Outcomes Elementary Vocabulary Builder  Unit 8
8 PLANS
Page 69
build  /bɪld/ Verb
to build a house, bridge, shopping centre, road, etc.
means to make it. Things like houses and shops
are buildings
they’re planning to build a new school here | they built
a new sports stadium there | a builder is a person who
builds or repairs houses | the palace was built in 1772 |
they helped to build the new airport on the island
Noun:  building | Noun:  builder
check-up  /ˈtʃekʌp/ Noun
if you have a check-up, a doctor looks at you carefully
to make sure that you are healthy and to see if you have
any health problems
Collocates:  have a check-up | go for a check-up
I have a check-up every year | she went for a check-
up yesterday | an annual check-up at the dentist’s | a
routine check-up (one that you have regularly)
clock  /klɒk/ Noun
a clock is an object that shows you what the time is
let’s meet under the clock at Waterloo Station | an alarm
clock | the clock has stopped | a digital clock (which
shows numbers instead of using hands for the hours and
minutes) | a clock on the wall | the clock is five minutes
fast (it shows a time five minutes later than it actually
is) | the clock is ten minutes slow (it shows a time ten
minutes before it actually is)
destroy  /dɪˈstrɔɪ/ Verb
to destroy something means to damage it so badly that it
no longer exists
the storm destroyed several buildings in the town | the
hotel was destroyed in a fire | a second bomb destroyed
the station entrance
fishing  /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/ Noun uncount
fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish in a river, a
lake, or the sea
Collocates:  go fishing | a fishing rod
we’re going fishing at the weekend | I never enjoyed
fishing | a fishing rod (the long stick with a line
attached to it, used to catch fish) | fishing is very popular
in Scotland
Verb:  fish
grow  /ɡrəʊ/ Verb
when plants grow, they become bigger until they are
full size. If you grow things like fruit or vegetables, you
look after the plants so that you can eat the fruit or
vegetables when they are ready
we grow fruit in the garden | I’ve never been able to
grow tomatoes | potatoes grow well in this soil | there’s
an apple tree growing outside the house
library  /ˈlaɪbrəri/ Noun
a library is a place where there are a lot of books which
you can borrow for a while but which you have to return
Collocates:  a library book
the local library | a public library (which everyone can go
to) | a private library (where only members can go) | the
university library | two libraries in the city closed down
last year | the library isn’t open on Sundays | please
don’t make a noise in the library | I’ve got to take these
books back to the library | it’s not mine, it’s a library book
lose  /luːz/ Verb
if you lose something that you had, you no longer have
it, either because it was taken away from you or because
you cannot find it
he lost his job when the factory closed | don’t lose your
ticket | I’m always losing my keys | she lost her passport |
if you’ve lost my iPad you’ll have to buy me another one
lottery  /ˈlɒtəri/ Noun
a lottery is a sort of game where you choose a set of
numbers, and you win money if the numbers you chose
are the right ones
Collocates:  do/play the lottery | win the lottery | win
(money) on the lottery | lottery ticket
a weekly lottery | a national lottery (you can buy tickets
anywhere in the country) | a lottery ticket | I dream of
winning the lottery | the lottery jackpot (the biggest prize
in the lottery) | I do the lottery every week | she won
£200 on the lottery
marry  /ˈmæri/ Verb
to marry someone, or to get married, means to become
someone’s husband or wife in a legal ceremony
Collocates:  get married (to someone)
they got married in Las Vegas | we got married in church
| my parents didn’t want us to marry | will you marry me?
Adjective:  married | Noun:  marriage
move  /muːv/ Verb
if you move, or move house, you go and live in a
different place
Collocates:  move house
we’re moving house next week | my parents moved to
Cornwall after I left home | I lived in Gas Street when I
first moved here | I hate this house, but I can’t afford
to move
provide  /prəˈvaɪd/ Verb
if you provide something that someone needs, you give
it to them or make it available for them
we’re here to provide help if you need it | my parents
provided all the food for the party | they should provide
more information | the university will provide your
accommodation in your first year | the club provides a
useful service to local families
© 2017 National Geographic Learning  1

romantic  /rəʊˈmæntɪk/ Adjective
something that is romantic involves feelings of love
between two people
a romantic dinner | we had a romantic weekend in Paris
| a romantic novel (about two people falling in love)
| he’s so romantic | red roses are very romantic | her
grandparents began their romantic relationship during
the war | we had a romantic holiday in Italy
Noun:  romance
save  /seɪv/ Verb a doctor is someone whose job is to look at people who
if you save money, you keep it so that you can use it
later, rather than spending it straight away. The money
that you keep is your savings
I’m saving money for my university fees | I saved over
£500 last year | you should save as much as you can
if you want to buy a flat | she saved £10 a week for
two years
Noun:  savings
win  /wɪn/ Verb
if you win a game, you beat the other players. If you win
a bet, you get money because you said correctly what
was going to happen
we won the match against Arsenal | Tottenham won the
match 4-0 | I won £500 on the lottery
Noun:  winner
Pages 70–71
arrange  /əˈreɪndʒ/ Verb
if you arrange something such as a meeting or an event,
you decide when it is going to happen and what is going
to happen and you make sure everyone else knows
Collocates:  arrange to do something
we arranged to meet outside the cinema | who arranged
the party? | I arranged to have lunch with Jeremy next
week | can you arrange a meeting for me with the sales
manager | I had to arrange another appointment with
the doctor
Noun:  arrangements
blog  /blɒɡ/ Noun
a blog is a page or set of pages on a website where
someone writes short articles and where other people
can add things
his blog is read by thousands of people | I always read
her blog before I start work in the morning | a blog post
(a single article on the blog) | a political blog (a blog
about politics) | a food blog (a blog about food)
Noun:  blogger | Verb:  blog
client  /ˈklaɪənt/ Noun
a client is a person who is paying someone such as a
lawyer or accountant for their professional service
I have a meeting with some important clients | Diane’s
out visiting a client | she had an appointment with a
client at three o’clock | his clients include a number
of famous actors | she advises clients on business
opportunities in China
Outcomes Elementary Vocabulary Builder  Unit 8
date  /deɪt/ Noun
a date is a romantic meeting when two people go to a
restaurant, cinema, etc.
Collocates:  go on a date | ask someone out on a date
I asked her out on a date | are you going out on a date
with him? | our first date | I’ve got a date tonight | a blind
date (a date with someone you have never met before)
Verb:  date
doctor  /ˈdɒktə(r)/ Noun
are ill and tell them what medicine they need
I’m going to the doctor’s for a check-up | she’s studying
to be a doctor | both my parents are doctors | the doctor
told me to do more exercise | a hospital doctor | is there
a doctor on the plane?
ill  /ɪl/ Adjective
if you are ill, you are not well and have a problem with
your health
Collocates:  be taken ill | fall ill | feel ill | be seriously ill
I’ve been feeling ill all afternoon | I was too ill to go to
school | he was taken ill last night (he suddenly became
ill) | she’s still seriously ill (very ill) in hospital | he fell ill
and died while he was on holiday
Noun:  illness || Opposite – Adjective:  well
Collocates:  get well
keep  /kiːp/ Verb
if you keep fit or keep well, you stay fit or well by doing
exercise, eating the right sort of food, etc.
I go to the gym to keep fit | I hope you’re keeping well | I
use this cream to keep my skin in good condition
plan  /plæn/ Verb
a plan is a set of actions that you have decided you
will do in a particular situation. If you are planning to
do something, you have decided what actions you are
going to take
Collocates:  plan to do something
we’re planning to move to Edinburgh | when are you
planning to retire? | they’re planning a new railway line
between here and Doncaster | we haven’t planned our
holiday yet for this summer
Noun:  plan
presentation  /ˌprez(ə)nˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
if you give a presentation, you stand in front of a group
of people, for example in a meeting or in a class, and tell
them information about a particular subject
Collocates:  give a presentation
I have to give a presentation at the meeting | I nearly fell
asleep during Gavin’s presentation | a short presentation
| we sat through a two-hour presentation on the
company’s plans
serious  /ˈsɪəriəs/ Adjective
a serious illness or problem is very bad
I hope it’s not a serious problem | he came back from
holiday with a serious illness | this is a serious difficulty |
she’s in hospital after a serious accident
Adverb:  seriously
© 2017 National Geographic Learning  2

Pages 72–73
abroad  /əˈbrɔːd/ Adverb
if you go abroad, you go from your country to a different
country. If you live abroad, you live in a country that is
not your own
she went abroad to work | we have holidays abroad
every June | I worked abroad for a few years | you’ll
need your passport if you’re going abroad | she spent
a year abroad as part of her university French course |
about 5 million British people live abroad now
accident  /ˈæksɪd(ə)nt/ Noun
an accident is something bad that happens to someone,
and that was not planned but happens by chance
he had a serious accident at work | she broke her leg in
an accident | a car accident | be careful – I don’t want
you to have an accident on the icy roads
actor  /ˈæktə(r)/ Noun
an actor is a person who performs in a play at a theatre
or in films or on television. In the past, actors were men,
and a woman who did that job was called an actress, but
the word actor is now used for men and women
her brother is an actor | Judi Dench is the best actor
I’ve ever seen | I’ve always wanted to be a film actor | a
famous Hollywood actor
Verb:  act | Noun:  acting
competition  /ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
a competition is an event in which people try to win by
doing something better than all the other people who
are taking part
she won a writing competition when she was 20 | an
international sports competition | he entered a piano
competition | I won first prize in a singing competition
Verb:  compete | Noun:  competitor
divorce  /dɪˈvɔː(r)s/ Verb
if two people divorce or get divorced, they officially end
their marriage
my parents got divorced when I was 12 | he divorced
his first wife after just three years | she and her husband
divorced in 2014
Noun:  divorce | Adjective:  divorced
instrument  /ˈɪnstrʊmənt/ Noun
a musical instrument is an object that you can play music
on, for example a guitar, a violin, or a trumpet
Collocates:  musical instrument
can you play any instruments? | I wish I could play
a musical instrument | she learned to play several
instruments | a shop selling musical instruments | brass
instruments (made of metal) | woodwind instruments
(made of wood and that you play by blowing into them)
motorbike  /ˈməʊtə(r)ˌbaɪk/ Noun
a motorbike is a vehicle with two wheels, like a bicycle,
but with an engine
Collocates:  ride a motorbike
she bought a motorbike and travelled around Europe
| I rode as a passenger on the back of the motorbike |
he fell off his motorbike and broke his leg | you need a
licence to ride a motorbike
Outcomes Elementary Vocabulary Builder  Unit 8
own  /əʊn/ Adjective
if something is your own thing, it belongs to you
I want to start my own business when I’m older | they
went back to their own homes after the war | I want to
sleep in my own bed tonight | it was all my own work
(nobody helped me with it)
rich  /rɪtʃ/ Adjective
someone who is rich has a lot of money
she wants to be rich | you won’t get rich by being a
teacher | you’ve got to be rich to stay in that hotel | it’s
right that rich people should pay more tax | she came
from a rich business family
run  /rʌn/ Verb
if you run a business, you control it
I run the restaurant that my grandfather started | she
runs her own company | we run a small hotel in London |
who’s going to run the business while you’re away?
smoking  /ˈsməʊkɪŋ/ Noun uncount
smoking is the habit of regularly using cigarettes
or cigars
my dad’s going to stop smoking | smoking is not allowed
inside the hotel | he started smoking when he was
18 | smoking is very bad for your health | smoking
can cause cancer
Verb:  smoke | Noun:  smoker
Collocates:  a heavy smoker
start  /stɑː(r)t/ Verb
if you start a business, you make it begin
I want to start my own business next year | we started a
local newspaper | they started an online shopping site
stop  /stɒp/ Verb
if you stop doing something, you do not do it any longer
Collocates:  stop doing something
my dad’s going to stop smoking | I stopped going to
school when I was 16 | stop telling me what to do! | she
stopped wearing make-up for a few weeks
travel  /ˈtræv(ə)l/ Verb
if you travel, you go from one place to another. If you go
travelling, you spend a long period of time going to lots
of different places
I want to travel around the world | we’ve been travelling
for six hours and we still haven’t got home | I try to travel
light (not carrying lots of bags) | we travelled to Thailand
last year | he has to travel a lot for his job | I went
travelling for a year when I left university
Pages 74–75
age  /eɪdʒ/ Noun
your age is the amount of time you have been alive
he died at the age of 86 | the average age in my class
is 14 years and three months | Pete and I are exactly
the same age | 65 is the retirement age (you can stop
working when you are 65 years old)
© 2017 National Geographic Learning  3

create  /kriˈeɪt/ Verb
to create something means to make it start to exist
my grandfather created the company 60 years ago | the
Internet has created new forms of entertainment | the
government has promised to create 10,000 new jobs in
a year
Noun:  creation
cut  /kʌt/ Verb
if you cut something, you reduce it by making it smaller
in quantity or number
we need to cut the number of cars on the road | a plan
to cut costs | several jobs will be cut | we will not cut
services for young people | they’re trying to cut crime
Noun:  cut
environment  /ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt/ Noun singular
the environment is the land, air, and natural water
around us
Collocates:  the natural environment | harm/damage the
environment | protect the environment
a project to help the environment | we need to do more
to protect the environment | the factory has caused a lot
of damage to the environment | trees are an important
part of our natural environment
Adjective:  environmental | Adverb:  environmentally |
Noun:  environmentalist
Collocates:  environmental damage/pollution
extra  /ˈekstrə/ Adjective
something that is extra is another thing as well as what is
already there
my parents want me to have extra English lessons | take
an extra pullover in case it gets cold | I brought some
extra chocolate in case the train is late | take extra care
when you’re driving in snow
health  /helθ/ Noun uncount
your health is the condition of your body. If you are in
good health, you are well, and you can also say that you
are healthy. If you are in bad health, you are ill
Collocates:  be in good/bad/poor health
you’re lucky you still have your health (that you are still
well and fit) | she was in very good health | I’ve been in
poor health recently | he had to stop work because of ill
health | her health soon improved once the weather
was warmer
Adjective:  healthy
improved  /ɪmˈpruːvd/ Adjective
to improve something means to make it better.
Something that is improved has been made better than
it used to be
the roads are much improved here | an improved bus
service now runs till 11 at night | visit our new,
improved website!
Verb:  improve | Noun:  improvement
line  /laɪn/ Noun
a line, or a railway line, is the path that trains travel along
they’re planning a new metro line in Newcastle | they
were doing repairs on the line | the train had to stop
Outcomes Elementary Vocabulary Builder  Unit 8
because there was something on the line | it’s a very fast
line up to Edinburgh (the trains travel very fast) | there’s a
direct line from London to Paris (you don’t have to change
to a different train on the way) | a high-speed rail line
mall  /mɔːl/ Noun
a mall, or a shopping mall, is a very large building in a
city with a lot of shops inside it
we spent the afternoon at a shopping mall | they’re
going to build a new mall on Stevenson Street | there’s
even a cinema in the mall | there are more than 30
shops in the shopping mall | the mall gets over 5 million
visitors a year
noise  /nɔɪz/ Noun
a noise is a sound that you can hear, especially a loud,
unpleasant sound
Collocates:  a loud noise | make a noise
there was a lot of noise in the classroom | did you hear
a noise just now? | my dog is afraid of loud noises | the
car started making a strange noise | that noise is really
annoying | it’s hard to concentrate with all that noise |
cars cause a lot of noise and pollution
Adjective:  noisy
plane  /pleɪn/ Noun
a plane is a vehicle that flies in the air and carries
passengers
about 650 planes fly into Heathrow Airport every day
| the plane carries 260 passengers | planes aren’t
allowed to land here during the night because of the
noise | a 10-hour plane journey | a plane flew over
the farm
pollution  /pəˈluːʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
pollution is things like smoke from factories that damage
the air that we breathe or the land and rivers and seas
there’ll be a lot of noise and pollution | there’s a lot
of pollution in Beijing | air pollution is a big problem
in London | the government should do more to stop
pollution | people near the airport suffer from
noise pollution
Verb:  pollute | Adjective:  polluted
save  /seɪv/ Verb
if you save time, you manage to spend less time than
usual doing something
I packed my suitcase the night before to save time in the
morning | we can save time if we get the bus instead of
walking | save time by buying your ticket online
speed  /spiːd/ Noun
the speed of something is how fast it is going
the plane can travel at a speed of 500 miles an hour |
a high-speed train (that can travel very fast) | the wind
speed is 20 miles an hour | the speed limit (the fastest
speed cars are allowed to drive on a particular road) |
a speed camera (that takes photographs of cars if they
break the speed limit)
stadium  /ˈsteɪdiəm/ Noun
a stadium is a large open building around a sports field
where lots of people can sit or stand to watch sports
events or other entertainment
© 2017 National Geographic Learning  4

the new stadium opened in 2015 | the stadium holds
60,000 people | the Olympic stadium (where the
Olympic Games took place) | the stadium cost over
£20m to build | a football stadium | the old stadium was
knocked down in 2011
street light  /ˈstriːt laɪt/ Noun
a street light is a tall lamp that shines at night in a street
we need more street lights in Colchester | the street
lights go off at midnight | 40% of the street lights are
broken | his car hit a street light | electric street lights first
appeared in 1885
technology  /tekˈnɒlədʒi/ Noun
technology is the use of science and modern knowledge
in making machines and doing things
we need to use technology more | the STEM subjects
are science, technology, engineering, and maths
| our classrooms have up-to-date technology and
equipment | the factory makes good use of modern
technology these tomatoes are very fresh | I eat a lot of fresh fish |
Adjective:  technological
tourist  /ˈtʊərɪst/ Noun
a tourist is someone who is visiting somewhere on
holiday or for pleasure
Trafalgar Square was full of foreign tourists | a queue
of tourists at the Eiffel Tower | a tourist bus | tourists
spend a lot of money here | a coach stopped outside the
cathedral and 50 tourists got off
Noun:  tourism
wi-fi  /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ Noun uncount
wi-fi is a way of connecting a computer or other machine
to the Internet without using any wires
there’s free wi-fi in the café | what’s the password for
your wi-fi? | a good wi-fi connection | there’s wi-fi access
in every classroom
Page 76
accent  /ˈæks(ə)nt/ Noun
an accent is the way someone says words, and often
shows what country or region they come from
Collocates:  a slight/strong/heavy accent | a foreign
accent
she speaks with an American accent | he’s got a strong
Yorkshire accent | She has a French accent | I lost my
accent when I moved away from Wales
believe  /bɪˈliːv/ Verb
if you believe something, you are sure that it is true
Collocates:  believe in something
do you believe in God? | I don’t believe you (I think you
told a lie) | he believed the world was flat! | I saw it in the
newspaper, but I don’t believe it | you shouldn’t believe
everything you read on the Internet | I don’t believe
a word he said (I don’t believe any of what
he said)
Noun:  belief
Outcomes Elementary Vocabulary Builder  Unit 8
belong  /bɪˈlɒŋ/ Verb
if something belongs to you, it is yours and you own it
Collocates:  belong to someone
who does this coat belong to? | the house has belonged
to our family for a hundred years | it’s not my computer;
it belongs to the school | does this book belong
to you?
Noun: belongings
cow  /kaʊ/ Noun
a cow is a large animal that farmers use for milk
and meat
a herd of cows ( a group of them) | every morning we
milk the cows (take milk from them to sell) | there are
200 cows on the farm
fresh  /freʃ/ Adjective
food that is fresh is good to eat because it is not
very old
they sell fresh fruit and vegetables there | a fresh salad |
it will stay fresh for a few days in the fridge
grass  /ɡrɑːs/ Noun uncount
grass is a low green plant that grows all over the ground.
It is made up of thin pointed green leaves
they moved around to find grass and water for their
animals | the grass is getting long | he’s cutting the grass
in the back garden | it had rained in the night and the
grass was still wet | all cows eat grass
own  /əʊn/ Verb
if you own something, it belongs to you
how many cars does he own? | I used to own a
restaurant in Hoxton | she owned a house in Scotland |
the company owns two office buildings in Manchester
Noun:  owner
Collocates:  the owner of something
GIVE (GAVE, GIVING)
Give can mean different things. Look at the examples
below. Translate them. How many different verbs do you
use in your language?
present / money:  my parents gave me a computer for my
birthday / I was given £50 / I often give money to charity
pass to / put into hand:  can you give me that bag? / give
me your coat / give him a glass
do:  I have to give a talk to the class / I gave a
presentation at work / I’m giving a class later / give a
lecture
say something:  she gave me some advice / can you give
me directions there? / give an example
wait / time:  can you give me a minute? / give me ten
minutes to get ready / the teacher only gave us 20
minutes to answer all the questions
© 2017 National Geographic Learning  5
 Outcomes Elementary Vocabulary Builder  Unit 8

EXERCISES

Prepositions Collocations
A Complete the sentences with the correct D Complete the sentences with the correct form of
preposition. Look up the word in bold if you the verbs in the box. Look up the words in bold if
need help. you need help.
1 She asked him out a date. do   make   get   give   go   have

2 We don’t know who the book belongs . 1 I ……………………… a check-up at the hospital every 6
months.
3 She was very good health after her long holiday.
2 My dad ……………………… fishing every Sunday
4 I won first prize a singing competition. afternoon.

5 He broke his arm a car accident. 3 I usually ……………………… the lottery online.

6 We moved this house three years ago. 4 My sister ……………………… married last summer.

5 I have to ……………………… a presentation at a meeting

Word families in Spain.

B Tick the words in the unit that are both a verb 6 My dog ……………………… a lot of noise when I get home
and a noun. from work.
1 own
E Choose the word that DOES NOT make a
collocation. Look up the word in bold if you need
2 believe help.
3 cut 1 a slight / strong / heavy / fresh accent

4 divorce 2 in poor / noisy / bad health

5 arrange 3 be / go / feel / fall ill

6 plan 4 make / win / play the lottery

C Complete the sentences with the noun form of 5 a public / near / local library
the word in bold.
6 fresh / modern / up-to-date technology
1 The church is the oldest in the city.
build
F Complete the missing adjectives. Look up the
nouns if you need help.
2 His parents had a long and very happy
. marry 1 a m_ _ _ _ _l instrument

3 She spent her on a holiday in 2 the n_ _ _ _ _l environment

Greece. save
3 in g_ _d health
4 The of the competition was a boy
aged 4. win 4 a l_ _d noise

5 My sister helped me with the for the 5 a f_ _ _ _ _n accent

party. arrange
6 a h_ _ _y smoker
6 The swimming competition had
from 10 countries. competition

© 2017 National Geographic Learning  6