Roadmap

I felt too tired to go to a party, but decided to make the effort.

We’re trying to ɡive them a nudge towards a practical solution.

Have you had a chance to take a look at my proposal yet?

The sales department are going to spend next weekend in the mountains doing some team building.

You go on a search for something to eat while I make a fire.

Working in an office, it’s hard to find time to get some exercise.

The race around the island will be held on 25th February.

We went for a hike up the mountain.

We were just having a chat when the fire alarm went off.

I’m going upstairs to have a lie-down.

Sit down and have a well-earned rest. I’ll make you a cup of tea.

You look as if you need to have a sit down.

If you see her, please point her out to me. The tour guide pointed out the inscription that runs round the inside of the dome.

He was planning to book a rock-climbing holiday, till I pointed out that Denis is afraid of heights. I feel I should point out how dangerous it is.

She usually goes for a run before breakfast.

We went on a teambuilding course as part of our management training.

We often go for a stroll in the park in our lunch break.

Do you want me to give you some help?

They’ve been working since seven o’clock this morning. We need to give them a break.

His colleagues gave him a very warm welcome when he returned to work.

I’ve been in a meeting for three hours. I need to get some fresh air.

The conference started with a short film to get people talking.

To get the benefits of the exercise, you should continue for at least half an hour.

All players should attend the welcome meeting for the visiting team at their hotel.

Each year the school holds a singing competition.

My tutor holds at least three feedback sessions every term.

I’d like everyone to make a contribution towards the discussion.

She’s determined to make a success of her career.

The minister will make a statement on the floods tomorrow.

We’re hoping to do some rock climbing while we’re in Peru.

You’ll need to do plenty of preparation for your kayaking trip in Norway.

A bit more exercise would do you good.

Why don’t you take the initiative and organise the conference yourself?

Our school took the lead in using green energy – and encouraged all the other local schools to do the same.

We will take your recent illness into consideration when marking your exams.

The talks were meant to break down barriers between the two groups.

But if we make the effort to break down the barriers between us, it unleashes boundless potential in each of us.

Rock climbing pushes many people beyond their comfort zones.

A priceless collection of vases was destroyed. Her knowledge and experience would make her a priceless (= extremely useful) asset to the team

He seems to find it difficult to integrate socially. It's very difficult to integrate yourself into a society whose culture is so different from your own. Children are often very good at integrating into a new culture.

She invited all her friends to her party, but only a handful of them turned up.

You need to have a thick skin if you work in customer service.

That noise is driving me up the wall.

I wanted to argue, but I had to bite my tongue.

What really gets under my skin is people who push straight to the front of the queue.

We took the children to the park so they could let off steam before the long car journey.

Anderson lashed out at the media.

It is far better to cry than to bottle up your feelings.

Elena was really disappointed not to get the job, but she put a brave face on things.

I was very angry, but I didn’t want to make a scene at my daughter’s school.

Why don’t you tell me what happened? You might feel better if you get it off your chest.

You need to take a step back from all the problems at work if you want to find a solution.

I saw their suffering, and it really put my own problems into perspective.

But we calm down when see the other person's facial expression or hear the tone of their voice and realise they feel bad about making an honest mistake.

I get a buzz out of public speaking. I got such a buzz out of seeing the kids' faces at the show. You can see what a buzz she gets from helping others. Some people get a buzz from the fact that they are recognized in the street.

The ending will blow you away.

impervious to He is impervious to criticism and rational argument.

I worked as a temp for a while before I got my first permanent job. Many companies are relying more on temps and part-timers.

They've been engaged in a legal battle with the council for several months.

He was gutted when she finished the relationship.

The project spiraled out of control, running $300 million over budget. There is a great deal of evidence that internet gambling is spiralling rapidly out of control.

When I saw him out at a club the next night, he blanked me. Without even discussing it, we all turned our backs on her and blanked her.

This kind of situation could transform your mild irritation into intense fury

Any decrease in tourism could have serious repercussions for the local economy. President Kennedy's assassination had far-reaching repercussions.

But the vast majority of online rage and abuse is committed by normal people who wouldn't dream of upsetting others in real life.

I was frightened because I had never seen him in such a rage before.

I’m fed up of getting phone calls from pushy salesmen.

Those party decorations look really tacky.

I’ve had glowing reports from Neil about your work.

She had saved a modest amount of money.

The government has introduced a tax on sugary drinks.

Samir’s adoring aunt bought him this train set.

House prices in this area are outrageous.

Some die-hard film photographers refuse to use a digital camera.

I try to stay fit, but I’m not obsessive about it.

I had to sit next to a screaming baby for an eight-hour flight.

His idea got only a lukewarm response from the committee.

His new musical received gushing praise from the New York critics.

Good information is essential if people are to make informed choices about services.

He supplements his meagre income by working on Saturdays.

Moderate exercise, such as walking, is recommended.

He has learned a phenomenal amount in the last two years.

What this country needs is firm leadership.

His doting big sister used to do everything for him.

My family were very supportive while I was doing my exams.

There are some good educational board games available.

They keep their boat in a flimsy wooden building.

Bamboo is an excellent building material: cheap, sustainable and surprisingly durable.

The cookbook contains many simple yet highly nutritious meals.

Sushi is served in convenient bite-size pieces.

Processed foods often contain artificial colourings and flavourings.

Blind rage took hold of him.

Her driving ambition led to her becoming CEO of the company at only 35 years of age.

Jack has a consuming hatred for cats.

The economic recovery is just beginning to take hold now.

Her not-so-subtle approach was simply to tell him she didn’t love him any more.

Our house will be fully paid-for next year, when our mortgage comes to an end.

Their team put in a better-than-expected performance and the result was two goals all.

Stella has a take-it-or-leave it attitude towards selling her car.

Our local Indian restaurant has an all-you-can-eat buffet every Sunday lunchtime.

We’ve been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend two months in New Zealand.

Despite last night’s scare, journalists showed a business-as-usual attitude to work today.

People attending the festival complained about the poorly-thought-out traffic control.

Their first album was quite good, but the second was very middle-of-the-road stuff.

Tariq is always fun at parties, with his larger-than-life personality.

Gabi is well-known for making off-the-cuff jokes when you least expect them.

Nottingham is odds-on favourite to win the championship.

She’s just bought a state-of-the-art laptop.

It was a run-of-the-mill seminar. I didn’t really learn anything new.

The charity launched a campaign to boost its ever-dwindling resources.

The company is offering an across-the-board pay increase.

Most of the students at the school come from well-to-do families.

Travel for pleasure was almost unheard of until the 19th century.

At the hotel, I made the acquaintance of a young American actor.

As I walked onto the stage, my heart began to race and my mind went blank.

I thought I’d pick Greg’s brains about what to take with us.

This game is a great ice-breaker at the beginning of a course.

Soo Jung’s arrival broke the ice and people began to talk and laugh.

When I first met Mario’s parents, there was a very frosty atmosphere.

Her younger brother hovered in the background watching us.

She was eager to mingle with the other guests.

My parents first met when a mutual acquaintance invited them both to dinner.

We exchanged a few pleasantries while we were waiting for the lecture to begin.

We stood around making small talk in the hotel lobby.

The downward trend in population growth was not seen as a problem.

He succeeded in reversing the downward trend of the railway’s fortunes.

The region reached a tipping point when the largest coal mine closed.

The stormy weather looks set to continue into next week.

The treatment of diabetes passed a significant milestone with the introduction of smartwatch monitors.

These elections marked the start of a new democratic era.

Business confidence is on the up.

The city reverted to its former name of St Petersburg.

Larger corporations are setting the trend for better paternity benefits.

Early results of trials of the new vaccine are looking promising.

The wind turbine plan will go ahead if local farmers get on board with the idea.

Would the sales department be willing to accept a lower bonus this year?

Briggs was completely at odds with his colleagues.

So far, the suggestion for a new curriculum has received some pushback from headteachers.

The new system for flexible working hours has come up against some resistance from employees.

Teachers need to be open to children’s ideas.

It is difficult to take issue with his analysis.

Sarah was loath to tell her mother what had happened.

I would be happy to go along with the idea of advertising online.

His fundraising idea met with only a lukewarm response from the committee.

It is not unusual to be offered a zero-hours contract in the catering industry.

If you have a problem, the first person to speak to is your line manager.

If we work on Saturday morning, we’ll be given extra time off in lieu of payment.

Economists use universal basic income for the purposes of analysis, but it is unlikely that it will ever become a reality.

The company was cutting costs, so I was scared I’d get the push.

The finance director pulled rank and refused to authorise the purchase order.

Examples of gross misconduct are theft, damage to property or drunkenness during working hours.

Employees will get two weeks of severance pay for every year of service.

The quality control process includes annual staff appraisals.

The disciplinary procedure resulted in two doctors losing their jobs.

I wish the head of our department would get on with her own work and stop trying to micro-manage all the sales executives.

Teaching assistants are usually paid pro rata, to take account of the school holidays.

I’ve been having a few problems with my car.

Many smaller radio stations broadcast on archaic equipment.

We moved house yesterday, so everything is still quite chaotic.

He’s finding it difficult to get a job.

A series of penny-pinching governments have damaged the country’s health service.

Carla has a wonderful collection of vintage motorbikes.

A small car is more economical to run.

The minister used his speech to highlight the issue of global warming.

There’s a very relaxed atmosphere in the school.

Teaching young children is a challenging and rewarding job.

Homeworkers are sometimes exploited by employers.

The factory employs over 2,000 people.

The hotel is situated next to the lively bustling port.

The town centre often gets quite rowdy on a Friday night.

We had dinner in a charming little Italian restaurant.

The warehouse was very run-down, with broken windows and a leaking roof.

A mob of a few hundred demonstrators was blocking the main street.

A large crowd had gathered to watch the procession go past.

Property is cheaper in Spain than here.

This is a top-quality TV at a very affordable price.

You need to be firm with her or she’ll try to take advantage of you.

Harsh measures were taken against the protesters.

Heavy traffic is causing delays on the motorway.

Violent crime is rife in our inner cities.

The protesters were hell bent on destroying the statues.

The article warns of impending changes in government legislation.

Less crime is committed by women than men.

The new well provides the village with an abundant supply of fresh water.

Tourism generates income for local communities.

Both sides claim to be fully committed to making the peace process succeed.

Surgeons performed an emergency operation.

The outcome of the upcoming election is by no means certain.

It was almost impossible to explain my point of view because people kept butting in.

Why don’t you have a heart-to-heart with him and sort out your problems?

We sat around having a chit chat while we waited for the internet connection to be restored.

The minister ended his speech by reiterating the most important points.

I got tired of him going on about all his problems.

Let’s stay with the topic and not go off on a tangent.

We still have to get together and thrash out the details.

I’m fed up with you two talking shop. We were supposed to be having a coffee and a chat!

If there’s a problem, a sensitive child is likely just to clam up.

Whenever I see my cousins, we immediately start up the usual easy banter.

I’m not sure whether I dare broach the subject of his latest film – it wasn’t a huge success.

I would like a chance to confer with my colleagues before giving you my final answer.

It had never occurred to Tariq that he might lose his job.

Two questions spring to mind, now that you’ve mentioned going on holiday.

It dawned on me that Lara had been right all along.

Let’s bounce a few ideas around and see if we can come up with a plan for the festival.

Dex had a bright idea about our advertising strategy.

You don’t have to invite them ... it was just a passing thought.

There seems to be a problem with every plan we’ve discussed; I’m out of ideas now!

What gave you the idea for the book?

I’ve had a brainwave! Let’s go this weekend instead.

The charity has used studies of the macroeconomics of several west African countries to create this model.

The microeconomics of the property sector reflects the state of the national economy.

Macrobiology is an important topic in this term’s module about ecosystems.

The study of bacteria and how they develop is a valuable field within microbiology.

Economic uncertainty is increasing at macro level: there are fears of a worldwide recession.

Let’s consider the offenders at micro level, within their usual social setting.

My mother-in-law is hypercritical: she complains even when we turn up five minutes late.

It’s hypocritical of Sue to go to Tom’s party when she can’t stand him.

The doctor told Jorge that losing weight might help reduce his hypertension.

Patients who suffer from hypotension are more prone to faint.

The organisation regulates international trade.

Trade may worsen intranational inequality, leading to increased stress and adverse impacts on mortality.

We do most of our shopping on the internet.

Information about the company’s updated data protection policy will be circulated via the intranet.

The police arrested them on the interstate highway, just before they crossed into Arizona.

The governor announced that intrastate travel would be restricted due to the floods.

We need to reduce the amount of salt in our diet.

The factory produces an incredible 100 cars per hour.

Zara rejected her brother’s offer of help.

Total expenditure is projected to rise by 25%.

These groups must renounce violence if there is to be progress towards peace.

How do you pronounce your name?

The two countries signed a bilateral agreement.

The peace talks eventually resulted in a multilateral treaty.

The complicated multipart devices are assembled in two separate factories.

The bipolar space race developed into international collaboration.

Over the years, the festival has become more international and now reflects today’s multipolar and multicultural world.

Louis is virtually bilingual in Dutch and German.

The report recommended multilingual education in schools.

Footballers are often criticised for being overpaid, but their careers are usually very short.

Postal workers are threatening to strike on the basis of being underpaid.

Many overachievers suffer from stress in their early thirties.

The school runs an after-school club to support underachievers with their homework.

I’ve always felt he is overrated as an actor.

You really should read this novel; I think it’s underrated by the critics.

The beef was overdone.

I prefer lamb a little underdone.

While in hospital, Jimal took stock of his life.

The flavour was hard to pin down.

If we can’t identify the root cause of the problem, we’re never going to be able to resolve it.

He’s mulling over the proposals before making any changes.

She had misinterpreted his silence as anger.

He seemed to have an intuitive awareness of how I felt.

Employees get together and brainstorm ideas, some of which get developed and some don’t.

Never underestimate the power of the press.

I have been wrestling with this problem for quite some time.

I’ve been at work for ten hours now and I’m starting to get befuddled.

We’ve been going round in circles ever since the interviews. Which candidate is best for the job?

Perplexed investors tried to work out what the deal meant.

The question left me completely baffled.

The jury deliberated for four days before acquitting him.

He sat alone, ruminating on the injustice of the world.

He continued to ponder the problem as he walked home.

She immediately zeroed in on the weak point in his argument.

Investigators hope to shed light on what started the fire.

Sam’s behaviour could easily be misconstrued: he gets aggressive when he is frightened.

I think Kim misread the situation: they were warning her, not threatening her.

I racked my brains, trying to remember his name.

Molly’s upstairs grappling with her maths homework.

We offer impartial advice on tax and insurance.

It’s just not realistic to expect a promotion so soon.

He refused to disclose the identity of the politician.

Apart from an unsubstantiated allegation of fraud ten years ago, he has a clean record.

The evidence seemed very insubstantial until the main witness spoke.

The police are examining CCTV footage to try to trace Jackson’s movements that night.

The four accused men all deny murder.

The president narrowly escaped an assassination attempt.

The campaign was accused of character assassination because of its negative adverts.

It would be bending the truth to say Rua is an experienced doctor: she’s in her last year of medical school.

He was unable to give a credible explanation for his behaviour.

She did a creditable job of impersonating the singer.

Was the prime minister’s much-reported illness a publicity stunt?

One possible interpretation is that they want you to resign.

Military leaders are seeking to improve the interplay between their troops and civilian populations.

The president has been fully briefed on the current situation at the airport.

It was disclosed that £3.5 million was needed to modernise the building.

García offered little evidence to substantiate his claims.

These statistics grossly misrepresent the reality.

This article is a blatant attempt to smear the party leadership.

The Education Secretary is planning to pitch the new curriculum to headteachers at the conference.

to ask questions in order to find things out, especially things that other people do not want you to know

The enquiry unearthed some disturbing evidence.

The report exposes the weaknesses of modern medical practice.

Always proofread your assignments carefully before submitting them.

The media often sensationalise crime.

He accused other scientists of plagiarising his research.

The reason for the CEO’s resignation is now as clear as day.

There was something about the man that worried Sutton, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

The instructions on the packet are crystal clear.

The document, written in plain English, tells you about your new policy.

The instructions for my new smartwatch are as clear as mud.

Voters suspected a hidden political agenda.

He had a panic attack while he was waitinɡ to board the plane.

His son’s death was the most traumatic event in Marek’s life.

Drops in stock market prices are bringing investors out in a cold sweat.

Asking the bank for a loan is a daunting prospect.

My stomach was churning on the day of the exam.

Stella can’t concentrate on her work; her fear of flying has a debilitating effect on her.

I get a buzz out of riding a powerful motorbike.

The feeling of power gave me such a rush.

She enjoyed the exhilaration of jet-skiing.

Even though I’ve been acting for years, I still get a thrill out of going on stage.

Jerry’s quite self-conscious about the scar on his face.

Self-contained flats are available to all postgraduates.

It took a lot of self-control to not let the children see how angry I was.

Doug is a quiet, self-effacing man so he asked his daughter to collect the award on his behalf.

Playing a sport can boost a teenager’s self-esteem.

The TV controls are pretty self-explanatory.

It feels self-indulgent spending so much on a pair of shoes.

Stress is often self-inflicted.

My cousin had become a self-made millionaire by the time she was 35.

There was a note of self-pity in his voice when he gave his farewell speech.

According to the report, poor health and poverty are self-reinforcing problems.

Our aim is to teach our son to become an independent self-reliant adult.

Tadz is a vegetarian, but she’s not at all self-righteous about it.

Many parents are self-sacrificing when it’s a question of their children’s needs.

He was caring for his parents out of a sense of duty rather than love.

She’s well qualified but has no relevant prior work experience.

My son and his friends are being charged an exorbitant rent for their student flat – and the shower doesn’t even work!

The charity puts students and elderly people in touch with each other, for mutual support and friendship.

Older people are an untapped resource in the employment market.

I’m saving money on a regular basis.

Now that Ted is on his own, he struggles with household chores such as washing and ironing clothes.

Population growth has a profound impact on world food demand.

There was muted agreement from most of the people in the room.

Istanbul is a vibrant, fascinating city.

Russia has a rich literary tradition.

I caught a fleeting glimpse of them as they drove past.

Some of the photos were so fuzzy it was hard to tell who was who.

He had a vivid picture of her in his mind.

When the wind is from the west, we often get obnoxious odours from the paper factory.

At the weekend, if Arthur gets up before me, I wake up to the aroma of fresh coffee.

I still have a crystal-clear memory of the day our eldest son was born.

She showed me a few blurry photos of their holiday.

Cook the pastry until it is crisp and golden.

I could just make out the faint outline of the cliffs.

Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Temperatures again have been in the 80s, and the humidity makes the hills look hazy.

All the police have to go on is a grainy, indistinct video clip.

They serve a rich, mellow blend of coffee.

There was a metallic grey van parked outside the hotel.

We heard muffled shouts and screams from the bar below.

The library was full of musty old books which no one wanted to read.

The onion smell still lingered, sharp and pungent.

Billy's voice had a deep, resonant tone that was a pleasure to hear.

You can use this herb to flavour almost any savoury dish.

‘That’s not true,’ she protested in a shrill voice.

The treatment will leave your hair feeling soft and silky.

The chicken was golden and crispy on the outside and juicy and succulent inside.

Do you prefer plain and smooth or textured wallpaper?

Horns blared in the street outside.

We were walking through the forest at night when we heard a bloodcurdling howl.

Little Florence’s blotchy painting of a tiger is still on our fridge.

The rug in the classroom is rather bristly, so the children don’t like sitting on it.

The paper was brown and crinkly at the edges.

A tram clanked past.

The cups clattered as he pushed the tea trolley through the hospital ward.

There was an ear-splitting crack as the branch broke.

There was a pile of fleecy white towels in the hotel bathroom.

Rob served chicken with a piquant wild mushroom sauce.

It was a starlit night so we went for a walk along the beach.

She was pale and willowy, with green eyes.

After a bitter political fight, a compromise was finally reached.

In any relationship there has to be some give and take.

The UAE made some concessions on the price of oil.

Having made up his mind to resign, he stuck to his guns and refused the offer of increased pay.

Lori dug her heels in and refused to pay the bill.

OK, let’s split the difference: I’ll give you £25.

The union is using the issues regarding overtime as a bargaining chip in the wider pay negotiations.

Politicians and student unions have found a great deal of common ground on this issue.

The health department has made a last-ditch effort to break the deadlock in talks regarding nurses’ pay.

The team continues its groundbreaking research into the causes of leukaemia.

The country carried out far-reaching reforms to modernise its economy.

Firefighters made a futile attempt to save the paintings from the flames.

His parents had made him feel worthless.

Parents who stay at home and look after children often feel undervalued.

The two students have been indispensable – we wouldn’t have managed to run the farm this summer without them.

These negotiations are pivotal to the success of the country.

The jury’s verdict was noteworthy for a number of reasons.

The damage done to his property was negligible.

If you sign a document, it is wholly immaterial whether you have read it carefully or not.

The accident taught him an important lesson.

Advertising is a key element in the success of a product.

There was an interview with a politician who only had a peripheral role in the negotiations.

The film was overrated by the media. The first one in the trilogy was much better.

He was totally blind to his childrenˈs faults.

The waste bins were overflowing with plastic cups.

The romance is peripheral to the main plot of the film.

These measures are vital to national security.

France is famous for its cheese.

The studio’s make-up artist is superfluous to requirements, because the actor has brought her own.

The plane is meant to be invisible to radar.

A lot of the patients are now free from symptoms.

I always find the sound of a solo saxophone reminiscent of my student days in Vienna.

He was lacking in confidence.

Some plants are very prone to disease.

Further investment is contingent upon the company’s performance.

Dad was engrossed in the paper and didn’t notice that Billy had spilled his cereal everywhere.

Students on a part-time course are not eligible for a loan.

She’s resigned to spending the holiday on her own.

His promises don’t count for much.

Older people are more susceptible to infections.

You need to acquaint the police with the facts.

Visiting my mother in hospital every day was soul-destroying.

The current system just isn’t working – we need to go back to the drawing board and start afresh.

Nico was devastated when he didn’t get the job, but after a few days he picked himself up and started applying for other jobs.

He recorded a few albums, which all sank without trace.

The headteacher’s attempt at a joke fell flat.

She was fighting a losing battle to stop herself from crying.

He decided to cut his losses and sell the business.

Kitesurfing is definitely going to take Dad out of his comfort zone!

Play it safe and make sure the eggs are thoroughly cooked.

Throwing caution to the winds, she swung around to face whoever was following her.

If you really want the job, go for it!

There’s a hair-raising car chase in the middle of the film.

Most law-abiding citizens would never think of travelling without a train ticket.

Tourism has had far-reaching effects on the island’s culture.

Fran faced a nerve-racking wait for her test results.

Keeping the house clean is a never-ending battle.

They compete with death-defying dives from the top of the cliff.

Picking fruit all summer long was soul-destroying.

The view from my bedroom window was absolutely breath-taking.

I read a thought-provoking article about young professionals who feel isolated and lonely.

I took Jed to an award-winning restaurant to celebrate his new job.

Rugby is a character-building sport.

Setting up the satellite equipment will be a complex and time-consuming process.

Shifting all the rock was back-breaking work.

This mountainous region has jaw-dropping scenery.

His solo voyage across the Atlantic was awe-inspiring.

A mouth-watering aroma was coming from the kitchen.

Dan’s kitchen is always immaculate.

There is a refuse collection twice a week. You just need to put your bin out in front of your house.