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Academy

120 cards to learn, plus a reading text that puts the key phrases in context.

120 cards

back

back into sth, back onto sth, back sb (to do)

Collocation

come

come to a conclusion/decision/etc, come to power, come into view, come as a shock/etc, come to do sth, come true

Collocation

drive

drive (your point) home, drive sb crazy/mad, drive sb to do sth, drive at sth

Collocation

drop

drop sth off sth, drop sth into/onto sth, drop sb at, drop a hint, drop sb (from a team)

Collocation

fall

fall ill, fall into (a category), fall in love, fall into place, fall short, fall to pieces

Collocation

fly

fly a flag, fly by, fly open, fly at

Collocation

follow

follow sb's argument/etc, follow suit, follow sb's lead, follow sb's advice, as follows

Collocation

get

get going, get somewhere, get ill/angry/upset/etc, get sth wet/dirty/etc, get to do sth, get sb sth, get sth done, get sth doing

Collocation

go

go and do sth, go deaf/grey/crazy/bad/etc, go for days/weeks/etc (without sth), go hungry, go without, go to do sth

Collocation

head

head towards/for (a place), head a ball, head a committee/etc, head a list

Collocation

jump

jump at the chance (to do), jump the queue, jump to conclusions, jump the gun

Collocation

move

move it, get a move on, follow sb's every move, make a move, on the move

Collocation

point

beside the point, up to a point, a sore point

Collocation

point

point at/to/towards sth, get to the point, make a point of doing sth, make your point, miss the point, at some point

Collocation

raise

raise your hand, raise sth with sb, raise a child/family, raise sb's hopes/expectations, raise a smile, raise your voice, raise an army

Collocation

run

run a business/campaign/etc, run riot, run on petrol/electricity/etc, run sb a bath, run through sth, run the risk of doing, run into problems

Collocation

rush

rush to conclusions, do sth in a rush, in a rush (to do sth), mad rush, rush hour, the Christmas/etc rush

Collocation

steady

steady yourself, steady your nerves, hold sth steady, steady relationship, steady growth, steady look, steady pace

Collocation

track

keep track of, lose track of time/etc, on the wrong track, on track (to do)

Collocation

turn

turn to do sth, turn a gun/etc on sb, turn to sb, turn cold/nasty/etc, turn 40/etc

Collocation

way

get in sb's way, know the way, lose your way, get sth out of the way, make way for, in the way, on the way, in this way, a way of doing, by the way

Collocation

a stone's throw (away/from)

very close (to)

The beach is a stone’s throw from here.

as the crow flies

in a straight line (used for measuring distance)

It’s 10 miles away as the crow flies.

follow your nose

go straight forward, without turning

Just follow your nose to find the cafe.

follow your nose

do what you feel is right in a particular situation, although you are not certain

Trust your instincts and follow your nose.

in the middle of nowhere

a long way from any town or city

We broke down in the middle of nowhere.

lose your bearings

become confused about where you are and where other things are

I lost my bearings in the busy city.

make a beeline for

go towards someone or something in the quickest and most direct way

As soon as we arrived, he made a beeline for the buffet.

off the beaten track

away from populated areas or areas popular with tourists

We prefer to vacation off the beaten track.

stop dead in your tracks

suddenly stop, for example because you are surprised

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw him.

take a short cut to

follow a path that is quicker and shorter than the usual way

We took a short cut to avoid traffic.

take the scenic route

follow a longer path than the usual one because it is more attractive

We took the scenic route through the mountains.

cordon off

stop people from entering an area by putting something such as a rope around it

why have they cordoned off the city center?

creep up on

move towards someone quietly and slowly, especially because you want to surprise them

I watched a cat as it crept up on a bird

fall behind

move more slowly than other people so that you are behind them

I got tired on the walk and I fell behind the rest

fall behind

make less progress or be less successful than other people who are doing a similar job or activity

I was off school for two months with my illness and I fell behind the others

go astray

become lost or go to the wrong place

we went astray but soon found our way again

head off

prevent someone from going somewhere by getting in front of them

one police office chased the robber while the other went to head him off

hold back

stop someone or something from moving forwards

the police held back the cowd

move in(with)

start living in a different house or flat (with)

when she got divorced, Laura moved in with me

move on

leave one place and travel to another

I tend to stay in one city and then move on to another

move on

stop discussing or doing something and begin discussing or doing something different

we should move on or we'll never finish this meeting on time

move out

premanently leave the house or flat where you live or the place where you have your business

I heard you finally moved out of your parents' place

move over

change your position in order to make space for someone or something

the woman moved over so that I could sit on the bench

pull over

stop by the side of the road in a car or other vehicle

could you just pull over for a second?

slip away

leave secretly

after an hour I managed to slip away without anyone noticing

step aside

leave a job so that somebody else can take over

the chairman stepped aside to allow a younger person to take over

step aside

move so that somebody can pass you

we stepped aside to let someone in a wheelchair through

stop off

visit somewhere before continuing to another place

we can stop off at the bakery on the way to school

tip up

(of an object) have one end move upwards, especially because something heavy has been put at the other end

the bench began to tip up when I sat on it

tip up

turn a container upside down so that the things inside it come out

I tipped the box up and emptied everything into the table

walk out

leave a meeting, performance, etc before the end, usually because you are angry or bored

I walked out halfway through the film

walk out

suddenly leave a relationship, your family, your job, etc

you can't just walk out like this!

accelerate(v)

to happen or make something happen at a faster rate

I started to feel nervous as the car accelerated

airline(n)

a company that owns aircraft and takes people or goods by plane from one place to another

I've applied for a job with another airline

approach(v)

to move closer to someone or something

As we approached the airport, we put our seat belts on

approach(n)

a particular way of thinking about or dealing with something

She has an interesting approach to teaching

ascend(v)

to climb a mountain, stairs, etc

As we began to ascend the mountain, the weather got worse

bounce(v)

if a ball or other object bounces, it hits a surface then moves away from it

Stop bouncing that ball against the wall

bounce(n)

the movement of an object when it hits a surface and moves away again

You are allowed one bounce and then you have to catch the ball again

cargo(n)

things that are being sent by ship, plane, train or truck

It took them all morning to load the cargo

carriage(n)

one of the vehicles that are joined together to make a train

The carriage was practically empty when we got on the train

charter(v)

to hire a boat, plane or bus, especially for use by a group of people

We decided to charter a plane to take us deeper into the Amazon

clamber(v)

to climb something with difficulty, using your hands and feet

We quickly clambered up the rocks

clench(v)

to close your hand or your mouth tightly, especially because you are angry or upset

Matt clenched his teeth but didn't say anything

clutch(v)

to hold someone or something firmly, for example because you are afraid or in pain, or do not want to lose them

I clutched my passport as we made our way through the busy airport

crawl(v)

to move along the ground on your hands and knees or with your body close to the ground

Most babies begin to crawl when they are a few months old

creep(v)

if someone creeps somewhere, they move there quietly and slowly

The burglar crept along the corridor

dash(v)

to run or go somewhere very quickly because you are in a hurry

I must just dash to the post office

descend(v)

to go down a mountain or slope, or to go downstairs

We descended the mountain slowly

drift(n)

a slow and gradual change from one situation or opinion to another

There's been a drift in public opinion away from supporting the policy

drift(v)

to be pushed along very slowly by the movement of air or water

The boat must have been drifting for a long time

emigrate(v)

to leave your country in order to live in another country, on a permanent basis

My brother is thinking of emigrating to Australia

float(v)

to rest or move slowly on the surface of a liquid and not sink

I was floating in the sea when a wave came over my head

flow(v)

if a liquid flows, it moves smoothly and continuously in one direction

The River Thames flows from west to east

flow(n)

the continuous movement of a liquid in one direction

The flow of water was so powerful that it knocked me off my feet

fumble(v)

to try to hold, move or find something using your hands in a way that is not skilful or graceful

She fumbled in her bag and finally found a pen

gesture(v)

to make a movement with your hands or head in order to show or tell someone something

Alec gestured towards the photograph on the wall

gesture(n)

a movement that communicates a feeling or instruction

Gestures differ from culture to culture

glide(v)

to move in a smooth and easy way with no noise

The dancer seemed to glide across the floor

grab(v)

to take hold of something in a rough or rude way

It's very rude to grab things out of other people's hands

grasp(v)

to take and hold something or someone very tightly

Vicky grasped my hand as we crossed the busy road

hiker(n)

someone who walks for long distances in the countryside for pleasure

A group of hikers came over the hill

hitchhiker(n)

someone who travels by asking other people to take them in their car, by holding out their thumb or a sign

We picked up a hitchhiker outside Oxford

hop(v)

to move forward by jumping on one foot

Can you hop on one leg?

hop(n)

a quick jump on one foot

The little girl jumped over the cat with a hop

immigrant(n)

someone who comes to live in a country from another country

I don't think it's right that all these immigrants should be allowed to come here

jog(v)

to run at a slow steady speed, usually for exercise or pleasure

I jog about five miles every morning

jog(n)

a run for exercise or pleasure at a slow steady speed

Do you want to go for a jog?

leap(n)

a jump, especially a long or high one

It'll take a big leap to get over the stream

leap(v)

to jump over something

He leapt over the table and punched me in the face!

legroom(n)

the amount of space in front of your seat in which you can stretch your legs

Let's go business class because you get more legroom

march(v)

to walk in a group with each person matching the speed and movements of the others

They marched for days to get to the border

migrate(v)

if a bird or animal migrates, it travels to another part of the world

You often see large flocks of birds as they migrate south

passerby(n)

someone who is walking past a place, especially when an accident or violent event happens

The accident was reported to police by a passerby

pedestrian(n)

someone who is walking, especially in a town or city, instead of driving or riding

Pedestrians need to be particularly careful at this crossing

pier(n)

a structure built out from the land over water and used for getting on and off boats

We walked along the pier and jumped into the boat.

pilot(v)

to fly an aircraft

I wonder what it's like to pilot a jet

point(v)

to show something by holding out your finger or a long thin object

I looked where she was pointing

punch(v)

to hit someone or something with your fist, usually as hard as you can

Tony punched the wall in anger

quay(n)

a hard surface next to a sea or river, where boats can stop

There were fishing boats all along the quay

refugee(n)

someone who leaves their country, especially during a war or other threatening event

More than a million refugees are trying to escape the fighting

return fare(n)

the money you pay for a journey to and from a place

The return fare into town is about a pound

roam(v)

to move or travel with no particular purpose

We spent the afternoon just roaming the hills

roll(v)

to move forward while turning over and over

I spotted a ball rolling towards me and picked it up

rotate(v)

to move in a circle around a fixed central point, or to move something in this way

This part rotates, spraying water on all the dirty dishes

round trip(n)

an occasion when you go somewhere and come back to your starting point again

The round trip took me about four days

route(n)

the roads or paths that you use when you go from one place to another

I'm just planning our route for tomorrow

sink(v)

to disappear below the surface of the water

The ship sank when it hit an iceberg

skid(n)

a sudden uncontrolled slide across the ground, especially by a vehicle

We went into a skid because there was ice on the road

skid(v)

to slide across the ground in an uncontrolled way

The car skidded on the wet road

skip(v)

to move forwards by jumping first on one foot and then the other

I loved school when I was young and I used to skip all the way there

slide(v)

to move smoothly and quickly across a surface

Jason slid a pen to me across the table

slip(v)

if you slip, your feet slide accidentally and you lose your balance or fall over

I slipped on the stairs

step(v)

to move by putting one foot down in front of the other

Would you just step this way, sir?

steward(n)

a man whose job is to look after the passengers on a plane, train or ship, serving them with food and drink

The steward brought me a blanket.

stride(v)

to walk with energy and confidence

The head teacher strode into the room and looked at us

trip(v)

to hit your foot on something and fall down

I tripped as I was going into the bedroom

wander(v)

to travel from place to place, especially on foot, without a particular direction or purpose

I wandered around the art gallery for an hour

wave(v)

to move your hand to say hello or goodbye or as a signal

We waved to Valerie as the train pulled away

Academy in context

A short text using 21 of the key phrases. Tap a highlighted phrase for its meaning.

Before you begin writing a paper, it’s a good idea to of the you plan to present. The next step is to to , since your work won’t be credible if you without some proof.

If your paper is going to then you’ll need to be especially organized. You can between topics that are different, or draw parallels between examples that are similar. Another way to organize your ideas is to show how they .

After making your outline and gathering the supporting evidence you’ll use to , you can write a in which you on the topic. Then, you until finishing with the .

Let’s say you’re on market trends in developing countries. You can analyze the that are influencing the economy, showing how local politics in shaping the country’s financial future. Including some specific items that are and clear illustrations of your ideas will help .

At the end of your paper, you should the material you presented and based on your research. The end of the article is also a good place to for further study.

All 21 phrases from this text
  • make an outlinea list of points in an organized order
  • main points
  • gather evidence
  • support your claims
  • propose a theoryor try to [[challenge]] or [[refute a theory]] – argue against an existing theory
  • touch on several issuestalk about several topics
  • draw a distinction
  • fall into different categories
  • make your casepresent your argument
  • first draftfirst version of the paper
  • go into detail
  • revise the papermake improvements to it
  • final draft
  • carrying out a study
  • key factorsimportant factors
  • play a role/parthave an effect
  • perfect examples
  • prove your points
  • briefly summarize
  • draw conclusions
  • raise questionspresent questions