-Never omit
the subject pronoun:
Many people believe it is important
to...
I believe it is a good idea to...
believe IT is important to... I believe IT is a good idea
- Do not
use unnecessary subject pronouns: This
is a problem which it is essential to solve.
-Make sure
the subject and the verb agree: Attracting
tourists involves improving local facilities.
(SINGULAR SUBJECTà
attracting tourists + SINGULAR VERBà involves)
Attitude clauses and phrases
Generally
speaking,…
Annoyingly,… Naturally,…
Strangely,… Surprisingly,… Evidently,…
Indeed,… In
fact,… Admittedly,… Presumably,…
. . .
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. . .
. . .
. . . .
. .
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. . .
. . .
. . .
. . . .
RELATED WORDS AND PHRASES
Agreement
-A great
number of people share the view that tourism will have a negative impact
on the island.
-Today there
is general / widespread agreement that pollution from cars and planes is
threatening the
future of our planet.
-It is
now widely accepted that the universe began with the so-called 'big bang'.
Disagreement
-Opinions
differ about the proper relationship between the mass media and society.
-There
is considerable disagreement among experts about the usefulness of these
tests.
-There
has been a great deal of controversy over abortion in the US.
Advantages and
disadvantages
-Regular
exercise has many benefits, including reducing the risk of heart
disease.
-Despite a
few problems with the design, the car's advantages clearly outweigh its
disadvantages.
-The major drawback of this
method is that it can be very time-consuming.
-The
downside of running your own business is that you are responsible if
anything goes wrong.
Cause
-lead to:
The research could lead to a cure for many serious illnesses.
-result
in: The fire resulted in damage to their property.
-be
responsible for: He was responsible for the accident.
-bring
about:The war brought about enormous social change.
-give
rise to: Poor performance in exams can give rise to depression and even
thoughts of suicide.
-trigger:to
make something suddenly start to happen, especially a bad situation such as a
crisis or a war, or
a medical condition: Certain foods can
trigger allergies.
-contribute
to: Passive smoking could contribute to the development of respiratory
diseases among
nonsmokers.
-factor:
Cost is often the deciding factor when choosing any product.
Effect
-impact
on: His work has had an enormous impact on the study of genetics.
-influence
on: In his book, he examines the
influence of the media on our society.
-affect:
(v) The disease affects women more than men.
-influence:
(v) She has influenced him a lot.
-implications: The results of the study could have important
implications for future educational policy.
Emphasizing
-I would like to stress that
the research is still at an early stage.
-It should be noted that
there are a number of alternative methods available.
-It is worth bearing in mind
that 90% of the scientists researching herbicides in the US are employed by
chemical companies.
-Factors such as temperature and
acidity play a crucial role in determining how well the process works.
-These insects play a vital part
in the food chain.
-It is essential that the
work is carried out as soon as possible.
-The climate is much colder, especially
in the far north.
Problems
-issue: Issue is used
especially about problems that affect a lot of people in society: International terrorism
is the biggest issue (=the most important issue) facing the world today.
Previous governments failed to
address (=try to deal with) social issues such as unemployment and
homelessness.
-challenge: something
difficult that you must do or deal with, which needs a lot of skill, effort,
and
determination: She said she was looking forward to the challenge of
starting up a new business on her
own.
-difficulty: The company has managed to overcome (=deal
with) its recent financial difficulties.
Many people experience difficulty in sleeping at some time in their
lives.
- trouble: a problem or several problems that make
something difficult, spoil your plans etc:
Students of
English often have trouble with phrasal verbs. The company ran into trouble (=started to
have problems)
when it tried to expand too quickly.
-setback: something that happens which stops you making
progress or which makes things worse than
they were before: Despite some
early setbacks, his campaign for the presidency was successful.
-obstacle: Criminal gangs are the biggest obstacle to
democratic reform.
-dilemma: The doctors were faced with a moral dilemma.
-vicious circle: Some developing countries get caught in a
vicious circle. They cannot afford to pay their
debt repayments, and so the debts get even bigger.
-complication
Increase
-increase
by (percent): Last year, the number
of burglaries increased by 15 percent.
-go up:
Last month unemployment went up from 1.6 million to just over 1.7 million.
-grow: The volume of traffic on our roads continues
to grow.
-expand: After two years of no growth, the economy
started to expand again in 2003.
-double/triple/quadruple:
Since 1950, the number of people dying from cancer has almost doubled.
-growth:
(n) There has been a huge growth in sales of big 4-wheel-drive vehicles.
Decrease
-decrease
by (percent): The average rainfall
has decreased by around 30 percent.
-go down:
The percentage of fat in our diets has gone down.
-fall:
The number of tigers in the wild has fallen to just over 10,000.
-drop: At night, the temperature drops to minus 20
degrees.
-decline:
decline is used about numbers or amounts, and also about the level or standard
of something:
In rural areas, the standard of living
continued to decline.
ADMIRE
-respect
/ look up to
look up
to: The children
need someone they can look up to.
-think
highly of: Most of the students and
staff think very highly of Dr. Smith.
- of
have a high
opinion of
have a
high opinion of
-highly regarded/respected
highly
regarded/respected:
a highly respected surgeon
be an admirer of
ADVANCED
-sophisticated
/ high-tech (equipment) / state-of-the-art (technology)
SURPRISING
(Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal
writing!)
-amazing
/ unbelievable / incredible / astonishing / staggering
-come as
a surprise / come as a shock / amaze / astonish
SURPRISED
(Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal
writing!)
-amazed
/ astonished / speechless / be taken aback (He was taken aback by the news)
EXCITING
(Avoid using “colourful” vocabulary in formal
writing!)
-thrilling
/ gripping / exhilarating / action-packed
BORING
-dull /
tedious / monotonous / uninspiring
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (Avoid using
“colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)
-attractive
/ good-looking / gorgeous / striking / stunning
BEAUTIFUL PLACES (Avoid using
“colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)
-breathtaking
/ stunning / awe-inspiring / striking / spectacular
-spotless:
very clean
UGLY PLACES / PEOPLE (Avoid using
“colourful” vocabulary in formal writing!)
-unattractive
/ unpleasant / unsightly / hideous (=extremely ugly)
-filthy:
very dirty
IN BAD CONDITION (PLACES)
-in bad
condition / dilapidated / run-down
NEW
-latest
/ brand-new / innovative (idea or system)
OLD
-old-fashioned
/ outdated / obsolete
VERY
-absolutely / extremely / highly / incredibly / remarkably
GOOD PERFORMANCE / PIECE OF WORK
-excellent
/ outstanding / impressive / exceptional
GOOD FOR A PARTICULAR JOB, PURPOSE, ETC
-suitable
/ right / proper / appropriate / be suited to
WRONG INFORMATION / NUMBERS
-incorrect
/ inaccurate / misleading
NOT REASONABLE / NECESSARY
-unjustified
/ unreasonable / without good reason
RELAX
-unwind
/ wind down: Set in spectacular countryside, the Shiga Hotel is the perfect
place to unwind.
-make
someone feel at ease
-relaxed
/ feel at ease / laid-back (not easily worried or annoyed) /
NERVOUS
-tense /
uneasy / anxious / be under stress
PUBLIC SERVICES
-facilities:
The facilities at the hotel were excellent -- tennis courts, swimming pool,
several bars and a good
restaurant.
-amenities:
things such as shops, parks, or restaurants that make living or working in a
place more pleasant
I prefer this part of the city because there
are plenty of good amenities.
COMPARISONS
-a great
deal / far / much + comparative (cheaper / more economical than)
-a bit /
slightly / barely + comparative (cheaper / more economical than)
-by far
/ easily the + superlative (This is easily the best solution we can think
of)
VERY MUCH / NOT VERY MUCH
-dramatically
/ significantly / slightly
And
-As well
(as) / in addition to: Over 600
people will lose their jobs, in addition to the 400 people who left
the company last year.
-In
addition: A fifth of the world's population lives on less than $1 a day. In
addition, over 100 million
children are living on the streets.
-Furthermore
/ Moreover: used at the beginning of
a sentence when adding an important fact that is
connected with what you have just said: The drug has strong side effects. Furthermore,
it can be
addictive.
If
-as long
as / on condition that / provided that
Or
-alternatively:
You can go up into the mountains. Alternatively, you can stroll around one of
Switzerland's
delightful cities where the old mixes with
the new.
-on THE one hand ... on the other (hand)
Because
-As / since:
As it was a hot day, they decided to leave all the windows open. Since it is difficult to predict
how the climate will change, it is not
possible to say which countries will suffer the most.
-thanks
to
-due to/owing to + NOUN
The delay was due to a problem with the
ship's engines.
-due to/owing to + THE FACT THAT + subject
+ verb
The men did most of the work in the fields.
This was partly due to the fact that the men were stronger.
But/although
-While /
whereas / by contrast
-However: However
is usually used in the middle of a sentence, separated from the rest of the
sentence by
commas: Jack and his family managed to escape
before the soldiers arrived. Other families in the village,
however, were less lucky. Or it comes at the
beginning of a sentence: He began his academic career as a
mathematician. However, his main achievements
were in the field of nuclear physics.
-Nevertheless:
Nevertheless is usually used at the beginning of a sentence, or at the end.
-in spite of/despite + NOUN
Despite his lack of formal education, he
became one of the world's leading mathematicians.
-in spite of/despite + verb + ING
This was a dinosaur that weighed only 10
tons, in spite of being some 28 metres long.
-in spite of/despite + THE FACT THAT + subject
+ verb
Many people are worried that cellphones may
be dangerous to health, despite the fact that most of the research suggests that there is little risk.
