- (IN) ABILITY: (noun)

• skill/power to do sth

VERB + ABILITY
* have | demonstrate, show
(Both players demonstrated their ability to hit the ball hard.)

* acquire, develop | lack | lose (seem to have lost my ability to attract clients.)

* appreciate, recognize
(Fox's abilities were soon recognized)

PHRASES
* to the best of your ability. (We will keep you informed to the best of our ability)
* a level of ability | a range of ability/abilities
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- BOTTOM: (noun)

VERB + BOTTOM
* arrive at, fall to, get to, reach, sink to (He reached the bottom of the steps in no
time.) (The boat sank to the bottom of the sea.)
* touch (She could only just touch the bottom)
*start at, work up from (He started at the bottom and worked his way up through the
company)

PREP.
*along the (We rode along the bottom of the valley.)
* at the (at the bottom of the hill)
* from the (strange sounds from the bottom of the well)
* in the (in the bottom of my bag)
* on the (on the bottom of the box)
* near/towards the(near the bottom of the page)

• basic cause of sth/truth about sth

VERB + BOTTOM
*be at, lie at (I'd love to know what lies at the bottom of all this.)
* get to (The only way to get to the bottom of it is to confront the chairman.)
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- APPRECIATIVE: (verb)

• recognize good qualities

ADV.
*really | fully, properly
(The sound quality was poor so we couldn't fully appreciate the music.)

•be grateful
ADV.
deeply, greatly, really, very much (We do really appreciate your help.)

• understand
ADV.
*fully, properly(I fully appreciate your concern. We will do all in our power to help.)
* easily, readily (The problems should be easily appreciated.)

VERB + APPRECIATE
*fail to (The government failed to appreciate the fact that voters were angry.)

PHRASES
*be generally/widely appreciated
*It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.
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- INFORMED: (adj.)

VERBS
be | keep | keep sb

ADV.
*closely, well (The kids are much better informed than I was at their age)
* fully, properly (Consumers must be fully informed of the services available.)
*adequately, reasonably (I offer my observations as those of an interested and
reasonably informed member of the general public.)
* badly, ill, poorly | reliably (I am reliably informed that there are plans to close this
school.)
* politically (a politically informed public)
* theoretically (theoretically informed research)

PREP.
*about (They were poorly informed about their rights.)
* of. (We will keep you informed of any developments.)
*on (Keep me informed on progress.)
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- BREAK THROUGH: (noun)

ADJ.
*big, crucial, great, historic, important, major, real, significant
* diplomatic, medical, political, scientific, technological

VERB + BREAKTHROUGH
*be, represent
*achieve, make

We have achieved a real breakthrough in the search for peace.

BREAKTHROUGH + VERB
*come, happen
The crucial breakthrough came almost by accident.

PREP.
*for - in
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-ONSET: noun

ADJ.
*rapid, sudden - slow - early - delayed- late

VERB + ONSET
*delay - mark

PREP.
*after the - at the - before/prior to the - since the
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-TEAR (v): verb

ADV.
*badly - easily - almost, nearly - apart, off, out, up

PREP.
*from - off - on - out of
Several pages had been torn out of the book.

PHRASES
*tear free/loose - tear sth in half/two - tear sb limb from limb - tear sth open -tear sth
to pieces/shreds (often figurative)
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-RIP:
* to pull apart; to tear or be torn violently and quickly (His new trousers ripped when
he bent down.
I ripped my shirt on a nail.)

* [ + obj + adj ] She excitedly ripped the package open.

{The wind ripped the flag to/into shreds (= into little pieces).}

* [T + adv/prep ] to remove something quickly, without being careful:

(I wish the old fireplaces hadn't been ripped out.
We ripped up the carpets and laid a new wooden floor.)
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- SUPPORT: noun

ADJ.
*complete, full, total

* active, considerable, enthusiastic, firm, generous, good, great, loyal, massive,

overwhelming, solid, strong, tremendous, unqualified, wholehearted

* unflagging, unstinting, unswerving, unwavering

*growing, increased, increasing | continued, continuing | broad, community, general,

majority, mass, popular, public, wide/widespread

*main, limited, lukewarm, qualified

SUPPORT + VERB
come

SUPPORT + NOUN
*base - group

PREP.
in - of - with/without - against - among - between - for - from

PHRASES
*a base of support - a lack of support - a source of support
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- GET RIF OF SOMETHING/SOMEONE

* get rid of someone (idiom): to find a way to make someone leave because you do
not want the person to be with you any longer
[We finally got rid of my little sister by telling her scary stories.]

* get rid of something (idiom): to remove something that you do not want any longer:
[I can’t wait to get rid of that ugly old couch.]
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- TIME:
• the mists of time [The origins of this custom are lost in the mists of time]

• this time tomorrow, in/of the morning/afternoon/evening, time of (the) night/year,

time of day. [This time tomorrow I'll be in Canada.]

• all in good time

*= sth will happen when the time is right

*all the time/the whole time

* a battle/race against time

* if time permits (= when the time is right, usually after a long period)

* in good/plenty of time (= plenty of time before the plane leaves).

*from/since time immemorial

(= for a very long time),
of all time

*a sign of the times

*at the present time, for the time being

(= temporarily),

*be timed to coincide with sth