92

Headline English

92
Headline writers try to catch the reader's eye by using as few words as possible. The
language headlines use is, consequently, unusual in a number of ways.
Grammar words like articles or auxiliary verbs are often left out, e.g. EARLY CUT
FORECAST IN INTEREST RATES
A simple form of the verb is used, e.g. QUEEN OPENS HOSPITAL TODAY
The infinitive is used to express the fact that something is going to happen in the future,
e.g. PRESIDENT TO VISIT MINE
B ; Newspaper headlines use a lot of distinctive vocabulary. They prefer words that are usually
shorter and generally sound more dramatic than ordinary English words. The words marked
can be used either as nouns or verbs.

newspaper
word

meaning

newspaper
word

meaning

aid *
axe *
back
bar *
bid *
blast *
blaze *
boost *
boss * 1
head* 1
clash :;'
curb *
cut *
drama
drive *
gems
go-ahead
hit

help
cut, remove
support
exclude, forbid
attempt
explosion
fire
incentive, encourage

key
link
move *
ordeal
oust
plea
pledge *
ploy
poll*
probe *
quit
riddle
strife
talks
threat
vow *
wed

essential, vital
connection
step towards a desired end
painful experience
push out
request
promise
clever activity
election / public opinion survey
investigation
leave, resign
mystery
conflict
discussions
danger
promise
marry

manager, director
dispute
restraint, limit
reduction
tense situation
campaign, effort
jewels
approval
affect badly

92

92

Newspaper headlines often use abbreviations, e.g. PM for Prime Minister, MP for Member
of Parliament. (See Unit 98 for more abbreviations.)
Some newspapers also enjoy making jokes in their headlines. They do this by playing with
words or punning, e.g. a wet open air concert in London by the opera singer Luciano
Pavarotti was described as:
TORRENTIAL RAIN IN MOST ARIAsJ ['most areas']
An announcement that a woman working at the Mars chocolate company had got an
interesting new job was:
WOMAN FROM MARS TO BE FIRST BRITON IN SPACE

(Note that the word 'Briton' is almost exclusively found in newspapers.)

184

English Vocabulary in Use

92

Exercises
92*

On the left there is a list of headlines. On the right there is a list of news topics. Match the
headlines with the appropriate topic as in the example.
1
2
3
4
5
6

92.2

PM BACKS PEACE PLAN

MP SPY DRAMA
SPACE PROBE FAILS
QUEEN'S GEMS RIDDLE
STAR WEDS
KEY WITNESS DEATH THREAT

marriage of famous actress

royal jewels are stolen
person who saw crime in danger
- proposal to end war
satellite is not launched
politician sells secrets to enemy

Explain what the following headlines mean in ordinary English.

Example: SHOP BLAZE 5 DEAD Five people died in a fire in a shop.
1
2
3
4
5
6

92.3

MOVE TO CREATE MORE JOBS

GO-AHEAD FOR WATER CURBS
WOMAN QUITS AFTER JOB ORDEAL
POLL PROBES SPENDING HABITS
BID TO OUST PM
PRINCE VOWS TO BACK FAMILY

The words marked * in the table opposite can be either nouns or verbs. Note that the
meaning given is usually in the form of a noun. In the headlines below you have examples of
words from the table used as verbs. Look at the underlined verbs and explain what they
mean. You may need to use more than one word.
Example: PM TO CURB SPENDING limit
1
2
3
4
5

92.4

BOOK LINKS MI5 WITH KGB

CHANCELLOR CUTS INTEREST RATES
BOMB BLASTS CENTRAL LONDON
PM PLEDGES BACKING FOR EUROPE
PRESIDENT HEADS PEACE MOVES

Would you be interested in the stories under the following headlines? Why (not)?

Mortgages cut as
\w tennis clashJ
bank rates fall again

Teenage 4m f
fraud riddle I
92.5

Price curbs I
/
boost exports I
Women barred j
"- "" . *
from jobs ( Royal family quits

Look through some English language newspapers and find some examples of headlines
illustrating the points made on the opposite page. Beside each headline make a note of what
the accompanying story is about. Try to find some examples of amusing headlines.

English Vocabulary in Use

185

91.S

Here are two possibilities for each of the verbs in the unit:
see
His parents have promised to see him through university.
It's hard to find your way round this building - I'll see you out.
run
Our dog was run over by a car.
She ran up an enormous bill at the dressmaker's.
turn
Please turn down your walkman -1 can't concentrate.
I'm very tired. I'm going to turn in soon.
let
Let sleeping dogs lie.
This skirt is too tight - I'll have to let it out.
break
I'm broke - can you lend me five pounds for a few days?
Breaking in new shoes can be a painful experience.

Unit 92
91.1

1 proposal to end war

2 politician sells secrets to enemy
3 satellite is not launched

92.2

Suggested answers:
1 Steps are being taken with the aim of providing more work for people.
2 Approval has been given to a plan to place restrictions on people's use of water.
3 A woman resigned from her job after undergoing some kind of unpleasant experience there.
4 A public opinion survey has looked into how people spend their money.
5 An attempt has been made to remove the Prime Minister from his/her position.
6 The Prince has promised to give support to his family.

92.3

92.$

1 makes a connection between

2 reduces
3 explodes in

262

93.4

3
4
5

93.5

1
2
3

93.6

4 royal jewels are stolen

5 marriage of famous actress
6 person who saw crime in danger

4 promises
5 leads / is a major figure in

tn

94.1
94.2

Make sure that you note down not only the headline but also a brief indication of what the story
was about so that the headline makes sense when you revise your work later.

Unit 93
93.1

93.2

1 American; a Brit would write labour.

2 Brit; an American would write center.
3 American; a Brit would be much less likely to use a word of this type, probably preferring a
phrase like 'taken into hospital'. If s/he did, s/he would probably spell it hospitalised; however,
the ending ize instead of ise is becoming much more common in British English these days.
4 American; a Brit would spell it theatre (and would call it cinema.)
5 Brit; an American would write favor.
6 American, writing in an informal context; a Brit would write through.

English Vocabulary in Use

94.3

94.4

1
2

I 00

Newspaper headline language

Features of headline language

10

Here are some typical examples of headlines from tabloid newspapers with comments on
their use of language, [popular papers with smaller pages than more serious papers]

EXPERT R E V E A L S NEW MOBILE DANGERS

Articles, prepositions and auxiliary verbs are often omitted from headlines.
This use of the present simple instead of the past tense makes the story sound more
immediate.
The use of language is often ambiguous. It is not entirely clear, for example, what
mobile refers to here. It is actually about the dangers of mobile phone use but it could
have referred to dangers that can move in some way. Readers have to look at the story
in order to find out.
Words with dramatic associations such as danger are often used.

10

TV STAR TRAGIC TARGET FOR MYSTERY GUNMAN

This story is about how a well-known television actor was shot by an unknown killer.
Tabloid newspapers like to use references to royalty or popular figures like film or pop
stars or sports personalities in order to attract readers' attention.
Alliteration such as TV Star Tragic Target is often used to attract the eye in headlines
and to make them sound more memorable.
Newspapers sometimes use 'shorthand' words such as 'gunman' in order to express an
idea or image as briefly and as vividly as possible.

Violent words
Violent and militaristic words are often used in newspaper headlines, especially in tabloid
newspapers, in order to make stories seem more dramatic.
EU acts to crush terror of the thugs
Crackdown on soccer louts

Palace besieged by journalists

Typhoon rips through town

Playing with words

Many newspaper headlines in English attract readers' attention by playing on words in an
entertaining way. For example, a story about the theft of traffic signs erected to help
tourists coming to see a solar eclipse in the area was headlined Dark deeds. In this
collocation dark usually carries the meaning of wicked, but the headline is cleverly playing
with the word dark because at the time of an eclipse the sky goes dark.
Another example is the use of the headline Ruffled feathers to describe an incident where
a wife was angry with her husband, a wildlife expert, for allowing a Russian steppe eagle
to sleep in their bedroom. We use the idiom to smooth someone's ruffled feathers, meaning
to pacify someone after an argument. It is apt to use it here as the story is about a bird
(although, of course, it was the woman's feathers which were ruffled).

S
218

The English newspaper The Guardian is particularly fond of playing with words in its headlines. See if
you can find some examples at its website: www.guardian.co.uk

English Vocabulary in Use (advanced)

10

Exercises
100.1

Read these headlines. What do you think the stories might be about?

1 MOSCOW BLAST TERROR

2 PM TO REVEAL SOCCER LOUT PLANS
3 TOP MP IN L O N E BATTLE
100.2

4 CRACKDOWN ON PORN
5 THUGS BESIEGE TEEN STAR
6 COPS TARGET LOUTS

These headlines were written in a pretend tabloid newspaper about Ancient Greece. Match
them with the subjects of their stories (a) to (e) below and comment on the features of
headline language they contain.
1 NUDE S C I E N T I S T IN BATHTUB SENSATION

2 KING PHIL'S MACEDONIAN MASH-UP

3 MARATHON MAN IN DROP-DEAD DASH
4 QUADRUPLE ROYAL MURDER SENSATION
5 IT'S CURTAINS FOR CORINTH
a) Mysterious death of four members of the royal family.
b) Philip of Macedonia wins battle against city states of Athens and Thebes.
c) Archimedes' discovery of the laws governing the displacement of water.
d) Burning of city of Corinth to ground by the Romans.
e) Long-distance runner brings news of battle victory to Athens and then dies.
100.3

Match the headline to its story and explain the play on words in each case.

1 Bad blood
2 Happy days?
3 Shell-shocked
in

ere
[e
ing

4 False impressions
5 Happy haunting
6 Hopping mad

7 Flushed
8 Highly embarrassed
9 Round-up

a) A grandfather's breathing problems were solved when doctors found four false teeth at
the entrance to his lungs. They had been forced down his windpipe in a car crash eight
years ago.
b) A 25-year-old terrapin is being treated for a fractured shell after surviving a 200ft drop.
c) A Shetland teacher has suggested labradors or golden retrievers could be used to control
pupils in playgrounds.
d) A ghost society has been told not to scare off a friendly female apparition at a hotel.
e) Adults who have never quite grown up are to be offered school theme nights including
uniforms, register, assembly and primary school dinners by a Nottingham hotel.
f) An ex-public loo in Hackney, East London, is to be sold for 76,000.
g) A Whitby curate has attacked the resort's attempts to profit on its connections with
Dracula: 'a pale-faced man with a bad sense of fashion, severe dental problems and an
eating disorder.'
h) A toad triggered a police alert when it set off a new hi-tech alarm system,
i) Firemen had to scale a 30-foot tree in St Leonard's, East Sussex, to rescue a man who
was trying to capture his pet iguana.

English Vocabulary in Use (advanced)

219

Unit 100
100.1

Suggested answers:
1 A bomb explosion in Moscow terrorises the population there.
2 The Prime Minister is going to announce plans for dealing with football hooligans.
3 A high-ranking Member of Parliament is fighting for or trying to achieve something on
his own.
4 A strong campaign against pornography has been launched.
5 Violent men surround a teenage star.
6 The police decide to focus on dealing with violently behaved and offensive young men.

100.2 Ic use of nudity; use of dramatic words like 'sensation' to attract attention
2b
3e
4a
5d
I 00.3

1C

use of familiar name for King (shows either lack of respect or friendly familiarity);
colloquial and dramatic expression 'mash-up' for battle
alliteration of Marathon Man and Drop-dead Dash; dramatic words and image
royalty and scandal - favourite topics for tabloids
colloquial expression 'It's curtains for ...' [It's the end for ...]; alliteration of curtains
and Corinth

Ig

Dracula was a vampire known for drinking blood. Bad blood is also an expression
used to mean bad feelings between people. There will probably be bad blood between
the vicar of Whitby and the people who are making a profit from the Dracula
connections of the town.
2e School days are often referred to as the 'happiest days of one's life'.
3b Shell-shocked means traumatised or in a state of great shock. It is referring to how
soldiers in the trenches in World War I felt after they had been subjected to shells or
bombs for a long time. Terrapins and tortoises have shells and they would certainly
be shocked (in the medical sense) by falling from such a height.
4a Dentists make impressions of teeth and false impressions is a common collocation
used to mean incorrect impressions created by a person.
5d This is meant to recall the phrase 'happy hunting'. Haunting, however, is what a
ghost does. An apparition is a kind of ghost.
6h Hopping mad is a collocation meaning extremely cross. It is appropriate here as toads
and frogs hop along the ground. Hopping mad is also no doubt how the police felt
when they discovered they had been called out by a toad.
7f A loo is a toilet and toilets flush (= water passes through them). Flushed also means
to have a pink colour in one's skin because one is happy. It collocates strongly with
the phrase 'flushed with success', as the people who have sold the toilet for such a
large sum of money are likely to be.
8i Highly embarrassed is a collocation meaning extremely embarrassed. It is doubly
appropriate here as the man is so high up the tree that he has to be rescued by the
fire brigade - certainly an embarrassing situation.
9c Sheepdogs round up sheep. Labradors and golden retrievers are kinds of dogs and it
is suggested that they should round up the children.

>e

English Vocabulary in Use (advanced)

291

What are idioms?

A

Idioms and meaning

Idioms are expressions which have a meaning that is not obvious from the individual words.
For example, the idiom drive somebody round the bend means make somebody angry or
frustrated, but we cannot know this just by looking at the words.
The best way to understand an idiom is to see it in context. If someone says:
This tin opener's driving me round the bend! I think I'll throw it away and get a new one
next time I'm in town.
then the context and common sense tells us that drive round the bend means something
different from driving a car round a curve in the road. The context tells us the tin opener is
not working properly and that it's having an effect on the person using it.

Types of idioms
form

example

meaning

verb + object/complement
(and/or adverbial)

kill two birds with one stone

produce two useful results by

just doing one action

prepositional phrase

in the blink of an e/e

in an extremely short time

compound

a bone of contention

something which people argue

and disagree over

simile /'simili/ (as + adjective +

os, or like + noun)

as dry as a bone

very dry indeed

binomial (word + and + word)

rough and ready

crude and lacking sophistication

trinomial (word + word + and

+ word)

cool, calm and collected

relaxed, in control, not nervous

whole clause or sentence

to cut a long story short

to tell the main points, but not all

the fine details

Fixed aspects of idioms

Most idioms are fixed in their form, and cannot be changed or varied. Sometimes, however,
the grammar or the vocabulary can be varied slightly. Where this book or a dictionary gives
information on what can be varied, always note it in your Vocabulary notebook.

variation

example

Occasionally an idiom in the active

voice can be used in the passive.

Government Ministers always pass the buck if they are challenged

about poverty, [blame somebody else / refuse to accept
responsibility]
The buck has been passed from Minister to Minister. No one
seems prepared to accept the responsibility.

Some verb-based idioms also have

noun-compound forms.

There is too much buck-passing in government nowadays. No one

accepts the blame for anything.

One or more words in the idiom

can be varied.

Stop acting the fool/goat! [stop acting stupidly]

English Idioms in Use

Exercises
i. I

How much can you guess about the meaning of these idioms just by looking at the context?
Tick the boxes according to what you can understand about the words in bold.
1 I decided I was going to get a place at university by hook or by crook. It had always been
my dream to study for a degree in history.
means using illegal methods if necessary
means nothing will stop m e
means I was very determined

YES

NO

D
O
D

DON'T KNOW/
CAN'T TELL

D
D

D
D
D

See Unit 17.

2 The government and the unions are at loggerheads; there may be a general strike.
means have a good relationship
means hate each other
means disagree very strongly

YES

NO

DON'T KNOW/
CAN'T TELL

D
D
n

D
D
D

n
D
D

See Unit 22.

3 We had to pay through the nose to get our visas in five days instead of the usual 30 days.
means suffer in some way
means pay a small sum of money
means pay a large sum of money

YES

NO

DON'T KNOW/
CAN'T TELL

D
D
D

D
D
D

D
D
D

See Unit 24.

Classify the idioms in the sentences below according to their grammatical type:
Type A verb + object/complement
Type D simile
(and/or adverbial)
Type E binomial or trinomial
Type B prepositional phrase
Type F whole clause or sentence
Type C compound
1 Should we fly or go by train? What are the pros and cons?
Type:
See Unit 10.
2 I'm having second thoughts about going on holiday with Jean. She can be a bit difficult.
Type:
See Unit 5.
3 When I had finished all my exams, I felt as free as a bird.
Type:
See Unit 60.
4 I don't know much about design, so I gave the decorator a free hand in my new flat.
Type:
See Unit 45.
5 She comes from a rather well-to-do family. She's always had a comfortable life.
Type:
See Unit 24.
6 My old school friend Harriet arrived out of the blue. I hadn't seen her for 15 years.
Type:
See Unit 42.
Correct the mistakes in the idioms in these sentences. Use the clues in brackets. Use a good
general dictionary or a dictionary of idioms if necessary.
1 My father's foot was put down when I said I wanted a car for my seventeenth birthday.
He said I was too young, (grammar - voice)
See Unit 46.
2 Her words put the cat among the birds; Jim is furious, (vocabulary)
See Unit 37.
3 You'll be pleased to hear we arrived sound and safe in Peru, (binomial) See Unit 16.
4 He was lying in his teeth when he said he had got a first-class grade in his exam; the truth
is he failed, (grammar - small word)
See Unit 51.

English Idioms in Use

Key
Uniti
LI

1 by hook or by crook
YES

means using illegal methods if necessary

means nothing will stop me
means I was very determined

n
^s
^s

NO

n
n
n

DON'T KNOW/
CAN'T TELL

n
n

2 at loggerheads
means have a good relationship
means hate each other
means disagree very strongly

DON'T KNOW/
CAN'T TELL

YES

NO

n
n

D
D

YES

NO

DON'T KNOW/
CAN'T TELL

n
n
n

3 pay through the nose

n
n

means suffer in some way

means pay a small sum of money
means pay a large sum of money

2 A

3 D

4 F

i.2

1 E

i.3

1 My father put his foot down when I said I wanted a car for my seventeenth birthday.
He said I was too young.
2 Her words put the cat among the pigeons; Jim is furious.
3 You'll be pleased to hear we arrived safe and sound in Peru.
4 He was lying through his teeth when he said he had got a first-class grade in his exam;
the truth is he failed.

5 C

6 B

Unit ii

I 30

ii.l

In CIDI and CIDE these idioms are to be found under the following head words:
pick (both)
2 earth (both)
3 ground (CIDI); stand (CIDE)
4 knife (both)
5 head (CIDI); bang (CIDE)
6 daylights (CIDI); this idiom is not in CIDE

11.2

1
2
3
4

back and with a bump can be omitted

either all or the could be omitted
most can be omitted
living could be omitted

11.3

1
2
3
4
5
6

bill could be replaced by tab

bump could be replaced by bang or jolt
stand could be replaced by hold
sticking could be replaced by putting
banging could be replaced by hitting
scared could be replaced by frightened

English Idioms in Use

II

Using your dictionary

What do you look up?
As it can be difficult to work out what an
idiom means even when you know all the
individual words in the idiom, you will often
need to look up idioms in a dictionary. If you are
working with a dictionary on CD-Rom, then you
will have no problems finding the idiom in
question, but working with a traditional dictionary,
you have to find where the idiom is listed. As an idiom consists of several words, which of
these do you look up in your dictionary? For example, do you try to find kill two birds with
one stone under kill, two, birds or stone, or let the cat out of the bag under let, cat or bag?
If you are using either the Cambridge
International Dictionary of Idioms (CIDI) or the
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (CALD),
then the easiest way of finding what you need is
to look in the alphabetical index at the back of
the book. This lists all the expressions included
in the dictionary with the word where an entry
for the expression will be found in the
dictionary highlighted in bold. This shows that in CIDI kill two birds with one stone will be
found under two and let the cat out of the bag will be found under cat. In CALD these two
idioms will be found under kill and cat.
If you are using a different dictionary, read its introductory notes now to see how it deals
with idioms. This will avoid the frustration you would otherwise feel on deciding to look up
the wrong element of the idiom first.

What information does your dictionary give you?

Your dictionary will tell you a lot of other things as well as the meaning of the idiom. As
idioms are used in such fixed ways, it is important to read the notes in your dictionary
carefully if you want to use idioms as well as to understand them.
You will find all these things in a good dictionary of idioms:
information about words that are interchangeable, e.g. drive/send sb round the bend
information about how the idiom is used - brackets, for example, show if any words in the
idiom can be left out, e.g. I (can) feel it in my bones.
notes about the grammar of the idiom - there may be notes, for example, to say that an idiom
is usually used in a passive construction or in a continuous form or in a negative sentence
examples of the idiom in use
comments on register - the register labels used in CIDI are informal, formal, very informal,
old-fashioned, taboo, humorous and literary
notes about regional variations in use - this is important as many British idioms will sound
very strange to an American and vice versa
It is not possible for this book to include as much information about each idiom as you will find in a
dictionary. So, look up the idioms that you particularly want to learn from this book in a dictionary as
well. In yourVocabulary notebook, write any further information or other examples of the idioms in the
context that you find in the dictionary.

English Idioms in Use

Exercises
ii. I

Look up the idioms in these sentences in your dictionary. What word is each idiom listed under?
1 It's the person in the street who picks up the bill for the government's mistakes.
2 She had a wonderful trip to Australia, but now she's come back down to earth with a
bump.
3 John had a furious argument with his supervisor, but he managed to stand his ground.
4 He's feeling very miserable, so there's no need for you to stick the knife in too.
5 You're banging your head against a brick wall trying to get him to help you.
6 You scared the living daylights out of me by creeping up behind me like that.

11.2

Which word(s) could be left out of the idioms in these sentences?

1 It's always hard when you have to come back down to earth with a bump after a holiday.
2 No one thought she could climb the mountain without oxygen, but she succeeded against
all the odds.
3 She hit him where it hurt most by telling him that he had always been a disappointment to
his parents.
4 The way he reacted scared the living daylights out of me!

11.3

Which word in each idiom could be changed for another word?

1 Don't worry about a thing - I'm sure the company will pick up the bill.
2 I came back down to earth with a bump when I saw the pile of post waiting for me after
the weekend.
3 The army had lost many of its men, but it managed to stand its ground.
4 Why do critics seem to enjoy sticking the knife into untalented actors and writers?
5 I feel as if I'm banging my head against a brick wall with him at the moment.
6 It's a terrifying film - it scared the living daylights out of me!

11.4

What grammatical information does your dictionary give about these idioms? Read the
information and then write a sentence with each idiom.
1
2
3
4
5

11.5

look a gift horse in the mouth

be pushing up the daisies
be on the brink of
tie yourself up in knots
be man enough

Match the register labels in the box with the idioms in the sentences below.
formal

1
2
3
4
5
6

humorous

informal

literary

old-fashioned very informal

I really don't like him - he's such a slime ball.

OK. I'll do the washing-up. There's no peace for the wicked!
Her family has lived in that village from time immemorial.
My grandma always used to say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
The food was so delicious - we stuffed our faces.
I hope that what I have said will give you pause for thought.

English Idioms in Use

ii.4

Possible answers:
1 look a gift horse in the mouth - always used in a negative sentence
You shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth!
2 be pushing up the daisies - always used in a continuous form
We 'II all be pushing up the daisies by then!
3 be on the brink of - always followed by a noun or an -ing form
Newspaper reports say that the company is on the brink of financial disaster.
4 tie yourself up in knots - always used reflexively
She tied herself up in knots trying to explain why she had written to him like that.
5 be man enough - always followed by an infinitive with to
Are you man enough to accept the challenge?

ii.5

1 informal
6 formal

2 humorous

3 literary

4 old-fashioned

5 very informal

Unit I
I.I

These two idioms both mean feel poorly I not very well:
feel off-colour
feel under the weather
These two idioms both mean be getting better after an illness:
be on the road to recovery
be on the mend
These four idioms all mean be crazy:
be as nutty as a fruitcake
be not all there
be off your trolley
be a basket case

thday.

i exam;

These four idioms all mean die:

give up the ghost
bite the dust
pop your clogs
fall off your perch
1.2

1 sore
8 fiddle

1.3

1
2
3
4
5

1.4

1
2
3
4

2 bitter
9 right

3 itchy
4 warmed
10 sandwich

5 pill

6 screw

7 recharge

fall off your perch

kick the bucket
bite the dust
pop your clogs
give up the ghost

I've got itchy feet. - Where would you like to go?

He's as right as rain now. - That is a relief!
He's not right in the head. - I know, Jane told me he was off his rocker.
I'm going to tell him what I think of him. - Good. Give him a dose of his own
medicine.
5 Dad's a bit off-colour today. - Oh dear, I hope he's OK tomorrow.
6 Failing the exam was a bitter pill to swallow. - Yes, but she'll soon get over it.

English Idioms in Use

13 I

Register
Often, collocations rather than individual words suggest a particular register. For example,
phrases using pretty meaning fairly sound informal when used with negative adjectives
(pretty awful, pretty dreadful, pretty dull), and are typical of spoken English.

Spoken English
Here are some more collocations which are almost exclusively found in spoken English.
| I'll have a think about it
and let you know.

I'm bored stiff'

in this lesson!

'extremely bored

Give me a ring2
when you get home.

give me a phone call

Formal English
Some collocations are typical of formal English and are most likely to be found in an
official, often legal, context, such as in notices.
Passengers must
not alight from
the bus whilst it
is in motion.

[get off the bus]

Cyclists must
dismount
here
[get off their
bicycles]

Trespassers will
be prosecuted
[people who go onto
someone's land or
enter their building
without permission
will be taken to court]

Please dispose of
unwanted items
in the receptacle2
provided
'throw away
Container used for storing
or putting objects in

Newspaper English
Some collocations - particularly ones that use short, dramatic words - are found mainly in
newspapers. In most cases they would not normally be used in everyday conversation.
COMPUTER FACTORY
TO AXE JOBS
[make staff redundant]

AIRLINE SLASHES PRICES

GOVERNMENT SPENDING
WILL ROCKET THIS YEAR

[cuts prices drastically]

POLICE CRACK DOWN ON SPEEDING

[start dealing with it in a more severe way]

POLICE QUIZ 16-YEAROLD IN MURDER ENQUIRY

[ask questions]

FLU OUTBREAK HITS SOUTHERN EUROPE

Business English
Some collocations are characteristic of business English.
to
to
to
to
14

submit a tender [present a document offering to do a job and stating the price]
raise capital [get money to put into a business]
go into partnership with someone [agree to start or run a business with someone]
start up a business

English Collocations in Use

Exercises
5.1

Underline formal (F) or informal (I) collocations in these sentences (one per sentence) and
put F or I in the brackets at the end.
1
2
3
4
5
6

5.2

Cyclists should dismount before crossing the footbridge. ( )

Never dispose of batteries and similar items by throwing them onto a fire. ( )
The students were all bored stiff by the lecture. ( )
Passengers must alight from the bus through the rear door. ( )
The grass badly needs cutting. ( )
Please place all used tickets in the receptacle provided as you leave the building. ( )

Underline typical news/media collocations in these newspaper clips.

OIL COMPANIES SLASH PRICES

FLOODS HIT CENTRAL REGION

There was good news for motorists today

as pump prices were lowered by the major
oil companies.

Towns and villages in the Central region

were battling against floods tonight as
heavy rain continued.

DETECTIVES QUIZ
BUSINESSMAN OVER
MISSING TEENAGER
Senior detectives
interviewed a man who
has been named as prime
suspect in the case of a
missing 18 year-old who
is feared to have been
abducted.

CAR FIRM TO AXE 200 JOBS

The Presco car firm has announced that 200 workers
will be made redundant at its Kenton factory. The
job losses are the result of falling profits.

5.3

Rewrite the headlines in exercise 5.2 using collocations more typical of ordinary
conversation, as if you were telling a friend the news. Start each answer with 'Have you
heard...?' Use a dictionary if necessary.

5.4

Match the beginning of each sentence on the left with its ending on the right to make
typical collocations used in business English.
1
2
3
4

5.5

We raised
They submitted
They went into
We started up

partnership to develop a new range of products,

capital to expand the business,
a business to supply sports equipment to schools,
a tender for the new stadium.

Choose a formal or informal collocation as instructed at the end of each sentence. Use a
dictionary if necessary.
1
2
3
4
5

She was dead I extremely keen to meet the new director, (informal)
We should be boarding the aircraft I getting on the plane in about ten minutes, (formal)
Mr Trotter paid for I bore the cost of the repairs, (formal)
I withdrew from I dropped out of my university course after a year, (informal)
The president launched into I embarked upon a detailed explanation of his policies,
(informal)

English Collocations in Use

I5

3.3

You might find these collocations:

aches and pains
a dull ache
to have a stomach ache

Unit 4
4.1

l a brief chat
2 bright colours

3 key issues
4 a major problem

4.2

1 launch
2 was booming
3 create

4 merge
5 poses
6 expanded

4.3

1 nostalgia
2 horror
3 anger

4 pride
5 tears
6 pride

4.4

1 blissfully
2 fully
3 proudly

4 happily
5 gently
6 softly

4.5

1B
2
3
4
5

5.1

128

F
E
C
F

6
7
8
9
10

D
A
B
A
D

Units
1 Cyclists should dismount before crossing the footbridge. (F)
2 Never dispose of batteries and similar items by throwing them onto a fire. (F)
3 The students were all bored stiff by the lecture. (I)
4 Passengers must alight from the bus through the rear door. (F)
5 The grass badly needs cutting. (I)
6 Please place all used tickets in the receptacle provided as you leave the building. (F)

5.2

1
2
3
4

slash prices, pump prices, major companies

detectives quiz, missing teenager, prime suspect
floods hit, battling against floods
axe (200) jobs, made redundant, job losses, falling profits

5.3

Suggested answers:
1 Have you heard? The oil companies are bringing down / putting down / lowering /
reducing their prices.
2 Have you heard? Detectives have interrogated/questioned/interviewed a business man
about the missing teenager, or Detectives are interrogating/questioning/interviewing ...
3 Have you heard? Floods are affecting / there are floods in the Central region.
4 Have you heard? The Presco car firm is getting rid of 200 jobs (or staff/people) / is
making 200 workers (or staff/people) redundant / is laying off 200 people (or
workers/staff).

5.4

1
2
3
4

We raised capital to expand the business.

They submitted a tender for the new stadium.
They went into partnership to develop a new range of products.
We started up a business to supply sports equipment to schools.

English Collocations in Use

5.5

1
2
3
4
5

dead keen
boarding the aircraft
bore the cost of
dropped out of
launched into

Unit 6
6.1

1
2
3
4
5

deeply ashamed
ridiculously cheap
highly controversial
utterly stupid
highly successful

6
7
8
9
10

bitterly disappointing
strongly/utterly opposed
utterly ridiculous
ridiculously easy
deeply concerned

6.2

1
2
3
4
5

ridiculously cheap
highly controversial
strongly/utterly opposed
bitterly disappointing
deeply ashamed

6
7
8
9
10

highly successful
ridiculously easy
utterly stupid
deeply concerned
utterly ridiculous

6.3

The incorrect collocations are:

1 strongly love
4 absolutely tired
2 highly exhausted
5 deeply successful
3 bitterly regard

6.4

Everyone was complaining bitterly when they heard about the new plan. People were
deeply shocked to hear that children would be strictly forbidden to use the sports ground
and most people were strongly opposed to the new rules. Even people who normally
never expressed an opinion were utterly appalled by the proposals.

Unit 7
7.1

1 made a mistake
2 make a decision
3 make arrangements / an arrangement

7.2

1 do
2 doing
3 make

4 do
5 make
6 do

7.3

1 do
2 do
3 make; do

4 make
5 make

4 make a change / (some) changes to

5 make a choice
6 make a contribution

Unit 8
8.1

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

They can go bald. / They can go grey.

You can go red.
Your face / You can go white. If the news is a great shock your hair might go/turn white.
They can go yellow.
They turn red.
John Milton went blind.
Beethoven went deaf.
Hamlet went mad.
It might turn grey. / It might go dark.

English Collocations in Use

129

12

Metaphor
If someone uses a metaphor, they use a word in a way that is slightly different from its basic
meaning. For example, the first meaning of sunny is connected with the weather, so we talk
about a sunny day. However, sunny can also be used in expressions like a sunny smile, the
children's sunny faces to mean happy; in these collocations sunny is used in a metaphorical
way. Metaphors are more common in written than spoken English and often have the effect
of sounding quite poetic.

Light and dark

Light in English is associated with happiness. So a face shines with pleasure and eyes shine
with excitement or delight. If someone's face lights up or their eyes light up, they show that
they suddenly feel happy. If an atmosphere lightens or a mood lightens, it becomes more
relaxed or cheerful than it was.
Darkness is associated with unhappiness and negative feelings. Dark thoughts are gloomy or
sinister ones and dark days or dark times are unpleasant times to live through. If someone's
face darkens or their eyes darken or someone's expression darkens, then we know that that
person is unhappy, often because they are feeling angry.
B

Water
collocation

example

comment

ideas flow,
conversation flows

It was a very successful meeting.

The ideas flowed.

Flow suggests that things progress easily,

without effort.

a flood / floods of
tears, tears
streaming down
someone's face

The little girl was in floods of tears.

Tears were streaming down her
face.

Both of these metaphors about tears

suggest the girl is crying a lot.

people pour/stream
somewhere

People poured out of the hall at the

end of the lecture.

Pour and stream suggest lots of people

moving smoothly.

people trickle

People trickled into the concert hall.

Trickle suggests a few people moving

slowly.

a stream of visitors/ There was a stream of traffic outside

our room all night.
traffic

Stream suggests continuous movement.

Fire and heat

Words associated with fire and heat often suggest anger in English. A heated debate, a
heated discussion or a heated conversation is one in which people disagree in an angry way
with each other. If you say that someone has a fiery temper, you mean that they often get
suddenly angry. The word flare means show a bright light in the dark. If you say tempers
flared, you mean that people became angry with each other. Similarly violence flares up and
troubles flare up. These all mean that problems which existed in the past suddenly become
serious again.
However, not all metaphors relating to fire suggest anger. If you feel very embarrassed, your
cheeks burn with embarrassment. A blaze is a very bright fire. We talk about a blaze of
glory or a blaze of publicity meaning there is a lot of it and it is spectacular.

28

When you are reading English, try to notice metaphorical uses of language.This will help you to see
how familiar words can be used in extra, interesting ways.

English Collocations in Use

Exercises
I 2.1

Use a word from the box in the correct form to complete each collocation. Use each word
once only.
shine

1
2
3
4
5
6
I 2.2

dark

light up

sunny

lighten

darken

I could tell Maria was in a good mood by the

smile on her face.
The little boy's eyes
when he saw his daddy approaching.
Let's put some happy music on to
the atmosphere. Everyone's too serious.
My grandparents lived through the
days of civil war from 1936 to 1939.
The girl's eyes
with excitement as she prepared for the party.
Mr Garnham's expression
as he was told the terrible news.

Read these remarks by different people, then answer the questions.

Jason:
I was in floods of tears. It was such a sad film.
Thomas: An hour before the match there was already a trickle of vehicles entering
the car park.
Emma:
I had a heated conversation with Helena the other day.
Paula:
I didn't think there'd be much traffic today but there was a steady stream of
vehicles on the main highway.
Rob:
Tempers flared, I'm afraid, and mine was one of them.
Yvonne: Everyone was pouring out of the stadium as I drove past.
name(s)

Who saw a lot of cars?

2 Who got very angry indeed?

3 Who saw a lot of people all at once?
4 Who had a disagreement or argument?
5 Who saw a small number of cars?
6 Who cried over something?

I 2.3

Put these words in order to make sentences.

1
2
3
4

I 2.4

Answer the questions.

1
2
3
4

I 2.5

with / cheeks / embarrassment / burning / were / My

city / up / has / in / capital / flared / the / Violence
flowed / The / during / discussion / ideas / the
divorce / was / footballer's / The / publicity / surrounded / famous / a / by / blaze / of
What is most likely to be fiery: (a) someone's intelligence (b) someone's temper?
Which is the most typical collocation: a blaze of (a) temper (b) glory (c) joy?
What is most likely to be heated: (a) discussions (b) cheeks (c) troubles?
What is most likely to flare up: (a) love (b) interest (c) violence?

Use a dictionary to find collocations using these words in a metaphorical way.

1 bright

2 warm

3 cold

English Collocations in Use

29

I 1 .4

1
2
3
4
5

The Democratic Party won the election.

The ruling power has gained control of the situation.
Our team won the match.
I earned/made a lot of money last month.
Our company made a profit last year.

I 1 .5

1
2
3
4
5

Where did you spend your last holiday?

How much money did you earn/make last week?
What do you always carry/take with you when you go out?
Have you ever won a trophy?
What aim would you particularly like to achieve in life?

Possible answers:
1 I spent my last holiday in Switzerland.
2 I'm not sure what I earned last week - much the same as usual, probably.
3 I always carry my mobile phone, some money, a credit card and my keys.
4 I once won a trophy for writing an essay at school.
5 I'd like to achieve my aim of writing a novel.

Unit 12
I 2.1

1 sunny
2 lit up
3 lighten

4 dark
5 were shining / shone
6 darkened

I 2.2

1 Paula
2 Rob
3 Yvonne

4 Emma (and Helena)

5 Thomas
6 Jason

I 2.3

1
2
3
4

12.4

1 b

I 2.5

Possible answers:
1 a bright future [a future that is looking happy and successful]
a bright child [an intelligent child]
2 a warm welcome [a friendly welcome]
a warm smile [a friendly smile]
3 cold eyes [unfriendly eyes]
a cold stare [an unfriendly stare]

My cheeks were burning with embarrassment.

Violence has flared up in the capital city.
The ideas flowed during the discussion.
The famous footballer's divorce was surrounded by a blaze of publicity.
2b

3a

4c

Unit 13
13.1

3.2

132

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

snow
fog/mist
winds/sun
wind
frost
rain
sunshine - Note that you can also talk about unbroken cloud.
fog/mist - Note that you can also talk about a blanket of snow.

1 strong
2 wind died down
3 deteriorate / get worse

English Collocations in Use

4 freezing cold
5 heavy/driving
6 lifted

Metaphors and idioms

A metaphor is a way of using language which describes something by indirectly comparing
it to something else with similar characteristics. For example, you might say an academic
'attacks' or 'demolishes' someone's theory or argument, just as an army can attack an enemy
or workers can demolish a building. If a metaphor is used so often that the original force
of the comparison is lost then it may be called an idiom. For example, people often use the
idiom 'I'm snowed under with work at the moment'. Originally this was a metaphor based
on the idea of a great deal of work having the characteristics of 'snow' (deep, overwhelming
everything else and making movement difficult). However, this expression has been used so
frequently that it no longer gives people a mental picture of snow.

Metaphors and idioms referring to light and darkness

The present experimental data may shed (new) light on1 the formation of the planets.
Views on depression have changed in (the) light of2 recent studies of the brain.
Novelists, poets and essayists often use history to illuminate3 their understanding
of human behaviour. The book provides an illuminating discussion of how languages change.
Animal models can be used to elucidate4 basic principles of the developmental origins of
adult diseases.
The report revealed the glaring5 discrepancy between patients' needs and what the health
service can offer them, and highlighted6 the need for a new approach.
The report shines a light on7 the questions surrounding child care and provides crucial data.
Substance abuse continues to destroy individuals and communities, and researchers remain in
the dark8 about what can ensure successful recovery from addiction.
The book dealt with economic policy in the shadow of9 the Civil War of 1994-1999.
provide an explanation for it which makes it easier to understand. We can also say cast or
throw light on 2 because of 3 show more clearly something that is difficult to understand
4 explain or make clear (from the Latin lucidus meaning 'clear') 5 something bad that is very
obvious (to glare means to shine too brightly) 6 emphasised something important 7 focuses
on 8 continue in a state of not knowing something 9 in a situation where something bad has
happened or is happening
1

Metaphors and idioms referring to war and conflict

Look at these extracts from lectures where the speakers use such metaphors and idioms.
v Critics opposed to D.H. Lawrence
attacked his novels on various
grounds, both trivial and important.
But despite the apparent diversity
of opinion, Lawrence's critics were
united on what they saw as several
serious problems.'

'It's useful at the present time

to look at Japan's experience
in the battle against air
pollution, and it's a battle no
nation can afford to lose.'
1
4

26

going back 2 a very powerful attack

forced to experience, subjected to

/Academic Vocabulary in Use

'In the last two poems

we see the poet becoming
increasingly detached
from the material world,
retreating1 more into his
own mind than before.'

'Parents and teachers

need to maintain a
united front3 on the
question of bad conduct
at school.'

'Lawsuits can certainly

affect the value of a
company, and firms need
strategies to combat the
onslaught2 of lawsuits.'

'In the last ten years or

so, children have been
bombarded with4
increasing amounts of
violence in the media.'

remain united in their opinions and agree on how to act

Exercises
9.1

Choose a word from the box to complete each sentence.

elucidate
remained

glaring
shadow

highlights
shed

illuminate
shine

light

1 The results of the investigation

a light on the pressures of the global
economy on farmers in developing countries.
2 Until recently, scientists have
in the dark as to the causes of the disease, but
a recent breakthrough promises to
new light on the problem.
3 Our whole notion of time and space has changed in the
of recent
developments in physics.
4 These communities have lived for decades in the
of poverty and social
deprivation.
5 The collapse of the bridge
the need for a more rigorous analysis of the
effects of constant traffic movements.
6 The team carried out a series of experiments in an attempt to
the mysterious
processes at work in the organism.
7 The article helps to
for the ordinary reader some of the more difficult
references in Shakespeare's plays.
8 The professor found some
errors in one student's calculations.
9.2

Rewrite these sentences using metaphors of conflict instead of the underlined words.
1 Scientists who don't agree with this theory have recently attacked its basic assumptions.
2 Governments need to remain in complete agreement on the issue of economic migrants.
3 Nowadays, we get a huge number of advertisements every time we watch TV or open a
magazine.
4 G. J. Frankin has recently moved away from the view that economic processes cannot be
altered, and is now moving towards a different approach.
5 The efforts against crime will fail without police and community cooperation.
6 The protests were a response to the devastating sudden large number of trade restrictions
on small producers.

9.3

Look at this text and underline key words and phrases which construct the main metaphor:
'the human brain is a computer'.

Shutting down Rlzheimer's

The human brain is a remarkably complex organic computer, taking in a wide variety of sensory experiences, processing and storing this information, and recalling and integrating selected bits at the
right moments. The destruction caused by Alzheimer's disease has been likened to the erasure of a
hard drive, beginning with the most recent files and working backward. As the illness progresses,
old as well as new memories gradually disappear until even loved ones are no longer recognized.
Unfortunately, the computer analogy breaks down: one cannot simply reboot the human brain and
reload the files and programs. The problem is that Alzheimer's does not only erase information; it
destroys the very hardware of the brain, which is composed of more than 100 billion nerve cells
(neurons], with 100 trillion connections among them.

Look at some of the textbooks you use. Can you find any examples of metaphors or idioms
there relating to light and darkness or war and conflict?

Academic Vocabulary in Use

27

7.4

8.1

There have been a large number of studies investigating the impact of email on interpersonal
communications. All of the studies have been small-scale but they suggest some interesting
trends in patterns of email use. From one of the more recent studies it seems that fewer and
fewer people send less than 50 emails daily. Moreover, it appears that a small number of
senior citizens use email a little less frequently/often than younger people do.
UnitS
I f - start work
2 a - get something ready so it can be operated
3 d - arrange
4 e - become solid
5 c - caused to be in a stated condition
6 b - established
7 h - that must be studied
8 g-group

8.2

1 references
4 accommodate
2 occur
5 structure
3 revolutions, revolution 6 contracted

8.3

1 points

8.4

Possible answers

8.5

2 set

3 issue

4 channel

word

meaning in text

other meaning(s)

contain

control

hold

maintain

say, claim

keep at a specific level; preserve; provide for

monitor

watch, observe

screen

record

store information

store sounds or pictures electronically; best or most

extreme (noun)

occur

happen

exist

measures

methods for dealing with a situation

sizes; amounts; ways of judging something

The joke is based on a couple of meanings of the word charge. The first meaning, familiar
from general English, is that of cost, as in There is a small charge for using the car park.'
However, in physics, charge, also known as electrical charge and symbolised as 'q', is a
characteristic of a unit of matter that expresses the extent to which it has more or fewer
electrons than protons. In atoms, the electron carries a negative elementary or unit charge;
the proton carries a positive charge. A neutron is said to have no charge.

Unit 9

138

9.1

1 shine
2 remained, shed

9.2

1 (who are) opposed to

2 maintain a united front
3 are bombarded with

9.3

Suggested underlinings
The human brain is a remarkably complex organic computer, taking in a wide variety of
sensory experiences, processing and storing this information, and recalling and integrating
selected bits"' at the right moments. The destruction caused by Alzheimer's disease has been
likened to the erasure of a hard drive, beginning with the most recent files and working
backward. As the illness progresses, old as well as new memories gradually disappear until
even loved ones are no longer recognized. Unfortunately, the computer analogy breaks down:

Academic Vocabulary in Use

3 light
4 shadow

5 highlights
6 illuminate

7 elucidate
8 glaring

4 retreated
5 battle/struggle/fight/war, will be lost
6 onslaught

one cannot simply reboot the human brain and reload the files and programs. The problem
is that Alzheimer's does not only erase information; it destroys the very hardware of the
brain, which is composed of more than 100 billion nerve cells (neurons), with 100 trillion
connections among them.
* bit here means a unit of information on a computer that must be either 0 or 1
Unit 10
I 0.1

1 constant, frequent, intermittent (going from most frequent to least frequent)

2 A sample chosen by chance is a random sample whereas a sample chosen as typical of the
population as a whole is a representative sample.
3 an isolated phenomenon
4 You might prefer your results to be conclusive, but inconclusive results can also be valuable.
5 A role can also be pivotal or decisive.
6 Excess energy - this suggests that there is extra, whereas sufficient just suggests that there
is enough.
7 Mother, father and brothers/sisters play an influential role in a child's development.
8 listening and writing

10.2

1 came
2 consumes, generate

10.3

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

It took the team a long time to devise a way to solve their problem.
During the war we had to break off contact with colleagues abroad.
There has been a lot of heated debate surrounding the issue of global warming.
Ian Hartmann was invited to take on the role of project leader.
Part of my role was to collate the results of our experiments.
The doctor wanted me to provide a blood sample for analysis.
Scientists all over the world contributed to the debate on cloning.
A new and unexpected phenomenon seems to be emerging.
Using shading helps to differentiate the key elements in a graph.

10.4

1
2
3
4

taking, random
define
proper, practical
maintaining

II.I

11.2

11.3

3 played
4 investigated

5
6
7
8

5 invalidate
6 combines/combined

crucial
engaging, heated
publish, interim
discern, conflicting

Unit 1 1
1 amount
2 particular (or special)
3 impact (or influence/effect)

4 maj or/considerable/large/significant
5 minor/small
6 important/significant/interesting

1 There is widespread opposition among students to the idea of longer semesters.

2 The destruction of the riverbank will cause an inevitable decline in the numbers of small
mammals.
3 School standards are a common (or frequent) concern among parents nowadays.
4 Nowhere in the article does the author make explicit mention of the 20 cases which were
never resolved.
5 There is very little common ground between the two ways of addressing the problem.
6 The paper is too general and lacks specific/relevant examples.
adjective

noun

adjective

noun

significant

significance

important

importance

relevant

relevance

valuable

value

interesting

interest

useful

use

frequent

frequency

broad

breadth

Key

139

Metaphor and register

A

Multiple meanings of phrasal verbs

A phrasal verb can have a number of different meanings, e.g.
He got on the bus.
[entered the bus]

get on

Jim and Ian get on really well,

[like each other and are friendly]

Shh! I'm trying to get on with my work,

[continue doing my work]
Often there is no direct connection between the various meanings and you just have to learn
each different meaning of the phrasal verb. The best way to do this is by trying to remember
a sentence using the phrasal verb.

Literal and metaphorical meaning

Sometimes the basic meanings of a phrasal verb and the additional meanings are clearly linked.
This is because some additional meanings are based on a metaphor or image which has a direct
connection with its literal or basic meaning. A metaphor is a way of expressing something by
comparing it with something else that has similar characteristics. Here is an example:
LITERAL (BASIC) MEANING
blow up a balloon
inflate or fill with air

blow up a building
make it explode

METAPHORICAL MEANING
someone blows up
suddenly becomes very angry

Sometimes a phrasal verb only exists as a phrasal verb in the metaphorical meaning, but you
can guess what it means from the meaning of the basic verb without the particle. For example:
These statistics look strange. Have we slipped up somewhere?
Here slip up [make a mistake] clearly comes from slip [fall usually because the floor is wet or
the ground is icy].

Register
Another important aspect of phrasal verbs is register. Phrasal verbs are typical of spoken
English or informal writing, e.g. letters to friends and articles in popular journalism. There
are often one-word equivalents, or synonyms, for use in a more formal spoken or written
style. For example: miss out a question or omit a question. See section 2C in Unit 2 for other
examples.
As with all English vocabulary, there are some different uses from one geographical area to
another. For example, British, American and Australian users of English all talk of clearing
up a room [putting things away tidily], but only British and Australian speakers would use
tidy up as a synonym.
See Unit 69 for more examples of how phrasal verbs differ in North America and Australia.

14

English Phrasal Verbs in Use

Exercises
5.1

Match the different meanings a-f of take in with the appropriate sentences 1-6 below.
a) make smaller
b) allow in through a hole
c) deceive
d) give a bed to
e) include
f) understand the meaning or importance
1 Because so many passengers were stranded at the airport, some local families offered to
take them in overnight.
2 The news is so shocking - I still can't take it in.
3 The excursion will take in two of the most beautiful castles in the region.
4 Marie has lost weight - she's going to have to take in a lot of her clothes.
5 Rob was totally dishonest but he was so charming that I was taken in by him.
6 We'd better return to the shore at once - the boat seems to be taking in water.

5.2

These pairs of sentences show phrasal verbs which can be used in both literal and
metaphorical ways. Explain the two meanings and the connection between them.
1 a) I stepped in a puddle of water and my feet are soaking now.
b) She stepped in to stop the argument from becoming more serious.
2 a) This programme is rubbish. I wish you'd switch off the TV.
b) The lecture was so boring that I switched off.
3 a) There's a hole in my bag. I think my pen must have dropped out.
b) He dropped out of college and became a mechanic.
4 a) We tied the boxes down on the roof of the car.
b) Mark dreams of travelling but he feels tied down by his family and work
responsibilities.

5.3

Use your knowledge of the basic verb in the underlined phrasal verbs as well as the context
of the sentence in order to work out the meanings of the phrasal verbs.
1 What are you driving at? I wish you would say exactly what you mean!
2 The teacher did all she could to drum the vocabulary into her pupils before the exam.
3 The old education system used to cream off the best pupils and teach them in separate
schools.
4 The noise of the children's music completely drowned out the television.

5.4

Write a one-word formal equivalent for each of the underlined phrasal verbs.
As the rain didn't let up. the football game was called off. So the team got down to
discussing its strategy for the next match instead. We didn't get out of the clubhouse until the
cleaners turned up in the evening.
If you encounter a phrasal verb that you thought you knew but it does not seem to make sense, use
other clues in the context to work out what the meaning might be. It may be quite different from the
meaning that you already knew.

English Phrasal Verbs in Use

15

4.2

1 pile-up
2 cutbacks
5 breakthrough

3 outcry

4.3

1 getaway
5 bygone

2 off-putting

4.4

1 get away

2 put off

4.5

1
2
3
4

4 bystanders

3 throwaway
3 throw away

4 outgoing
4 go out

5 go by

I was looking for a way to turn off the photocopier - There's the on/off switch.
Have your heard about the scandal in the office? - Mm, amazing goings-on!
The economy's not doing so well these days. - Yes, there's been a downturn.
A database can organise all the information you type into it. - Yes, but I don't
understand the input.
5 You have to consider how much you spend each month. - I know, I need to watch my
outgoings.

UnitS
5.1

I d

5.2

1 a) I put my feet in a puddle of water and my feet are very wet now.
b) She intervened or became involved to stop the argument from becoming more serious.
The connection between the meanings is the sense of going into the middle of something.

2 f

3 e

4 a

5 c

6 b

2 a) This programme is rubbish. I wish you'd turn off the TV.

b) The lecture so boring that I stopped paying attention.
The connection between the meanings is the sense of a break in continuity.
3 a) There's a hole in my bag. I think my pen must have fallen from the bag onto the
ground or floor.
b) He stopped going to college before the end of his course and became a mechanic.
The connection between the meanings is the sense of leaving a place or environment.
4 a) We fixed the boxes to the roof of the car by using ropes.
b) Mark dreams of travelling but he doesn't feel free to do it because he is trapped by
his family and work responsibilities.
The connection between the meanings is the sense of being unable to move or being
restricted.
5.3

1 What are you really trying to say? I wish you would say exactly what you mean!
2 The teacher did all she could to repeat the vocabulary so frequently that her pupils
knew it well before the exam.
3 The old education system used to remove the best pupils and teach them in separate
schools.
4 The noise of the children's music made it impossible for me to hear the television.

5.4

Suggested answer:
As the rain didn't stop, the football game was cancelled. So the team began discussing its
strategy for the next match instead. We didn't leave the clubhouse until the cleaners
arrived in the evening.

Unit 6
6.1

148

1
2
3
4

apart
out
around/round
out

English Phrasal Verbs in Use

5 along
6 out
7 out