Key English Words and Phrases
Posted on Jul 3, 2025 in Business Administration and Management (BAM)
Essential English Vocabulary & Expressions
Verb-Noun Word Pairs
- Motivate – Motivation
- Inspire – Inspiration
- Encourage – Encouragement
- Commit – Commitment
- Disapprove – Disapproval
- Criticize – Criticism
- Object – Objection
- Regard – Regard / Consideration
- Excite – Excitement / Thrill
- Achieve – Achievement / Accomplishment
- Risk – Risk / Danger
- Rely on – Reliance / Confidence
- Improve – Improvement / Development
- Rehearse – Rehearsal / Practice
- Appeal – Appeal / Attraction
- Accommodate – Accommodation / Lodging
- Crave – Craving / Desire
- Prove – Proof / Show
- Restore – Restoration / Repair
- Profit – Profits / Benefit
Common Prepositions & Collocations
| Prepositions | Collocations (Verbs) |
|---|
| of, at, from, in, with, about, for, on, by | make, have, give, take, keep, do, get |
Phrasal Verbs & Their Meanings
Phrasal Verbs with “Put”
- Put off: postpone
- Put (someone) off: discourage
- Put in: invest time
- Put on: to wear (antonym: take off)
- Put it on: pretend
- Put up: accommodate
- Put up with: tolerate
- Put aside: save
- Put away: tidy
- Put down: criticize
Phrasal Verbs with “Take”
- Take after: resemble
- Take up: start (a hobby/activity), occupy (space/time)
- Take away: (food) to go
- Take off: remove (clothing), become successful (e.g., a business)
- Take in: understand
- Take down: (notes) write down
- Take on: assume (a responsibility), hire/employ
- Take over: get in control of
Other Phrasal Verbs
- Held up: support physically, delayed
- Tore up: destroy (e.g., a document)
- Set up: prepare, establish
- Eat up: finish eating
- Turn down: refuse
- Get on: process, board (a transport)
- Try on: see if it fits (clothing)
Travel & Tourism Vocabulary
- Wander: stroll
- Bargain: deal
- Day trip: excursion
- A must: necessary
- Get away: escape
- Of a lifetime: unique
- Hiking trails: trailway
- Unspoilt: off the beaten track
- Breathtaking scenery: impressive scenery
- Tourist attractions: landmarks
- Location: place
- Accommodation: lodging
- Luxurious: extravagant
- On a tight budget: limited allowance
- Crave: desire
- Proof: evidence
- Belongings: personal possessions
- Restore: repair
- Lifelike: realistic
- Former: previous
- Look like: resemble
- Receiving: getting
- Fully booked: completely reserved
- Check in: register
- Board: get on
- Chilling: cool
- Fascinating: interesting
- Prisoners: inmates
- Prison: jail
- Range: variety
- Dedicated: committed
- Self-esteem: self-confidence
- To release: to free, to set free
General Vocabulary & Synonyms
- To delay: to hold up
- Traffic jam: heavy traffic
- Queues: tailbacks
- Relax: unwind
- Yard: garden
- Not professional: amateur
- Stiff: firm
- To thrill: to excite
- Absorbed in: focused on
- Manufacturer: producer
- Profit: money made, benefit
- Featuring: presenting
- Sequel: continuation
- Tremendous: very great
- Hordes: multitude
- Boost: increase
- Catch on: become popular
- Involved: interested, active
- Slightly: a little
- Appealing: attractive, exciting
- Scroll: move up and down
- Delete: remove, erase
- Ensure: make sure of
- Add: include
- Brief: short
- To the point: concise (antonym: beside the point)
- Commonly used: usually used
- Have a quarrel: argue
- To apologize: say sorry
- To quote: cite
- The downside: the disadvantages
- To understand: to get my head around
- Didn’t make an effort: couldn’t be bothered
- A lot of: tons of
- Believe me: I can tell you
- To begin with: for a start
- Currently: at the moment
- Readily: easily
- In order that: so that
Performing Arts Vocabulary
- Performing arts: (dancing, theater, singing, etc.)
- To leap: jump like a frog
- To jump: jump normally
- Cast: assign roles
- Conductor: the person who leads the orchestra, director
- Lead: direct
- Break a leg: good luck
- Catchy tune: earworm
- Out of tune: off-key
- Encore: repeat
- Struggle with: work hard to manage
- Stretching: lengthening the muscles
- Keep still: not move
- Costumes: clothes, outfits
- Thorough grounding: good basic knowledge
- Puts a strain on: causes stress
- Strain: stress
- Self-discipline: ability to make yourself do something, self-control
- Self-indulgence: self-gratification
- To indulge: to please
- Feel up to: to be ready
- Hardships: difficult circumstances
- Have a thick skin: not very sensitive, what people say doesn’t affect you
- Have a thin skin: sensitive
- Show up: appear
- No such thing: does not exist
- Unwind: relax, chill out
- Deal with: manage
- Invest: put in
- Peers: equals
- Out of employment: without a job
- Difficulty: an issue
- Be skillful: natural talent
- Decrease: decline
- Hurtful: spiteful
- Recover: bounce back
- Come to the rescue: save the day
- Doubts: questions
- In the spotlight: center stage
- Makes it worthwhile: makes it valuable
- Put an end to: stop
- Keen on: interested in
- Anxious: nervous
- Willing: ready
- High standards: perfectionism
- Shortcuts: timesaving method
- To launch: start
- Whizz-kid: genius
- Make a career: pursue a profession
- Going rate: usual price
- Negotiate: work out
- Brainwave: great idea
- Refuse: deny
- Give away: donate
Shopping & Business Vocabulary
- Second-hand: previously owned
- Assortment: mixture
- On special offer: promotional deal
- Free gifts: giveaways, freebies
- The deciding factor: determinant
- Environmentally friendly: eco-friendly
- Ripped off: cheated
- Reviews: feedback
- Convenient: practical
- Overcharge: inflate prices
- Family background
- Cheap fares: low price
- Customer service: client care
- Highest bidder
- Fast pace: rapid tempo
- Success story
- Sharp: pointed
- Self-made: successful through own efforts (for a person), handmade (for an item)
- Distinguishes: differentiate
- Empty-handed: without anything, unsuccessful
- Staff: employee
- Auction: public sale
Family & Relationships Vocabulary
- Only child: having no siblings
- Bother: annoy
- Insisting: demanding
- Have been at it: working on
- Beaming: smiling broadly
- Wears off: decreases
- Urge: strongly advise
- Fatigue: tiredness
- Barrier: an obstacle
- Confirmed: said it was true
- Authority: power
- Partner: spouse
- Ancestors: a person, typically one more remote than a grandparent, from whom one is descended
- Extended family: relatives
- Acquaintance: casual connection
- Foster parents: provide temporary care for children
- Tease: joke with
- To raise your children: bring up your children
- To adopt: to take a child into one’s family and raise as one’s own
- To quarrel with your siblings: argue with your siblings
- To get divorced / to be divorced: separate
- To cohabit: live together
- To have (a lot of) things in common: share interests
- To get together: meet up
- (A cousin) on my father’s side: paternal cousin
- To be close to: connected to
- (Not) to see eye to eye: disagree
- To be the main breadwinner: the person in the family who earns the highest income/salary
- To be underage: minor
- To come of age: reach adulthood
- A family gathering: reunion, get-together
- Childhood: youth
- Birth rate: fertility rate
- Birth order: sibling sequence
- Relationship: connection
- Immediate or nuclear family: vs. extended family
- Twin: identical sibling
- Your significant other: a spouse or long-term romantic partner
- One-parent families
- Ex-husband: ex-partner
- Half-brother: half-sibling
- A relative: family member
Miscellaneous Vocabulary
- Leisure: free time
- Grateful: thankful
- Nerves: feeling tense
- On good terms: friendly
- Fetched: brought back
- Firmly: securely
- Yelled: screamed, shouted
- Display: show
- Outrageous: offensive
- Argument: quarreling
- At long last: eventually
- In the long run: ultimately
- It is short for: abbreviation
- It is a long story
- Short and sweet: brief
- In short supply: limited
