or place. No-one is written with a hyphen between the two 'o's.
Nobody knows where it is.
No-one came to the party.
He says he knows nothing about the crime.
They are homeless. They have nowhere to live.
Everybody, everyone, everything, everywhere.
These words are used to refer to all people, things or places. Everybody and everyone have the same meaning.
Everybody likes chocolate.
Everything closes at the end of the holiday season.
We need to tidy up. There's rubbish everywhere.
Vocabulary
to confess:
to tell somebody that you have done something that you think is bad, or that you feel guilty about
1- to admit that you have done something wrong or something that you feel guilty or bad about:
[+ that] : She confessed to her husband that she had sold her wedding ring.
He confessed to sleeping/having slept through most of the film.
He has confessed to the murder.
[+ (that)] : I have to confess (that), when I first met your husband, I didn't think he was very bright.
I found it all very confusing, I must confess.
[R] The director confessed himself (to be) puzzled by the company's losses.
2 in the Christian religion, especially the Roman Catholic Church, to tell God or a priest what you have done wrong so that you can be forgiven:
...to confess your sins
to be seeing somebody:
to be having a romantic relationship
what’s going on? : what's happening
These words are used in questions and negative sentences, to refer to a person, thing or place, without identifying which person, thing or place.
anybody / anyone: an unidentified person
anything: an unidentified thing
anywhere: an unidentified place
Are you seeing anybody else?
I've just moved to a new town, and I don't know anyone.
I haven't had anything to eat since I arrived.
'any-' words are also used to express conditions:
...'You can park anywhere' = 'if you need a place to park, use one of these spaces.'
...'It's easy to find. Ask anyone' = 'if you can't find it, ask someone: everybody knows where it is.'
Nobody, no-one, nothing, nowhere
These words are used in positive sentences, but they have negative meanings: they refer to an absence of people, things or place. No-one is written with a hyphen between the two 'o's.
Nobody knows where it is.
No-one came to the party.
He says he knows nothing about the crime.
They are homeless. They have nowhere to live.
Everybody, everyone, everything, everywhere.
These words are used to refer to all people, things or places. Everybody and everyone have the same meaning.
Everybody likes chocolate.
Everything closes at the end of the holiday season.
We need to tidy up. There's rubbish everywhere.
Vocabulary
to confess:
to tell somebody that you have done something that you think is bad, or that you feel guilty about
1- to admit that you have done something wrong or something that you feel guilty or bad about:
[+ that] : She confessed to her husband that she had sold her wedding ring.
He confessed to sleeping/having slept through most of the film.
He has confessed to the murder.
[+ (that)] : I have to confess (that), when I first met your husband, I didn't think he was very bright.
I found it all very confusing, I must confess.
[R] The director confessed himself (to be) puzzled by the company's losses.
2 in the Christian religion, especially the Roman Catholic Church, to tell God or a priest what you have done wrong so that you can be forgiven:
...to confess your sins
to be seeing somebody:
to be having a romantic relationship
what’s going on? : what's happening
Somebody, anybody, nobody, everybody 71
Every, some, any, no.
'Every', 'some', 'any' and 'no' can be used with 'one', 'body' and 'thing' to form compound pronouns, such as everyone, somebody, anything and nothing.
everyone / everybody
every person:
...Would everyone who wishes to attend the dinner let me know by Friday afternoon?
...Everyone has their own ideas about the best way to bring up children.
...I've received replies from everybody but Jane.
...Do you agree with the principle that everyone should pay something towards the cost of health care?
...Everyone knows who stole it, but they're all afraid to tell anyone.
...Everyone involved in the accident has been questioned by the police.
...Goodbye, everybody - I'll see you next week.
...I'm sorry, but you'll just have to wait your turn like everybody else.
somebody / someone
(used to refer to a single person when you do not know who they are or when it is not important who they are) :
...There's someone outside the house.
...Someone must have seen what happened.
...Eventually someone in the audience spoke.
...You'll have to ask someone else.
...We'll need a software engineer or someone (= a person with skill of or like the stated type) on the project team.
NOTE: This is not usually used in negatives and questions. See Note some or any? at some (unknown amount).
anything (pronoun)
any event, act or object whatever, or (especially in questions or negatives) something:
...If he eats anything with wheat in it he's very sick.
...Let me know if anything happens won't you.
...Is there anything I can do to help?
...I didn't know anything about computers till I started this job.
...Did you notice anything strange about him?
...I was looking for a birthday present for my mother but I didn't find anything suitable.
...Spending Christmas with him and his brother - I can't imagine anything worse!
...Was there anything else you wanted to say or is that it?
...Have you got anything less expensive?
...She could be anything (= any age) between 30 and 40.
..."What did you do at the weekend?" "I don't think we did anything much."
nothing (pronoun)
not anything
...There's nothing in the drawer - I took everything out.
...Nothing I could say would cheer her up.
...I have nothing new to tell you.
...There's nothing else (= no other thing) we can do to help.
...There's nothing much (= not very much) to do in our village.
...The story was nothing but (= only) lies.
...(US) The score is Yankees three, Red Sox nothing (= no points).
...He's a nothing, a low-down, useless nobody. (someone of no value or importance : noun [C] INFORMAL)
anyone
pronoun (ALSO anybody)
1- used in questions and negatives to mean 'a person or people':
...I haven't spoken to anyone all day.
...I haven't told anyone.
...Was there anyone you knew at the meeting?Has anyone seen my glasses anywhere?
2-any person or any people:
...Anyone can go - you don't have to be invited.
...Anyone could dress well with all that money.
no body (NO PERSON)
pronoun (ALSO no one),not anyone
...Is there nobody here who can answer my question?
...I saw nobody all morning.
...Nobody agreed with me.
'Every', 'some', 'any' and 'no' can also be used with 'where' to form adverbs such as everywhere, somewhere and anywhere.
everywhere (adverb) (semua tempat)
(US INFORMAL everyplace)
to, at or in all places or the whole of a place:
...His children go everywhere with him.
...Everywhere looks so grey and depressing in winter.
...I looked everywhere for my keys.
...Reasonable people everywhere will be outraged by this atrocity.
...We had to stay in the sleaziest hotel in town as everywhere else (= all other places) was fully booked.
somewhere (PLACE) adverb (satu tempat)
(US ALSO someplace) :in or at a place having a position which is not stated or not known:
He was last heard of living somewhere on the south coast.
You must have put their letter somewhere!.
[+ to infinitive] : I'm looking for somewhere to eat/stay.
Can we go somewhere else to talk - it's very noisy here.
Wouldn't you like to go to Disneyland or somewhere (= or to a similar place)?
NOTE: This is not usually used in negatives and questions. See Note some or any? at some (unknown amount).
anywhere : adverb (US ALSO anyplace) (mana2 tempat)
in, to or at any place or (especially in questions or negatives) some place:
I can't find my keys anywhere.
You won't find a prettier village anywhere in England.
Did you go anywhere interesting this summer?
Go anywhere in the world and you'll find some sort of hamburger restaurant.
Is there anywhere in particular you wanted to go to eat tonight?
I was wondering if there was anywhere I could go to get this mended.
There are quite a few words that they use in that part of the country that you don't hear anywhere else.
As a teacher you could expect to be paid anywhere (= any amount) between £7 and £15 per hour.
He charges anywhere from $20 to $50 for a haircut and blow-dry.
Is there anywhere to eat around here?
They live in some tiny little village miles from anywhere (= a very long way from any main towns or villages).
nowhere (adverb) (tidak ada tempat)
1- in, at or to no place; not anywhere:
These young people have nowhere (else) to go.
Nowhere does the article mention the names of the people involved.
2- not in a successful or a winning position:
The horse I bet on finished nowhere.
Pronouns such as somebody, nothing and everything usually take a singular verb, even though they may seem to refer to more than one thing.
...Don't touch that computer: somebody is using it.
...Don't worry. Nothing has happened.
...Is everything ready for the party?
...Everybody has arrived.
However, after everyone/everybody, we use they/their/them, even though the verb is singular.
Everyone has to take their shoes off before they come in.
Could everybody please put their names on the list?
Everybody enjoyed themselves at the party.
Somebody, someone, something, somewhere
'Every', 'some', 'any' and 'no' can be used with 'one', 'body' and 'thing' to form compound pronouns, such as everyone, somebody, anything and nothing.
everyone / everybody
every person:
...Would everyone who wishes to attend the dinner let me know by Friday afternoon?
...Everyone has their own ideas about the best way to bring up children.
...I've received replies from everybody but Jane.
...Do you agree with the principle that everyone should pay something towards the cost of health care?
...Everyone knows who stole it, but they're all afraid to tell anyone.
...Everyone involved in the accident has been questioned by the police.
...Goodbye, everybody - I'll see you next week.
...I'm sorry, but you'll just have to wait your turn like everybody else.
somebody / someone
(used to refer to a single person when you do not know who they are or when it is not important who they are) :
...There's someone outside the house.
...Someone must have seen what happened.
...Eventually someone in the audience spoke.
...You'll have to ask someone else.
...We'll need a software engineer or someone (= a person with skill of or like the stated type) on the project team.
NOTE: This is not usually used in negatives and questions. See Note some or any? at some (unknown amount).
anything (pronoun)
any event, act or object whatever, or (especially in questions or negatives) something:
...If he eats anything with wheat in it he's very sick.
...Let me know if anything happens won't you.
...Is there anything I can do to help?
...I didn't know anything about computers till I started this job.
...Did you notice anything strange about him?
...I was looking for a birthday present for my mother but I didn't find anything suitable.
...Spending Christmas with him and his brother - I can't imagine anything worse!
...Was there anything else you wanted to say or is that it?
...Have you got anything less expensive?
...She could be anything (= any age) between 30 and 40.
..."What did you do at the weekend?" "I don't think we did anything much."
nothing (pronoun)
not anything
...There's nothing in the drawer - I took everything out.
...Nothing I could say would cheer her up.
...I have nothing new to tell you.
...There's nothing else (= no other thing) we can do to help.
...There's nothing much (= not very much) to do in our village.
...The story was nothing but (= only) lies.
...(US) The score is Yankees three, Red Sox nothing (= no points).
...He's a nothing, a low-down, useless nobody. (someone of no value or importance : noun [C] INFORMAL)
anyone
pronoun (ALSO anybody)
1- used in questions and negatives to mean 'a person or people':
...I haven't spoken to anyone all day.
...I haven't told anyone.
...Was there anyone you knew at the meeting?Has anyone seen my glasses anywhere?
2-any person or any people:
...Anyone can go - you don't have to be invited.
...Anyone could dress well with all that money.
no body (NO PERSON)
pronoun (ALSO no one),not anyone
...Is there nobody here who can answer my question?
...I saw nobody all morning.
...Nobody agreed with me.
'Every', 'some', 'any' and 'no' can also be used with 'where' to form adverbs such as everywhere, somewhere and anywhere.
everywhere (adverb) (semua tempat)
(US INFORMAL everyplace)
to, at or in all places or the whole of a place:
...His children go everywhere with him.
...Everywhere looks so grey and depressing in winter.
...I looked everywhere for my keys.
...Reasonable people everywhere will be outraged by this atrocity.
...We had to stay in the sleaziest hotel in town as everywhere else (= all other places) was fully booked.
somewhere (PLACE) adverb (satu tempat)
(US ALSO someplace) :in or at a place having a position which is not stated or not known:
He was last heard of living somewhere on the south coast.
You must have put their letter somewhere!.
[+ to infinitive] : I'm looking for somewhere to eat/stay.
Can we go somewhere else to talk - it's very noisy here.
Wouldn't you like to go to Disneyland or somewhere (= or to a similar place)?
NOTE: This is not usually used in negatives and questions. See Note some or any? at some (unknown amount).
anywhere : adverb (US ALSO anyplace) (mana2 tempat)
in, to or at any place or (especially in questions or negatives) some place:
I can't find my keys anywhere.
You won't find a prettier village anywhere in England.
Did you go anywhere interesting this summer?
Go anywhere in the world and you'll find some sort of hamburger restaurant.
Is there anywhere in particular you wanted to go to eat tonight?
I was wondering if there was anywhere I could go to get this mended.
There are quite a few words that they use in that part of the country that you don't hear anywhere else.
As a teacher you could expect to be paid anywhere (= any amount) between £7 and £15 per hour.
He charges anywhere from $20 to $50 for a haircut and blow-dry.
Is there anywhere to eat around here?
They live in some tiny little village miles from anywhere (= a very long way from any main towns or villages).
nowhere (adverb) (tidak ada tempat)
1- in, at or to no place; not anywhere:
These young people have nowhere (else) to go.
Nowhere does the article mention the names of the people involved.
2- not in a successful or a winning position:
The horse I bet on finished nowhere.
Pronouns such as somebody, nothing and everything usually take a singular verb, even though they may seem to refer to more than one thing.
...Don't touch that computer: somebody is using it.
...Don't worry. Nothing has happened.
...Is everything ready for the party?
...Everybody has arrived.
However, after everyone/everybody, we use they/their/them, even though the verb is singular.
Everyone has to take their shoes off before they come in.
Could everybody please put their names on the list?
Everybody enjoyed themselves at the party.
Somebody, someone, something, somewhere
These words refer to a person, thing or place, without identifying which person, thing or place.
somebody / someone: an unidentified person
something: an unidentified thing
somewhere: an unidentified place
Alice says 'there's something I want to ask you.' She is saying that she has a question, but she hasn't yet identified the topic of the question.
When she says: 'There's somebody else, isn't there?' this is a positive statement, followed by a question tag. Alice is saying that she believes that Paul is seeing another woman, but she doesn't know who.
More examples:
Somebody called yesterday, but I don't know who it was.
He had something to eat before he went home. Have you seen my phone?
I put it down somewhere and now I can't find it.
Saturday, 27 December 2008
Business vocabulary 153
a-Economic and business terms
economies of scale
the more units of something you buy, the cheaper it becomes per unit
They benefited from economies of scale when they opened their second shop and were able to buy in even bigger quantities from their supplie
a budget
the amount of money a business (or person) plans to spend on something
We've got a budget for our wedding but we've already spent almost all of it on her dress.
The firm has drawn up a budget for the coming financial year.
Libraries are finding it increasingly difficult to remain within (their) budget.
an annual budget of £40 million
An extra £20 million has been budgeted for schools this year.
a budget holiday/hotel/price :very cheap
overspend or go over budget
spend more money than you planned to
We need to keep a tight hold on our marketing spending or we'll go over budget.
We need to keep a tight hold on our marketing spending or we'll overspend.
The council seems likely to overspend this year.
The hospital has already overspent (on) its drugs budget.
We're expecting to have a £5 million (budget) overspend this year. (uk)
break even
the point where the amount you pay out in expenses is covered by the amount of money you get for things you have sold (i.e. you haven't made a profit or a loss)
...To break even is to earn enough money to pay for expenses, without any profit
We need to sell 100 family cars or just three sports cars to break even.
After paying for our travel costs, we barely (= only just) broke even.
After a bad year in 1995, the company just about broke even in 1996.
We'd have to sell 2000 copies of the book to break even.
make a loss
when your expenses are more than your sales
When they started in business they made a loss for two years. But finally, things started to change for them last year.
loss-making businesses/companies (not making a profit/adjective)Toyota to make first loss since 1941
make a profit
when a business is able to cover all its expenses from sales and still have extra money left over
The restaurant has been making a profit for years and it's still doing very well.
She makes a big profit from selling waste material to textile companies
You don't expect to make much profit within the first couple of years of setting up a company.
A year ago the Tokyo company had a pretax profit of 35 million yen
non-profit(-making) :
describes an organization which does not make a profit, usually intentionally.
Charities are non-profit-making organizations and get tax relief.
money-spinner
something that is very popular and easy to sell (a business or product that makes a lot of money for someone)
During the World Cup, having a stall that sells flags from different countries is a real money spinner.
Cookery books are becoming a real money-spinner for the publishing industry.
a cash cow
a product that makes a lot of money (often easily) for a company (business or a part of a business that always makes a lot of profit )
Making the film cost us millions. But at least we've got the DVD, dolls and clothes cash cows to help us cover those enormous costs.
The British newspapers are the group's biggest cash cow, earning nearly 40% of group profits.
mass market
things that are sold in large numbers to a lot of people (A product that is designed for the mass market is intended to be bought by as many people as possible, not just by people with a lot of money or a special interest)
Our family cars are aimed at the mass market, while our sports cars are more for the niche market.
Advances in microchip technology have made these cameras smaller and cheaper and affordable to the mass market.
'Price' words and expressions
asking price
the amount of money you want when you sell something, (especially in a situation when you might agree to a lower price later) "the amount of money someone wants when they sell something, especially a building or a piece of land"
The asking price for the car was £10,000 but she ended up getting it for £8,500.
The asking price for the flat was £89 500.
a price war
when different companies compete with each other by lowering prices / a situation in which different companies compete with each other by lowering prices:
The supermarkets started a price war on bread last month. Each week the cost of a loaf gets lower and lower.
A supermarket price war has led to lower profit margins.
a price tagnoun (ALSO price ticket)
a sticker or piece of paper on something in a shop that tells you how much something costs
These shoes are gorgeous. I don't think I want to look at the price tag!
How much is it? - I can't find the price tag.
These suits have designer names and a price ticket to match.
The price tag for restoring the building will be around $150 million
be price-conscious (adjective)
be aware of how much things cost and avoid buying expensive things
My mum's very price-conscious. She buys practically all of our clothes in the sales
price-conscious shoppers
Vocabulary
let's get cracking (informal) : let's start (to start doing something quickly)
Get cracking (= Hurry), or we'll miss the train.
I'd better get cracking with these letters before I go home.
Let's get cracking! We've only got two days to finish
Get cracking! We're leaving in 5 minutes.
demand (noun)
something that people want to buy
There's an increasing demand for cheap housing. (NEED [U,no plural] a need for something to be sold or supplied )
They received a final demand for payment. (REQUEST [C] a strong request)
Good teachers are always in demand. (in demand wanted or needed in large numbers)
demand (verb)
1-I demanded an explanation.
[+ that] The survivors are demanding that the airline pays them compensation (ASK to ask for something in a way that shows that you do not expect to be refused)
2-This job demands a high level of concentration. (NEED to need something such as time or effort )
state : (formal) say : verb [T] SLIGHTLY FORMAL to say or write something, especially clearly and carefully:
Our warranty clearly states the limits of our liability.
[+ (that)] : Union members stated (that) they were unhappy with the proposal.
[+ question word] : Please state why you wish to apply for this grant.
Children in the stated (= named) areas were at risk from a lack of food, the report said.
inversely related : berlawanan
as one thing goes up, another thing goes down
Sometimes it seems that press coverage of an event is inversely proportional to its true importance (= the more important the event, the less attention is paid to it).
in the balance
something will be decided soon - one way or another (If a situation is in the balance it has reached a stage where it will soon be decided one way or another)
The game hung in the balance until the last minute when an exciting point decided it.
rash
hasty, sudden : (adjective) done suddenly and without thinking carefully
a rash decision/promise
That was a rash decision - you didn't think about the costs involved.
[+ to infinitive] : I think it was a bit rash of them to get married when they'd only known each other for a few weeks.
economies of scale
the more units of something you buy, the cheaper it becomes per unit
They benefited from economies of scale when they opened their second shop and were able to buy in even bigger quantities from their supplie
a budget
the amount of money a business (or person) plans to spend on something
We've got a budget for our wedding but we've already spent almost all of it on her dress.
The firm has drawn up a budget for the coming financial year.
Libraries are finding it increasingly difficult to remain within (their) budget.
an annual budget of £40 million
An extra £20 million has been budgeted for schools this year.
a budget holiday/hotel/price :very cheap
overspend or go over budget
spend more money than you planned to
We need to keep a tight hold on our marketing spending or we'll go over budget.
We need to keep a tight hold on our marketing spending or we'll overspend.
The council seems likely to overspend this year.
The hospital has already overspent (on) its drugs budget.
We're expecting to have a £5 million (budget) overspend this year. (uk)
break even
the point where the amount you pay out in expenses is covered by the amount of money you get for things you have sold (i.e. you haven't made a profit or a loss)
...To break even is to earn enough money to pay for expenses, without any profit
We need to sell 100 family cars or just three sports cars to break even.
After paying for our travel costs, we barely (= only just) broke even.
After a bad year in 1995, the company just about broke even in 1996.
We'd have to sell 2000 copies of the book to break even.
make a loss
when your expenses are more than your sales
When they started in business they made a loss for two years. But finally, things started to change for them last year.
loss-making businesses/companies (not making a profit/adjective)Toyota to make first loss since 1941
make a profit
when a business is able to cover all its expenses from sales and still have extra money left over
The restaurant has been making a profit for years and it's still doing very well.
She makes a big profit from selling waste material to textile companies
You don't expect to make much profit within the first couple of years of setting up a company.
A year ago the Tokyo company had a pretax profit of 35 million yen
non-profit(-making) :
describes an organization which does not make a profit, usually intentionally.
Charities are non-profit-making organizations and get tax relief.
money-spinner
something that is very popular and easy to sell (a business or product that makes a lot of money for someone)
During the World Cup, having a stall that sells flags from different countries is a real money spinner.
Cookery books are becoming a real money-spinner for the publishing industry.
a cash cow
a product that makes a lot of money (often easily) for a company (business or a part of a business that always makes a lot of profit )
Making the film cost us millions. But at least we've got the DVD, dolls and clothes cash cows to help us cover those enormous costs.
The British newspapers are the group's biggest cash cow, earning nearly 40% of group profits.
mass market
things that are sold in large numbers to a lot of people (A product that is designed for the mass market is intended to be bought by as many people as possible, not just by people with a lot of money or a special interest)
Our family cars are aimed at the mass market, while our sports cars are more for the niche market.
Advances in microchip technology have made these cameras smaller and cheaper and affordable to the mass market.
'Price' words and expressions
asking price
the amount of money you want when you sell something, (especially in a situation when you might agree to a lower price later) "the amount of money someone wants when they sell something, especially a building or a piece of land"
The asking price for the car was £10,000 but she ended up getting it for £8,500.
The asking price for the flat was £89 500.
a price war
when different companies compete with each other by lowering prices / a situation in which different companies compete with each other by lowering prices:
The supermarkets started a price war on bread last month. Each week the cost of a loaf gets lower and lower.
A supermarket price war has led to lower profit margins.
a price tagnoun (ALSO price ticket)
a sticker or piece of paper on something in a shop that tells you how much something costs
These shoes are gorgeous. I don't think I want to look at the price tag!
How much is it? - I can't find the price tag.
These suits have designer names and a price ticket to match.
The price tag for restoring the building will be around $150 million
be price-conscious (adjective)
be aware of how much things cost and avoid buying expensive things
My mum's very price-conscious. She buys practically all of our clothes in the sales
price-conscious shoppers
Vocabulary
let's get cracking (informal) : let's start (to start doing something quickly)
Get cracking (= Hurry), or we'll miss the train.
I'd better get cracking with these letters before I go home.
Let's get cracking! We've only got two days to finish
Get cracking! We're leaving in 5 minutes.
demand (noun)
something that people want to buy
There's an increasing demand for cheap housing. (NEED [U,no plural] a need for something to be sold or supplied )
They received a final demand for payment. (REQUEST [C] a strong request)
Good teachers are always in demand. (in demand wanted or needed in large numbers)
demand (verb)
1-I demanded an explanation.
[+ that] The survivors are demanding that the airline pays them compensation (ASK to ask for something in a way that shows that you do not expect to be refused)
2-This job demands a high level of concentration. (NEED to need something such as time or effort )
state : (formal) say : verb [T] SLIGHTLY FORMAL to say or write something, especially clearly and carefully:
Our warranty clearly states the limits of our liability.
[+ (that)] : Union members stated (that) they were unhappy with the proposal.
[+ question word] : Please state why you wish to apply for this grant.
Children in the stated (= named) areas were at risk from a lack of food, the report said.
inversely related : berlawanan
as one thing goes up, another thing goes down
Sometimes it seems that press coverage of an event is inversely proportional to its true importance (= the more important the event, the less attention is paid to it).
in the balance
something will be decided soon - one way or another (If a situation is in the balance it has reached a stage where it will soon be decided one way or another)
The game hung in the balance until the last minute when an exciting point decided it.
rash
hasty, sudden : (adjective) done suddenly and without thinking carefully
a rash decision/promise
That was a rash decision - you didn't think about the costs involved.
[+ to infinitive] : I think it was a bit rash of them to get married when they'd only known each other for a few weeks.
Friday, 26 December 2008
Obligation and permission 101
When we want to talk about what we are obliged to do (or what we must do), we can use the verbs 'must' or 'have to'.
To talk about what we are permitted to do (or allowed to do), we can use the verbs 'let', 'can' or 'be allowed to'.
Must and Have to:
Must and Have to are both used to talk about rules or obligations.
1. Must and have to are both followed by the base form of the main verb:
She must give money to her parents every month.
They have to get a visa before they go on holiday to the USA.
To talk about what we are permitted to do (or allowed to do), we can use the verbs 'let', 'can' or 'be allowed to'.
Must and Have to:
Must and Have to are both used to talk about rules or obligations.
1. Must and have to are both followed by the base form of the main verb:
She must give money to her parents every month.
They have to get a visa before they go on holiday to the USA.
Air travel vocabulary 2 (157)
Here is some vocabulary about airports and air travel.
Beginning and ending your journey:
a departures board
a noticeboard in an airport that tells passengers information about their flight
a boarding pass (boarding card/uk)
a piece of paper or card that is given to a passenger at check-in. A passenger must have one to be allowed to go onto the plane.
passport control
the place in the airport where your passport and boarding card are checked before you go to the departure lounge
a lounge
a room in a hotel, airport, theatre, etc. where people can relax or wait
an airport lounge
a final call
an announcement that's made over the airport's loudspeaker system to let passengers know that the flight is almost ready to go.
baggage reclaim
part of the airport where you go to collect your luggage after you arrive at your destination airport. Usually there is a 'carousel' - a continuous moving strip of material that goes round in a circle with passengers' bags on it
I reclaimed my suitcase from the left luggage office.
Types of flights:
a short-haul flight
a flight that takes a short time (up to about three hours), compared to a long-haul flight
a long-haul flight
a flight that takes a long time (over seven hours), compared to a short-haul flight
a domestic flight
a flight between two airports in the same country
an international flight
a flight between two airports in the different countries
a red-eye (flight)
a flight that leaves late at night and arrives early the next morning
We caught the red-eye from LA and got to New York at five this morning.
There's a red-eye flight to Los Angeles leaving at 10pm. [always before noun]
We took the red eye from Seattle to New York.
Types of seats on a plane:
a window seat
a seat next to the window
an aisle seat
a seat next to the aisle (the walkway between rows of seats)
Would you like an aisle seat or would you prefer to be by the window?
an economy seat
a seat in the economy class part of the plane (in the back part of the plane, where the seats are smaller and closer together than in other parts of the plane)
a first-class seat
a seat in the first-class part of the plane (in the front part of the plane, where the seats are bigger and spaced further than in other parts of the plane)
Vocabulary:
shortly : soon
We will shortly be arriving in King's Cross Station.
descent (noun)
a plane's movement down (towards the destination airport)
The plane began (to make) its final descent into the airport
The plane is making its final descent into the airport.
local time
the official time in a country or an area (e.g. When it's 9.20 pm local time in Beijing, it's 1.20 pm in London)
honeymoon
holiday a couple take after they've just been married
Where are you going on your honeymoon?
They are honeymooning in the Bahamas.
We went to Hawaii on our honeymoon.
This resort is popular with honeymooners.
track events / field event
sport events which take place on the running track of a stadium (e.g. 1000 metres, hurdles, relay race)
High jump and javelin throwing are field events.
some local colour
the special or unusual features of a place, especially as described or shown in a story, picture or film to make it seem more real
Beginning and ending your journey:
a departures board
a noticeboard in an airport that tells passengers information about their flight
a boarding pass (boarding card/uk)
a piece of paper or card that is given to a passenger at check-in. A passenger must have one to be allowed to go onto the plane.
passport control
the place in the airport where your passport and boarding card are checked before you go to the departure lounge
a lounge
a room in a hotel, airport, theatre, etc. where people can relax or wait
an airport lounge
a final call
an announcement that's made over the airport's loudspeaker system to let passengers know that the flight is almost ready to go.
baggage reclaim
part of the airport where you go to collect your luggage after you arrive at your destination airport. Usually there is a 'carousel' - a continuous moving strip of material that goes round in a circle with passengers' bags on it
I reclaimed my suitcase from the left luggage office.
Types of flights:
a short-haul flight
a flight that takes a short time (up to about three hours), compared to a long-haul flight
a long-haul flight
a flight that takes a long time (over seven hours), compared to a short-haul flight
a domestic flight
a flight between two airports in the same country
an international flight
a flight between two airports in the different countries
a red-eye (flight)
a flight that leaves late at night and arrives early the next morning
We caught the red-eye from LA and got to New York at five this morning.
There's a red-eye flight to Los Angeles leaving at 10pm. [always before noun]
We took the red eye from Seattle to New York.
Types of seats on a plane:
a window seat
a seat next to the window
an aisle seat
a seat next to the aisle (the walkway between rows of seats)
Would you like an aisle seat or would you prefer to be by the window?
an economy seat
a seat in the economy class part of the plane (in the back part of the plane, where the seats are smaller and closer together than in other parts of the plane)
a first-class seat
a seat in the first-class part of the plane (in the front part of the plane, where the seats are bigger and spaced further than in other parts of the plane)
Vocabulary:
shortly : soon
We will shortly be arriving in King's Cross Station.
descent (noun)
a plane's movement down (towards the destination airport)
The plane began (to make) its final descent into the airport
The plane is making its final descent into the airport.
local time
the official time in a country or an area (e.g. When it's 9.20 pm local time in Beijing, it's 1.20 pm in London)
honeymoon
holiday a couple take after they've just been married
Where are you going on your honeymoon?
They are honeymooning in the Bahamas.
We went to Hawaii on our honeymoon.
This resort is popular with honeymooners.
track events / field event
sport events which take place on the running track of a stadium (e.g. 1000 metres, hurdles, relay race)
High jump and javelin throwing are field events.
some local colour
the special or unusual features of a place, especially as described or shown in a story, picture or film to make it seem more real
Air travel vocabulary 50
Here is some vocabulary about airports and air travel.
Parts of an airport:
a duty-free shop
a shop in an airport where you don't have to pay taxes on the goods you buy
a departure lounge
the part of an airport where you wait until you get on the plane
a gate
the place in the airport where you go to get onto your flight
a runway
the part of an airport, like a road, which planes use when arriving or departing from an airport
a control tower
the building in an airport which tells planes when it is safe for them to take off and land
Air travel jobs:
the cabin crew
the people who look after passengers during a flight
a pilot
a person who flies a plane
a baggage handler
a person who is responsible for your luggage, after you check-in, and takes it to the plane
an immigration officer
a person who checks your visa and passport when you go into a country
Things you find on a plane:
a cockpit
the place where the pilots sit to control the plane
a galley
the area on a plane where the cabin crew prepare meals and store duty-free goods etc
a trolley
a small cupboard with wheels. Cabin crews use trolleys to take food and drink to passengers during a flight
a seatbelt
a safety feature on planes to secure passengers in their seats
an overhead locker
a storage area above passengers' heads in a plane
a tray-table
a small table that is stored in the back of the seat in front of you on a plane
an oxygen mask
a piece of safety equipment which passengers put over their nose and mouth to help them breath if there is an emergency on a plane
hand luggage (uncountable)
small bags or suitcases which passengers carry with them onto the plane
checked baggage/luggage (uncountable)
large suitcases or bags which passengers don't carry with them onto the plane but which are put in the hold (the storage area of a plane)
Verbs about air travel:
to check in
to show your travel documents to the airline staff in the airport so that you can begin your journey
Passengers are requested to check in two hours before the flight.
to board/to embark
to go onto a plane at the beginning of the journey
At London airport she boarded a plane to Australia.
Will passengers waiting to board please go to the ticket counter?
The plane is now boarding at gate 26.
We embarked at Liverpool for New York.
You'll be asked for those documents on embarkation.
to take off
to start flying in the air
The plane took off at 8.30 a.m.
Night take-offs and landings are banned at this airport
to taxi
to move a plane slowly along the ground before or after flying
After a half-hour delay, our plane taxied to the runway for takeoff.
to cruise
to fly at a steady speed
The plane is cruising at 500 miles per hour.
to land
to bring a plane down to the ground
We should land in Madrid at 7am.
You can land a plane on water in an emergency.
to fasten/unfasten a seatbelt
to secure two parts of your seat-belt together/to untie your seatbelt
Fasten your seat belts.
Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened
to approach (the runway)
to fly at slow speak towards the runway
If you look out of the window on the left of the bus, you'll see that we're now approaching the Tower of London
to declare
to give information about goods or money you are bringing into a country
Nothing to declare.
Goods to declare.
Have you got anything to declare?
Vocabulary:
a standstill:
a stop or an end
a designated area:
a place that is signed for a particular purpose (for example, a designated smoking area)
a terminal building:
the part of an airport where planes arrive or depart from
a message:
text information to or from a mobile phone
to confiscate:
to take something away from someone as a punishment for doing something wrong
His passport was confiscated by the police to prevent him from leaving the country.
There was a record number of confiscations by customs officers last year.
Parts of an airport:
a duty-free shop
a shop in an airport where you don't have to pay taxes on the goods you buy
a departure lounge
the part of an airport where you wait until you get on the plane
a gate
the place in the airport where you go to get onto your flight
a runway
the part of an airport, like a road, which planes use when arriving or departing from an airport
a control tower
the building in an airport which tells planes when it is safe for them to take off and land
Air travel jobs:
the cabin crew
the people who look after passengers during a flight
a pilot
a person who flies a plane
a baggage handler
a person who is responsible for your luggage, after you check-in, and takes it to the plane
an immigration officer
a person who checks your visa and passport when you go into a country
Things you find on a plane:
a cockpit
the place where the pilots sit to control the plane
a galley
the area on a plane where the cabin crew prepare meals and store duty-free goods etc
a trolley
a small cupboard with wheels. Cabin crews use trolleys to take food and drink to passengers during a flight
a seatbelt
a safety feature on planes to secure passengers in their seats
an overhead locker
a storage area above passengers' heads in a plane
a tray-table
a small table that is stored in the back of the seat in front of you on a plane
an oxygen mask
a piece of safety equipment which passengers put over their nose and mouth to help them breath if there is an emergency on a plane
hand luggage (uncountable)
small bags or suitcases which passengers carry with them onto the plane
checked baggage/luggage (uncountable)
large suitcases or bags which passengers don't carry with them onto the plane but which are put in the hold (the storage area of a plane)
Verbs about air travel:
to check in
to show your travel documents to the airline staff in the airport so that you can begin your journey
Passengers are requested to check in two hours before the flight.
to board/to embark
to go onto a plane at the beginning of the journey
At London airport she boarded a plane to Australia.
Will passengers waiting to board please go to the ticket counter?
The plane is now boarding at gate 26.
We embarked at Liverpool for New York.
You'll be asked for those documents on embarkation.
to take off
to start flying in the air
The plane took off at 8.30 a.m.
Night take-offs and landings are banned at this airport
to taxi
to move a plane slowly along the ground before or after flying
After a half-hour delay, our plane taxied to the runway for takeoff.
to cruise
to fly at a steady speed
The plane is cruising at 500 miles per hour.
to land
to bring a plane down to the ground
We should land in Madrid at 7am.
You can land a plane on water in an emergency.
to fasten/unfasten a seatbelt
to secure two parts of your seat-belt together/to untie your seatbelt
Fasten your seat belts.
Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened
to approach (the runway)
to fly at slow speak towards the runway
If you look out of the window on the left of the bus, you'll see that we're now approaching the Tower of London
to declare
to give information about goods or money you are bringing into a country
Nothing to declare.
Goods to declare.
Have you got anything to declare?
Vocabulary:
a standstill:
a stop or an end
a designated area:
a place that is signed for a particular purpose (for example, a designated smoking area)
a terminal building:
the part of an airport where planes arrive or depart from
a message:
text information to or from a mobile phone
to confiscate:
to take something away from someone as a punishment for doing something wrong
His passport was confiscated by the police to prevent him from leaving the country.
There was a record number of confiscations by customs officers last year.
Describing people
To talk about people's appearance or personality you can use:
be + adjective
Verb:To be + Adjective
I'm slim
He's well-built
She's matronly
You're handsome
We're extroverted
They're shy
To talk about physical characteristics you can use:
have got + (adjective) + noun
Verb:Have got (Adjective)+ Noun
I've got hazel eyes
He's got a shaved head
She's got gorgeous black hair
You've got a five o'clock shadow
We've got green eyes
They've got long legs
To ask about someone's appearance you can use:
do + look like?
Verb:To do + Look like?
What do I look like?
What do you look like?
What does he/she/it like?
What do they like?
Some adjectives have a negative connotation (or feeling) and some are more neutral:
Negative = Neutral
fat = plump or large
skinny = slim
spinster = single
To ask about someone's personality you can use:
be + like?
Verb:To be + Like?
What am I like?
What are you like?
What is he/she/it like?
What are we like?
What are they like?
Vocabulary:
a five o'clock shadow:
is a kind of beard or moustache (but not a full beard or moustache) that a man gets if he doesn't shave for a day or two
matronly (adj): an older woman who is plump
bald (adj):a person with no hair. A person can have a shaved head if s/he is bald or if s/he has hair but chooses to shave it off
be + adjective
Verb:To be + Adjective
I'm slim
He's well-built
She's matronly
You're handsome
We're extroverted
They're shy
To talk about physical characteristics you can use:
have got + (adjective) + noun
Verb:Have got (Adjective)+ Noun
I've got hazel eyes
He's got a shaved head
She's got gorgeous black hair
You've got a five o'clock shadow
We've got green eyes
They've got long legs
To ask about someone's appearance you can use:
do + look like?
Verb:To do + Look like?
What do I look like?
What do you look like?
What does he/she/it like?
What do they like?
Some adjectives have a negative connotation (or feeling) and some are more neutral:
Negative = Neutral
fat = plump or large
skinny = slim
spinster = single
To ask about someone's personality you can use:
be + like?
Verb:To be + Like?
What am I like?
What are you like?
What is he/she/it like?
What are we like?
What are they like?
Vocabulary:
a five o'clock shadow:
is a kind of beard or moustache (but not a full beard or moustache) that a man gets if he doesn't shave for a day or two
matronly (adj): an older woman who is plump
bald (adj):a person with no hair. A person can have a shaved head if s/he is bald or if s/he has hair but chooses to shave it off
Thursday, 25 December 2008
Business vocabulary 2
a- Career stages
get a junior position / be in a junior position:
have a job with few responsibilities or power which usually involves doing mainly unskilled jobs
...She left school with no qualification so was lucky to get a junior position in an IT firm.
get work experience / go on work experience:
a short-term (often unpaid) job that young people or students take so that they can get experience of working in an office or company
...He's got some work experience at a newspaper over the summer. He hopes it will help him get a job in journalism when he graduates.
...1-the experience that a person already has of working:Please list your educational qualifications and work experience.
...2-a period of time in which a student temporarily works for an employer to gain experience:Many firms understand that giving work experience to students from colleges and schools will benefit everyone in the long term.
get a permanent position / get a permanent contract / be made permanent:
have long-term employment with a company
...After working on 3 short-term contracts they finally made him permanent last week.
...Are you looking for a temporary or a permanent job?
be promoted / get promoted / get a promotion: move further up in a company to a more senior role. NOTE: The opposite is demote.
...She's delighted. She got the promotion. She's a manager now.
...If I'm not promoted within the next two years, I'm going to change jobs.
...She's just been promoted to senior sales rep.
...If Coventry City win this match, they'll be promoted to the Premier League.
...Did Steve get/Was Steve given the promotion he wanted?
...She was promoted to division manager last year
...She's been recommended for (a) promotion.
retire: stop working when you are old.
...She worked for years as a teacher but now she has retired. She spends most of her time with her grandchildren.
b-Employee relations
a union:
an organisation which employees (but not usually managers) can belong to. A union uses its strength, by having a lot of members, to talk to management to try to improve pay and working conditions for employees
...The unions are in discussions with the government about how the anti-smoking laws will affect workers in pubs and restaurants.
strike / go on strike:
refuse to continue working because of a disagreement with an employer about working conditions, pay or job losses etc.
The unions threatened to strike if the management don't offer a better pay deal.
work-to-rule:
when workers carefully obey all the rules and instructions given to them about their jobs, but don't do anything extra or outside those rules (as they usually do).
They're not going on strike but are going to work-to-rule if the management decides to go ahead with the job cuts.
c-Types of work and ways of working
a freelancer: a person who does short pieces of work for different organisations rather than being continuously employed by one company
We'll get some freelancers in to help us with this project so that we'll make the deadline.
a job for life:
working for the same company all your working life.
The days of having a job for life are over now. Most people work for 8 - 10 companies during their working life.
in-house:
work that is done inside a company, rather than it being out-sourced.
We still produce the company newsletter in-house but we out-sourced the printing. It's much cheaper than doing the printing ourselves.
out-source:
work that is done for one company by another one rather than it being done in-house.
The company decided to out-source its IT so that it could concentrate on its key business area – marketing.
Vocabulary
a right handful :someone who is difficult to manage or control
turned up : arrived
took him to task about it : talked to him about it, blamed him for it or gave him into trouble about it
asserting your authority : showing that you have power
notes : written details about a lecture or lesson that you use to help you study or remember
in the process : while doing something else
get a junior position / be in a junior position:
have a job with few responsibilities or power which usually involves doing mainly unskilled jobs
...She left school with no qualification so was lucky to get a junior position in an IT firm.
get work experience / go on work experience:
a short-term (often unpaid) job that young people or students take so that they can get experience of working in an office or company
...He's got some work experience at a newspaper over the summer. He hopes it will help him get a job in journalism when he graduates.
...1-the experience that a person already has of working:Please list your educational qualifications and work experience.
...2-a period of time in which a student temporarily works for an employer to gain experience:Many firms understand that giving work experience to students from colleges and schools will benefit everyone in the long term.
get a permanent position / get a permanent contract / be made permanent:
have long-term employment with a company
...After working on 3 short-term contracts they finally made him permanent last week.
...Are you looking for a temporary or a permanent job?
be promoted / get promoted / get a promotion: move further up in a company to a more senior role. NOTE: The opposite is demote.
...She's delighted. She got the promotion. She's a manager now.
...If I'm not promoted within the next two years, I'm going to change jobs.
...She's just been promoted to senior sales rep.
...If Coventry City win this match, they'll be promoted to the Premier League.
...Did Steve get/Was Steve given the promotion he wanted?
...She was promoted to division manager last year
...She's been recommended for (a) promotion.
retire: stop working when you are old.
...She worked for years as a teacher but now she has retired. She spends most of her time with her grandchildren.
b-Employee relations
a union:
an organisation which employees (but not usually managers) can belong to. A union uses its strength, by having a lot of members, to talk to management to try to improve pay and working conditions for employees
...The unions are in discussions with the government about how the anti-smoking laws will affect workers in pubs and restaurants.
strike / go on strike:
refuse to continue working because of a disagreement with an employer about working conditions, pay or job losses etc.
The unions threatened to strike if the management don't offer a better pay deal.
work-to-rule:
when workers carefully obey all the rules and instructions given to them about their jobs, but don't do anything extra or outside those rules (as they usually do).
They're not going on strike but are going to work-to-rule if the management decides to go ahead with the job cuts.
c-Types of work and ways of working
a freelancer: a person who does short pieces of work for different organisations rather than being continuously employed by one company
We'll get some freelancers in to help us with this project so that we'll make the deadline.
a job for life:
working for the same company all your working life.
The days of having a job for life are over now. Most people work for 8 - 10 companies during their working life.
in-house:
work that is done inside a company, rather than it being out-sourced.
We still produce the company newsletter in-house but we out-sourced the printing. It's much cheaper than doing the printing ourselves.
out-source:
work that is done for one company by another one rather than it being done in-house.
The company decided to out-source its IT so that it could concentrate on its key business area – marketing.
Vocabulary
a right handful :someone who is difficult to manage or control
turned up : arrived
took him to task about it : talked to him about it, blamed him for it or gave him into trouble about it
asserting your authority : showing that you have power
notes : written details about a lecture or lesson that you use to help you study or remember
in the process : while doing something else
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