VOCABULARY

Andrew Gardner 09.2011

Abbreviations
Commerce - VAT, PLC/plc, Ltd, Co., PR, asap
Documents - c, cc, bc, l, ll, p, pp, enc, pto, RSVP, dob, d., e.g., i.e.
Education - BA, BSc, MA, MSc, PhD, MD, Cert., Dip., M.I.E.E., FRS
Organisations - BBC, EU/EC, NATO, UN, WHO, OPEC; CIA, FBI, MI5; CEO, MP, MEP, PM, MoD
Roads - M1, A53, B1405, St (street, saint), TL, TR, SO
Misc - SOS, PIN, AD, BC, OAP, Ms, N/A, FYO, EOM
Accidents
Types - blast, blaze, collapse, collision, crash, derailment, drowning, pile-up; to capsize/sink/run aground
Causes - brake failure, carelessness, communication breakdown, driver error, drunkenness, icy roads, ignoring
safety procedures, misunderstanding, negligence, poor visibility, runaway train, speeding, tiredness
Results - carnage, death toll; chaos, post mortem, court of inquiry, coroner, inquest; black box
Accommodation
Types - flat, cottage, terraced house, semi-detached house, detached house, villa, bungalow, mansion, palace,
castle, fort, chalet
Verbs - hire, rent, let, buy, sell; alter, redesign, extend, renovate, repair, rebuild, refurbish
Nouns - attic, loft, cellar, basement flat, gutter, drainpipe, hedge, fence, drive, ceiling, study, radiator, central
heating, double glazing, tiles, pond; sofa, settee, mat
Animals
Types - amphibian, insect, mammal, reptile; groups - herd, flock
Verbs - bark, bite, buzz, growl, kick, lick, roar, scratch, sniff, sting, mate; breed, migrate, nest
Body - fur, skin, beak, claw, feather, fin, horn, hoof, tail, trunk, tusk, wing
Human activities - domesticate, tame, train, hunt, poach, pat, stroke; guide dog
Wider use - be an ass/chimp/cow/pig/rat/swine, bear/bull market, the black sheep, bull (red rag, take by horns),
a catfight, cats eyes, to chicken out, culture vulture, dogged, eagle-eyed, fishy, to fish for, hen/stag party,
to hound, lions share, loan shark, to monkey around, parrot-fashion, a ponytail, a poodle, sheepish, a
snake, a snails pace, waspish, zebra crossing
Arts
People - author, writer, playwright, dramatist, novelist; composer, conductor, musician, pianist; sculptor, artist,
painter, photographer (free-lance); editor, critic, journalist, reporter; producer, director, cameraman, stage
manager, star, co-star, extra
Works - biography (auto), fable, fairy tale, legend, myth, novel, poem (poetry), play; rhyme, fiction, non-fiction;
painting, sculpture, exhibition (exhibit), opera, musical
Body
Parts - ankle, beard, chest, chin, elbow, eyebrow/lash, gums, hip, joint, kidney, knee, liver, lip, lung, moustache,
muscle, nails, neck, shoulder, throat, thumb, toe, tongue, waist, wrist
Problems - ache, bruise, cut, fracture, frostbite, graze, heart attack, indigestion, pull a muscle, sprain, sunburn,
sunstroke, twist; blind, deaf, disabled, bald
Aids - bandage, contact lens, crutch, filling, plaster, stretcher, treatment, vaccine, wheelchair
Cars
Parts - ABS, accelerator, airbag, battery (flat), bonnet, boot, brake, bumper, central locking, engine, fuel gauge,
headlights, gear lever, horn, jack, oil, seat belt, speedometer, steering wheel, spare tyre, windscreen,
wiper; manual/automatic
Verbs - change gear, crash, do a U-turn, overtake, reverse, skid, speed up, slow down, swerve, turn
Adjectives - comfortable, luxury, economical, high-performance, second-hand, used
Roads - avenue, lane, square, cul-de-sac; main road, dual carriageway, motorway, bypass, lay-by, roundabout,
flyover, underpass, toll; road works, pile up, hold up, traffic jam/congestion, rush/peak hour, diversion
Clothing
Adjectives - elegant, fashionable, matching, loose, tight, comfortable; protective, waterproof
Verbs - clash, go with, suit, shorten, shrink, discolour, drip dry, dry clean
Materials - cotton, linen, nylon, silk, wool, synthetic
Nouns - button, collar, cuffs, hood, pocket, zip
Shapes - circular, round, oval, square, rectangular, triangular, spherical; artificial, imitation
Materials - bronze, silver, gold, brick, cardboard, concrete, (fibre) glass, iron, metal, plastic, rubber, steel, wood

Crime
People - arsonist, assassin, blackmailer, burglar, conman, drugs dealer, hacker, hijacker, kidnapper (hostage,
ransom), killer, mugger, murderer, pick-pocket, rapist, rioter, robber, sniper, suicide bomber, terrorist,
thief, thug, traitor, vandal
Punishment ASBO, fine, community service, detention, suspended sentence, imprisonment, exile, execution
also - compensation, disturbance, riot, rehabilitation
Verbs - breach, break in, break out of, bribe, burgle, counterfeit, forge, kidnap, rob, stab, steal, threaten
Economy
Banks - deposit, withdraw, pay in, take out, credit, debit, loan, mortgage, fund, account (a/c), balance, interest
rate, statement, overdrawn, credit card, coin, banknote, cash machine; inflation; estate; franchise; assets
Paying - exorbitant, overpriced, dear, costly, value for money, bargain, cheap, worthless; discount, reduction,
instalment, deposit; customs, duty, tax, VAT; bill, receipt, invoice, voucher; merge, take over, buy out, bid
Adjectives - well-off, hard-up, wealthy, broke, bankrupt, bust, in administration/receivership
Organisations - building society, ECB, Bank of England, insurance company, stock exchange, shareholder
Data - sharp rise, steady increase, gradual decline, drastic reduction; pick up, fall off; level, rate; trend, forecast,
prediction, indicator; lowest, highest; short term; ease, leap, plummet, rally, hike; quid (slang)
People - almost all of us, the majority/minority, over half, hardly anybody, one in ten, per cent
Education
Exams - take/do, pass, fail, grade, resit, retake; assess, mark
Levels - nursery, primary, secondary, sixth form, college, polytechnic, university, academy, institute
People - instructor, counsellor, mentor, lecturer, tutor, professor, head teacher, principal; trainee, student,
apprentice, under-graduate, post-graduate
Subjects - astronomy, economics, computing, computer science/studies, IT, statistics
Food
Cooking - bake, boil, cook, fry, grill, toast; microwave, frying pan, saucepan, tray; raw; blender
Taste - hot, spicy, sour, sweet, sharp, fruity, rich, creamy; greasy; seasoning
Problems - allergy, diabetes/diabetic, overeat, malnutrition, food poisoning
Health - balanced diet, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, preservatives, greasy/convenience/junk food
Games
Types - game, match, contest, competition, championship, tournament, race, cup, league
Verbs - win, beat, take part in, enter, withdraw, disqualify, come first/second, knocked out, fight back, draw,
replay, postpone, put off, cancel, boycott, award, appeal
People - winner, runner-up, loser, finalist, opponent, competitor, champion, record holder, gold/silver/bronze
medallist, referee, umpire, panel of judges, organiser, team captain, vice-captain
Health
Medical - illness, disease, contagious, incurable, symptoms, diagnose, prescription, ointment, lotion, dose,
pill/tablet, check up, X-ray, scan, examination, transfusion, operate on, vaccination
Hospital - anaesthetic, operating theatre, ward, sister, nurse, consultant, convalescence, in/out-patient
General - GP, health centre, primary care trust, surgery, appointment, NHS, General Medical Council
Holidays
Travel - crossing, cruise, drive, excursion, expedition, flight, outing, ride, safari, trip, voyage; travel agency,
book, reserve; business/economy class, package tour, charter flight, hold, excess baggage, flight
number, brochure, itinerary; resort, souvenir
Accommodation - B & B, half board, full board, guest house, self-catering
Transport - barge, canoe, double-decker, glider, jeep, (jumbo) jet, liner, moped, yacht
Law
Courts - magistrates court, county/crown court, High/Appeal/Supreme Court, civil/criminal law; guilty, not guilty,
innocent, judge, jury, liable, trial; bail, custody; barrister, solicitor, defence, prosecution; overrule, overturn
Other - case/statute law; pass, repeal, ban; Bill, Act; Law Society; arbitration, plea bargaining, settle, tribunal
Media
Newspapers - advertisements (classified), article, caption, cartoon, column, contents, editorial, entertainment,
headline, horoscope; (Sunday)Times, Guardian, Independent, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Sun, Mirror;
tabloid, gutter (press); reporter, journalist, correspondent, critic, editor; freelance
Verbs - announce, broadcast, censor, edit, highlight, replay, print, publish, televise, transmit
Vocabulary - affair, allege, bandwagon, entitled, target, claimant, cover-up, damning, disclose, drag, emerge,
far-reaching, flee, full-scale, fury, gang, grip, handful, label, leak, packed, praise, quango, ram, robust,
rocket, scope, scrap, slam, slash, soar, spark, spiral, string of, surge, undermine, wield, wipe out/off, yield

Nature
Disasters - avalanche, earthquake, flood, hurricane, landslide, plague, tornado, tsunami, typhoon; drought,
famine, epidemic, outbreak
Reaction - emergency services, insurance claim, rescue/salvage operation
Features - desert, estuary, forest, volcano, waterfall, glacier, tide (high/low), tropics, North/South Pole
People
Descriptions - good-looking, well-built, left-handed, well-behaved, short-tempered, over-indulgent,
easy-going, narrow-minded, self-centred; frail, handsome, skinny, shortish, neat, plain, scruffy, smart
Feelings - annoyed, anxious, ashamed, betrayed, confused, desperate, embarrassed, envious, excited,
excluded, foolish, furious, grateful, guilty, humiliated, irritated, jealous, lonely, miserable, rejected
Life - birth, marriage, death; abortion, civil wedding, divorce, euthanasia; widow/widower, in-laws
Wider use - to elbow, to foot the bill, fingerprints, a footpath, footsteps, hair-raising, a handful, to hand over,
handy, a header, a loud-mouth, nail-biting, nosy, to raise your eyebrows, to stomach a problem, two-faced
Technology
Convenience - air conditioning, humidifier, central heating, hair dryer, toaster, microwave, spin/tumble dryer,
fan, answering machine, shredder, double glazing, vacuum cleaner/hoover; hose; remote control
Tools - chisel, drill, file, hammer, nail, pliers, sandpaper, saw, screwdriver, spanner, tape measure, vice; weld
Electricity - switch, plug, socket, fuse, cable, wire, mains; transformer
Weather - breeze, blustery, gale, storm; mist, fog; drizzle, shower, downpour, torrential rain, sleet, hail stones,
thunder, lightning; heatwave, cold spell, blizzard; overcast, dull, bright; cloudy, icy, rainy, sunny, windy
Work
Verbs - appoint, engage, employ, promote, interview, suspend, fire, sack, dismiss, make redundant, lay off,
transfer; also - appraisal interview
Nouns - job, occupation, profession, career, employment; task, labour, business, trade, commerce;
People - supervisor, manager, director, boss, secretary, technician, chief executive, chairman, senior, principal,
assistant, owner; disciplinary/grievance procedure
Pay - wages, salary, increase, incentive scheme, bonus, productivity, commission
WORDS THAT ARE USUALLY SINGULAR
Accommodation, advice, baggage, equipment, evidence, furniture, information, help, knowledge, luggage,
machinery, money, news, proof, shopping, technology, work
CHARACTER & PERSONALITY
Character: absent-minded, aggressive, argumentative, arrogant, brave, callous, careful, cheeky, compassionate,
conceited, conscientious, considerate, cooperative, courageous, cowardly, deceitful, decent, dependable,
determined, devious, disciplined, disorganised, envious, forgetful, forgiving, gentle, generous, greedy, gullible,
honest, impetuous, kind, lazy, likeable, manipulative, mean, modest, moody, nave, obstinate, overbearing,
patient, peaceful, quarrelsome, queer, rebellious, reckless, reliable, rude, self-centred, self-controlled, selfish,
sensible, sensitive, sincere, stingy, stubborn, temperamental, thoughtless, trustworthy, vain, warm-hearted.
Personality: active, adventurous, bold, boring, calm, cautious, cheerful, conservative, defeatist, devoted, dull,
easy-going, emotional, energetic, excitable, extrovert, fascinating, friendly, inquisitive, insecure, inventive, mild,
obliging, optimistic, outgoing, passive, persuasive, pessimistic, pleasant, proud, reserved, secretive, selfconfident, self-conscious, sentimental, shy, talkative, uncompromising, unconventional, unimaginative,
unpopular, unsympathetic, zealous.
SIGNPOSTS
These start sentences and tell us what to expect, helping communication and preventing misunderstandings.
Examples: additionally, all in all, alternatively, anyway, as a result, as well as that, at the same time, besides, by
the way, clearly, equally, for all that, for this reason, furthermore, however, incidentally, in complete contrast, in
conclusion, initially, moreover, naturally, on balance, on the other hand, subsequently, surprisingly.
HOMONYMS
These words have different meanings [n=noun, v=verb, a=adjective]: tank (n,n), party (n,n), ball (n,n), hamper
(n,v), grave (a,n), discount (n,v), mean (a,v), conduct (n,v), sink (n,v), catch (n,v), current (a,n), round (a,n), tip
(n,n,n), complex (a,n,n), contract (n,v), club (n,n), gear (n,n), sound (a,n,v), execute (v,v), nail (n,n), trust (n,n),
coat (n,v), deposit (v,n,n), exhaust (n,v), race (n,n), stick (n,v), study (n,v), mine (n,n), bridge (n,n), fan (n,n), tap
(n,n), plug (n,n), plain (a,n), plaster (n,v), class (n,n,), stall (n,v), bow (n,n,n), turn (n,v), row (n,n,v), leave (n,v),
beat (v,v), horn (n,n), trial (n,n), even (a,adverb), court (n,n), stone (n,n), wind (n,v), pound (n,n), found (v,v), cut
(n,n,v), matter (n,v), lighter (a,n), match (n,n,v), tie (v,v), lie (v,v), fine (a,n), will (n,n), fair (a,a,n), lead (n,v), refuse
(n,v), chair (n,v), fire (n,v), sack (n,v), wound (v,v), late (a,a), bar (n,n,v), hang (v,v), coach (n,n), recover (v,v),
ditch (n,v), suit (n,v), fly (n,v), train (n,v), house (n,v), let (v,v).

HOMOPHONES
These pairs sound the same but have different meanings: hall-haul, queue-cue, saw-sore, dual-duel, floor-flaw,
site-cite, tire-tyre, due-dew, dam-damn, heard-herd, seas-seize, tail-tale, seam-seem, scent-sent, die-dye, roleroll, fate-fete, sole-soul, anyone-any one, everyday-every day, cheap-cheep, genes-jeans, morning-mourning,
lead-led, dependant-dependent, seek-Sikh, air-heir, groan-grown, aloud-allowed, moan-mown, toe-tow, sale-sail,
waist-waste, sort-sought, wait-weight, feat-feet, pray-prey, profit-prophet, made-maid, band-banned, saucesource, vain-vein, board-bored, straight-strait, key-quay, councillor-counsellor, pole-poll, higher-hire, leak-leek,
heal-heel, stationary-stationery, lightning-lightening, sweet-suite, fair-fare, fined-find, break-brake, bare-bear.
SPELLING
Correct these mistakes: overpayed, wheather, iresponsable, hight, strenghten, ilegaly, voleyball, diferently,
dissapearance, passangers, apointement, imaturity, lugage, unbelivable, enviroment, arhitect, mayer, noisest,
qualificated, forgoten, proffession, historicly, foriegn, misterious, tempory, receit, eventualy, bussinesmen,
releaved, ocupation, mispelt, personnal, determinated, displaid, dispair, thiefs, recommandation, committments,
imigration, unexplicable, councilor, improuvement, sistematicly, truethfull, unecesary, unemploiable, stresful,
atractive, achivement, understuffed, weeknesses, priveliges, resorcefull, aplication, oportunities, noticably,
lenghtened, unhappyness, marrige, arguement, ilogicly, negociator, unmanagable, paniced, succesfuly, destroied,
refference, defense, yourselfs, developement, suvenir, unrelyable, dissapointment, entusiasm, canceled,
discription, exausted, volcanos, seperate, occassionally, independant, electricien, advertisment, inpossibility,
machinary, anouncement, american, ensurance, beggining, broshure, collegue, confortable, couragous, greatfuly,
incidently, jurnalist, mecanic, brakedown, faitfully, sincerly.
COMMUNICATING VERBS
Add, admit, advise, answer, apologise, appeal, claim, comment, complain, confirm, deny, doubt, enquire,
mention, object, offer, order, promise, propose, protest, question, refuse, remark, reply, report, request, respond,
state, suggest, threaten, warn, wonder.