by Liz Walter
Last month, I spoke about general words connected with data. This post covers ways of talking about what we can see from data, particularly when numbers increase, decrease or remain the same. For anyone doing IELTS, this should be useful vocabulary to learn!
Continue reading “Dips, slumps, growth and peaks: talking about data (2)”
This post takes a look at a group of phrases that we use when we talk about the future.
Some of the phrases that we use when we talk about our future plans and ideas simply mean ‘at some time in the future’, (without mentioning a particular time), for example at some point: At some point, we’ll look into buying a new laptop. Continue reading “Going forward, sooner or later (Expressions to talk about the future)”
As COVID-19 continues to force so much of the world’s population into lockdown (= a situation in which you are ordered to stay at home), I thought it might be interesting to look at the language that we use to describe what we are now doing with our days.
Continue reading “Stir-crazy and climbing the walls (Life during lockdown)”
by Liz Walter
Has there ever been a time when we’ve been so dependent on data? All over the world, people are anxiously looking at graphs and charts tracking the progress of Covid-19. In this, the first of two posts, I look at the language associated with the word data itself. My next post will cover words and phrases used to describe what the data shows. While this language is particularly relevant at the moment, I hope you will find it generally useful too.
Continue reading “Gathering, compiling and analyzing: talking about data (1)”
Many of you are still confined to your homes as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Studying or working on your own can be tough. We at Cambridge Dictionary are also working remotely and we feel your pain!
Without the presence of teachers and classmates, it’s sometimes hard to get motivated. One useful strategy is to set yourself an achievable daily or weekly objective, for example, ‘I’m going to learn ten adjectives that describe food.’ Another approach is to persuade yourself that you’re not actually studying, but having fun. With Cambridge Dictionary +Plus, you can do both of these at the same time! Continue reading “Learning from home with Dictionary +Plus”
On one thread of this blog, we look at the phrases that people use in daily conversation. This week, we’re focusing on expressions that people use to talk about health – both their own health and that of their family and friends. We won’t be looking at individual symptoms. These were covered by my colleague, Liz Walter, in her post My leg hurts: Talking about illness. Instead, we’ll consider the phrases that people use in conversation to talk more generally about health.
Continue reading “Off-colour and on the mend (Talking about health)”
by Liz Walter
I have recently written two posts about proverbs, but there are so many more incredibly useful and common ones, I decided to write one more! It is difficult to choose from a long list of lovely, colourful phrases, but I believe that every reasonably advanced learner of English needs to know the ones that follow.
Continue reading “No smoke without fire: proverbs in English (3)”
Today, we’re looking at words and phrases that are used to tell people about possible dangers or problems. Let’s start with immediate, physical danger. You might shout or say Look out!, Watch out! or (UK) Mind out! to warn someone that they are in danger: Look out! There’s a car coming! / Watch out! You nearly hit that bike! / Mind out! You nearly banged your head!
Continue reading “Heads-ups and wake-up calls! (The language of warnings)”
by Liz Walter
Whilst writing about proverbs (see previous posts), I came across the phrase ‘A leopard doesn’t change its spots’, which means that a bad person never changes their character. That set me thinking about other ways of talking about people or things that don’t change.
Continue reading “Same old same old: talking about things that don’t change”
mob grazing noun [U]
UK /ˌmɒb.ˈɡreɪ.zɪŋ/ US /ˌmɑːb.ˈɡreɪ.zɪŋ/
a type of farming that involves moving a large number of animals into a small area of land for a very short time before moving them to a new area and leaving the grass to recover
Chapman, who manages 300 cattle at East Hall Farm in Hertfordshire, says mob grazing has led to hugely improved soil, healthier cattle and lower costs due to an extended grazing period, reduced inputs and lower vet bills. “It’s been a transformation,” he says.
[soilassociation.org, 12 June 2018]
sandscaping noun [U]
/ˈsænd.skeɪpɪŋ/
the activity of adding a large amount of sand to an existing beach to try to prevent or reduce the erosion of the coastline
Sand added to a stretch of north Norfolk beach in a recent £19m sandscaping project has been washed away in just one month. Pictures show a blunt drop in the sand levels at Walcott and Bacton, where the UK’s first sandscaping project took place.
[Eastern Daily Press, 1 October 2019]
regenerative agriculture noun [U]
UK /rɪˈdʒen.ə.rə.tɪv.ˈæg.rɪ.kʌl.tʃəʳ/ US /rɪˈdʒen.ə.rə.t̬ɪv.ˈæg.rə.kʌl.tʃɚ/
a method of farming that focuses on improving and maintaining the health of the soil
Regenerative agriculture practices increase soil biodiversity and organic matter, leading to more resilient soils that can better withstand climate change impacts like flooding and drought … Importantly, regenerative agriculture practices also help us fight the climate crisis by pulling carbon from the atmosphere and sequestering it in the ground.
[climaterealityproject.org, 2 July 2019]
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