20 Book S8fluencyintopicwiseenglishpartiiunlockedpdf PDF Free

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Kev Nair
Fluency in Topicwise English - Part II
Prof. Kev Nair was born in Kerala, South India, in 1949.

He’s an eminent scholar of international repute. He’s a first
class LL.B. and a first class LL.M. And he was ranked first in
university in both the LL. B. and LL. M. exams.
• “Nair was the first person in the world to give shape to the
area of study now known as ‘English fluency development’
and to systematize it into a distinct teachable subject... So
he is better known as the father of fluency development.”
– General Knowledge Today.
• “He had been researching since 1971, and the results... led
him to new discoveries... ”
– THE HINDU.
• “Prof. Kev Nair is regarded the world over as the father
of fluency lexicography... Fluency lexicography came into
existence as a separate branch of dictionary writing with
the publication of Prof. Nair’s Dictionary of Active Fluency
Combinations in 1986.”
– Competition Success Review.
• “A renowned English language lexicographer”
– The New Sunday Express.
• “One of the world’s most respected English language
scholars...Perhaps more innovative in method than Roget
and more modern in approach than Fowler, Prof. Kev Nair
is... one of the foremost Indian scholars who wield great
influence on the thinking of the English-educated people
around the world.”
– General Knowledge Today.
• “A towering English language expert”
– Competition Success Review.
• “Prof. Kev Nair... has... reached out to thousands – judicial
officers, professionals, top executives, scholars – who
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need that comfort and ease in speech with his specialised

fluency techniques.”
– The New Indian Express.
Prof. Nair is a lawyer by profession. He lives with his wife and
children in Kochi, Kerala, an enchanting place on the earth.
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Fluent English Dictionaries1 by Kev Nair

• A Dictionary of Active Fluency Combinations.
• A Dictionary of Fluency Word Clusters.
• The Complete Fluency Words.
• A Dictionary of Essential Fluency Phrases.
• Core Fluency Thesaurus.
• Comprehensive Adjectival Fluency Dictionary.
• Narrative Fluency Dictionary.
• Thesaurus of Phrasal Verbs.
• Thesaurus of Descriptive English.
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Note: The Fluent English Dictionaries do not form part of Fluentzy: The
English Fluency Encyclopedia. They’re separate publications – meant for those
who want to specialize in fluency-oriented vocabulary. For details, visit www.
fluencybookz.com.
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Books by Kev Nair making up

Fluentzy: The English Fluency Encyclopedia
• B1: Idea units & Fluency.
• B2: Speech Generation & Flow Production.
• B3: Teaching your Tongue & Speech Rhythm.
• B4: Key Speech-initiators & Speech-unit Patterns.
• S1/B13 & S2/B14: Fluency in Functional English (Vols. 1 & 2).
• S3/B15: Fluency in Telephone English & Sectoral English.
• B5: How to Deal with Hesitation.
• B6: Oral Training in Fluency Vocabulary (Vol.1).
• B7: Packing of Information.
• B8: Impromptu Speech-flow Techniques.
• S4/B16: Fluency Building & Mouth Gymnastics.
• S5/B17: Fluency in speaking about people.
• B9: Fluency in Asking Questions.
• B11: Fluency & Moment-to-Moment Speech-production.
• S6/B18 & S8/B20: Fluency in Topicwise English (Vols. 1 & 2).
• S7/B19: Fluency & Pronunciation.
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B20/S8
Fluency in
Topicwise English
Part II
“Two volumes of Fluency in Topicwise English help you
widen your fluency range. These two books help you
master the word clusters that would help you handle
important everyday topics with fluency.”
– The New Sunday Express.
Fourth Edition
Prof. Kev Nair
TM
TM
Adult Faculties Council

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For Uma
fluency in topicwise english - Part iI.

Copyright © Prof. K. E. V. Nair @ KevNair 1982, 1997, 2001, 2008.
First published 1982.
3rd edition 2001 (10 impressions).
4th edition 2008.
Prof. K. E. V. Nair @ KevNair has asserted his right to be identified
as the author of this book in accordance with the Copyright Act, 1957.
All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this book shall be copied or
reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or
manner whatever, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without the prior permission, in writing, of the
publisher, except in the case of brief quotations or as expressly permitted
by law.
All quotations from this book shall credit the author, Prof. KevNair.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade
or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form
of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, and without a
similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on any acquirer
or the subsequent purchaser.
Any violation of these terms and conditions will invite civil and criminal
proceedings and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Published in India by Mrs. Uma V. Nair, Adult Faculties Council,
DP Lane, Elamakkara PO, Kochi-682 026, Kerala.
Printed in India by Ayodhya Printers Ltd., Elamakkara PO,
Kochi-682 026, Kerala.
Adult Faculties Council’s websites:
www.fluentzy.com; www.fluencybookz.com.
Phone: (91)(0484) 2538449, 2408361.
Fax: (91)(0484) 2408361.
E-mail: info@fluentzy.com.
Price: Rs.175.00
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Contents
Chapter 1: Fluency in speaking about a wide range of
topics, 11
Good and bad, 12
Chapter 2: Farming, agriculture & gardening, 25

Chapter 3: Sports & Games, 38
Chapter 4: Essential computer English, 44
Chapter 5: Crime, 55
Chapter 6: Nature,59
Chapter 7: Buildings and Home, 65
Chapter 8: a-and-an word clusters, 69
Chapter 9: Prepositionals, 78
Chapter 10: Frequent action clusters, 92
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Preface to the 4th edition
Here’s the latest edition of this book.

I have now added three new chapters. They give you a very
large quantity of specially collected word groups for oral
practice. These are word groups that can add to the kind of
vocabulary control you need in order to speak about a wide
range of topics.
If you have any comments and suggestions, please do write to
me care of the publishers.
KEV Nair
Kochi, 2008.
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Abbreviations
fml formal
infml informal
sb somebody
sth something
sw somewhere
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Fluency in speaking about a wide range of topics
Chapter 1
Fluency in speaking about a

wide range of topics
I told you in Book 18 that, if you are to become fluent in speaking
about a wide range of topics, it is not enough that you know a
lot of words and have a clear idea of their meanings and other
features. And I told you this: What’s needed is that you should
have complete mastery over the core words in English. But this
is only possible if you have the experience of handling the core
words again and again, that too, by relating them to frequently-
discussed topics. In Book 18, I gave you carefully chosen
collections of word groups that have to do with six topics. In this
Book, I’m going to give you word groups that have to do with
seven other important topics:
1). Good and bad.
2). Farming, Agriculture & Gardening.
3). Sports & Games.
4). Essential Computer English.
5). Crime.
6). Nature.
7). Building and home.
Let’s go straight for the word groups. As usual, utter each
word group aloud several times, so that you and your organs
of speech become familiar with them. Remember this: What’s
needed is not just to learn the content of these word groups;
what’s needed is to train your organs of speech with them.
Here we go:
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Good and bad

Group 1
• We had a really pleasant time together. • His French wasn’t
as good as his English, but good enough. • What an unpleasant
man! • Don’t expect them to be truthful — they’ve got no ethics.
• The weather conditions were bad, and the plane couldn’t land.
• He’s a very able lawyer. • It’s an old car, but it’s basically sound.
• This is perhaps the finest film I’ve ever seen. • He showed
excellent self-control in his answer. • What an awful smell! •
His work is satisfactory, but not outstanding. • He’s a nasty man,
and he won’t help anyone. • That’s a remarkable achievement.
• She gave us some hints on how to look after indoor plants,
and I found them very useful. • He says he’s a policeman,
but he doesn’t look authentic/genuine. • He has a lot of good
qualities and he deserves admiration. • The conference was very
dull, and I didn’t know what to do to amuse myself. • That’s a
marvellous dress you’re wearing. • Some of these drugs have
a harmful effect on the nervous system. • She’s a very skilled
and experienced swimmer. • Many of them are incapable and
don’t have the abilities necessary to do their jobs. • He is an
exceptionally talented painter. • His work is first class. • What
miserable weather! If only it stopped raining! • That’s a first rate
plan/idea. • The management of that company seems to be very
inefficient. • Their work is well below standard. • I don’t think
it was an honest answer. • All the players were good, but he was
easily the best. • This dishwasher is an ingenious invention.
• The index at the back of the book is not as good as it should
be. • He had a better life there. • He’s a very gifted violinist. •
If you want to be successful in this business, you’ll have to offer
the best to your customers. • That’s a very good product. • The
new park is going to be an excellent place for kids. • I think
his argument/reasoning is faulty. • The dress she had on wasn’t
suitable for the occasion. • The telephone line was defective. •
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He’s all right — you can trust him. • He did an admirable job in
dealing with the situation. • One thing I like about him is, he has
a positive attitude to everything. • He was very unfriendly, and
his behaviour was nasty. • That was an outstanding/impressive
performance. • He’s an ethical person — I’m sure he won’t stoop
to blackmail. • It isn’t a genuine/an authentic Michelangelo
drawing, but a fake. • Their computers are superior to those
of others. • He never loses his temper, and that’s an admirable
quality. • That is a marvellous idea. • He’s a nice person, but
rather dull and boring. • The election didn’t produce a satisfying
result for them. • Don’t buy those vegetables — they’re rotten.
• Do you think the supplies of food are sufficient? • He’s a kind-
hearted person. • He’s good looking and fashionable. • The boss
was in a foul temper today.
• He’s a fine painter/musician/actor. • He likes to play tricks
on others — he’s a mischievous person, you know. • The painters
have done an excellent job of that building. • Our company is
going through a bad time. • That was a surprise to me, but an
agreeable one. • His new house is a bit small, but very pleasant.
• That egg is rotten — don’t eat it. • He isn’t very clever, but he
tries hard. • He showed great surprise at the news, but I don’t
think it was genuine. • He’s always hopeful and confident, and
it’s great to work with him. • I like the design of this building/
dress/furniture — it’s stylish. • I’m not happy with his work —
it’s below a satisfactory standard. • Thank you for an excellent
evening. • His argument/reasoning was deeply flawed. • I don’t
think it’s a sound idea/plan. • The problem is, the supplies of
medicines are not adequate. • She always goes out dressed in
fine clothes. • His new film is a miserable failure. • He’s a first-
rate professional. • They’re all fine singers. • Change that dress
— it looks awful on you. • He’s an outstanding player. • He’s very
truthful, and you can trust him. • I find it difficult to believe that
he’s a real/genuine doctor. • The telephone system in our area
is very inefficient. • We had a really good time at the party last
night. • This food has a nasty mouldy smell.
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Group 2
• The terms of the new contract are really advantageous to
us. • This film doesn’t have any technical merit, but it’s very
entertaining. • This medicine isn’t suitable for all patients. • He’s
a superior musician. • He’s very competent in foreign languages.
• I think the fears of the industrialists are legitimate, and not
groundless. • My room has a fine view of the countryside. • The
kitchen smelt foul. • His car is in first class condition. • If you
want to know how to start up a company, you should consult
Mr. Ashok Arora — he’s a specialist adviser, you know. • He’s
the most honest man I ever met. • They treated us dreadfully.
• Last night’s party was good wholesome fun. • He has a bad
character, and he can’t be trusted. • Many of our doctors are not
adequately trained. • We had a really enjoyable time there. •
The arrangements for the conference — I don’t think they were
adequate. • I don’t know if this make of TV is all right. • Who
cooked this dish? It’s superb!
• His interpretation of the balance sheet figures — it’s faulty.
• I don’t think he’s suitable for that job. • He had a terrible
accident last year. • Stress in itself is not always harmful. • He’s
a nice person, and is pleasant to be with. • Their village/town
is rather crowded, but very pleasant. • He’s good-looking and
stylish. • The new boss is always nasty to me. • The work was not
up to standard. • That was a very competent performance. • The
boss seems to be in a foul mood today. • He’s a genuine person —
always honest and sincere. • This butter tastes stale. • I like her
— her behaviour has a childlike quality. • She’s very clean, and
always keeps the kitchen free from dirt. • Most people in that
area are poor and live in housing of sorts/of a sort. • That was a
satisfying meal. • That bridge is in poor condition and may soon
collapse. • He’s an expert tailor. • He claims to have invented this
device, but do you think his claim is legitimate? • The smell of
rotting cabbage was disgusting. • The new arrangement suits me
fine. • He’s a miserable man, and always bad-tempered. • That’s
15
a great idea. • It was a bad accident, and his injuries were awful.
• I don’t think he was being truthful with us when he said all
those things. • The whole marketing department in our company
is very inefficient. • This milk has gone bad. • The food in that
restaurant is very good/poor. • His hearing/sight was defective.
• He’s a very talented tennis player. • This food has gone off, and
it smells. • He has superb confidence. • If you bury a piece of
wood, it’d decay/rot. • This medicine is an effective cure for TB.
• This method is inefficient and expensive. • The flight was very
comfortable, and I enjoyed it. • He’s a poor singer — his wife can
sing better than him. • He’s a very friendly and agreeable person.
• She has a nice little house there. • Don’t keep biting your nails
— it’s a disgusting habit. • He’s a very moral person — don’t
expect him to stoop to bribery.
• This is not the most favourable time to start up a company.
• There’s no doubt that his work deserves to be praised. • This is
a boring subject. • This is a wicked world. • He’s an outstanding
musician. • That building is very impressive. • The things they’ve
done are morally unacceptable. • Prof. Ahmed is an expert on this
topic. • Their new interest rates seem very advantageous. • That’s
a fine book. • I found his joke offensive. • He has an excellent
brain and is very competent. • This method isn’t effective and
isn’t going to produce the result we want. • The boss liked her
because she was honest and reliable. • It’s immoral to deceive
other people. • That’s a faulty switch — we’ll have to get it
replaced. • I didn’t like the food — it wasn’t all right. • They sell
good quality furniture. • This bread isn’t fresh — it’s stale. Don’t
eat it. • The terms of the contract are not very advantageous to
us. • He’s a great painter — he has superb skill. • You shouldn’t
wear this sort of dress to the office — it isn’t suitable, you know.
• I’ve had a bad day at work. • This is certainly an awesome
achievement. • The food was poor. • He’s a fine-looking young
man. • He lives in a nasty little flat there. • He was way below the
standard required, and was not chosen for the job. • Most of our
employees are hardworking and responsible. • He’s a warm and
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friendly man. • He’s a mischievous person — he takes delight in
embarrassing others. • I like him — he’s an admirable character.
• The children looked smart in their white shirts. • His new film
has a lot of artistic merit. • Our new boss looks very stern, but
is actually harmless. • He was splendid company during the
journey. • He was found to be a superior candidate, and he was
chosen for the job. • She’s an expert at cooking. • They claim to
be the market leaders in this industry, and I think their claim is
reasonable and justified. • She gave us an excellent meal. • He
says this diamond is flawed. • The food here is first class.
Group 3
• You’ll have to give me a truthful answer. • Rumours like these
would certainly be damaging to our reputation. • I hate that
place — it’s awful. • The preparations for the meeting were not
satisfactory. • These floppy disks are of superior quality. • I don’t
think the response to their latest ad was very good. • Don’t use
this milk — it smells off. • That machine was of poor quality.
• His financial situation is awful. • He exercises every day and
keeps in perfect shape. • The bathroom was dirty and disgusting.
• I don’t think the investigation has been thorough. • It’s not a
very expensive hotel — the prices are OK. • Did you go to the
carnival? It was an impressive spectacle. • I found his argument
defective. • I think today’s going to be a pleasant day. • She’s a
very attractive and fashionable woman. • He made some nasty
jokes about me. • He’s the most upright and trustworthy man
I’ve ever met. • This sort of diet isn’t suitable for most people. •
He has a few valuable contacts in the government. • The lecture
was so dull I fell asleep. • That’s a fine book. • The film didn’t
have a satisfying ending. • Her grandfather is past 90, but his
mind is sound. • Do you think the talks the unions had with the
management were genuine? • There’s nothing more enjoyable
than lying on that beach. • He has a foul mouth, and nobody
likes him. • He’s an excellent student.
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• That was a defective theory. • His jokes are always the
same, and they’re boring. • He felt that the only honourable
course of action was to resign. • The education system here isn’t
as good as it should be. • Is the pain terrible/very bad? • I’ve
made some arrangements, but I don’t know if they’re OK. • The
government’s decision is very good news for small investors. •
That building is very old, and all the doors and windows are
rotten. • That’s a very attractive dress. • I don’t think that house
is in very good condition — don’t buy it. • He’s a warm and kind-
hearted man. • Divorce isn’t good for children. • Look at those
flowers! Aren’t they a beautiful sight! • This job is no good at all
— I’m going to resign. • Bangalore has a pleasant climate. • This
is a nasty situation, and I don’t know how he’s going to handle
it. • Our old boss was very able and efficient. • The motor bike
is a very convenient way of getting around. • Those suggestions
were not good enough to be accepted. • That dress looks stylish
— I like it. • The vegetables have started decaying/rotting. •
That was an excellent dinner. • He and his business partners get
along splendidly.
• It was a boring meeting/party. • His musical ability is of a
high standard. • He’s an expert in this sort of work. • Dishonest
behaviour is something I had never expected from him. • The
show was just excellent entertainment. • All these rumours are
mischievous. • That’s a great relief. • The weather has been
awful for a week now. • That food is no longer fresh — it’s stale.
• Her son is an able child, and he’s very good at his studies. •
There’s a negative side to his character that I don’t like. • That’s
an old building and it has started to decay. • He did OK at the
interview. • The weather has been good for some time now. •
Trying to convince him of something is really tedious. • Adultery
is considered immoral. • They’re very poor, and their living
conditions are very harsh/severe. • I don’t like his paintings —
they’re of poor artistic quality. • He’s a world-class tennis player.
• He’s evil, and he takes pleasure in harming other people. • Do
you think this is a suitable present for her? • Tomorrow is her
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birthday. • The water supply in this area is quite inadequate. •
He’s always had high moral standards. • Many of the trade union
leaders are not trustworthy.
Group 4
• He’s a specialist in repairing computers. • I don’t think the
things he said were truthful. • He had a smart blue shirt on. • The
whole department is corrupt — everybody takes bribes. • These
two teeth have decayed, and they need to be pulled. • We’ve just
had very good news. • He has committed several awful offences.
• He’s a narrow-minded person. • He’s a wicked man, and he’s
made his wife’s life a misery. • The brakes were defective. • It
seems they’re in severe financial difficulties. • I’m sure he’ll soon
become a world-class champion. • I like the new job, but the pay
is bad. • He is an effective lawyer. • This work is quite inadequate
— you’ll have to do it again. • That’s an excellent idea. • He’s
a man of dubious character. • This is wonderful news — I’m so
happy. • Arguments and quarrels like these can turn nasty. •
They only sell superior quality paper. • They arrived at a very
convenient moment. • The food tasted disgusting. • He used to
do reasonably well in school, without really trying. • He gave me
a few tips on answering questions at interviews, and they were
really valuable. • This is dreadful news. • He has a collection
of splendid paintings. • That was sound advice — you should
have taken it. • His moustache isn’t genuine — it’s phoney. • It’s
always satisfying to be proved right.
• He always uses foul/bad language. • We had a really great
time together. • He’s wicked by nature. • He’s an honourable
man, and he won’t behave in a cheap way. • Filling up long
forms like these is tedious work. • I found most of his answers
unsatisfactory. • His behaviour was rude/shocking. • He isn’t a
good person to work with. • That’s a school of quality. • This
food isn’t fit to eat. • He’s an evil man. • That’s a useless job,
but he had to take it because opportunities were scarce. • He
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gave me a few valuable tips, and I found them very helpful. •
Our education system is hopeless. • He’s very thorough, and is
very methodical in his work. • Food shortage has become severe.
• He’s a very capable person, and he can do most things well. •
That was a marvellous performance. • This is a nasty problem,
and I don’t know how to deal with it. • He’s a capable worker,
and we don’t want him to leave us. • The timing of the meeting
was very convenient. • He’s very incompetent and can’t do his
job properly. • He speaks good English. • The new boss is stern
and hard to please, and isn’t popular with the staff. • That was
a coincidence — a remarkable coincidence. • It was the most
disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted. • He’s a splendid painter. • That
man is boring — he only talks about himself.
• She’s a dressmaking expert. • One thing about him is,
he’s honest and dependable. • This scandal will be damaging
to the Chief Minister/the government. • That was an excellent
performance/lecture. • It’s good to see you after all this time. •
I’m very tired — it was an awful journey. • I have a severe/terrible
toothache. • Do you think their intentions are honourable? • It’s
a good job, and the salary isn’t bad. • He’s very corrupt, and he
only does things in return for money. • This isn’t a nice thing
for a person with your reputation to do. • We had a good time
on the trip. • That’s a college of a high standard. • A few weeks
holiday will be beneficial to your health. • He works very hard
and is absolutely trustworthy and level-headed. • She’s a bad
driver. • He’s a very helpful person. • We had to reject their offer,
because it was quite inadequate. • The carnival was a spectacle
not to be missed. • These shoes are of low/poor quality. • He
has a wonderful view from his bedroom window. • Diabetes is
a nasty disease. • The smell in the toilet was disgusting. • I find
the opening hours of the bank very convenient. • He’s not a real/
genuine policeman — he’s just a fraud/fake. • He’s a man of
superior intelligence. • Their work was satisfactory, but it could
have been better.
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Group 5
• That’s a horrible thing to say. • I can’t stand the smell of rotting
vegetables/meat/fish. • The article he sent to them was not of an
acceptable standard, and they decided not to publish it. • He’s a
marvellous actor. • It was boring to sit there with nobody to talk
to. • He won’t fail to notice things like these — he has an expert
eye, you know. • He’s an honest man — he never tries to deceive
people. • That’s not a bad idea. • When he started his career,
he was very honest, but now he’s become corrupt. • He looked
pathetic, and I felt sorry for him. • Did he tell you the awful news?
• His suggestion is certainly worthy of consideration. • He’s a
dishonest lawyer. • He’s sure to make a favourable impression
on the interview board. • She’s a real expert on art, and you can
learn a lot from a conversation with her. • He coped with the
situation admirably. • I’ve had a terrible journey, and I’m very
tired. • We had a wonderful time in Goa. • He was smart and
well-dressed. • There was a foul stench when the rubber started
burning. • She’s an able student/teacher. • What rotten luck! •
You should arrange a convenient time for the negotiation. • That
wasn’t a satisfactory answer. • It tastes slightly bitter, and it has
a very unpleasant smell. • These are pathetic excuses — do you
think I believe what you’re saying? • He looked splendid.
• I found that film very boring. • They’re a bunch of
incompetents. • He’s past 70, but his body is still sound. • He
isn’t an expert or anything — he’s phoney. • She’s very efficient
and does a good job as our Managing Director’s secretary. •
These shoes are great for walking in the country. • He’s a corrupt
politician. • The washing machine was defective and wasn’t
working properly. • He acted honourably, and apologized to them.
• I don’t like that man — he’s awful. • She’s a thoroughly evil
woman. • He’s an annoying person — he keeps asking personal
questions. • He had a severe hip injury. • There’s nothing like
a good book. • His efforts certainly deserve praise. • Some of
these foods contain a lot of chemicals and additives, and may
21
have a harmful/damaging effect on your health. • I don’t think
she should get married to him — he isn’t worthy of her. • He’s a
specialist on European history. • This is a pocket-sized computer,
and I find it very handy. • We usually avoid that restaurant —
it’s a fancy place, and very expensive, you know. • The film was
entertaining, but not particularly good. • What an awful thing to
say! • We took a chance, and we’ve won — it’s very satisfying. •
She’s a poor swimmer. • This toaster is a clever invention. • The
trouble is, none of their plans are thorough. • He was good at
languages while at school. • Everybody had a good opinion of the
way the police handled the situation. • He’s a great musician.
• I’ve just had some very bad news. • They were a superior
team and they won. • She’s a very competent cook. • I don’t
think what you said was appropriate to the situation. • This kind
of attitude is simply not acceptable. • She has an evil tongue,
and she keeps spreading rumours about other people. • He’s a
remarkable writer. • You look marvellous, Ajith! • He’s not a
dishonest man — I’ve always found him to be fair in his dealings.
• He’s very ingenious and is full of clever ideas and plans. • His
accent sounded phoney. • There were lots of good applicants
for the job, but she was much better than the rest. • That’s a
very exclusive restaurant, and not many people can afford to go
there. • This fish is rotten and is beginning to smell disgusting.
• I don’t find his explanation satisfactory. • I like him — he’s
wonderful. • This bread/cheese is mouldy — don’t eat it. • The
safety record of that airline is exemplary. • Don’t take him to
that hospital — he won’t have the best of care there. • It’s not a
serious problem, but an irritating one. • The air in this room is
rather stale — I think we’ll open the windows. • This dish tastes
good. • You don’t need any medicine — what you need is lots of
wholesome natural food. • I find this work slow and tedious and
rather frustrating. • That was a world-class performance.
• He doesn’t have the qualifications to be a doctor — he’s a
fake/ fraud. • The information I got from there was very useful.
22
• He collapsed in the street and fainted, and when he came to,
he was in severe pain. • She’s very skilled at making people at
their ease. • The design of that building — it was defective. •
Have you seen his paintings? I think he’s just great/wonderful! •
That was a dinner of sorts/of a sort — I didn’t enjoy it. • This is a
clever new gadget — it can sharpen pencils. • I don’t think their
action was appropriate — they shouldn’t have dismissed him at
all. • The compromise formula was not acceptable to them. •
I’ve had a rotten day at work. • I don’t think he’s competent
enough to be put in charge of the office. • Our house has got a
marvellous view of the countryside. • I think he’s horrible and
disgusting. • Her excuses were not genuine, but phoney/false.
• They’re planning to give a lavish and select party and only
the most important people here are going to be invited to it. •
These clothes are great for cold weather. • He has suffered some
dreadful injuries.
Group 6
• The weather conditions in their place would be very harsh now.
• His behaviour/tact was exemplary. • He only likes the best. •
That’s a fancy school — only wealthy businessmen can afford to
send their children there. • He gave a performance on the piano,
and it was very impressive. • She’s a lovely and well-mannered
woman. • This cooker/fridge is faulty. • The police found the
information he gave very valuable. • The food was absolutely
bad. • This material is of good/high quality — it’s very good for
curtains. • You should take exercise regularly — that’ll have a
beneficial effect on your health. • He’s a very skilled guitar player.
• She’s always hopeful that things will turn out well. • He’s fine
at sports and rather poor at his studies. • He’s a remarkable man
and has a lot of unusual qualities. • Their new boss seems to be
a clever man — he understands things quickly. • That hotel is
very convenient to the airport. • If you don’t handle the situation
properly, it’ll turn/go sour. • I had the good fortune to win first
23
prize. • There are a lot of people who think abortion is immoral.
• This sort of behaviour is unsuitable for educated people like
you. • Many of the passengers suffered dreadful/terrible injuries
in the crash. • I’ve got some splendid news for you. • I had a bad
dream last night. • Do you think their firm is financially sound?
• Many of these so-called charitable causes are not genuine,
but bogus/phoney. • There’s a pleasant view from her window. •
I didn’t like her performance — it was absolutely pathetic. • This
device is very suitable for cleaning windows. • I find some of his
habits very irritating/annoying. • Even if he finds your wallet, he
won’t give it to you — he has no morals. • This isn’t a very nice
room. • He has one or two of his teeth decayed. • He hasn’t done
anything illegal or dishonest. • He seems to be in a good mood
today. • His health steadily became worse. • Don’t expect him to
be kind to you — I’ve never found him to be charitable. • He’s
very skilful and clever with his hands. • I’m hopeless at playing
golf. • His body is very healthy, considering his age. • They
claimed to be earthquake victims, but they were frauds/fakes. •
They make high quality chocolates. • He returned some of the
parts/components, because they were defective. • That wasn’t
a satisfactory attempt — you should try again. • Life would be
dreadful without a TV. • He doesn’t have a regular job, and he
makes a living of sorts/of a sort by doing this and that. • That’s
a clever idea/plan — and I think it’s the only way to handle this
situation. • Tomorrow won’t be convenient for me. • She always
chooses superior cloth for her dresses. • Neither solution seemed
acceptable.
• That was a pathetic attempt — no wonder it didn’t succeed.
• He was fired because he was found to be inefficient. • This is
a very satisfying job. • That’s a rotten idea. • This is a hopeless
situation — I don’t know how he’s going to deal with it. • He
has expert hands and will be able to repair the car in no time. •
It’s an old car, but it’s in good condition and quite dependable.
• I like him — he’s a pleasant person. • He behaved dreadfully
24
at the meeting. • He’s a great one for getting people to talk
confidentially to him. • Don’t eat that food — it smells dreadful.
• He may be poor, but he’s honest. • This is the best hotel I’ve ever
stayed at. • He’s dishonest and immoral, and he won’t hesitate
to trick you out of your money. • In about a month, the weather
would become mild and warm. • The arrangement we come to
must be satisfactory to both parties. • That’s an old and decaying
building. • He’s a talented musician.
• They’ve called off the strike — it’s a very satisfying
development. • Let’s not forget that their support is very valuable
to us. • That bridge is very old and isn’t in good condition. •
He’s bad at mathematics. • They always buy the choicest apples/
vegetables/fruits/meat. • That man has a nasty mind. • I’ve
never seen him confident that things would turn out well. •
That’s a very popular and fashionable restaurant. • Their business
partnership has turned/gone sour. • That’s a clever solution —
I’ve been wondering how to solve this puzzle. • This wallet is
made of genuine leather. • That’s a dull novel, and there’s nothing
exciting in it. • Most articles in that magazine are of a superior
standard. • What’s that disgusting smell? • The great thing about
him is, he’s very understanding. • You can trust him — he’s a
dependable person. • I don’t think he’s a capable person — he
doesn’t have the qualities necessary to cope with life. • That film
was marvellous — I enjoyed it very much.
***
25
Farming, agriculture & gardening
Chapter 2
Farming, agriculture &

gardening
Group 1
• Is the land there good for farming? • Press the seed into the
soil, and cover it lightly. • You must remove all the weeds from
around the plants/crops. • The future of farming certainly looks
bright in our country — many signs point in that direction. •They
have a good year-round supply of water for all their farm needs.
• The plants were grown indoors, and then transplanted outside.
• We’ve lived and farmed here for more than 50 years. • His land
is not suitable for cultivation because of shallow soil. • When he
retired, he took up gardening. • If you want to do the farm work
efficiently, you need modern machinery and equipment. • Have
you sprayed the plants with insecticide yet? • During the growing
season, most farm crops need about 1 inch of water a week. •
Look at those cows grazing around that tree. • His farmland is
nearly level, and so, for him, erosion is not a problem. • When
is cabbage ready for harvesting? • They’re thinking of taking up
fish/sheep farming. • They always treat soil/their plants with
manure. • Many trees die because people often do careless
planting. • The flower-beds were full of weeds. • The long-term
outlook for farming in our country is certainly bright. • Their
country is strong both in industry and agriculture. • Nearly all
farm plants are of the seed producing types. • There’s a cowshed
on the farm to shelter/keep/milk the cows. • I’m thinking of
planting bushes/trees/shrubs/vegetables/potatoes/beans in the
garden.
• He cleared the land by chopping up and turning under the
bushes and growths. • If the land/soil isn’t fertile, plants won’t
26
grow well. • How do you prevent rabbit attacks in this area?
• Farmers were preparing the earth and working on it to grow
potatoes. • How much water do you apply to the crops a week?
• They have a few acres of grazing land in that village. • Do they
have farm buildings for the livestock? • She planted the seeds
and covered them with a little soil. • Are these insects injurious
to peas? • We still plant and harvest rice by hand. • The soil on
their farm is deep and easy to work. • I think we should fence
in the field. • Dairying is well adapted to family-type farming.
• You should fertilize your fields with manure. • Cabbage crops
usually produce good yields. • She trained the shoots/bushes
up the fence. • There’s a lot of money involved in farming. •
You should turn and loosen the soil before you start planting the
garden. • The income of a farm family is usually less than that of
a city family. • The stalks were bare after the harvest. • We had
a good crop of rice this year. • They are healthy plants. • Not all
of the land on the farm is alike — some parts are very good for
cultivation, while some parts are only moderately good. • They
have tractors, seed-bed preparation machines, crop-harvesting
machines and other farm machines on their farm. • This is the
first time we’ve had a harvest failure. • He picked up a hoe and
started loosening the soil and removing the weeds.
• These are harmful insects, and you can kill them by putting
pesticides on your crops. • Their farm produces small fruits as
well as tree fruits. • They breed and keep sheep at the farm. •
She raked in the backyard, and made a good seed-bed to grow
young plants from seed. • She has a beautiful flower-bed in her
garden. • Cabbage/cauliflower plants are usually sown in the
field by hand — farmers don’t generally use machines for this
purpose. • That’s a dry area with low rainfall, and most plants
won’t grow there. • Remove the loose stones from the fields —
they’d interfere with using the fields. • Where are most of the
grapes produced in our country? • Last week, an agriculturist
had come to advise the farmers here. • In that area, people use
irrigation to supplement rainfall. • Farm income has increased
27
considerably during the last few years. • That’s rough mountain
land/marshy land, and is not suitable for cultivation. • These are
fruits/leaves/flowers/plants with long stalks. • Their garden is
full of wild plants. • We’ll have to think of better ways to improve
crop yields.
Group 2
• Their farmland is always wet and requires drainage. • If you
irrigate that area, you can make it fertile. • Rice is a widely grown
crop in Kerala. • You should have a good understanding of your
land if you are to use it properly. • There was a long period of
drought last year, and it damaged the harvest. • You should only
apply water to the plants slowly, so that all the water soaks into
the ground. • All the fields in that area are planted with rice/
wheat. • I don’t own a farm, but I have a smallholding — it’s
smaller than a normal farm, you know. • How do you cut the
cabbage/cauliflower heads from the stalks? • The weather was
good for the harvest. • If you want to drain large areas of land,
you need main outlet ditches. • Vineyards should be located near
good roads. • You can buy fresh farm produce in that market. •
There are transplanting machines to set plants in fields. • On
their farm, the primary source of income is dairy products. •
She’s tidying up the garden.
• Farming is becoming more productive and more efficient
in our country. • My parents are farmers. • Fruit trees largely
take care of themselves — except for pruning. • We’re going
to have another year of crop failure. • Our farm produces farm
products for sale and home use. • He was pinching out the tips of
the young growths, so they’ll develop into bushy plants. • Some
seed varieties grow very fast. • What insect is most injurious in
this region? • Look at those hens loose in the farmyard. • Some
plants don’t transplant well. • You can prune the young tree by
trimming the roots and the top at the planting time. • We don’t
use any chemical pesticides — we grow crops without using them.
28
• Farmers in that area have started using machines for threshing.
• You should use stakes to support these plants. • Wheat, maize
and rice are cereal plants that produce grain. • Insects like these
mostly attack cultivated plants and fruits. • They have several
acres under cultivation. • You should rake the soil smooth. • In
general, the farmers in our country have become more efficient
during the last few years. • Have you fed the chickens? • Are
there any apple/cherry orchards in your area? • Nowadays, good
agricultural land is in short supply. • The seeds were planted in
beds and there were irrigation furrows between the beds.
• Look at those leaves/shoots that have sprouted! • You
should cover the roots of the plant with earth. • We’ll have to cut
open-ditches to drain the land. • Set the tree in the hole, throw
soil in, and tramp the soil thoroughly on the roots. • That’s a very
fertile region and can produce a large number of good quality
crops. • He’s gone to his village to help his parents in the harvest.
• If the weather is dry when you plant the tree, pour some water
into the hole. • After ploughing the land, you should break up all
large lumps of soil. • Be careful how you cultivate the plants —
you shouldn’t injure their roots. • Better give shallow cultivation.
• They own a coffee/rubber/tea plantation. • How much grain/
milk does your farm produce? • Beans need a well-prepared
seed-bed. • They planted the trees at 25 feet intervals. • They
have a farm reservoir, and they use water from it for irrigation.
• Rice is grown on wet land. • The soil here is full of grass and
weeds. • We visited their village during the wheat harvest. • Do
they produce or buy the feed grain needed for the livestock?
• The trees gave a high yield last year. • When planting is
done on ridges, you should be careful not to expose roots, and
you shouldn’t cover plants when they’re small. • How much will it
cost to produce an acre of tomatoes? • He employs more than 50
farm workers. • Total farm production in our country during the
last year was the largest on record. • The government will have
to do something to improve the level of living of farm people. •
29
Many plants make poor growth, because farmers don’t handle
them properly at planting time. • Both of them work on a farm.
• Those oranges look old and shrivelled. • This dry weather is
going to have a bad effect on our crops. • They have a number
of fruit trees in their backyard. • Get the tree in the position you
want — then add soil in the hole and pack again. • We cut long
narrow trenches in the earth and planted the seed in them. •
They use a high-yielding variety of wheat for seed. • Fences keep
cattle and sheep where they are wanted, and also out of places
where they’re not wanted.
Group 3
• They grow crops and keep pigs at the farm. • There are trees
of various ages in that farm. • Organic manure like these make
plants grow healthy and strong. • This is a chemical fertilizer —
you should spread it on the land/ground and work it in before
planting. • All this land will have to be brought under cultivation.
• If you sow the seed now, the plants will be ready to be set in
the field by September. • All the farms in that region are highly
productive. • They rotate crops by growing different crops in
succession in that field. • Where can we get good celery seed
from? • They live in a farming area. • A large part of the land on
their farm is in crops. • The vines provide shade as well as fruit.
• Crop production per acre of cropland has certainly increased.
• The paddy fields in that area are irrigated by canals, pipes
and ditches. • The grain crop will have to be harvested in about
a month’s time. • Beans/Rice cropped badly last year. • The
seedlings were raised in the greenhouse and transplanted later.
• That hill is too steep to plough. • Before you use wet land for
field crops, you should drain it and remove surface water. • You
should give frequent cultivation to cabbage, so you can prevent
weeds and grass from growing. • Their farm has a lot of fields.
• Most family-type farms in our area have livestock. • You can
use hand cultivators, but cultivation should be given frequently
30
— and for these crops cultivation should be shallow. • She grows
flowers, vegetables and other plants in her garden. • His land is
covered with small bushes and trees. • When you plant young
trees, you should cut off all diseased and broken roots and roots
that are too long. • Their farms produce cereal crops. • How is
wheat/rice threshed in your area? • There are paddy fields near
our house. • He’s raking in the garden. • Nowadays fewer men
on the farm work fewer hours — but they produce more farm
products than ever before. • Some flowers don’t transplant easily.
• His son is at university studying agriculture. • All these lumps
of earth will have to be broken up. • Wells should be located on
the high side of the fields to provide for water flow.
• These trees no longer yield fruit. • How do you control
grasshoppers and other insects in your fields? • Buds have started
appearing on the trees. • The roots are still unharmed — they’ve
produced a lot of sprouts. • He owns about 100 acres of farmland
there. • Potatoes grow under the ground. • The field had been
ploughed, and we could see a series of ridges in it. • Set the tree
in a hole, and fill the hole to the top and pack. • How many acres
of crop land does their farm have? • The irrigation in that area is
very poor. • What crops are grown in your area for home use? •
Their farmhouse is at the bottom of the valley. • Vegetables and
small fruits are high-return crops. • How much fertilizer should I
use for peas? • He cut a narrow trench/channel into the ground,
so water could flow along. • We transplanted the seedlings into
the soil today. • Push/Hammer these stakes into the ground,
and tie all the young plants to them. • Coffee and tea are the
main crops grown there. • We keep the fields flooded with water
and use them for growing rice. • How deep should the soil be
ploughed to prepare it for melons?
• Put cow dung around the roots of these bushes. • While
these plants are young, you shouldn’t cover the buds with soil
during cultivation. • How do the growers in your area market
the spinach crop? • He grows mushrooms in the garden. • Land
that’s idle is losing fertility. • What are the climate requirements
31
of carrots? • Fewer farmers and more customers are to the
advantage of farmers. • Let’s train the vines over/against the
wall. • Don’t set the plants too shallow or too deep. • Crops grow
well if you dig manure or chemical substances into soil. • They’re
expecting a record harvest this year. • Ploughing is over, but there
are lots of large lumps of earth/clay on the surface. • The larger
the farm in crop areas, the larger the net farm income. • How
many onion plants are required per acre? • He’s ploughing the
field/ploughing in the field. • She grows grapes in her vegetable
garden. • After planting the tree, she left a depression near it to
receive extra rainwater. • Plant them in rows three feet apart. • If
the land is deep, level, well-drained and fertile, most farm crops
would do well on it. • How far apart should these plants be set?
• He cut furrows into the earth using their ploughs and
planted seed in them. • If you want to put your farmland to
proper use, you should clear it of bushes, stumps, stones and
other obstructions. • They don’t have enough farm buildings for
storing the harvested crops and the farm machinery. • They grow
potatoes in large quantities. • There are several orange/lemon
groves in that area. • What’s the yield per acre? • The land is
full of grass and roots. • New buds have started sprouting on the
trees. • More than 80% of the entire farm output is consumed
as food. • You should care for the field if good crops are to be
produced. • The trees have started putting out their leaves. •
Tomatoes don’t grow well in this soil. • Before you set these
plants in the field, the soil must be turned to a depth of 6 to 8
inches. • How are ripe melons harvested? • Farmers in our area
are busy weeding and planting. • If you want to make full use of
the land, you should keep it in growing crops throughout much
of the year. • You can produce better crops if you add manure/
fertilizers to soil. • After ploughing the land, the soil should be
harrowed several times — this will help in controlling weeds.
• They’ve built a barn to store grain and hay on their farm.
• Sheep get most of their feed from forage, and only a small
percentage from grain. • Most of them are wheat/rice/potato
32
farmers. • Our farmland is suitable for growing maize. • How far
apart should I space the rows? • Another crop failure could result
in a shortage of food. • Generally, dairying is concentrated near
the larger cities and industrial centres. • He farms 100 acres.
• General farming usually includes one or more cash crops. •
The children have trampled the seedbed and ruined everything.
• These insects are a nuisance — they eat crops. • Crops must
be chosen that can do well on your land. • Farmers in that area
grow beans and cowpeas on orange/lemon groves and turn them
under as green manure. • Farmers will have to think of new
methods to increase their yield. • You can buy eggs from them —
they keep chickens. • When you plant a young tree, you should
set it in a hole one or two inches deeper than it grew in the
nursery. • I’ve finished weeding. Now I’ll have to start digging. •
Dairying requires a fairly large amount of labour. • Every square
metre of the soil was used for vegetables. • The ground was hard
and difficult to dig. • You should use the hoe now and then, and
prevent the growth of grass and weeds. • Trees started shedding
leaves in early autumn. • A good farm must have a good water
supply. • What’s the length of time required to grow a crop of
cauliflower? • You should water the young plants regularly.
• Add some compost to the soil round the roots — the plants
would grow well. • He started on a smallholding — now he
owns a large farm. • These plants were grown in a nursery and
transplanted here.
• Don’t let the land lie waste — start farming it. • Rotation of
crops is not very important with short season crops like lettuce.
• Build a frame around the seedbed, and cover it with a good
quality sheeting, so you can protect the bed from the sun and hot
winds. • Much of our village is good agricultural land. • Break
the land deep, but don’t turn up the tighter soil. • Climate is
perhaps the most important factor in deciding what vegetables
to produce. • Has the farm population in our country increased
during the past few years? • He gathered the leaves together with
a rake. • You should turn the soil under with a plough before the
33
plants are to be set. • To pick grapes, you need much skill. • He
owns a fish/sheep/mink/livestock/crop/dairy/poultry farm. •
Tomatoes have cropped well this year. • You should put decaying
plants and animal dung in the earth near the young trees. • Their
farm is off the main highway. • He pruned the 1-year old trees
by cutting the top back to about 30 inches above the ground. •
The tomato is the main home garden vegetable in our area. •
Their region has the most fertile soil in the country. • How do
you plant onion/bean/asparagus/tomato seed? • We must start
digging up the garden tomorrow. • It’s been a good harvest this
year. • Mangoes grow in hot countries. • Labour is one of the
major items of expense in farm production. • This sort of land is
no good for growing carrots.
Group 4
• They keep/raise sheep on their farm. • Before you put the
plants in, you should use a rake and loosen the earth and make
it level. • He gets a good view of a large part of the farm from
his farmhouse. • What crops do best in your area? • You’ll have
to turn over the earth once more before planting them. • They
plant these seeds on ridges in ploughed fields and they work
down the ridges when the plants grow several inches high. •
They’ve sown/planted the fields with wheat. • Sandy soils are
better suited to deep-rooted crops like sweet potatoes. • How
should I handle the plants after pulling them from the bed? •
He picked up a spade and started digging in the garden. • They
cultivate a small/large garden. • We only planted the seed last
week, and little green shoots have already started to appear. •
He ploughed the land and left it unplanted to restore its fertility.
• Cabbage crops are harvested by hand as soon as they reach
sufficient size. • How can you tell when tomatoes are ready to
harvest? • He resigned and took up farming. • The crops are cut
and gathered after they have ripened. • Set the tree in a hole,
and throw a few shovels of the topsoil around and over the roots,
34
and pack this well. • Their farmland doesn’t have enough water-
holding capacity. • Buds have started opening.
• You should grow a cover crop like peas and turn it under as
green manure. • We must weed the garden today. • Most farmland
is not being wisely used. • Carrots grow under the ground and
have green shoots above the ground. • What crops do you grow
here for turning under as green manure? • This land is poor
and stony and isn’t suitable for farming. • Wild plants like these
grow among cultivated plants. • When you plant these trees you
should dig deep wide holes — or the roots won’t spread out in a
natural position. • He doesn’t own the farm — he only runs it. •
Before planting time, the soil is ploughed with a tractor and cut
over with a harrow. • How are rows laid off for planting lemons?
• She planted flowers along the drive. • Farm people need as
good housing as town people. • It’ll be a good idea to plant low-
growing crops like cabbage, beans, onions, etc. between the rows
of trees. • They had a bumper wheat crop last year. • The soil
here is too dry and rocky — you can’t cultivate this land. • Use
a hoe and remove all these weeds. • We had a good/high yield
of rice last year. • The basic feed for the livestock on the farm is
pasture.
• Put decaying plants and twigs round the roots — they’ll
keep water in the earth near the plants and protect the plants
from weeds. • They planted the seeds in the soil/ground. • If
the field is dry, you should irrigate the field soon after setting
the plants. • What type of soil is lettuce grown on? • Basically,
farming is a business — and it may or may not be profitable. •
How do you prepare land for corn? • How are you going to shade
the seedbed from the sun? • We’re going to put manure on the
fields tomorrow. • They’ve planted/sown 50 acres with rice. •
He dug a ditch to drain water from the field. • He raked the soil
and made it smooth and level. • How do you take/pull plants
from the seedbed? • The soil hasn’t been turned up properly. • If
you plant in long, straight rows, much of the cultivation can be
35
done with the tractor. • How deep should the soil be prepared to
grow cabbage? • She planted her garden with cabbages, onions
and other vegetables. • Many banks refuse to finance farming.
• If you put rotting leaves, twigs and other plant material round
the roots, you can protect the plants from weeds and help them
grow. • Wheat and rice are two of the main crops in our country.
• They mostly cultivate wheat and potatoes. • The apple/pear
trees were inter-cropped with cabbage/beans/onions. • Have
you watered the flowerbed today? • They keep their crop land
in productive use most of the time. • What are the fertilizer
requirements of these crops? • He farms somewhere in Kerala.
• Success of farming depends on several factors. • Lettuces have
large green leaves and these leaves are used in salads.
• They sprayed the fruit trees with pesticide. • His farmland
is gently sloping, and he has to spend a lot of money to prevent
erosion. • The yield was poor this year. • It’s only three days
since we planted the seeds, and they’ve already started to sprout.
• Let’s hope the rains won’t fail this year. • He’s an apple-grower/
fruit-grower/flower-grower/rose-grower. • The ponds dried up
during the drought. • Vegetables and small fruits are intensive
cash crops like cotton and tobacco. • How long does it take to
produce a crop of eggplants? • The ground is very hard — you’ll
have to break it up before planting the seeds. • When you pull
these plants from the bed for setting them in the field, take
care not to injure them. • Plants need water as well as light. •
Farming is actually a high-risk business. • What type of soil can
cabbage be grown on? • Wheat, rice, maize, barley, rye and oats
are various types of cereal. • They cultivate about 50 acres. • I
don’t think he’s been watering the plants — they’ve shrivelled
and died. • Is there enough hay in the barn for the cows? •
In good farming, land is wisely used. • She bought the plants
from a local nursery. • Cover crops like peas prevent erosion and
provide green manure each year. • These plants grow best in the
shade. • Let’s train the roses along the wall. • There’s a mass of
bushes, shrubs and plants growing under those trees. • Their
36
farm produces a good vegetable/fruit crop every year. • Rake the
soil before you plant the seeds.
• Certain crops should be planted shallow and certain crops
should be planted deep. • Farmers dig fertilizers into soil to make
it more fertile. • Everybody here will be busy till after the harvest.
• If it continues to rain like this, we shall have floods. • Spinach
and other greens are harvested immediately before marketing.
• This land is very fertile. • Farming requires a great deal of
capital. • She drove stakes about a foot deep in the soil and tied
the tomato-stems to them. • A flock of sheep was grazing in the
field. • They use about 50 cents of good land for their vegetable
garden. • What are the varieties of root crops grown here? • Last
year, their farm produced a fine crop of fruit. • Crops grow very
well here, because the soil is really rich. • Farmland shouldn’t
be left idle. • With a hoe, he broke up the surface of the soil. •
You should dig the flower-bed once again before planting. • The
leaves have become dry and wrinkled. • Grow spinach in rows
and keep the rows free from weeds. • They’re out in the fields
reaping.
• His land is really level and not subject to erosion but is
not suitable for cultivated crops for several reasons. • He owns
a farm there. She frequently breaks up the earth between the
rows of plant and removes weeds using hand cultivation. • We
keep chickens on our farm, and we sell their eggs and meat. • Do
they grow grapevines on that farm? • The garden is full of weeds
— we must pull them out. • Garden vegetables are the most
frequently produced food for home use. • They turned over the
soil with a plough and planted the seeds. • He cleared away the
undergrowth neatly and started preparing a seedbed. • The apple
season is about to begin. • A poor water supply is a handicap
for a good farm. • What’ll be the average cost of growing an
acre of peas? • When you turn under soil-improving crops, that’ll
improve conditions of the soil for the growth of succeeding crops.
• Wheat and rice are cereals. • They have a fence around the
entire farm. • That region is too dry — nothing grows there. • It’s
37
three weeks since we’ve planted the seeds and shoots have not
started to appear. • Don’t use farmland for crops it’s not suited
for. • Peas grow in pods and are eaten as vegetables. • What soils
are best for spinach? • We’ll have to prepare the land and grow
crops on it. • Don’t permit the fields to be idle.
• This dry weather is going to shrivel the crops. • We had to
employ extra labour to cut the crops down and bring them in. •
You need hay to feed your cattle when they can’t graze enough
forage from the pastures. • You need modern machinery and
equipment for good farming. • When you plant these trees, use a
small quantity of wood ashes/a little well-rotted manure. • Most
of the land here is very fertile. • Our area has enough annual
rainfall, and we have good crop yields. • You must learn how to
do the weeding. • How many cows do they have on the farm?
• The leaves have shrivelled up in the sun. • How much seed is
needed to plant an acre with peas? • The fields are divided from
each other by hedges. • This is the mango season, and mangoes
are available everywhere. • His land is not agricultural land,
and is steep, rough and stony. • If you grow an acre of cabbage,
what is the average yield to expect? • How many acres have rice
farmers planted this year?
***
38
Sports & Games
chapter 3
Sports & Games

Group 1
• All our players played well today. • Our team has a fairly good
chance of winning this time. • He doesn’t like indoor games. •
He only likes outdoor games. • Wimbledon is a major sporting
event. • She did well on Sports Day. • He was worried he’d lose
his place in the team. • He’s a first-rate cricketer. • It’s a defeat
— they’ve lost. • When he was younger, he used to be interested
in sport. • There was keen competition among the various teams.
• Don’t play that card now — play the king of clubs. • You can’t
beat him at tennis. • Let’s go to the football match tomorrow,
shall we? • I’ll bet they’ll win the match. • He’s the best opponent
I’ve ever played against. • He works out at a gym three times
a week. • He jumped 18 feet. • He’s beaten/broken the world
10,000 meters record. • The winner received a trophy and a
certificate. • How many points have their team scored so far?
• He plays a lot of outdoor sports. • Then she challenged him
to a game of chess. • Do you like watching sports? • Our town
doesn’t have an indoor swimming pool. • These exercises would
help you reduce weight and improve your health. • Where are
the Olympic Games going to be held this time? • Is he good at
boxing/wrestling?
• So far, they’ve had five wins this year. • He was listening
to the sports news. • He used to play a lot of sport when he
was at school. • He’s one of the best boxers, and it’ll be very
difficult for anyone to take the championship from him. • Our
team has won the qualifying match. • She lost the race. • This
is the third time he’s taken a strike at the goal. • This stadium
is often used for sporting events. • He gambles at cards. • He’s
a tennis/chess champion. • I swim three times a week. • He’s
39
Sports & Games
a very good swimmer. • Who won the gold medal in the 100
metres at this year’s Olympic Games? • One thing I like about
him is, he’s a very professional player. • He’s their best batsman,
and with each stroke, he’s been scoring runs today. • He won
the second game convincingly. • He’s one of their best batsmen.
He scored a century today. • At last, he managed to beat his
opponent, and he won the game.
• Did she win the race? • That was an outstanding
performance. • His son takes part in a lot of athletic activities.
• Our college has a very good football field/ground. • She was
watching their game from the stands. • I’ve never seen anyone
run so fast. • He couldn’t do his morning exercises today. • He
boxes/wrestles well. • Our team failed to qualify for the Asia Cup
finals. • He often travels a long way to see his favourite team
play. • He’s never done any sport in his life. • The other two
boxers fought a match of 10 rounds. • He’s a keen football fan/
football supporter. • The game was a draw. • Has he captained
the Indian team before? • How many players took part in the
championship? • That was a fine defensive play — don’t you
think so? • He’s a long-distance runner. • He’s a professional,
and he may not like to play against an amateur. • She challenged
him to a game of tennis.
• They failed to qualify for the semi-finals. • They lost the
second round. • You play volleyball/badminton on a court with a
high net. • This is the third time she has won first place. • Give
me the cards — it’s my deal this time. • Join a gym, and give
your body a workout twice or thrice a week. • That was the most
thrilling boxing contest I can ever remember. • The odds are 10
to 1 against that team winning. • He’s an Olympic gold medalist.
• These exercises make your body fit and strong. • He can run
the 100 metres faster than anybody. • They say he’s a good tennis
player, but I haven’t played (against) him yet. • He plays very
well, and he’s good enough to be a professional. • Have you ever
run a marathon? • He’s won the first quarterfinal. • These events
are meant to eliminate the weaker competitors. • Do you play a
40
Sports & Games
lot of tennis? • Thousands of supporters regularly go to watch
that team play.
Group 2
• Their school has a good athletics field. • Is he good enough
to play for our team? • He’s a professional sportsman. • I don’t
think these exercises are good for you. You’re past 60, remember.
• They sell sports equipment. • He punched the other boxer on
the jaw/in the chest/in the side. • The winners all received prizes.
• It’s the college sports day tomorrow. • Our team has won the
first round of the tournament. • He takes exercise regularly. •
I don’t know if he won or lost. • Both sides played very well. •
There’s a card missing from the pack. • He bought a new tennis/
badminton racket yesterday. • Every day, he works out in the
gym for an hour. • He shot two goals in the last match. • He may
even break/beat the Olympic record this time. • He’s an amateur
wrestler/footballer. • When will the finals of the tournament
be? • How do you exercise your muscles? • He’s a champion
swimmer. • Who won the cup/shield? • Their town has a huge
football stadium. • Our wicket keeper missed an important catch
— or we would have won the match. • When he was younger, he
used to take part in track and field sports — especially running
and the javelin.
• I think you need more exercise. • More than 30,000 people
turned up for the match. • The fighters were aiming punches
at each other. • Where’s the shuttlecock? It’s my turn to serve,
isn’t it? • It’s my service next. • He’s in the college team. • Two
of their players were sent out of the ground for fouling. • If you
want to be a good footballer, you should be good at passing. •
The doctor has asked him to take more exercise. • The other
boxer was knocked out in the fourth round. • The cup final took
place at another stadium. • He was anxious to know the football
result. • Look at the way he played/hit/kicked the ball. • Don’t
try to win the match by fouling their players. • It was an easy
41
Sports & Games
catch, but the fielder dropped it. • He’s very good at sports. •
He does a lot of keep-fit exercises. • Who played India this time
in the final? Australia? • The crowd cheered when he received
the prize. • He’s never taken part in a sports competition. • He
did well in the long jump/the high jump. • Our team lost the
World Cup final again this time. • Who won? • They were last
year’s Cup finalists. • Tennis is his favourite sport. • Cricket and
hockey are team sports. • He’s exercising in the garden. • He
plays football every day.
• Our team can easily defeat theirs. • The first round of
the tournament starts tomorrow. • What card did you play? •
He played the Ace of clubs/King of Hearts/Queen of Spades/
Jack of Diamonds/10 of clubs/9 of Hearts. • He has a lot of
gymnastic skills. • Who won the championship? • It won’t be
easy to defeat that team. • Both of them are football fans. •
She lost the match and left the court in tears. • Don’t forget he
became a champion by beating all other competitors. • He was a
lap ahead of the next man, and I thought he would win the race.
• He’s one of the best tennis players I’ve ever seen — he has a
powerful serve. • The result is a tie. • Have you played him (at
badminton)? • Where are the cards? You have the deal now. • He
does a lot of gymnastic exercises every day. • This year’s chess/
tennis tournament was a great success. • Who holds the world
record in/for the pole-vault? • They both play tennis very well
— they won the women’s doubles last year, you know. • He’s a
very talented player. • He isn’t fit. He can’t play. • Look at the
way he hits the ball with his racket. • How many contestants/
competitors were there? • He finished in second place in the race
and became a runner-up. • She won by 5 points. • Nowadays, he
doesn’t engage in sports or fitness activities. • I’ve started going
to a keep-fit-class. • He played the shot/stroke beautifully, didn’t
he? • He again fouled against/on one of our players — he should
be sent off. • She had to be content with second prize. • He has
a lot of athletic ability.
42
Sports & Games
Group 3
• His favourite sports are football and running. • Are you
interested in mountaineering? • They play very well, but they
lack good sportsmanship. • The doctor has asked him to exercise
himself more. • He’s a brilliant cricketer and a true sportsman.
• Those two teams tied for second place in the game. • I have
never played basketball. • Where are the cards? I deal next,
right? • He’s healthy and strong and he regularly enters sports
competitions. • Who judged the contest? • The Australian team
were the world champions then. • He’s a good tennis player,
and he’s likely to win the men’s singles this year. • The Asian
championships are going to be held in Delhi this time. • Who
beat them in the semi-finals? • He’ll be playing for us tomorrow.
• He played a really bad shot this time. • She was his rival in the
competition. • Don’t let your serve go into the net again. • He
scored two goals in the second half of the match. • He’s a good
tennis player/cricketer/golfer/footballer/snooker player. • If
you exercise regularly, you can get fit and remain healthy. • Can
you run a mile in 4 minutes? • At least 50,000 spectators must
have watched the final game. • This is the first major trophy he’s
ever won. • Their team won the Cup last year. • That was an
impressive jump. • She swam the 100 metres very well. • He’s
not very good at athletics. • The problem is, he doesn’t exercise
enough. • Our village doesn’t have a sports field. • The match
ended in a tie. • That’s not the way to hit the shuttlecock with
your racket. • They’re playing poker/chess. • It was the first time
she had ever taken part in a gymnastic display. • He won the first
game, but lost the second and third. • This exercise improves
your co-ordination.
• He and his brother are the fastest runners, and they’re
competing for the gold medal. • He finished only a few inches
behind the winner. • That was the first time he had run in a
marathon. • At last, he’s got a place in the team. • Our staff
have sports competitions on January 26 every year. • There’s a
43
Sports & Games
lot of rivalry between the two teams. • He’s won a lot of sports
contests. • What’s the score so far? • How often do you exercise?
• The children ran races in the playground. • Spectators at a
football match are always noisy. • Who presented the trophies?
• The side he supported didn’t win. • He’s good at sport. •
Football is an outdoor sport, but badminton is an indoor sport.
• He played as our first bowler. • I don’t know how he managed
to get in the team. • She lost the race. • Supporters of both the
teams had packed into the stadium long before the play started.
• He always gets a good hand when he plays cards. • How much
money will the winner/loser get?
• Is he competing in the long jump? • Who won first prize?
• He played the Jack of Hearts. • Our college has a very good
side/team, and we hope to win this year. • Thousands of football
fans came to watch the finals. • Have you entered for the race? •
He qualified for the final by beating 10 competitors. • If you play
well, you can win a place for yourself on the university team. •
Many companies have come forward to sponsor our team this
time. • He hit the ball hard. • This was the first time they had won
a game against England. • He does a lot of stomach exercises. •
He had to run against some of the best runners in the race. • The
spectators were shouting themselves hoarse and cheering on the
team. • The last game resulted in a win for the other side. • I’m
a fan of yours. • Our team will win the world championship one
day. • Their team has qualified in the first quarter-final.
***
44
Essential computer English
Chapter 4

In today’s world, computers affect everybody — whether
they’re computer users or not. And most often when you have a
conversation with an educated person, you find yourself having
to say something or other that has to do with computers. This is
so whether you actually use computers or not. (But if you want to
be successful in today’s world, can you afford to stay away from
computers?)
And if you are a computer user, you’ll find yourself having to
say things related to computers every now and then.
But many people find it difficult to be fluent in computer-
related situations. The chief reason for this difficulty is not that
they’re not good at composing speech generally. No. The chief
reason is that they don’t have much experience in saying (and
listening to) the right kind of computer-related word-groups.
In fact, even people who’re in the computer industry often
keep saying things that are utterly “unEnglish” and wrong. For
example, many of them keep using the words “softwares” and
“hardwares”, when the fact remains that software and hardware
are uncountable nouns, and they cannot be made plurals by
adding “s” at their ends. Similarly, they often say “computer
equipments”, when the fact remains that the word “equipment”
cannot be made plural at all. Actually, you shouldn’t say
“softwares”, “hardwares”, “equipments” or “machineries”; you
should say “(pieces of) software” or “(pieces of) hardware” or
“(pieces of) equipment” or “(pieces of) machinery”, instead.
The present topic is intended to give you the experience
you need. Remember this: The intention is not to train you in
the formal or technical vocabulary that experts alone use, but to
train you in using everyday English when you have to speak in
45
computer-related situations. Yes, the language you’re going to
get is the language that laymen can use among themselves or
when they speak to computer experts; it’s also the language that
computer experts can use when they speak to laymen.
Here we go for the word-groups:
Group 1
• Do you know how to use a computer? • I don’t think he’s familiar
with computers. • Are you new to computers? • Show me how
to make the computer do something. • Our computer was down
for an hour yesterday, and so I couldn’t complete the job. • My
computer doesn’t work — it doesn’t even give an error message.
• Do you have a computer? • Computers have become smaller,
cheaper and more powerful. • Have you turned the computer off
at the plug? • Computer is a good way to get more done in less
time. • I can’t access the menu. • He taught us how to create
files and folders, how to save files to the hard disk, how to copy
and rename files, and how to delete them. • Their firm produces
computer software. • I’m not an expert or anything — I’m just a
normal computer user. • Show him how to format a floppy disk,
will you? • How do I get back to DOS? • These bills were made
by computers. • Before you buy your computer, think carefully
about what you want to use it for. • Can you show me how to
load this program onto the computer? • Without the proper
software, your computer won’t be able to do anything. • My disc
is full. • Is your PC still under warranty? • The monitor goes
blank often — but the press of a key restores it. • You don’t need
to know how a computer works — you only need to know how
to use it. • I’ve been trying to learn some basic computer stuff.
• Those two files can only be accessed with special keystrokes.
• You’d better store the backup disks in some other room. • Is
the computer’s power cord plugged into the wall? • It’ll be less
expensive to upgrade the computer you already have than to buy
a new computer. • Do you know how to use a computer and
46
do something? • Computers came about as the result of a long
series of experiments. • I don’t think the keyboard is plugged
in right. • Of course, computers take away some people’s jobs.
At the same time, they also create a number of new jobs. • I’m
thinking of buying an accounting application. • Did you install
any new part recently? • His new computer has a colour monitor.
• Monochrome monitors are cheaper. • If your computer doesn’t
work, look for loose cables. • The computer system at the bank
crashed today, and I couldn’t withdraw the money I needed.
• He leaves his computer turned on all the time. • I have a
broken hard disk/a broken monitor. Do you know anyone who
can repair it? • You should make a backup of all the information
held on the computer. • The computers you buy today will be
out of date in two or three years. • I accidentally typed a wrong
command. • All he knows is a few common computer phrases. •
Your monitor should be up around your eye-level. • Look at the
speed computer technology is advancing at. • Which key should
I press to exit the system? • How do you format discs? • Is the
power light on the front of the system unit on? • I’ve been fiddling
around with a new piece of software. • Viruses are nasty computer
programs, you know — and they can infect your computer. •
He seems to have fallen in love with computers. • Computer
technology is progressing very fast. • Hardware is the physical
part of the computer. • Software controls what a computer does.
• The keyboard was working okay in the morning, but now it
doesn’t work. • Check the cable connections. • He’s paid a lot of
money for his computer. • Software is the set of instructions that
make a computer work. • You have to learn what computers can
do and what they can’t. • His computer has 128 MB of memory.
• Peel and stick the sticky label onto the floppy disk.
Group 2
• There are lots of reasons to learn about computers. • He’s very
good at fixing computers. • That’s a new software package, and I
47
don’t know how to use it. • Computer software comes on floppy
disks and CDs. • Have you plugged the mouse all the way in? •
Check the brightness knob on the monitor. Has someone turned
it down? • I’m very seriously thinking about getting a computer.
• The printer receives input from the PC and generates output in
the form of a print-out. • Don’t you know what a computer is? •
I think it’s high time you started learning basic computer skills. •
If your PC seems completely dead, make sure all connections are
right. • If you want to exit, press the ‘Escape’ key. • I started up
the computer, but all I got was a blank screen. Is my monitor the
problem? • The monitor is blank. • What’s the storage capacity
of your hard disk? • They’ll teach you everything you need to
know about your computer. • Copy the files from the floppies
to the hard disk. • I can’t get in to the program. • The software
tells the hardware what to do. • When I press keys, the keyboard
doesn’t respond. • I know what computers are, and something
about the way they work. • The repair man forgot to turn off
the power before opening the PC. • There’s been a number of
important computer developments recently.
• He told us about a few day-to-day mistakes computer users
tend to repeat. • Copy all this onto a CD. • This program doesn’t
take much time to load. • My document isn’t printing right. •
It can take months to gain skill and confidence with your new
computer. • Their company makes computer hardware. • I find
myself frustrated by the way the computer has slowed down. • I
can’t log on/in. • How much memory does your computer have?
• Computer programs are called software. • Is the power light on
the front of the monitor on? • Computers are becoming more and
more common everywhere. • The computer suddenly stopped
working. • At the end of the day, he always backs up his work
to/onto floppy disks. • A computer is like a super calculator. •
You’re going to have to know something about computers if you
want to be successful in your career. • Just restart the computer.
• How do I get it to print? • I think you’ve entered the command
incorrectly — that’s why the computer is not responding.• Are all
48
the cables plugged in securely? • Load the CD into the computer.
• My computer keeps crashing. • Boot up the computer, will
you? • Has the computer booted up? • If you don’t want to lose
information, back up the hard disk regularly.
• My floppy drive isn’t working properly. • Did they teach
you anything substantial about your computer? • This is the
second time our computer network has crashed this week. • My
mouse is stuck, and it has locked my system up. • Comparison
of these figures will be made by computer. • If you want to
keep up with advancing technology, you’ll have to upgrade your
PC from time to time. • He’s writing software to do this work
quickly. • A computer helps you get organized. • I’m just trying
to get acquainted with the keyboard. • All these problems were
caused by computer error. • Have you changed anything on your
computer recently? Added a second floppy drive or a new piece of
software or something? • A computer user doesn’t have to learn
the inner-workings of a PC. • They installed a new computer
system in their office last week. • One thing about computers is,
they make information easy to store and retrieve. • Computer
hardware is computer machinery and equipment. • The system
crashed in the morning, and it was down for three hours. • They
have a computer network with 100 or so terminals. • Keep the
keyboard below your elbow level, so you can avoid injury to
your wrists. • How do I get back to the desktop? • The screen is
frozen. • The screen is not moving. • I’m using the keyboard, but
nothing’s happening. • The monitor is wavy. • I don’t think he
has any experience with PCs.
Group 3
• I had accidentally jerked/pulled a cable loose from the back
of the monitor — that was what caused the problem. • They’ve
been trying to program their computer to do this job. • We use
a computer to keep track of accounts and invoices. • Have you
opened up your PC at any time and looked inside? • Have you
49
keyed all the data into the computer? • My computer keeps
freezing up — the Service Engineer says there’s a bug in the
software. • What does ‘illegal operation’ mean? • Are all viruses
destructive? • If you want to run the latest software, you may have
to upgrade your PC. • Computers are very useful. • Computers
can be linked together in networks. • The monitor is an expensive
piece of equipment. • All day today, she’s been entering data into
the computer. • Just click on that program’s icon. • That’s a fast
hard disk, and it can store and retrieve data instantly. • If you add
more memory, you can make your computer run faster. • We’ll
have to load the new software now. • As soon as she came in,
she sat down at her computer and started working. • When did
you start noticing these problems (with your PC)? • If you want
the computer to run faster, you’ll have to upgrade its memory. •
I can’t get this computer to work.• Computers are changing our
lives in a number of ways. • I saw her going into that room with
computer print-outs.
• How do I print out a file? • Computers started out as mere
playthings, you know. • I don’t think this information is available
on the computer. • I think a virus has infected his computer. •
We’re planning to add some more memory to our computer. • Are
any cables or wires stretched too tightly? • Computer industry
has been booming for some time now. • Do you use a computer
at work? • I’ve only fiddled around with the program — I haven’t
explored its features yet. • There’s no point in giving a hard copy
to them — copy the information to a floppy, and give the floppy
to them. • That’s a cheap computer assembled by his brother. •
Computers are great at playing games too. • Our sales figures
are kept on computer. • Try adjusting the brightness and contrast
controls on the monitor. • I think your computer needs more
memory/a bigger hard drive. • I accidentally deleted that file,
but I could restore it from the backup disk. • Don’t you know how
to turn off the computer? • When we started using a computer
in our office, we could cut down on typing and paper work. •
Where does the mouse plug into the computer? • Copy that file
50
to a floppy disk, will you? • He had to access three or four files to
get the information. • I think the wall socket has gone dead. Why
don’t you try plugging the computer into another outlet? • His
desk was covered with pages of computer print-out. • What word
processing software do you use? • Have you started using that
new program? • How do I change fonts? • If your computer’s
memory capacity is more, it can do more things.
• This mouse is compatible with most computers. • What
are the software programs they sell? • If you’re planning to buy a
computer, don’t shop for the cheapest price. • Operating systems
and computer programs are all (different pieces of) software. • I
want to learn the basics and put my computer to work. • You’ve
forgotten to turn on the monitor. • People link computers together
to share data or programs. • The common cause of this problem
is an insufficient amount of memory. • Basically, computers
process information, and show the results. • Computers make
doing everything easier. • Nothing happens when I press this key.
• My PC won’t boot, and I hear beeps. • He’s taken his computer
to a repair place. • Do you know how to key in written texts? •
Is the monitor plugged in correctly? • How can I avoid getting
a virus? • Press the return key now. • I accidentally pressed a
wrong key. • My PC is making a strange noise. • Spend a few
days, and learn about your computer first.
Group 4
• Desktop computers run on electricity. • He’s very good at
diagnosing problems with PCs. • You can turn the computer on
by flipping the power switch on the system unit. • A computer
helps you work more efficiently. • Increased memory can make
many programs work faster. • He’s written a computer program
to calculate the profit made by the firm quickly. • Computers
have no resale value. • My computer has been having start-up
problems recently. • Now we should copy all this data onto floppy
disks. • Computers affect every one of us — every day. • Give me
51
a printout of that document, will you? • Memory chips and hard
disks are not terribly expensive, but I think the motherboard is.
• You need software to get work done on any computer. • My
computer froze up during a spell-check. • They’re going to buy
new data processing software. • If you keep the monitor turned
up too bright, that’d be bad for the eyes. • I want to get to know a
bit more about what a computer can do for me. • They never run
illegally-copied programs on their computer. • He spends hours
every day at his computer. • I don’t know a thing about how to
use a computer.
• There are certain necessary things that you should know
about computers. • Is the computer on? • I don’t remember the
password. • Turn the monitor off, and after 20 or 30 seconds,
turn it back on. • Describe the problem in full detail to the repair
people. • I can’t come out now — I’m doing a backup. • Do
you know how to fix your PC when things go wrong? • Go to
a knowledgeable computer user, and get some instruction from
him. • Computers can carry out complicated calculations very
quickly. • Plug the printer into the computer. • How do I change
the paper orientation? • The main cause of this problem is low
memory. • How do I get my document out of the print queue?
• Colour monitors are more expensive than monochrome. •
I’ve run into a really strange problem with my computer. • His
company produces computer hardware. • Check all the cables
behind the computer — if any of them is loose, plug it back
into the socket. • Slide the floppy disk into the floppy drive
carefully. • My keyboard has gone dead. • Check if any of the
plugs are out of their sockets. • What are the different kinds of
software applications you use at work? • MS Word, Wordstar
and Wordperfect are word processing applications. • I think your
hard drive needs to be upgraded.
• The keyboard plugs in at the back of the computer. •
Don’t turn the computer on and off rapidly. • If you turn off
the computer, and if you want to turn it on again, wait for 20
to 30 seconds. • I know my way around a program or two. •
52
There was a bug in the computer program — which was why
these problems have been happening. • Turn off the computer
when you’re done. • The great thing about computers is, they
reduce tedious human labour. • Power supplies in PCs are
relatively inexpensive. • What are the records you entered into
the computer today? • Delete all unnecessary files and programs,
so you can free up more space on the hard disk. • Make a copy
of the file on a floppy disk, and give it to me. • Don’t you know
how to exit the program? • Who’s that working on your PC? •
Is he a repair man? • The printer cable plugs into the computer
here. • The program should now open in a new window. • I think
your computer’s memory needs to be upgraded. • You should
access the databases today and update them. • Do you run any
special virus-protection software on your PC? • She doesn’t have
much experience working with computers. • Computers affect us
in more ways than we imagine. • Have you labelled the floppy
disk? • Sometimes problems like these go away when you reboot
your computer. • You’ll have to learn how to organize the files
on your hard disk. • We have the details of all our customers
on computer. • My mouse has frozen. • How do you start this
program? • Computers — it’s a subject you have to keep up with.
• Computers have now become affordable.
Group 5
• Don’t forget to disconnect all the cables from the back of the PC
before opening it. • The candidates must have basic knowledge
of computers and ability to use them. • There’s some basic
information you should know before you buy a computer. • At
the end of each day, we make a backup of all the data we’ve keyed
into the computer. • The screen is blank. • I think you have a disk
problem. • I’m thinking of taking a computer programming course.
• There are a number of computer repair shops in this area. •
He’s bought the computer to do word processing. • My computer
locks up unexpectedly — yes, it stops working altogether. • The
power cord plugs into the back of the computer. • The on-screen
53
pointer doesn’t move when I move the mouse. • He’s installing a
new program. • Computers help doctors make their diagnosis. •
Before you buy software, make sure that it works/runs on your
system. • His old secretary was not computer-literate. • How do
I get it to print out? • What are the programs installed on this
computer? • If you want to avoid back pains, you’d better buy a
chair designed to be used with a computer.
• When you push the little plastic button just below the
floppy drive slot, the drive will eject the disk. • This problem
happened when the computer was spell-checking my work. •
We’re planning to add a new terminal to our computer network.
• If you’re planning to use graphical applications, better buy
a colour monitor. • It says I have a bad disc sector. • Will the
computer get damaged if lightning strikes? • How do I get back
to the main menu? • Before you install any software on your
PC, check it for viruses. • Computers help you organize your
finances. • It can take weeks to learn the important features
of a new piece of software. • We’ll have to take all precautions
to avoid a computer crash. • Are you familiar with the inner
workings of your computer? • She has an impressive command
of computers. • I can’t get in to my file. • The problem came up
because one of the program files was corrupted. • That’s a new
database program.
• Print that file on paper and give it to me — I need a hard
copy. • In general, computers are quite durable. • They have a
computer to do accounting. • If you want to store more programs
and data, you need a larger hard drive. • Save the work to your
hard disk. • The computer was down since the morning — it’s
now up again. • Make a copy of the file before you delete it. •
Is there a loose cable? Check all the cables behind the system
unit. • I can’t access my disc. • I haven’t loaded the file yet. •
Did you try out the computer before you bought it? • Jobs like
these are handled by computer in our office. • Do you know how
to use a word processor? • The monitor appears totally blank
— do you think the monitor is broken? • If you buy a computer
54
from them, they’ll give you the service and support you need. •
Save your work before you shut down the computer. • Computer
literacy — it’s very important in today’s world. • The computer
booted up fine, but the picture on the monitor looks funny. •
The ‘Backspace’ key doesn’t work right. • Insert a floppy disk in
drive A. • Are all the cables in the back of the monitor secure? •
The computer froze when I pressed the ESCAPE key — it stopped
responding to my commands.
***
55
Crime
Chapter 5
Crime
Group 1
• They took him to the police station with them. • The accused
was remanded in custody. • The trial is expected to take place
immediately. • He was arrested for taking part in a bank robbery.
• White-collar crimes are on the increase in many countries. •
They hijacked the plane at gunpoint. • The terrorists were kept
under armed guard. • The police searched the house for clues.
• He’s not been charged for any offence so far. • His main night-
time activity is burglary. • The terrorists blew up the bridge. •
The police have picked him up for questioning. • He’s been in
prison for two years now, and has never been released on parole
so far. • Prison doesn’t change many criminals. • He’ll now be
tried in a court for the crime. • Both the robbers have been sent
to prison. • He’ll have to stand trial for murder. • Don’t let any
strangers in. • The police have not made any arrests so far.
• Mugging is on the increase in that area. • The accused is
liable to life imprisonment. • He was arrested for conspiracy to
murder. • The police haven’t been able to catch the culprits so
far. • Gambling is illegal in this country. • Many criminals don’t
get punished for their crimes. • Their accountant bled them dry.
• You’re lucky to get off with a caution. • Hanging has been
abolished in several countries. • She caught a person breaking
open her door. • Most traffic offences are punishable with a fine.
• He’s in custody and will now be tried in a court. • The prisoners
were taken to the court under guard. • The terrorists have
planned to do away with the Home Minister. • They were injured
in the riot. • Many of these prisoners expect to be pardoned and
set free. • He’s in prison for forgery and cheating.
• His duty was to guard the minister’s children. • He was
56
Crime
found guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison. • He
got away with only a fine. • This isn’t the first time she has
been picked for shoplifting. • The court acquitted him of all
the charges against him. • The accused in this case faces life
imprisonment. • He’s a shady character — don’t have anything
to do with him. • Send for the police quickly. • Every official we
approached wanted money before helping us. • He decided to
plead guilty and to go to jail. • He cheated her out of her money.
• He was convicted of rape and sent to jail. • He was arrested for
aiding and abetting them in the fraud. • I saw a police officer in
uniform standing there. • There were two policemen on patrol
that night. • Many tourists are victims of petty theft. • These
are minor traffic offences. • What you’ve done is a breach of our
agreement. • The demonstrators hurled bottles and overturned
cars. • Petty theft has been increasing in this neighbourhood for
sometime now. • Is he involved in the scandal?
• There were police officers at every door of the building.
• He admitted to the police that he was guilty. • Somebody has
stolen my watch. • The criminals have all been arrested. • We
must help the police find the culprits. • Nobody can make them
see the error of their ways. • He was lucky to get off with a light
sentence. • One of the robbers stood at the gate to keep watch
for the police. • There was only a small group of policemen to
deal with the riot. • He was found guilty, and they put him away
for 5 years. • As soon as he was arrested, he confessed to the
murder. • They were never punished for their crimes. • This is
the first time he’s been allowed out of jail. • The bombs failed
to explode. • They have no clue about the murderer’s identity.
• They smashed windows and looted stores. • The police have
started investigating the murder. • The escaped prisoners have
gone into hiding. • Many of the beggars in that area live off petty
crimes. • He stole a book from the library. • The trial ended in
acquittal/conviction. • He’s a convicted thief. • The police have
caught two of the robbers. • He paid the penalty for breaking
the law. • The police have completely cordoned off the area. •
57
Crime
He was hauled up in court for drunken driving. • He stopped
running away from the police and gave himself up. • He was
arrested for carrying illegal drugs.
Group 2
• I don’t think he’s the culprit. • They accused him of murder,
kidnapping and bombing. • Hijacking is done mostly for political
reasons. • A police officer stopped him and cautioned him for
driving too fast. • He was fined for dangerous driving. • A
number of demonstrators were injured. • Crimes like these will
not go unpunished.
• He was arrested for beating up somebody. • They’ve locked
him up in jail. • He must have been running away from the police.
• Two police officers took the prisoners away. • She killed him by
using poison. • Someone has taken the money. • He got injured in
a bar brawl. • If you break the law, you will be severely punished.
• The police will be investigating the allegations thoroughly.
• They deliberately destroy public property. • Terrorists and
gangsters hire him to kill people. • The police are expected to
protect us and our property. • He makes money by deceit and
trickery. • Someone has lifted my wallet. • He hired a hit-man
to kill them. • They’ll arrest him soon. • The police searched
everywhere in the house, but couldn’t find the murder weapon. •
He was arrested for breaking and entering. • The demonstrators
clashed with the police. • He was pardoned and released from
prison last week. • Nobody saw the crime taking place. • Don’t
forget that he was caught committing a crime. • Some thugs
attacked her and took all her money last night. • They didn’t
guard the prisoners well, and the prisoners escaped. • This is
nothing but blackmail. • The murderer was sentenced to death.
• Their accountant was a crook. • Strictly speaking, you’re guilty
of law-breaking. • He’s a criminal specializing in armed robbery.
• He used to take part in armed robbery. • He attacked them and
did them in with a hammer. • Don’t park your car there. • He
58
Crime
gets money by doing all sorts of dishonest things. • They kept
him in the lockup for the night. • We’ve been swindled!
• If you drive too fast, you may get booked. • They sent him to
prison for armed robbery. • That court deals with drug offenders.
• The court found him guilty, and he got three years in prison. •
He’s a detective working in the police force there. • Two of the
robbers managed to escape. • You should post some guards to
protect the area. • The police detained him for questioning at the
police station. • All his life, he has fought against crime. • The
murderer has turned himself in. • The police have uncovered a
plot to assassinate the Prime Minister. • They couldn’t stop the
prisoners from escaping. • They’re a gang of thugs/criminals/
terrorists. • Do you like gangster films?
• They held him up at gunpoint and robbed him. • He’s
a dangerous criminal. • He’s a hardened criminal. • You were
trespassing on their land. • He was charged with extortion. •
He’s a convicted criminal. • He’s determined to expose corruption
in the government. • The guards checked the visitors for guns.
• His job is to catch smugglers. • The court has dismissed the
charges against him. • Nobody will be able to bring criminals like
him to justice. • The terrorists killed him for informing on them.
• It’s illegal to drink and drive. • Bribery is a serious crime. • He
attacked those people and stole their money. • Someone broke
into his house last night. • He’s guilty of a serious crime. • They
lead a life of crime. • I think the evidence has been made up to
get him convicted. • Somebody robbed them of all their money.
• He uses force and threats and gets money from people. • They
look after law and order in the city. • Someone broke into his
house and made off with all his money. • His house is a meeting
place for all kinds of criminals. • They roam around looking for
something to steal. • Nobody likes the police there.
***
59
Nature
Chapter 6
Nature
Group 1
• The rain-soaked earth — it has a sort of smell — a pleasant
smell, you know. • The mango trees — they were in bloom. •
The soil was damp — and sweet smelling. • The village was
noisy with activity. • The grass was very green. • Look at the
mountains beyond those hills — the snow-covered mountains, I
mean. • Voices of people talking — the voices came clearly across
the water. • The lawns were green. • The winds came from the
mountains far away. • We walked along a sandy path. • Damp
clay — the bank of the river was heavy with it. • I felt a strange
peace — a strange, all-pervading peace. • There was no colour
in the sky. • There were a number of huts with thatched roofs. •
The calf was calling for its mother. • The rain was pattering on
the roof, and I sat there listening to it. • Her garden has open,
green lawns. • The trees were still bare. • The birds carried on
with their chatter. • There were large puddles all along the path.
• Children were shouting with laughter along the beach. • The
branches and leaves — they were stirred by the breeze. • There
were acres of green lawns and lovely trees. • There was a soft
breeze — and it came from the north. • We could see birds
bathing on the edges of the streams. • The hills looked beautiful
against the blue sky. • The earth was full of dead leaves. • The
sun was over the hills — the eastern hills. • The sky was pale
blue.
• The horizon — it was filled with white clouds. • The
mountains were shining — shining with the setting sun. • The
tree trunks — they looked dark. • There was a grove of bamboos
to my right — and a grove of mangoes to my left. • The eagle
was not beating its wings and was floating on the breeze. • There
60
Nature
was a movement of some kind in the woods. • Outside, the moon
was bright. • The skies suddenly cleared. • It was a rough road
used by the villagers. • It was a beautiful country. • It was a
clear starry night. • The bushes have started flowering. • It was
cool in the shade. • The crows were fighting. • We sat there,
facing the sea. • Look at those dark, heavy clouds. • The earth
was soggy. • The trees were covered with tender green leaves.
• There was a glow in the sky — the eastern sky. • It was very
quiet in the valley. • I could hear the roar of the sea. • There
was a gentle breeze. • The valley was full of trees and streams. •
The fields were green — green with the sprouting rice. • I found
the evening full of light and, you know, splendour. • The leaves
sparkled — in the clear air. • The sound of the song — it filled
the air. • It was a moment of great beauty — of great beauty and
stillness. • It was impossible to see the birds in the dark foliage.
• The hills were not high. • The stars were very clear. • The wild
bushes were green. • The hills in the distance looked black. •
The smell of the earth — that pleasant smell — it filled the air. •
There was a goat tied to a fruit tree. • All along the banks of the
river, there were trees. • The path ended at the bank of a stream.
• The tall palms were very still.
Group 2
• The hills, trees and everything — they looked alive and serene.
• Through the window, you could just see the sea. • The rain
was welcome after the hot days. • The smell of the mango — it
was in the air. • The sound of falling water — that was pleasant.
• We were far away from noise and confusion. • The leaves are
full of dust — the summer’s dust. • The goats were eating wild
bushes. • The soil was damp from the rains — the recent rains.
• All round, there were wide-spreading trees. • The birds were
still asleep in the trees. • There was this sound of running water
among the bushes, and we sat listening to it. • There were many
small streams going through the valley. • It was a most lovely
evening. • There’s a slight mist today — a slight ground mist. •
61
Nature
A gentle breeze was blowing — from the south. • There were a
few red paths, and they wound through the palm groves. • We
had a long, hot summer this year. • The morning star was barely
visible. • The earth was soft under the feet. • The tree was full of
leaves — tender new leaves. • There was the smell of rain — and
of dampness. • Not a ripple on the water. • The leaves of the tree
— they were making shadows on the wall. • Listen to the frogs
croaking. • The dew was still on the fields — and on the leaves.
• The road was full of puddles. • The sun was just up, and it was
quite early. • Look at those vultures — they’re moving without
a flutter of their wings. • The river was wide and curving. • The
flowers looked intense — intense in their yellow. • My feet sank
into the clay — the damp clay. • The woods — they spread for
miles over the hills. • There was a straight path, and it cut across
the lawn. • It had rained a great deal, and the fields were under
the water. • They sat there, feeding the ducks.
• Solitude — the purity of solitude — that’s what the whole
place had. • The surface of the water was still, and there were
fishing boats on it. • It had rained all night. • We walked up
a steep path — and then down a long slope. • Several trees
overhung the road. • It was a nice garden with flowering bushes.
• The sea was dark — and restless. • The sun was setting. • It
was a well-kept and well-watered garden. • The raindrops on the
flowers — they looked beautiful. • There were a number of goats
scattered about on the hillside. • The clouds were red — golden
red. • The earth was red and dry. • There were overhanging trees
all along the road. • The clouds were fantastically shaped. • With
the dawn, the frogs became silent. • A large bird — it was trying
to catch fish. • The trees were dark against the evening sky. •
Birds began their chatter as soon as it began to get light. • The
water on the path was ankle deep. • Look at those clouds behind
the mountains. • She sat there watching the waves come in and
go out. • There was dust everywhere. • The sea was very blue.
• There was a sweet scent in the air. • The grain was ripening
in the fields. • A bird came swooping in a curve and caught an
62
Nature
insect. • There was a strong smell of seaweed. • There were deep
pools of clear water. • The sea was calm. • The sea was violent
and threatening.
• The trees were putting out green leaves. • We were then
going through the outskirts of the city. • The birds were searching
for worms. • The clouds hid the sun. • A bird flew across the
moon — silently. • It was a rough, pebbly road. • There were a
number of cows among the trees. • The bird was perched on a
branch of a tree — a dead branch. • There was plenty of shade
under the trees. • The moon made a path of light on the river.
• The garden overlooked the river. • We could see a few stars
through the trees. • The road curved and went past the ruins. •
The grapes were just beginning to ripen. • The sky was intensely
blue. • It was quite early, and there was a beginning of a glow
in the east. • The road was crowded with bullock-carts. • There
was a pleasant smell in the air — the pleasant smell of the rose.
• Soon we reached the foot of a rocky hill. • It was cool after the
hot, sunny day. • The wind had stopped blowing. • The pond
was full to the brim. • The rain has washed away the dust — the
dust of months. • The cats were chasing each other. • There were
a great many birds running up and down the lawn. • Look at
those flowers shining — you know, with bright colours.
• It was a very peaceful evening. • The blue of the sky was
intense. • It was a beautiful bird — its beak was red, and its tail
was green. • There was a cool breeze from the mountains. • It
was pleasant in the shade of the big tree. • There was a column
of smoke going straight up on the hills. • It was very quiet by the
river. • There were jasmines in bloom. • The whole garden — it
looked like an enchanted place. • The plants were beginning to
bloom with red flowers. • There were rows of carefully-planted
palm trees. • The leaves were covered with fine, red dust. • The
birds have settled down for the night. • They were resting in
the cool shade of the tree. • The sun was very clear in the sky. •
There were butterflies hovering about the roses. • The horizon
was clear. • The trees and bushes were intensely green. • There
63
Nature
was an open market on the roadside. • The worms were the
same colour as the tender leaves. • The leaves were dark green.
• There was a stream of cool, fresh water among the bushes. •
The air was completely still. • There were green trees on both
sides of the road. • The sun had just set, and we stood there
watching the glow — the golden glow.
• The creepers grew on that wall. • The sea was very calm.
• The rabbit came out from the thick bushes. • There were a few
birds perching among the rose bushes. • There was a little stream
— flowing under the stone bridge. • There was a sparkle in the
sea. • It was a lovely place — rich and enchanting. • It had been
raining all night long, and now it was slowly clearing up. • The
sun was now a huge ball — a huge golden ball above the hills.
• The river was swollen. • I sat there, listening to the hum of
the bees. • The rose bushes were covered with bright red roses.
• The trees and bushes were still, and they looked beautiful in
the moonlight. • The shadows were clear and sharp. • The sun
was setting, and clouds were golden. • It was a small, well-kept
park. • There was a smell of the rain on dry earth. • Someone
was playing the flute, and I could hear its notes in the distance.
• A few drops of rain fell. • It was pleasant and peaceful by the
stream. • The sky was intensely blue. • Frogs were making a
loud noise. • The woods extended for miles. • The vegetables
they sold looked wilted. • Look at the hills across the lake. • The
light of the setting sun — the golden light — the river was full
of it. • The eagle was making wide circles in the sky. • The trees
were washed by the recent rains. • Smoke was rising from the
huts. • The rain washed the leaves clean of the dust on them. •
There was a bird perching on a huge, jutting rock. • The vineyard
was rich and full. • To the west, a storm was gathering.
• Enchanting beauty — you know, that’s what I saw
everywhere. • It had rained most of the morning, and everywhere
there were running streams. • The tree was full of fruit. • She
waters the grass morning and evening. • The frogs were having
a splendid time. • Squirrels wandered in and out of the bushes.
64
Nature
• There was a circle of dampness around each bush. • The place
was full of movement and bustle. • We could see a few cows
grazing in the meadow. • There was a long, wide bend in the
river at that point. • After the rain, the hill was sparkling in
the sun. • The rain was still coming down, and the crows were
soaked. • It was pleasant in the moonlight. • A bird called from
somewhere nearby. • It was very cool under the trees. • There
was water running in the sandy beds, and it made a pleasant
noise. • The clouds seemed alive. • The village on the other bank
of the river hadn’t been awake yet. • There were low bushes
among the rocks. • There was a gentle breeze, and it was stirring
among the corn. • The water in the lake was still and clear. •
There was a scent in the air — a scent of jasmine. • The morning
sun was upon the white clouds. • The water ran down the hill,
and it made a pleasant noise. • The waves were coming in very
gently. • The trees along the bank of the river reflected on the
water.
***
65
Buildings and Home
Chapter 7
Buildings and Home

Group 1
• Her father is a builder. • He doesn’t have a good home life. •
He came in through the front door. • They sat on the sofa/couch/
settee and talked. • She lives in Delhi. • They’re renovating their
country house. • Those are large and expensive flats. • He’s in
the garden shed. • That bed is a fine piece of furniture. • Go
along the corridor. • He’s gone home. • Don’t forget to flush the
toilet. • They spent a lot of money fitting out the new house.
• They have a cottage by the sea. • He works in the building
trade. • We slept out in a tent last night. • Their flat is on the
top floor of the building. • We should call for a plumber — this
drainpipe has a hole in it. • They went to China and settled there.
• That’s a large and splendid house. • His friend will put him up
for the night. • That house has a sloping roof and is supported
by sloping beams.
• They sat in the living room and chatted. • We’re going to
clean the house down this weekend. • He met with an accident
on the building site. • He has built houses for two of my friends.
• They’ve rented the house from him. • The doorway is quite
wide. • There was a large open space between their house and
garden. • There’s a line of joined houses a little away from there.
• He lives abroad most of the year. • I can’t walk up the stairs
— I’ll take the lift. • I must go to the toilet. • We’ll go and wait
at the bus shelter. • They live in a large, grand house. • He’s an
architect. • She stood there looking out of the window. • The
children were playing in the attic. • There are a number of houses
like these in the outer parts of the town. • There’s a garage as
part of their house. • That’s a large house, and the dining hall
is in the north wing. • There’s a corridor leading from the front
66
Buildings and Home
door. • Do you have a flat here? • We’ll have to buy some new
household equipment. • The whole new area is covered with
buildings now. • He’s not a visitor — he lives there. • The dog
went out through an opening in the wall.
• Where do you live? • That building is divided into flats and
offices. • She decorated the walls with pictures. • He was sitting
on the divan. • I met him in the passage way. • The dirty water
doesn’t flow away from the bath. • They have nice curtains in
their house. • They have a small house in the country. • They’re
putting up a new building there. • They left India, and settled
in Canada. • I only had a single room for living and sleeping
in. • These waste pipes carry water and waste away from the
building. • He lives in a large, showy building. • The gardens
around the hospital are full of flowers, grass and paths. • The
roof is supported by a row of pillars. • The rails along the balcony
prevented her from falling down. • He’ll put up at a guest house
for the night. • He’s thinking of building a house there. • Who
built your house? • They live next door to us. • The house is
fitted up with the most up-to-date appliances. • He left the car
in the drive. • The government has decided to settle the refugees
there. • Is it a tall, narrow building? • They grow flowers and
vegetables on their garden. • A few rails were missing from
the side of the stairs. • We’re planning to put wallpaper on the
walls. • He’s looking for a plumber to fit pipes in that building.
• He was sitting at his desk and reading. • Their house has a
steeply sloping roof. • Their house is of excellent construction. •
I occupied a room there for a few months. • Their old house had
a tiled roof. • Our village is a pleasant place in summer.
Group 2
• He used to live in a house with a large garden. • We can put
you up for a few nights. • You can go from the first floor to the
second floor either up the stairs there or up that ramp. • They’re
in the dining room. • Where’s the car park? • We lived in tents
67
Buildings and Home
for a week. • They’re planning to build a house out of wood. • I
want to live a quiet life. • She went out through the back door.
• One of our trees grows over our neighbour’s garden. • That’s
a strongly-built building. • We lived in the US for a time and
then went on to the UK. • They waited in the hall. • That chair
is broken. • We store water in that tank. • These plants decorate
the house very well, don’t they? • They were living in a roughly
made hut. • He has planned and built several buildings. • We
have to find a home for them for a short time. • There’s a lot
of work and organization involved in running a home. • That’s
a strongly-made building. • Is there anything wrong with the
plumbing? • They’ll provide you with a place to live for a short
time. • They have a large house in the village with a large area
of land around it. • It was very hot last night, and we all slept
in the yard. • The roof is supported by a row of arches. • Their
new house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. • There’s
no open place there where people can leave their cars. • How
much do your household expenses come to? • They’re repairing
the upper floor of their house. • Have they moved to their new
house? • There are built-in cupboards in their house. • I don’t
own this house — I’m just a tenant. • The cows came in through
an opening in the fence. • They live at 48, Gandhi Street. •
They’re planning to build a new office block there. • That’s just a
shed for storing things.
• He lives in a comfortable house. • In case of fire, you’ll
be able to get out through the fire escape. • I must go to the
bathroom. • He has a large writing table. • He lives in a small
building made of wood. • There are several fine buildings in our
city. • They’re staying at a hotel in the city. • Who lives in the
annexe? • The latrine needs a good clean-out. • To us, our home
is a palace. • Let’s clear out all the cupboards first. • His house is
built on two levels. • They used to live in the upstairs flat here.
• The grounds of their country house are enclosed by a wall. •
Our country has special housing problems. • They’ve erected a
memorial for him in the village. • Who owns that house? • Hang
68
Buildings and Home
up your clothes in the wardrobe. • Do you know the way out
of this building? • The lawn is covered with closely-cut grass.
• There was a doormat just outside the door. • Where did the
guests stay? • They stayed in a camp during the summer holidays.
• We’re planning to fence our garden. • They laid new carpets
on the floor/staircase. • She keeps dishes and cooking pots in
a corner in the kitchen. • It’s going to cost a lot to decorate the
house. • We used to live in a small, dirty house there. • That’s
a large fine building. • Most of them live in the poorer areas of
the city. • Their house has a cellar, and they store a lot of things
there. • Those are large houses belonging to the wealthy people.
• I’m staying at a friend’s house. • The town hall has large pillars.
• At that time, we were sitting in the balcony. • Put the car in the
garage. • They live in a nice little house.
***
69
a-and-an word clusters
Chapter 8

In Book 18, I gave you a collection of specially-chosen nominal
word groups (most of which start with the indefinite article ‘a’,
and some of which, with the indefinite article ‘an’). And I told
you in that Book how important those word groups were – to
speak about a wide range of topics. Go through that Book and
refresh your memory.
You’re now going to get another rich collection of word
groups of the same kind. Practise saying them ALOUD – several
times.
Here we go:
Group 1
a clever yet simple idea; a novel founded on facts; a severe black
dress; a likely place to fish; an attack on the enemy; a day marked
by misfortune; a sum of money; a set of articles for sale; a false
sense of security; a mind of great depth; a bank of file drawers;
a very serious matter; a firm publishing reference books; a
property of the chemical; a diet poor in nutrients; a car in good
condition; a cross on a chain; a wave of visitors; a short way from
here; a weight off your mind; a tone of voice; a mean thing to
say; a cancer in our society; a star in the making; a new variety
of rose; an across-the-board wage increase; a criminal waste of
resources; a good deal of money; a pause in the conversation;
a new challenge in his life; an application for a driving licence;
a career as a teacher; a break in their education; a poor crop of
apples; a wild football crowd; a view of the sea; a matter of a
few days; a room on the top floor; an artist of note; a new way of
painting; a notice in the paper; a splash of colour; a careful piece
of work; an addition to the report; a skin forming on the coffee;
70
a model of the new airport; an element of danger; a split in the
political party; an air of indifference; a national of this country; a
personal phone call at work; a woman of ability; an apparent lack
of knowledge; a disease attacking the nervous system; a story
based on real life; a free run to the coast; a wild young stallion;
an area settled by refugees; a temperature above the average; a
condition of the contract; a man with a beard.
a share of the market; a powerful argument against leaving; a
lift to the station; a face drawn with sorrow; a shake of the head;
a piece in the paper; a stickler for detail; a typical representative
of its class; a poor specimen of a man; a new kind of dictionary;
a cardboard model of the ship; a good market for cars; an Act of
Parliament; a good knowledge of wine; a clear case of cheating; a
foreign body in the eye; an important business matter; a big figure
in the movement; a wave in the hair; a word to the wise; a good
pass to the midfielder; a new approach to teaching; a vehicle for
their propaganda; a film that is particularly good; a scheme for
raising money; a pain in her leg; a chapter of the society; a leg
at each corner; a ring of people stood around; a scene from the
film; an association of women’s groups; a sore place on her arm;
a sense of humour; a tour of the palace; a woman in labour; a
man of the West; a high position in government; a slightly built
boy; a heavy fall of snow; a name for being lazy; a sharp drop to
the sea; a low standard of living; a want of decent restaurants; a
different branch of the company; a few articles of jewellery; an
object of interest; a large amount of money; a path through the
trees; a coat with two pockets; a brief stay at a hotel; a witness for
the prosecution; a better course of action; a screen on a window;
a quick look at the map; a straight and valued colleague; a very
able candidate; an appeal for help; a rest for the vase; an earthy
sense of humour; a man of noble birth.
a road full of turns; a bridge over the river; a preserve for
endangered species; a good reason for going; a likely place for a
picnic; a path along the river; a regular spot on the programme;
a letter from my brother; an article attacking the Government; a
71
word with several senses; a member of the press; a steep drop to
the sea; a pretty state of affairs; a pile of earth covering potatoes;
a taste of things to come; an army 10 thousand strong; a moderate
amount of alcohol; a friend of the arts; a good head for figures;
an uncanny resemblance to; a break for the commercial; a story
out of a book; an account of what happened; a sense of well-
being; a sharp difference between the two; a tie between the two
teams; a study of the country’s problems; a car that handles well;
an attractive colour scheme; a wide range of interests; a ready
source of income; a man with a fierce aspect; an instance of his
insolence; a work of art; a touch of garlic; a plan attended with
problems; a hole in the pipe; a quarter-mile walk from here; a
terrible thing to happen; a trade mission to China; a person of
determined spirit; an army of tourists; a demand from the boss; a
quiet cup of tea; a very independent person; a vet by profession; a
run of bad luck; a good chance that he’ll win; a table of contents;
a man who has known poverty; a suit of armour; an invitation
to a party; a car designed for fast cornering; an arm of a chair;
an application (form) for a job; an outdoor swimming pool; a
victim of circumstances; a run-down area of the city; a coarse
linen cloth; a light attack of flu; a shock of red hair.
Group 2
a lot of trouble for nothing; a shampoo and set; an authority
on antiques; a broad range of subjects; a slip of a girl; a part in
a play; a woman of broad views; a bit of a nuisance; an animal
defending its territory; a blot on the landscape; a slip of paper;
a stroke of genius; a world of make-believe; a feeling of space
and light; a poem in a mournful key; an arm of the civil service;
a large number of people; a colour that suits her; a stage in the
development; a clever copy of the painting; a liberal interpretation
of the law; a policy giving cover against fire; an opening in
the hedge; a member of the club; a ready sale for high-quality
furniture; a tool with many uses; a convict’s history of violence; a
72
book bound in leather; a report of the accident; a room designed
for the children; a factory specializing in electronic products; a
politician who works for peace; an offence to decency; a strong
interest in local history; a brilliant show of flowers; a town cut off
by floods; an argument over money; a plane carrying a hundred
passengers; an operation to remove the appendix; a window
display that attracts customers; a means of getting there; a hole
one metre deep; a possibility of more violence; a turn for the
better; a castle lit by coloured lights; a pretty large sum of money;
a severe style of decoration; a leader of iron will; a good system
of government; a copy of the document; a strange collection of
people; a drop in the ocean; a split in the material; a point on the
route; a cut of the profits; a career in medicine/journalism; an
approach from a rival company; a spot on her chin; a career in
politics; a ring round the moon; a full list of names; a high level
of output; a train of thought; a break in diplomatic relations; an
unlikely chance of success; a sense of responsibility; a problem
exercising the mind; an accident with boiling water; a facility for
learning languages; a material similar to velvet; a mark of good
quality; a shot at goal; a shadow of doubt.
a different dress every day; a champion of women’s rights;
a drink with a rum base; a friend in name only; a fine growth
of hair; a flashlight played over the wall; a very slow film; a
huge jump in profits; a sleepy little town; a cool five million
pounds!; a road lined with trees; a unit of length; a commanding
position over the valley; a shoulder to cry on; a tower headed
by a spire; a thousand thanks; a shady corner of the garden; a
full account of the accident; an outbreak of violence; a sense of
direction; a very human person; a means to an end; a wave of
panic; an expert tennis player; a condition of the job; a drive to
improve standards; an advance on his salary; a stay of execution;
a link in the metal chain; a short length of time; a wide choice
of confectionery; a train of disasters; a new system for teaching
languages; a key to the symbols; a secret place in his heart; a
waste of time and effort; an article in the newspaper; a meeting
73
of the world’s states; a measure of his anger; a string of disasters;
an angle of 30 degrees; a very bright child; a poor state of health;
a file of armoured vehicles; a practical knowledge of French; an
example of cave painting; a sudden notion to go; a break in the
sea wall; a narrow circle of friends; a good ear for music; an
unusual style of house; a clear account of the incident; a guest in
the hotel; a film with lots of suspense.
a job in the baking line; an assembly of bishops; a smell of
musk/flowers; a slip of the tongue; a sky threatening rain; a sure
cure for colds; a way of life; an exhibition of bad manners; a
fair account of the events; a wall round the house; a shortage of
housing; a wound to his pride; a break in the weather; a fault in
the manuscript; a career in computers; an image in his mind; a
storm is brewing; a wide variety of interests; a working model of
the car; a division in the Cabinet; a sense of dread; a broad outline
of a speech; a high rate of interest; an idea of interest to us; a
break in the pipe; an index of character; a sign of things to come;
a nasty incident involving a knife; a book of textile patterns; a
ship riding the waves; a spot on her face; a world of troubles; a
wall of fire; a tough way of life; a model of new airport; a solution
of brine; a slice of the cake; a private view of the exhibition; a
well-paid job; a shortage of food; an object of fun; a member of
the public; a clean piece of paper; an indoor swimming pool;
a variety of flowers were exhibited; a book giving information
on schools; a cape over her shoulders; a spring in your step; a
device on his shield; a reject from the factory; a clean break to
the marriage; a sharp length of metal; a pump worked by hand;
a good description of the thief; a large force of infantry; a tree
five feet around; a pompous fool full of wind; a drop in moral
standards; a river winding through the valley; a virtue beyond
price; a mile out of Hull; a room of his own.
a train of events; an elephant crashing through the trees;
a credit to the town; a nose for a good story; a review of the
whole situation; an eye for art; a late entry into the race; a spot
of whisky; a free flow of water; a roll of the wheel; a great deal
74
of support; a fair chance of success; a drop in the bucket; a flat
that sleeps six; a shot from a gun; a waste of space; a modern
version of Hamlet; a television special about the elections; a ten
pence piece; a house owned by the brewery; a vehicle of some
description; a walk in the country; a welcome visitor; a good
judge of wine; an entry in his diary; a store carrying a brand;
a paper on alternative medicine; a very professional worker; a
good many of them; a force to be reckoned with; an untenable
argument; an adult and three kids; a struggle just to survive; a
fine example of Gothic architecture; a short stretch in prison; a
dress that doesn’t wash well; a mixture of fear and sadness; a
grade of A plus; a term of endearment; a necessary reduction in
expenditure; a sense of proportion; an air of peace; a classroom
full of barbarians; a run in her tights; a device for peeling apples;
a project crowned with success; a brief of the proceedings; a cure
for what ails you; an air of importance; a coarse cotton cloth; a
waste of money; a fact not a rumour; a lift accommodating six
bodies; a turn for the worse; a bridge between the two families;
an underground car park; a soldier on guard; a company based
in London; a fine taste in art; a statement of one’s views; a few
things to buy; a figure approaching in the darkness; a career
connected with the stage; an act of a play; a link in the chain;
an officer in the navy; a formal declaration of war; a waste of
his talent; a subject like physics; a lot of flu about; a movement
towards better government.
Group 3
a pain in one’s side; a lead of ten metres; a constant stream of
people; a team of horses; a tale of woe; a simple country girl;
a person of good report; a stretch of water; a volume of water
escaped; a lawyer speaking for the accused; a portrait drawn
from life; a life full of variety; a sad state of affairs; an odd way of
behaving; a girl with blue eyes; an unknown part of the country;
a hole in the ground; a house facing the park; an eye for bargains;
75
a secret drawer in the table; a design for the garden; a bitter pill
to swallow; a life devoted to study; a block of theatre seats; a
taste of garlic; a quarter of an hour; a woman of character; a
sheet of ice; a severe test of their stamina; a light fall of snow;
a thin layer of snow; a bad time to call; a ship stuck on a bar; a
whole dinosaur skeleton; a place on the map; a team of surgeons;
a different style of management; a tree that bears fruit regularly;
an affair with a married man; an item in the local paper; a job
in the banking line; a large fund of experience; a pie that serves
eight people; a matter of great moment; a balance between work
and play; a split in the rock; a letter to his mother; a high degree
of accuracy; an order of the court; a cool attempt at murder; a
thankless task; a syrup that sugars; a good thing to do; a very
original piece of work; a few drops of vanilla essence; a system
of government; a certain coldness in his attitude; a quick turn in
the road; a fight outside the pub; a step in the right direction; a
house with a northern aspect; a member of the team; a cold wind
from the river; a shot at solving the problem; a property of large
extent; an area 10 feet square; an act of kindness; a sense of loss;
a ship with clean lines; a common style of writing; a boring job;
a theory based on observation.
a cut on his finger; an injection against measles; a couple of
days ago; a man of many parts; a personal letter to her boss; a
thing of the past; a policeman on his beat; a note in the margin;
a report 20 pages long; a bit of a character; a sheet of paper;
a special issue of stamps; a roof over your head; a low thing
to do; an object of pity; a liberal supply of food; a good rule
to go by; a joke in bad taste; a pretty turn of phrase; a stay of
judgement; a wealth of talent; a body in the morgue; a wound
to the heart; a five per cent wage increase; a woman of noble
blood; a band playing in the square; a well-laid-out garden; a
world of difference; a link between smoking and cancer; a good
command of French; an unlikely candidate for the job; a new line
in coats; a solid mass of rock; a variation on a theme; a woman of
presence; an alley between two buildings; a sleepy little village; a
76
member of the mathematical set; a suitable subject for hypnosis;
a chance of winning millions; a possible site for a bridge; a waste
of time; a critical point in history; a time of life; a block in the
drain; an important feature of city life; an army of volunteers;
a say in what happens; a person of ill repute; a perfect set of
teeth; a show of resistance; a drop of 500 metres; a working
knowledge of French; a woman wearing a blue suit; a grant for
study abroad; a new edition of the book; a warm tone of voice; a
model of a train; a mattress with little spring.
an element of risk; a spot of tea; a large choice of restaurants;
a show of courage; a lake 10 miles away; a log across the road; a
fight with his brother; an ear for language; a large space between
houses; an advantage over other candidates; a significant few
words; a long stay in hospital; a run of a bad luck; a general
feeling of ill-ease; a seedless type of orange; an interesting
argument; a sense of perspective; a single parent family; a history
of the twentieth century; a cloud on the horizon; a voice with an
edge; a bend in the road; a bitter division between the families;
a ring on each finger; a young man with drive; a terrier worrying
a rat; a hall hung with tapestries; a strange thing happened; an
extra strong box; a dramatization of the novel; a quick read of
the book; a sense of purpose; a spot of lunch; a hurt on his leg; a
great time on holiday; a slow part of the world; a case of mistaken
identity; a taste for adventure; a wave of selling; an alternative
means of transport; a day almost entirely without wind; a move
to the city; a scheme for recycling paper; a new line of research;
a variety of books; a writer of great depth; a big place in town;
a long way from success; an audience with the pope; a breath of
fresh air; a session of parliament; a severe shortage of food; a
short piece of string; a conservative attitude to sth; a time when
things were better; an eye for a bargain; a suit with a loose cut;
a night (out) on the town; a bridge crossing the road; an address
to the crowd; a young musician of promise; a great expanse of
forest; a speech noted for its length; a sequence of events; a hill
crowned with a wood; a fair copy of essay; an army 5000 strong;
77
a loan from the bank; a lesson to us all; a sense of guilt; a stock
of goods for sale; a large body of men; a sense of touch; a failure
of the system; a good worker in many ways; a black spot on
her reputation; a butterfly settling on the leaf; a person of small
means; an audience with the Queen; a sacrificial victim for the
gods; an important technological advance; a well of information;
a fair chance of winning; a narrow space between the chairs; a
spread of three decades; a shot in the arm.
***
78
Prepositionals
Chapter 9
Prepositionals
In this chapter, you’re going to get another rich collection of
specially-chosen word groups that I’ve called prepositionals.
These are word groups that start with one of these commonly
occurring prepositions in English:
about, above, across, after, against, among, as, at, before,
behind, below, beside, between, beyond, by, despite, during,
following, for, from, in, inside, near, of, off, on, opposite,
out of, outside, over, round, through, till, to, towards,
under, until, up, with, within, without.
These word groups are going to help you in two ways: First,
they will add to the kind of word power you need in order to
speak about a wide range of topics. Second, they will add to
your knowledge of prepositions and your ability to use them with
confidence. Remember this: One of the main reasons why many
people find it difficult to speak or write good English is their poor
command of prepositions. These words – prepositions – look
simple and ordinary, but are difficult to get a fluent command of.
So start doing oral practice with the word groups given below.
Pick up each word group and say it ALOUD – several times.
Here we go:
Group 1
for fun; to make them less worried; in one’s field of vision; about
the cost of sth; without any restrictions; at the critical moment;
as things stand; up the street; to make a judgement about them;
in the quiet of the evening; of great importance; round his
neck; by voting for them; with a fence; within view; as time
went by; at once; among friends; from France; on Saturday
afternoon; from the UK; to make a decoration; by moving their
79
Prepositionals
legs slightly; at nine p.m.; on foot; in American English; out
of spite; in good shape; out of step with modern thinking; as
(if) in a dream; as per usual; with a smile; out of control; to
draw their attention to sth; to find out about it; on the whole;
by moving other things around; at the bottom of page two; in
full swing; on a daily basis; to prepare for an examination; in a
state of readiness; to achieve a particular result; in the highest
class/degrees; to kill the worms; to fully understand it; at the
same time; on a different intellectual plane; by providing the
necessary money; to add sth to it; in fairy stories; with her skirt
hanging down; by lifting weights; in spite of her calm surface;
at first light; at the age of sixteen; to rest and discuss sth; as
much again; out of date; to run to another place; by touching
it; by that thing; with a piece of soft material; as fit as a fiddle;
after some debate with himself; in the wake of the election;
through his efforts.
in a dictionary; in one’s right mind; to obtain information;
in a separate incident; within the speed limit; in prison; by the
way; by saying sth funny about you; in an unfortunate financial
position; on Thursdays; throughout Britain; by means of that
fuel; opposite the station; by using your physical strength; on
shore; by telex; at the given time; with other people watching
them; in Switzerland; for some time; with all her faults; at the
bottom of the garden; up the river; by mail; with a sound like
a sigh; with one shake of the can; in the service of the king;
without attempting to please them; up here; on Saturdays;
against a scene of confusion; in a straight line; in return for;
in aid of charity; to clean it; from the United Kingdom; to give
sb a signal; with red eyes; at his house; by writing it down;
without delay; for the sake of; out of work; at the top of the
hill; at least three months; out of our way; by using skill; for
want of time; on his return; to move somewhere; in settlement
of debts; in great pain; until then; about twenty; at random;
after I’d had a rest; in a/the previous paragraph; near here; for
a long time; for a particular purpose; through the streets; by
80
Prepositionals
the close of business today; at the front of the train; with serious
effects; against the rules; below him in rank; in advance; at the
moment; with effect from tomorrow; in the West Indies; under
construction; with your fist; to find work.
at the head of the queue; to get secret information; for a
long while; for a change; after everything she has done for you;
without cheating; to be seen and admired; to give sb an unfair
advantage; to claim money from them; to take responsibility
for them; with a sure hand; to gain a bigger market share; at a
fast pace; in the coming months; for various reasons; to make
people laugh; in a friendly manner; till then; out of condition;
in great difficulty; in practice; to help it to release gas; beyond
retirement age; in the form of money; as time goes by; from
Africa; at a fixed time; outside the bank; by straining it; to
wash your body; with unpleasant consequences; with a crowd
looking on; at the back; by physically threatening you; in his
natural element; to show that they are annoyed; by resting
as much as possible; to get sth done; from Monday to Friday;
as soon as possible; after some difficulty; outside my areas of
responsibility; to have more power; in the time of the dinosaurs;
as little as possible; in the long run; on a part-time basis; as
standard; from beginning to end; as far as possible; to find
how many there are; in my capacity as manager; in order to; to
move past them; within the reach of his influence; at the very
end; to clear it; in next to no time; by threatening to punish
them; by selling sth; with your hand held flat; on April the
first; up to the present; from China; in the immediate future;
to prevent the boat from moving; by the side of it; on a global
scale; by putting them through letter boxes; to protest about
sth; without touching it; by people; in his right mind; in the
diet; as mealtimes; on the way; to shape it.
to gain an advantage over them; by using a lot of effort;
in the process of developing; for your own good; to look for a
particular item; by responding to events; in the dark about his
motives; at the close of trade/trading; by using your charm;
81
Prepositionals
with a mop; to arrest sb; by flushing the toilet; in a difficult
corner; in his natural voice; to deserve punishment; to do sth
for you; of little value; in the same fashion; beyond your power;
on Tuesdays; with a sharp sound; by giving you good food; to
look for sth; for three hours solid; with a layer of plaster; in
love; at each commercial break; to indicate sth; on the dot;
to ask formally for it; under water; at four o’clock; to support
your argument; after his accomplice confessed; of general
interest; through thick and thin; to achieve a favourable deal;
on a certain date; of normal size; in the middle of the crowd;
without thinking carefully; in time to do sth; at midnight; on
telly; to get what they want; to give thanks; to shake hands
with sb; out there; to concentrate on sth else; on top form; as
quiet as a mouse; with a difficult situation; among other things;
on the ground; in the United Kingdom; of Polish/good stock;
after a bit; in good faith; in sight; without any real proof; in
the natural course of events; to fasten it to the object; in the
beginning; beyond your wildest dreams; in the open air; in
the nude; on one’s own; for the first time ever; in difficulty;
without hurrying; near the house; in fashion; in a tick; to cope
with life in general; to draw people’s attention to it; as distinct
from sth; at the edge of the sea; in the present climate; from
top to bottom; as they say; on two separate occasions; behind
enemy lines; on the financial front; following the scent.
Group 2
by pressing the object; in proportion; to remain fairly good
at it; to show them the way; for the present; in every part
of their life; by turning a handle; within reach of everyone’s
pocket; in an accident; near 50%; for her private use; from
out of town; of equal strength; to make it deeper; under the
protection of the police; to protect it; at home with computers;
by your own efforts; in a dead faint; to gain control of it; as
day breaks; to wash yourself; of particular interest; as much as
82
Prepositionals
possible; at first; across the way; in a war; in the first place;
as far as I know; at various times; by making a profit; in a
straight course; from Italy; without friends; as well; to buy
sth; in the opposite direction; by the side of the lake; in the
eyes of the law; beyond the mountains; as white as snow; in
a business deal; from Japan; with a sudden, bright light; with
a quick, violent movement; to continue their journey; to get
publicity for themselves; by now; with a file; in the face of
these difficulties; by ordinary Englishmen; to achieve success in
it; by radio; to the right; to do exactly as you wish; to travel
somewhere; under the influence of alcohol; on alternate days;
to gain some advantage for themselves; without fail; with a
sudden, harsh noise; to continue your journey; beyond the call
of duty; under my direction; without stopping; to have that
quality; beyond our understanding; by phone; to get into a
building; with your permission; in general use; in general; to
give advice to a person; to be prepared for the examination.
as far as practicable; from North America; for several years
to come; with abstract theories; by making long, loud `o’ sounds;
without a care in the world; in the region of 1000 people; to
make all the decisions; in the flower of their youth; by making a
pun; in France; of low intelligence; at eye-level; for a specific
purpose; round here; with a quantity of things; to show your
appreciation of them; in my youth; in the front; at the end of
the war; by cutting and polishing your nails; at the latest; to
meet people; at noon; in times of stress; without you noticing;
through with the job; by putting a request to them; among the
few; from Spain; by shaping it between your hands; over here;
by the wind; on holiday with friends; at half-price; out of sight;
from Europe; by post; to agree to it; on holiday; as it happens;
in search of happiness; about ten o’clock; to make money; in
the red; after hesitating; in the deep of the night; above the
law; by speaking; in the shape of the devil; after what he said;
by paying some money; by paying money for it; to achieve their
aim; out of reach; for no understandable reason; of noble birth;
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Prepositionals
for a while; by the look(s) of; by moving your hands around;
with a loud noise; of their own free will; from England; to
discover information about the past; in his field of vision; in no
uncertain terms; with your hands.
with a smooth, fairly fast movement; as long as supplies
hold out; to give you professional advice; in one’s hour of need;
to help them; by using ropes; by suddenly twisting his head;
on a regular basis; by welcoming you; by regularly checking it;
beside yourself with anger; without being invited to do so; in
America; to damage their competitors financially; at this stage;
under plain cover; during the day; at the foot of the stairs;
to attack the place; in vain; by removing some of the letters;
behind the scenes; in the society of her friends; at ten o’clock
precisely; in the past; to escape arrest; by spending time with
them; on tour; at the front in the battle; after a lot of thought;
in a hurry; to make them agree with you; by telephoning them;
to try and settle the dispute; towards the end; at home; during
the week; as a last resort; on Wednesdays; for the time being;
above criticism; by sb you are with; with a lot of publicity;
in record time; in an informal situation; at the finish of the
task; on the spot; against his express wishes; in a calm state;
on the bus; at two o’clock exactly; as hard as rock; on that
particular day; to a higher position; by mixing it; by rail; to use
a different gear; on the left side; as good as gold; in technical
English; in the time of Nehru; on sale; to get sexual pleasure;
at irregular intervals; by spending less money; in your charge;
at top; in competition with them; under the influence of liquor;
by organizing a secret vote; to produce a particular effect; by
means of a partition; within the space of three hours; to prevent
it from being opened; in danger; by tipping it up.
to make a noise; by wiping it; as cold as this; in good
taste; on equal terms with another; by rubbing it; with a strap;
to find and mark mistakes; by sniffing; under a tree; to avoid
a bad one; for days together; in high spirits; round a corner;
within the week; in full view of the crowd; on a golfing tour;
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Prepositionals
in a fight; in time; over Christmas; in this particular case; by
the nearest route; in pencil; in business; above suspicion; with
heart pounding; to protect them; to pay their debts; to stop sth
happening; with a sharp object; in the UK; at top speed; by
moving upwards; to avoid fighting them; to attack them; to
taste its full flavour; with a shovel; from the first; to feel it; in
a competition; with a saw; in spite of difficult circumstances;
by tricking sb; to give it extra importance; with a quick, sudden
movement; in his role as headmaster; in the heat of the moment;
as it stands; with a sharp, cracking noise; until now; at short
leave; in pairs; in Europe; with a particular action; of Asian/
European origin; in payment of the account; round the corner;
in times past; by plane; under the tree; in his own little world;
of an even disposition; in strong light; in an indirect way; to
make themselves sexually attractive; of less importance; in a
low state of health; beyond the limit; over the top; for sale; in
their own home; at the end of the street.
to get information; at the start of her illness; to encourage
them to do sth; to make a decision; to show politeness; with
a furious face; to deal with it successfully; to make sb notice
them; in this case; out of stock; by softening your skin; with
one jump; from Pakistan; in the dark; with a lot of men; in
public; in no time; for the first time; in my view; opposite
the gate; in the morning; by winning it; on four successive
occasions; by force; by throwing things into the air; to catch
them; in considerable pain; as the saying goes; to improve it;
to make people take notice; under the terms of the contract; in
reverse gear; in front of; with an open mouth; by night; of
vital importance; in my opinion; in a rush; to avoid paying for
sth; to start doing sth; for enjoyment; to make people notice it;
with a rope; in one leap; up a mountain road; to make it burn
more strongly; in 10 seconds flat; by people in several different
countries; from Iran; by their appearance and manner; on the
left; to sell more of their products; in luck; after work; with a
short, sudden movement; for pleasure; of no consequence; by
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Prepositionals
making a slight movement; to store information on a computer;
in force; at night; by the second number; behind the times; on
the opposite bank; over the holidays; out of order; by airmail;
in the middle of the night; to improve its flavour; in numeric
characters; on top of; in reference to your letter; through a
pipe; under these circumstances; during the holiday season; by
twisting and turning your body; in small print; by repairing it
when necessary; for security reasons; beyond repair; as usual.
Group 2
in its previous state; at war; from Switzerland; without looking
back; against the wall; as instructed; by moving it backwards and
forwards; at the far end; to make them realize sth; on Fridays;
in time with the music; to say ‘no’; after this we’ll leave; on fire;
over the past 30 years; in Chinese characters; by the surface;
from start to finish; on the face of it; inside knowledge; for
hours and hours; as the law stands; in Indian/Japanese waters;
in cash; from time to time; with a problem; on account of; in
the pouring rain; in a rather careless way; by shouting to them;
beyond midnight; in the sure knowledge; with a knife; as part
of sth; in a nervous state; on three separate occasions; by their
feet; by using threats; as necessary; to ask for it; as long as;
on the road to success; at the present time; in his capacity as
president; without difficulty; in her/his youth; within call;
from small beginnings; for a wider range of things; on schedule;
on principle; in the region of 200 tonnes; to encourage sb; as
far as I’m concerned; in this modern day; by that group; by all
means; from Latin America; off his game; by the expression on
your face; with a special machine; to come to an agreement;
in return; in (the) olden days/times; throughout the year; in
financial difficulties; in other words; with a hammer; with her
dress in disarray; between the earth and the sky; by making
great efforts; by means of; to prevent it being misunderstood;
before entering university; with a wet sponge; in a vehicle; with
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Prepositionals
a different thing; to watch and protect them; near to the park;
at the head of the firm; for hours on end; by air; with a knot; at
eight o’clock prompt; for a period of time; within the city walls;
in the last paragraph.
in former times; by law; in a (tight) corner; to keep it
moving; to find some information; under his leadership; on
the board of the firm; for the common good; by means of a
latch; in sequence; before long; up there; by using similar
methods; in the performance of his duty; to make a sound; by
twisting it round and round; to get rid of the creases; to deceive
people; off liquor; in there; with great care; as beautiful as
ever; despite the fact that…; in a week’s time; by ship; to
prevent it from decaying; by their side; from different stations
in life; to uncover it; of his own accord; in the distance; by its
(very) nature; without trying to avoid it; for no apparent reason;
in addition to Peter; by making rude remarks; by not attending
to it; with a shadow; opposite the building; on Mondays; on
the wane; from the United States; from America; up a ladder;
towards the front of the building; at seven (o’clock) sharp; as
soon as practicable; inside out; to reach a decision; to get liquid
out of it; in past years; in the back of the car; to find sth; as
a rule; with a particular kind of ending; in broad daylight; by
trying to be brave; about your problems; as green as grass; to
try its flavour; in that case; at the close of the day; on several
occasions; on board; as well as; as light as a feather; by taking
the bones out; at the entry to the building; at the races; in the
summer; in some ways; on a previous occasion; inside job; to
enjoy it properly; in after years; in a flash; inside an hour; in
the late afternoon.
to benefit from it; in poor health; in the country; to get
somewhere; out of breath; to stay in a good situation; in an
exciting way; with a chemical; with a machine; to ask for his
help; in Britain; in Germany; to borrow money from them; as
expected; from Germany; of a different design; at that time
in his life; to change their attitude to sth; on good terms; to
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Prepositionals
achieve sth; by supporting and strengthening it; to steal your
money; over the road; to accuse them of sth; with a pointed
object; by chance; in two volumes; to make progress in the
future; as such; above reproach; as late as the 1970’s; in need;
to phone sb; in Australia; beyond the bounds of possibility;
as simple as a child; with a lot of force; in your/my time; as
promised; under twenty people; at the very beginning; by
relying on your memory; to grow crops; as from tomorrow; in
rather a spot; by other people; with a piece of cloth; to make it
shine; under repair; to behave more calmly; as if by magic; as
common as muck; at a slow pace; by losing their jobs; with a lot
of noise; as tall as his father; without warning them; in the days
of King James; in future; near tears; in Iraq; as time wore on;
in person; from India; on the right; as if it wasn’t bad enough;
beyond belief; by using dynamite; in a flat voice; for a short
period; by using it; in the first instance; to feel better about
things; to make other people laugh; to get it; with no regard
for safety; off duty; at short notice; by mistake; by herself; by
what you say; before giving it to sb.
at the station; in good spirits; from a lowly situation in life;
on tiptoe; at the close of day; after that, we left; as long as
possible; at the head of the hill; on the run; with only one end
in mind; in terms of economics; from Asia; beyond all doubt;
in bold characters; in one of his moods; in an attempt to avoid
danger; on a bed of gravel; from March to September; of a
noble family; for hire; in a miserable condition; of unsound
mind; by mixing other things together; of uncertain social status;
after years of silence; after a lot of effort; without stopping
to think; during the hours of darkness; in British English; by
placing barriers in the way; by the time (that); under colour of
friendship; in the end; in a remote corner of England; with a
towel; at your place; by the lines on your hand; to clean their
skin thoroughly; by giving you good entertainment; to kill it; by
that name; under cover of darkness; to examine it scientifically;
to see the image; by not having a regular job; on the third floor;
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Prepositionals
to do what they say; outside the limit; of course; over my dead
body; to let it happen; by their first names; to get professional
advice; to avoid being seen; from foreign parts; with feet apart;
to wish them success; in the middle of the road; with a circular
movement; to express their ideas; from Israel; as normal; to
explain it; in the wild; on holiday from tomorrow; to go in the
right direction; to learn their skill; with a credit card; to have an
effect; to reach the inside part; from one extreme to the other;
within sight of the town; by no means; at rest; by magic; to
give information as a witness; to get fit; from the US/USA; at a
constant temperature; out of a job.
with something such as a hammer; by using force; in England;
after a little period; after eating; throughout existence; on the
radio; to enjoy everything that they do; over there; in a critical
condition; with an effort; without hope; by sewing stitches
across the hole; as sharp as a razor; to make it easier to speak;
on time; in late December; before eating; among the best in
the world; without success; through traffic; in a bad mood; in
every respect; to make a map of it; to amuse yourself; to stop
it; during the course of the trial; at times; in a sexual way;
at the same level; behind you all the way; in writing; before
cooking it; at worst; on certain conditions; on a committee;
in large quantities; in labour; with a number; to conduct an
experiment; on the first of April; during the war; in the early
morning; at all costs; in her element; to make sth happen; by
pulling them gently; by standing in front of them; by moving its
body; after very heavy rain; by telephone; in spoken English;
by reading printed music; in top form; in good order; by a
happy chance; by main force; at the most; with a cloth; by
signing an official document; for instance; by the sound of it;
on separate occasions; by wearing them; at midday; from Iraq;
in the former USSR; in another country; on purpose; by putting
pressure on you; behind bars; by reaching a particular standard;
at the beginning of their life; up north; at the head of the page;
with some difficulty; after an argument; to make yourself feel
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Prepositionals
cooler; under pressure; within seven days; as it turned out; at
the finish of the race; in the still of the night.
Group 3
to show them your affection; in their care; to steal sth; with
care; by shooting them; as quickly as possible; with your elbow;
over the hill; from force of habit; in a complicated, indirect way;
in Canada; by using your hands; without questioning it; in Iran;
in Spain; to find new feeding grounds; on television; through
the agency of heat; to thank them; as good as this; as sweet as
honey; from one end to another; by himself; by spending less
than you get; in four minutes flat; of a different nature; within
the space of a day; in spite of many difficulties; in front; with
a strong, regular rhythm; for the good of mankind; by making
the movements associated; after a struggle; in the old days; at
the head of the stream; with an extra amount as interest; by sb
with special equipment; by selling their property; from that day
on; to take the course of action; at the front of the queue; by
saying prayers; in recent years; in the face of danger; despite
his old age; to get free; across the strings of the guitar; out
of true; on fire with passion; at five o’clock or so; through
a crack in the door; inside information; with their approval;
after thinking carefully; at present; in the care of her uncle;
to remain healthy; in constant motion; on the contrary; in an
attempt to justify it; on Sundays; in writing; in time to music;
by day; in case; under foreign rule; in danger of falling; in a
tired and lifeless way; to make it look attractive; within easy
reach of; in secret; to answer charges; by working for it; by
accident; in formal English; to learn sth about them; in need
of new ideas; under the influence of drugs; from all corners of
the earth; in the future; by putting different parts together; by
stating their name; in a sorry state; in peak season.
below deck(s); in a sudden and unexpected way; with a
smooth, curving movement; by myself; in the process of time;
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Prepositionals
in mid May; to catch fish; with difficulty; to allow it to be done;
out of season; up the coast; to get sth valuable from them; in
spite of them; from London; to show disapproval; without much
detail; to prepare them for an examination; with the exception
of John; in here; for external use; to end it immediately; to
prepare for a performance; as much as Rs. 10,000 etc.; in the
course of an hour; in an institution for life; in command of
a ship; on the electoral roll; as of now; through the night;
on the shelf above; without planning it; by using a piece of
wire; as expensive as this; under there; in a dark mood; from
Australia; on the floor; by pushing the string through them;
as sb goes along; at a constant speed; on April first; at two
o’clock; by sticking out your tongue; in Roman times; without
their permission; on (the) screen; to find sth out; with a special
device; at two o’clock sharp; by that person; by that time; to
put them back together again; near to panic; in a dishonest
way; to achieve a particular aim; between them; in the light of
this news; in all earnestness; for the popular market; inside the
house; at the close of play; in a flat tone; as the situation arises;
to see how they react; on my lap.
in detail; from Russia; for more than their original value; as
blind as a bat; to emphasize sth you are saying; by typing it on a
keyboard; with folded arms; to thank them for their services; at
the seaside; in good condition; to create a design; to make sth;
to show them where to go; at odd moments; at full speed; for
good; to deal with sth effectively; to attract people’s attention;
from Canada; to say sth; against a background; at the head of
the table; in fact; within the walls of the city; to extract the
juice; from Great Britain; about things that are not important;
over the odds; to the fullest extent; in Italy; at this point in time;
with a long handle; for details; as a matter of fact; to expensive
restaurants; to get some information from them; on behalf of
sb; with a sticky substance; in modern times; to be able to
frame it; by the side of the road; beyond the grave; with a key;
till now; to make them laugh; in the US/USA; to make you
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do sth; beyond dispute; in a spiral movement; on the second
floor; at a shallow point; to escape from sb; out of curiosity;
to reach that place; as he was working late; to make its surface
shine; of poor quality; with a wave of his hand; behind the bar;
to prevent things from getting worse; within limits; in Great
Britain; across the street; by particular standards; to a very
large degree; at the top of the page; by saying something they
don’t like; to help them to grow; at the start of the campaign.
***
92
Frequent action-clusters
Chapter 10
You’re now going to get a valuable collection of word groups that
are important for achieving fluency – fluency in speaking about a
wide range of topics. They’re all action clusters – word groups in
which the key word is a verb. As you must know by now, from the
fluency-development point of view, action clusters are the most
important types of word groups.
Go through the word groups given below. Pick up each word
group and say it ALOUD – several times.
Here we go:
Group 1
support yourself; twist sb’s words; overreach yourself; come back
to haunt sb; come down in the world; serve as a brake on sth;
rise from a table; lie back and relax; undersell yourself; lose your
nerve; start raining; familiarize yourself with sth; fan the flames
of sth; manoeuvre (sth) into position; join the ranks (of sth);
serve as a warning; consolidate sb’s position; sort yourself out;
switch the heating on; nod towards/in the direction of sb/sth;
throw caution to the wind(s); become known as sth; fill the void;
pay little/no attention to sth; draw (sb’s) attention to sth; reduce
sth to rubble; come racing; sharply separated; stop the rot;
succeed in winning sth; brace yourself for sth; can sb possibly do
sth?; draw inspiration from sth; pace the room; forget yourself;
lower the age of sth; swear (your) allegiance to sb; ease yourself;
manoeuvre your way; sigh with satisfaction; surrender yourself;
raise the tone (of sth); fasten your arms around sb/sth; kiss sb
full on the mouth; stand with your back to sb/sth; lend (your)
support; have a run of bad luck; escape unscathed; come in sight
of sb/sth; maintain the status quo; mark the end of sth; read (sth)
93
aloud/out loud; crack under the pressure; forgive yourself; fight
back (the) tears; need a push (to do sth); begin doing sth; appear
before sb/sth; smell like rotten eggs; see the funny side (of sth);
return sb to office; twist your lips into a sneer; can hardly bear to
do sth; grow in number.
score points with sb; cry tears of rage; climb to the top;
view sth with suspicion; lose your train of thought; vary in size/
length; throw sb into prison; come as a surprise; eat well; linger
(on) in the mind; expect a lot of sb; exert pressure on sb (to
do sth); mark sb (as) present; rise and shine; slur your words;
stand the pressure; break down and weep; try sth for size; reduce
the risk of sth; come into vogue; treat sb with respect; come to
your senses; pour your heart out; grasp sb by the shoulders;
weaken sb’s resolve; screw sth in place; stay seated; place limits
on sth; hiss (sth) through your teeth; beat the rush; handle sth
well; twist sth out of shape; grow tired of doing sth; tear sth
open; search far and wide; slow to a stop; ask for sb’s hand in
marriage; perpetuate a myth; use sth as a reason; linger (on) in
the memory; show (no) pity; land sb in hot water; open its/your
doors to sb; sleep well/soundly; compare unfavourably; lose all
contact with sb; act the part/role (of sb/sth); invade sb’s privacy;
turn down an offer; come face to face with sb/sth; shove your
way sw; come out of retirement; tell (sb) the truth; comply with
standards; pool your resources; reduce sb to tears; vary over/
with time; hear rumours; embark on a project; impose yourself;
defeat at the hands of sb; stand the strain; pause to reflect; press
sth open/shut; export sth to/from Europe; smile to yourself;
create the illusion of sth; improve spirits; stretch as far as the eye
can see; pronounce sb man and wife; lay your hands on sth; deny
the existence of sth; weigh on sb’s mind; satisfy the demand for
sth; try hard to do sth; shout and scream.
lose patience with sb/sth; read and write; come to a standstill;
bear the signs of sth; stand out in your mind; divide in two; see sth
as a sign; tilt the balance towards/in favour of sb; come (right)
94
out and say sth; yield to (the) temptation; place your head in a
noose; scare the living daylights out of sb; have a run of good
luck; bundle sb into/out of sth; reduce sth in number; bluff your
way into/out of the place; focus efforts on sth; come as a relief;
see the logic of/in sth; shatter sb’s peace; stun sb into silence;
enter into a transaction; ignore sth at your peril; withdraw into a
world of your own; blow the whistle (on sb); pursue the matter;
measure sth in terms of sth; catch the post; grow used to sth;
come onto the market; place sth in trust; suffer in silence; grope
your way; fasten your eyes on sb/sth; send shivers along/down
your spine; taste sweet; need the services of sb; chop sth to pieces;
limit yourself; mutter to yourself; sink without trace; can’t help
noticing sth; sweat and toil; fight against terrorism; calm sb’s
nerves; strands of opinion; blow your brains out; cry (sth) in
surprise/delight; treat yourself to sth; wedge sth in place; report
sb/sth missing; follow sb’s/sth’s every move; tell tales; stick up
for yourself; discount the possibility; play with/without (the)
music; puff at a pipe; grow very tall.
stir in your sleep; say who did sth; lay the blame on sb; lean
in the direction of sth; bow your head in shame; place sb under
an obligation; place sb/sth under sth; sit staring; leave sb in
suspense; wish sb a speedy recovery; exist on a different plane;
speak badly/ill of sb; puff and pant; place reliance on sb/sth;
strike at the heart of sth; bind and gag sb; pray for mercy; cover
the cost of sth; brace yourself/sth against sth; move sb to tears;
gesture towards sb/sth; ignore sb’s plea; zip sth open/shut; slow
your pace; live to regret sth; preserve sth for posterity; resume
your position; hit the target; indulge yourself (in sth); push
and shove; extricate sb/yourself (from sth); navigate your way;
change the subject; experience the full force of sth; strip (sb)
naked; outlive its usefulness; change your mind about sth; install
yourself; try desperately to do sth; ignore a sign; sit up straight;
leave sth open; halt sth in its tracks; suspect sb of plotting sth;
speak highly of sb/sth; run the length of sth; spare sb the pain/
trouble; sink money into sth; disappear without trace; lead sb to
95
believe sth; bear the brunt of sth; place emphasis on sth; pledge
sb/yourself to do sth; see reason; snap (sth) open/shut; judge
it right; classify sb/sth according to sth; stand in awe of sb; can
scarcely believe sth; promote sb (to Manager/Colonel, etc.);
prove sb wrong; place sb on probation; describe sth in glowing
terms; sit side by side; reach the screen; stop singing; heal the
rift; labour the point; stick to the rules; live in a fantasy world;
stand staring; fix your sights on sth; turn the heating on; beg sb
(not) to do sth; lie sprawled; close to tears; shut the door on sth;
drop like a stone; smell like fresh soil; leave sb paralysed; stand
and stare; place sb/sth on standby; run your eye down a page;
win the toss; can’t take a punch.
Group 2
spend the night; break into pieces; provide input into/to sth;
come out on strike; disappear from sight; escape uninjured;
wriggle your way; manage on your own; come second/third (in
sth); strain to hear sth; past your prime; overstep the bounds/
limits of sth; lower the tone (of sth); use sth as an excuse; lie
still; shoot to stardom; throw your weight behind sth; seem
happy/relaxed to sb; weaken sb’s spirit; act out of love; stray
from the straight and narrow; strike at the root(s) of sth; sit at
a table/desk; pause to think; tell the time; packed in salt; can’t
take your eyes off sb/sth; stare into space; run your finger down
a page; strengthen sb’s resolve; come out in favour of/against
(doing) sth; stamp your personality on sth; can’t stand sb doing
sth; sling your bag over your shoulder; grow unchecked; divide
along religious lines; commit (a) murder; recover your memory;
fling your arms around/round sb/sth; exaggerate the importance
of sth; come off well/badly; could hardly believe sth; swear
vengeance against/on sb; establish yourself/sb (as sth); fly past;
come into operation; turn out OK; use sth to (a/some) purpose;
can’t bear the thought/idea of sth; love nothing better than…;
owe a debt of gratitude to sb; lay (sb) the odds of sth; gain in
96
popularity; stop pretending; view sth with scepticism; hide sth
from view; respond to treatment; treat sth with scepticism; hear
the news; state the obvious; bore sb to tears.
stand up for your rights; counter the effect(s) of sth; slam
the door shut; begin screaming; lose your looks; sink like a stone;
prepare (yourself) for sth; try and try; clench sth between sb’s
teeth; turn sb loose; see less/a lot of sb; deem sth necessary;
review sth in the light of sth; tap sb on the shoulder; use the
stairs; face the sack; frustrate sb’s plans; detain sb without trial;
perform satisfactorily; start talking; hum to yourself; shut sth
tight; wake (up) to find sth; cough and splutter; focus entirely on
sth; relinquish your hold on sth; come nearer; ignore sb’s protests;
live in sb’s memory; profit after/before tax; owe much/a lot to
sb/sth; question the logic of sth; live in the shadow of sb/sth;
come close to scoring; raise the age of sth; jump the queue; lower
your voice; resume your place; draw the line at sth; judge for
yourself; couldn’t help noticing sth; clamp shut; see the sights;
tear your gaze away from sb/sth; see what sb means; run riot;
mix and match; seek the aid of sb; can’t seem to do sth; knock sb
unconscious; judge sth on its merits; pay the going rate; fight the
urge/impulse; flush sth down the toilet; kick and punch; speak
with a stutter; disgrace yourself; hug sb tight; stay in close touch;
escape unhurt; can’t bear the sight of sth; register to vote; divert
attention from sth; stay tuned (to sth).
lie curled up; come straight to the point; fasten your
attention on sb/sth; thrust your way sw; scare the life out of sb;
fix sth in place/position; ease the tension; hang yourself; run
counter to sth; play the role of sb; act as a reminder; kick sth
shut; hire yourself out; seize the moment; ignore sb’s remark;
translate sth into practice; leave sb scarred; relax and enjoy sth/
yourself; arouse sb’s suspicions; preach the virtues of sth; divide
along party lines; break ranks; impose your personality on sth;
jockey for position; stop in your tracks; lose your sanity; blink
away a tear; hide sth from sight; sit back and relax; come to
97
an understanding; close the door behind you; arrange sth in
alphabetical order; tighten the noose; press yourself against sth;
weather the storm; increase the risk of sth; place importance on
sth; weep and wail; weaken sb’s resistance; fracture your skull;
come as far as sth; deny killing/murdering sb; distract attention
from sth; sap sb’s will; come to rest; spell the death of sth; ache all
over; swear sb to silence; kick sth open; tighten the purse strings;
creak open; strike at the foundations of sth; scare the pants off
sb; grow in popularity; owe a duty to sb; mark the start of sth;
leave sb a note; vary according to sth; expect too much of sb;
tear sth into/to pieces; bring sb/sth into line with sb/sth; stroll to
victory; pick up a station; come off worst; speak with one voice;
want things both ways; risk losing sth; couldn’t help overhearing
sth; say no (to sb/sth); serve to illustrate sth; disaster strikes (sb/
sth); hang your head in shame; speak well/highly of sb; knock
sb senseless/unconscious; broadcast (sth) live; lose touch with
reality; perform well/poorly.
undergo surgery/treatment; grow to a length of…; wash
your hands of the matter; tear your eyes away from sb/sth; stiffen
sb’s resistance; retrace your steps; bring the conversation round
to sth; play opposite sb; question the merit of sth; shout at the
top of your voice; modify your stance; slot a CD into a CD player;
attach importance to sth; judge sb/sth on their own merits; climb
the stairs; fasten your legs around sb/sth; write to say/express
sth; run your hand(s) over sth; call the police; turn your mind to
sth; come to grips with sth; tremble all over; tilt sth to one side;
leave room for sth; heat sth to boiling point; withdraw into your
shell; release sb on parole; divide sth into portions; hand over
the reins; stand up straight; come clean about sth; tremble from
head to toe; try anything once; sleep like a log; come out (all)
wrong; fly into a rage; strike terror into (the heart of) sb; slit sth
open; send sb sprawling; toe the party line; needs painting; come
under pressure to do sth; lie on your stomach; talk sense into
sb; diversity of styles; proclaim the virtues of sth; split sth two,
etc. ways; come off the pill; reduce sth in size; loosen the purse
98
strings; meet sb off the train; serve to emphasize sth; sing sb’s
praises; place value on sth; read the signals; mark the beginning
of sth; bore sb rigid/stiff; clamp sth between your teeth; grow
to maturity; meet (with) resistance; point the way; defeat the
purpose of sth; meet with standards.
treat sb like royalty; qualify on the grounds of sth; watch
(the) telly; cook (me, etc.) a meal; submit yourself to sth; start
the year; ease your way; grow in stature; wave a magic wand;
prove sb right; pick up where you left off; sing with/without
(the) music; stop talking; help or hinder sth; find sb wandering;
buy sth (by) mail order; stir well/thoroughly; control the purse
strings; change the complexion of sth; battle it out (against sth);
serve as a reminder; flicker open; patch it/things up (with sb);
focus exclusively on sth; focus energy on sth; hit the screen;
place the blame on sb/sth; freeze in your tracks; teach sb a thing
or two; inject yourself with sth; sit sprawled sw; withdraw your
resignation; nudge sb in the ribs; find out the nature/extent of
sth; come tripping; sit up with a start; heap abuse on sb/sth; lead
the way; salvage your pride; strain yourself; open the doors to
sb; highlight sb’s plight; try and do sth; haul yourself up onto/
into sth; enlist the aid of sb; stress the importance of sth; travel
by train; return to haunt sb; change your stance; burst into tears;
address yourself to sth; bring sb/sth into contact with sb/sth;
stop raining; pile on the pressure; address a question; escape
unharmed; bang (sth) open/shut; beat sb on points; prepare
(yourself) to do sth; flick sth open.
Group 2
throw sth into turmoil; scream your head off; stick it out; disclaim
all knowledge of; can’t wait to see the back of sth; can hardly do
sth; rush to the rescue; close sth tight; resist (the) temptation;
turn to page 40 etc.; sidestep a question; increase the size of
sth; plead for mercy; alter your stance; qualify for a pension;
issue notice to quit; vote in favour of sth; drill for oil; slur your
99
speech; kiss sb full on the lips; hurt yourself doing sth; slot sth
into place; open sth to scrutiny; disturb sb’s peace; injure sb’s
pride; can’t get your head round sth; sell sth for scrap; split the
vote; act as a brake on sth; place sb/sth under strain; come as no
surprise; learn to live with sth; flaunt yourself; owe it to sb to do
sth; fold sth neatly; blush scarlet; work in collaboration with sb;
classify sth into types; raise the stakes; shoulder your way past/
through sb/sth; score points off sb; rally to sb’s support; turn out
your pockets; come up for renewal; bear the stamp of sb/sth;
bear some relation to sth; hide the truth; run out of patience;
come into the world; establish law and order; plead guilty to sth;
appeal to (your) better nature; need renewing; greet sb by name;
pay the penalty (for sth); plunge to a new low; sort sth into piles;
slow to a snail’s pace; meet the full force of sth; strike sth from
the record; wound sb’s pride; find yourself shaking; prove the
sceptics right; find yourself confronted by sth; reduce sth to a
minimum; prospects of recovery; remain seated; remain steadfast
(in sth); place your faith/hope on sb/sth; assert yourself; greet
sb with a smile; run on time; fumble for words; could scarcely
believe sth; call me old-fashioned; deprive sb of the pleasures of
doing sth; reduce the size of sth; see anything suspicious; live
well/comfortably; tilt your chair back; whisper sweet nothings;
pay dearly for sth.
concentrate your efforts on sth; pause for thought; ring in
sick; can take a punch; lower your sights; lack the confidence
to do sth; remove restrictions (on sth); lie motionless; pick and
mix; provoke sb into doing sth; strain to see sth; rebuild sth from
scratch; hurl accusations at sb; see more of sb; tear loose; run
for office; can’t stand the sight of sb/sth; behave in a sensible
way; weigh heavily with sb; come into sight; fasten your gaze
on sb/sth; play havoc with sth; describe sth in abstract terms;
can’t stand doing sth; turn and see; join together to do sth;
stop shouting; prove the sceptics wrong; catch the gist of sth;
stick rigidly/resolutely to sth; sell sth at a profit/loss; reduce
the effect(s) of sth; sit slumped sw; tear sth to shreds; plead
100
tiredness; love nothing more than…; come to prominence; jump
out of your skin; grow in size; choose anything within reason;
occupy yourself (with sth); lie in store; found guilty of murdering
sb; place strain/pressure on sb/sth; dispense with sb’s services;
approach sth from first principles; branch out on your own; rank
sth in order of sth; guess right; reach the top; battle your way sw;
work sb/yourself (up) into a panic; stand in a queue; stop sb/sth
in their/its tracks; kiss goodbye to sth; introduce yourself; halt sb
in their tracks; rise to stardom; can’t keep your eyes off sb/sth;
behave in an alarming way; disguise yourself as/in sth; obtain
sb’s permission; relive your youth.
brake to avoid sth; point straight at sb/sth; open the scoring;
come to the rescue; come by train/plane; (a car etc.) runs on petrol;
watch sb’s/sth’s every move; come to a stop; start screaming;
pass unnoticed; function on a different plane; appear to have
done sth; act on sb’s suggestion; dampen sb’s spirits; quicken
your pace; shiver with surprise; strengthen sb’s position; rush to
sb’s rescue; screw sth into position; corner the market (in sth);
allow sth to stand for sth; strip to the waist; picture sb/yourself
doing sth; suck your thumb; scare sb silly/stiff; vote no/yes; sit
bolt upright; tell sb straight (out); deprive sb of the satisfaction
of doing sth; start shouting; act out of necessity; squeeze the
trigger; see sb across the road; taste wonderful; sit curled up;
can’t see a thing; send sth soaring; grasp sb by the wrist; arrange
sth in chronological order; leave your options open; cost sth per
person; rule supreme; stall for time; nod in sympathy; drive sb
mad; vanish from sight; puff on a pipe; curl your lips into a sneer;
come complete with sth; stem the tide/flood (of sth); serve sb
well; shoot sb at close range; wade waist-deep; withdraw sth
from sale.
change your ways; decide the winner; swerve to avoid sb/
sth; strike out on your own; pause to look; seize hold of sb/sth;
snap (sth) together; sound offended; count for sth/nothing; play
the part of sb; fasten your mind on sb/sth; come and join sb; stand
101
the test of time; depend entirely/solely on sth; mark the spot;
place restrictions (on sth); wear yourself out; save yourself the
trouble; master the art of (doing) sth; campaign to do sth; follow
the signs; halt in your tracks; owe it to yourself to do sth; fly into
a passion; stick close to sb; curse your luck; marry young; sound
the death knell of/for sth; speed things up; fly into a temper;
burst into song; tear sth into strips; scream and shout (at sb/sth);
turn your fury on sb; poll 30%/50 % of the vote; meet the needs
of sth/sb; fail in your obligation; cause for optimism; follow sb’s
suggestion; swell the ranks; find out the cause of sth; close to
the skull; come under scrutiny/suspicion; amuse yourself; leave
the stage; shrug your shoulders; write sb a note; capture sth on
video; work wonders (for sb/sth); sit on a stool; wish sb (every)
success; print in black and white; vary depending on sth; fare
well; slow to a walk; seem to have done sth; sit and watch; cast
caution to the wind/winds; cry out in pain; admit murdering sb;
worry yourself about sth; draw near.
come as a reminder; lead the world (in sth); strike sb as odd;
preach the values of sth; bore sb silly; come to power; come to
nothing; shield sth from view; bring sth a step nearer (to sth);
play (a game of) cat and mouse; rule in favour of sb; shake sth
to its foundations; sob your heart out; bundle sb through sth;
enter into partnership (with sb); leave sb vulnerable; evade
prosecution; hope of doing sth; gesture in the direction of sb/
sth; live in terror of sb/sth; cut sth to shreds; owe a great deal to
sb/sth; mourn the loss of sb; shatter (sth) into pieces; toss and
turn; follow sb’s progress; sleep rough; break the news; shrink in
size; wake up with a start; spoil sb rotten; play cat and mouse
(with sb); hit the trail; handle sb roughly; use the telephone; sag
in the middle; hunch your shoulders; slide open; experience a
renaissance; remain true (to sb/sth); name your price; gain in
stature; couldn’t agree more; run short of space; lose the use of
sth; focus solely on sth; volunteer your services (as sth); come
under pressure; attach significance to sth; dig your elbow into
sb’s ribs; can’t hide sth; tie for first/second, etc. place; tell its
102
own story/tale; surround yourself with sth; describe sth in blunt
terms; try sth new (with sth); study to be/become sth; press on
regardless; question the wisdom of sth; brake to a stop; resume
negotiations.
Group 3
break into a trot; see yourself; appear on television; come as
high/low as sth; choose to ignore sth; bring out the beast in sb;
inspect sth thoroughly; live by doing sth; shoot (sb) on sight;
march in step; come to pieces; devote yourself to sth; fight
against unemployment; return to normal; miss the post; pick up
the telephone; hack sth to pieces; cut and paste; gear yourself up;
jerk sth open; admit killing sb; haul yourself out of sth; steal the
show; shower gifts on sb; maintain the momentum; ignore sb’s
warning; sit in judgment on/over sb; buy and sell (sth); bring
your influence to bear on sb/sth; come under threat; overstep
the rules of sth; draw to a stop; force your way through/into sth;
blink back tears; live on borrowed time; wedge sth in position;
rush headlong into sth; bow to pressure; resist the temptation
to do sth; say your prayers; throw sth open; sit next to sb; needs
washing; press your nose against sth; search high and low; fool
yourself; grow accustomed to sth; scramble to safety; withdraw
sth from the market; print in bold type; bring sth to sb’s notice;
wish sb a long and happy retirement; proceed on the basis of sth;
swing open/shut; change the sheets; overstretch yourself; grow
at a fast/record, etc. rate; sacrifice sth for the sake of sth; split
(sth) across/down the middle; steer sb to victory; pause only
(long enough) to do sth; see sth performed.
work yourself up into a passion; bore sb out of their (tiny)
mind; lie on your side; smash sth to pieces; regain control of sth;
serve to strengthen sth; find sth unacceptable; seem genuine to
sb; swear sb to secrecy; try your utmost; bear a close relation
to sth; come equipped with sth; describe sth in general terms;
turn the heat up/down; place first/third, etc. in a race; come
103
and do sth; could sb possibly do sth?; rally support (for sth);
restore (your) spirits; apply (your) mind to sth; finish second;
place (your) trust in sb/sth; smell like a pub; see the point; catch
the full force of sth; can’t afford to do sth; swing the other way;
come striding; hurl abuse at sb; shoot sb in the stomach; forget
all about sth; telephone sb on a number; grow to a size larger
than…; turn the heat on/off; rule out a possibility; run parallel to
sth; say yes (to sb/sth); split in a party; stretch yourself out; rip
sth to shreds; regard sb/sth with suspicion; succeed in securing
sth; remove sth at a stroke; brace yourself to do sth; end up doing
sth; fare worse; appreciate the significance of sth; divide along
ethnic lines; behave yourself; emphasize the importance of sth;
meet sb off the plane; grow to a height of…; reason for optimism;
fetch the asking price; bare your teeth; trace your origins; come
as a shock; draw to a standstill; surprise yourself; scrape out a
living; trouble yourself; poison sb’s mind; cost sth per minute;
hail a taxi; install sb in office; place sb/sth under pressure; grasp
the significance of sth; say sorry (to sb for sth); sigh with regret;
stand in line; tear sth in two; force sth open; focus particularly on
sth; burrow your way; needs reassuring; hug and kiss sb; place
temptation in sb’s way; slit sb’s throat; lose your place; place
burden on sb/sth.
run the risk of doing sth; recapture your youth; find work;
split (sth) open; concentrate your attention on sth; share your
experiences of sth; judge it necessary; cut sth into strips; crack
under the strain; lie through your teeth; finish in a tie; stop the
night; conform to standards; cause sb/sth trouble; act on sb’s
orders; quote sb as saying sth; come down in favour of sb/sth;
appreciate sb/sth at their real worth; swallow sth whole; wait and
see; search and rescue; define parameters (for sth); mix business
with pleasure; wage war (on sth); exaggerate the significance of
sth; cruise to victory; boil with rage; treat sth with suspicion; rise
to the top; grasp the meaning of sth; slam (sth) shut; kiss and
make up; trample sb/sth underfoot; stand up for yourself; run
low (on sth); appreciate sb/sth at their true worth; describe sth in
104
clear terms; pin sth in place; rip sth open; stop screaming; rouse
yourself; appear in front of sb/sth; milk sth for all it is worth;
can’t bear doing sth/to do sth; beg for mercy; pay the price (for
sth); evade a question; break the spell; force yourself to do sth;
come into view; run according to plan; weaken sb’s morale; help
yourself to sth; can hardly believe sth; strike fear into (the heart
of ) sb; travel the world; accuse sb of plotting sth; vow never to
do sth; lie slumped sw; jog on the spot; cease trading; burn a
hole in sth; hurl insults at sb; scratch out a living; pray to God to
do sth; operate on a different plane; stick your head in a noose;
vent your spleen (on sb); shut the door behind you; miss the
point; recover from (the) recession; preach the evils of sth; learn
sth by rote; stiffen sb’s resolve; lose your way.
That’s it. Bye for now.
***

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1

Fluency in Topicwise English - Part II

Prof. Kev Nair was born in Kerala, South India, in 1949.

need that comfort and ease in speech with his specialised

Fluent English Dictionaries1 by Kev Nair

Books by Kev Nair making up

Prof. Kev Nair

Adult Faculties Council

fluency in topicwise english - Part iI.

Chapter 2: Farming, agriculture & gardening, 25

Preface to the 4th edition

Here’s the latest edition of this book.

Fluency in speaking about a

Good and bad

Farming, agriculture &

Sports & Games

Essential computer English

Buildings and Home

a-and-an word clusters

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