Trends in employment

· Nouns
benefit
child care center
contacts
desk sharing
flexible hours
health insurance
incentive
internship
IT (information technology) staff
paternity leave
productivity
promotion
telecommuting
unpaid work
working parents
· Verbs
attract good employees
be a good fit (for a job)
improve a résumé
lay (a worker) off
offer benefits to employees
outsource a job to another country
recruit workers overseas
save on costs
take (time) off
treat people equally
Trends in cities, education, employment
A lot of new hotels and offices have been built.
University tuition fees have just been increased.
Students aren't being given enough financial support.
There's a big demand for / a shortage of skilled workers.
They're being recruited overseas.
Jobs are being outsourced to other countries.
A lot of people have been laid off.
Internet access id being made available all over.
Other trends
· Nouns
advances in technology
aging population
bottled water
consumer pressure
economic boom
the economy
fast-food chains
 housing shortage
hybrid vehicle
junk food
local farmers
obesity
organic food
processed food
traffic congestion
tracking devices
unemployment
urban development
vinegar
work / life balance
· Verbs
be obsessed with (losing weight)
knock (a building) down

Present continuous passive

You can use the present continuous to describe events and situations that are ongoing or temporary
at the present time.
Use the active form of a verb to focus on the "doer" or cause of the action:
Companies are recruiting workers overseas.
Use the passive form to focus on the "receiver" of the action.
Present continuous verbs are am / is / are (not) + being + past participle.
Workers are being recruited overseas.
Present perfect passive
You can use the present perfect to describe events and situations that are started at an indefinite
time in the past which leads up to present time.
Use the active form of a verb to focus on the "doer" or cause of the action:
Companies have laid off a lot of people.
Use the passive form to focus on the "receiver" of the action.
Present perfect passive verbs are have / has (not) + been + past participle:
A lot of people have been laid off.

1. Technology companies have developed a tablet with a much tougher screen glass. These
tablets are being sold in stores and online right now.
2. Major airlines have now bought a new type of airplane which has been developed to lower
fuel consumption.
3. Scientists are exploring ways to make plants like wheat, corn, and tomatoes disease-
resistant. These plants are being engineered / have been engineered and tested on farms
around the world.
 4. Sports clothing companies are trying to incorporate technology into their clothing. Currently,
vests, shirts, and pants are being created / have been created to help athletes improve
their performance by measuring muscle activity.
5. Many companies have now outsourced information technology jobs. These jobs have been
moved overseas to cut company costs.
6. Research has shown that children in the United States are gaining weight. Several
studies have been conducted by researchers and show that 30 percent of U.S. children are
overweight.

At last, a cure for the common cold

At last, a cure for the common cold has been found (find)
2

The world's oldest building in Japan

The world's oldest building has been discovered in Japan. (discover)

New driving tests for next year

New driving tests have been / are being scheduled for next year. (schedule)

Traffic slow because of strong storms

Traffic has been delayed / is being delayed because of strong storms. (delay)

Plans to hire more teachers

Plans to hire more teachers have been / are being discussed. (discuss)
Environmental problems
air / water pollution
carbon dioxide levels
drought
endangered species
(gas) consumption
garbage
global warming
landfill
nuclear waste disposal
the burning of (coal / oil)
the depletion of (oil)
reserves
toxic chemicals
water shortage
Environmentally friendly things
biodegradable packaging
energy-saving lightbulb
rechargeable battery
solar / wind power
Environmental problems and solutions
conserve energy / oil / gas / water
consume less energy / electricity
contaminate the ocean / a river
cut down on (water) consumption
deliver bills online
lack safe drinking water
pollute the environment
protect the environment
recycle glass / plastic / metal
Talking about the environment
Climates are changing as a result of global warming.
Global warming is due to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Turn down the heat in order to save energy.
Ride a bicycle to work instead of driving.
 Although it costs more, buy biodegradable, environmentally friendly products.
Toxic cleaning products are harmful to rivers.
Recycle garbage so that it doesn't end up in a landfill.
Even though many people lack safe drinking water, we continue to waste it.
People water lawns despite / in spite of water shortages.
Linking ideas
Ideas in a sentence can be connected, or linked in different ways for different purposes.
Contrasting ideas
To contrast ideas, you can use:
· although / even though + a clause (= a subject + a verb)
Although / Even though environmental problems are overwhelming, there is hope.
· in spite of / despite + a noun or verb + -ing
Some people water their lawns daily in spite of / despite water shortages.
In spite of / Despite having a bicycle, I drive to work.
Giving reasons
To give a reason, you can use:
· because of / as a result of / due to + a noun / verb + -ing
Climates are changing because of / as a result of / due to global warming.
· because + a clause (= a subject + a verb)
Carbon dioxide levels are increasing because we are burning oil, coal, and gas.
Giving the purpose
To give the purpose or goal of an action, you can use:
· to / in order to + verb
Turn down the air-conditioning (in order) to save electricity.
· so / so that + a clause (= a subject + a verb)
Recycle garbage so (that) it doesn't end up in a landfill.
Showing an alternative
To link ideas that show an alternative, you can use:
· instead of + a noun / verb + -ing
Use public transportation instead of driving your car.
Take showers instead of baths.
Describing trends
Here are some useful expressions you can use to describe trends:
· more and more
We're spending more and more time on our smartphones.
· less + uncountable noun or fewer + countable noun
We're spending less time / fewer hours on our laptops.
· increasingly
People increasingly use their phones for a variety of functions.
· decreasing / declining
The use of laptops is decreasing / declining.
· increasing / growing
The number of smartphones is increasing / growing.