A) wear clothes that are more formal than usual, or that are special or unusual15th/16th August
And the phrasal verb was...dress up /dre'sʌp/ from Clothing and Accessories Look at these examples, then choose the correct definition below:
- "Come on Mum, you know I hate wearing suits. I really don't see the need to dress up for your wedding anniversary when all the guests are family anyway."
- "Right, so if everyone's gonna dress up as Star Wars characters, I'm going to the party as Spiderman, just to be different!"
- "The themed market was great. The sellers were dressed up in costumes from medieval times, and the produce was all local. It was very authentic."
B) wear different clothes from everyone else to look special
C) wear clothes that represent a culture, organization, or historical period
Answer: A) If you dress up, you wear special clothes, either for a formal occasion, or to look different. If you dress up to look different, you may be “in fancy dress”. For example, when you go to a themed party such as at Halloween, and you dress up like a witch or zombie, you are in fancy dress, and at a “fancy dress party”.
Lukey Tip: Phrasal verbs can be difficult if you don’t use modifying particles in your language. It’s best to see them as vocabulary, and in context.
It depends on you as a learner, but I advise my students not to memorize lists of phrasal verbs. I feel it’s much better to learn 4 or 5 that are related to a topic, and to pay attention to how they are formed.
Lukey Tip: Phrasal verbs can be difficult if you don’t use modifying particles in your language. It’s best to see them as vocabulary, and in context.
It depends on you as a learner, but I advise my students not to memorize lists of phrasal verbs. I feel it’s much better to learn 4 or 5 that are related to a topic, and to pay attention to how they are formed.
A) remember something amusing / such a memory14th August
And the expression was...
- "I didn't need to repeat the story. It was enough to just say 'beige' and she'd start chuckling."
- "Sometimes, when you're feeling down, it's good to remember the funny moments in life, and have a bit of a chuckle."
- "When I realised how clumsy I'd been, I couldn't stop chuckling. Before long, everyone else was laughing, even Dave, sat there with a big grin, and soup all over his shirt!"
B) laugh quietly, often to oneself / a quiet laugh
C) cry as a result of something funny / tears of joy
Answer: B) If you chuckle, you laugh quietly, and often to yourself. Chuckle is also a noun: “We had a good chuckle.”
Lukey Tip: With language related to communication, there are lots of specific words and expressions. There is language that shows intention: ‘state, order, question, query…’ and language that describes the physical processes involved in communicating: ‘chuckle, whisper, mutter, scream…’
Think of specific words and expressions in your language for communicating, and use a dictionary to find their equivalent in English.
Lukey Tip: With language related to communication, there are lots of specific words and expressions. There is language that shows intention: ‘state, order, question, query…’ and language that describes the physical processes involved in communicating: ‘chuckle, whisper, mutter, scream…’
Think of specific words and expressions in your language for communicating, and use a dictionary to find their equivalent in English.
A) stop someone before they do something wrong13th August
And the expression was...
- "How can you say you've given up smoking? The other night, I caught you in the act, hiding there in the garage!"
- "We were luckily in the area at the time of the robbery, so Sargent Willmot and I were able to catch the burglars red-handed, or 'in the act', as they say."
- "I'm really trying to lose weight, but just last night, I was there with the fridge door open, about to dig in to the pasta from dinner. Luckily John caught me in the act, otherwise I'd have finished off the lot!"
B) witness someone, or be discovered doing something, especially something bad or illegal
C) pretend to do something different when you are discovered doing something wrong
Answer: B) If you are caught in the act, someone witnesses you doing something bad or illegal. Similarly, if you catch someone in the act, you witness them doing something.
Lukey Tip: Expressions are sometimes used humorously. In the examples above, a serious expression for witnessing a crime is also used to talk about something not so serious (secretly eating food from the fridge when trying to diet).
When you see examples of expressions, take note of any possible humorous uses, as native English speakers love to play games with the English language!
Lukey Tip: Expressions are sometimes used humorously. In the examples above, a serious expression for witnessing a crime is also used to talk about something not so serious (secretly eating food from the fridge when trying to diet).
When you see examples of expressions, take note of any possible humorous uses, as native English speakers love to play games with the English language!
A) hold someone or something with your hands / take note of something in order to remember it12th August
And the word was...
- "The crowd was pushing us apart, so I grabbed his hand. I remember how he looked into my eyes, confident and reassuring, and that was it, I fell instantly in love."
- "Let's see if we can grab one of these taxis, and it should get us to the airport just before the flight leaves."
- "I love the strong colours and simple message. Yeah, the ad really grabs your attention. Well done!"
B) call someone loudly to get their attention / signal with your hand to get someone’s attention
C) take hold of something in a sudden and rough way / get something quickly, taking advantage of an opportunity
Answer: C) If you grab something, you take it suddenly and roughly, or get something quickly, taking advantage of an opportunity.
Lukey Tip: Words often have more than one meaning. Check for different meanings, and try to find examples to help you see how the word is used in context.
Lukey Tip: Words often have more than one meaning. Check for different meanings, and try to find examples to help you see how the word is used in context.
A) pay to attend or view an event11th August
And the word was...
- "I bet £10 Man City win tonight's match."
- "You can bet on anything these days – even the colour of some celebrity's wedding dress!"
- John: "You bet how much? I'm not surprised you lost. What were you thinking?"
Paul: "Yeah, I know. It was stupid. But with the odds at 50:1, imagine if I'd won!"
B) predict the result of something for money
C) influence the result of something by paying money
Answer: B) If you bet on something, you pay to make a prediction on the result, and if you’re correct you win more money.
Lukey Tip: Verbs often have a particle after them, either an adverb or prepositon. While some may be phrasal verbs, others are prepostions connected to the following noun.
In the 2nd sentence above, we can see ‘bet on anything’.
Make a note when you see a particle with a verb, and look for other examples so you can see how and when to use it.
Lukey Tip: Verbs often have a particle after them, either an adverb or prepositon. While some may be phrasal verbs, others are prepostions connected to the following noun.
In the 2nd sentence above, we can see ‘bet on anything’.
Make a note when you see a particle with a verb, and look for other examples so you can see how and when to use it.
A) phrase spoken or sung repeatedly and continuously10th August
And the word was...
- "When the couple came out of the entrance to the church, the guests all chanted, “¡Qué se besen!, ¡Qué se besen!” which was a call for them to give each other a kiss."
- "As the chanting grew louder, a police helicopter positioned itself above the demonstrators to drown out the sound."
- "The football match was suspended when monkey chants were heard coming from a large number of the away supporters, directed at the home team's new Senegalese defender."
B) loud noise made by people shouting over each other in an attempt to be heard
C) short song representing an organization or country, sung on special occasions
Answer: A) A chant is a short spoken or sung phrase which is repeated many times.
Lukey Tip: Notice different forms of the same word, and the language that goes with them.
From the example sentences above, we can see that ‘chant’ is both a noun and a verb. And as a noun, there are two forms, ‘chant(s)’ and ‘chanting’.
Paying attention to these differences, we can both expand our knowledge of a language, and gain more precise control over how we use it.
Lukey Tip: Notice different forms of the same word, and the language that goes with them.
From the example sentences above, we can see that ‘chant’ is both a noun and a verb. And as a noun, there are two forms, ‘chant(s)’ and ‘chanting’.
Paying attention to these differences, we can both expand our knowledge of a language, and gain more precise control over how we use it.