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by Liz Walter

When my dear Granny had completed a task to her satisfaction, she used to exclaim, ‘That’s a good job jobbed!’ Although she wasn’t the only person to use this phrase, it’s pretty rare, so this post will cover some much more common ways of talking about doing things successfully.

Informally, it is very common to say that we get something done. When something is completed successfully and often more easily than you expected, you might exclaim, Job done!:

I got my tax return done this morning.

You need to make a dessert? Just chop up some fruit and buy some ice cream. Job done!

More formally, we can say we achieve or accomplish something, especially when it takes a lot of effort:

She’s achieved her ambition of becoming an architect.

He accomplished the rare feat of winning all three competitions.

A very common verb used in everyday language to talk about doing something, usually something difficult, is manage. We can also say that someone pulls something off, especially when their achievement is unexpected:

Did you manage to find your passport?

His party pulled off a stunning victory in the election.

The verb complete is often used to talk about finishing a task. When we have done what we need to do because of a promise, duty, etc., we often use the verb fulfil (UK)/fulfill (US). We also talk about delivering something that has been promised or delivering on a promise:

He completed the novel shortly after his 50^th birthday.

I may have to hire a lawyer if the supplier fails to fulfil the terms of our contract.

She promised to support our campaign but has yet to deliver.

They have delivered on their promise to hold a referendum.

In informal English, when someone achieves something extremely well, we can say they smash it. If they succeed easily in something difficult, such as an exam, they sail through it, while, especially in American English, someone who gets very high marks in an exam aces it:

He took part in the competition and absolutely smashed it!

She sailed through her exams.

He aced the written exam.

Finally, if you are lucky enough to achieve two things with the same action, you could use the idiom kill two birds with one stone:

I had to look after my friend’s kid and cook food for a party, so I killed two birds with one stone by getting the child to help.

I hope this post has fulfilled its aim and that you have managed to learn some new words to help you sail through your exams!