Collocations
ACCOUNT
1)He doesn`t drink ... his poor healthhe kept.
2) Rural Americans are often older than those in other parts of America and that may ... ... the slower adoption rates for internet access.
3) I'm not very hungry, so please don't cook ... my ... (= don't cook just for me).
1) on account of
2) account for
3) on sb`s account
be able to think quickly and make sensible decisions
Cycling is potentially very dangerous in London — you really need to .... .
have your wits about you
practise and improve your skills or knowledge of something
brush up on
to cause someone to be completely unable to understand or explain something
baffle
showing an unreasonable like or dislike for a person based on personal opinions
biased
1)The game ... ... ... until the last minute.
(If a situation is ~, it has reached a stage where it will soon be decided one way or another)
2) It's a question of ... the right ... between quality and productivity
3) New tax measures are designed to (= make the situation more equal) between rich and poor
4) They would create chaos, ... that keeps us all safe and alive (= ruin the balance)
1)(hang) in the balance
2) strike a balance
3) redress the balance
4) upset/alter the balance
1) not knowing very much because information is hidden
Let me tell you that I don't like being kept ... matters that affect me as closely as my daughter's future life
2) know the important facts about a situation
Now that I know ..., I'll get my own attorney.
in the dark about
know what`s what
1) change your opinion or decision because someone has persuaded you to agree with them
2) suddenly have an idea; discover something by chance
1) come around to
2) hit upon
to be able to see the difference between two things or people
discriminate
(of a person) very intelligent and skilful, or (of a thing) skilfully made or planned and involving new ideas and methods
ingenious
MIND
1) It ...ed my ... yesterday that you must be short of staff
2) to be unable to decide about something: I was ... ... ...whether or not to come this morning.
3) I was not in the right ... ... ... to laugh at his jokes.
1) cross/slip sb's mind
2) be in two minds
3) state of mind
taking a very short or lomg time to understand or realise sth
She was not at all shy, she asked me to call her Sally before we'd known one another ten minutes, and she was ... .
He's a little .... , so you may have to repeat the instructions a few times.
quick/slow on the uptake
1) think carefully about something over a period of time
2) learn the truth about something by considering all the separate bits of information you have
1) mull over
2) piece together
1) to reach an answer or a decision by thinking carefully about the known facts
2) to understand or believe something as a result of something that has been said or done
1) deduce
2) gather
thought not to be completely true or not able to be trusted
dubious
1) an original idea, plan, or invention: The project was the ... of one of the students.
2) to ask someone who knows a lot about a subject for information or their opinion: Can I ... your ... about how you got rid of those weeds?
3) to think very hard: I've been ...ing my ... all day but I can't remember her name.
1) brainchild
2) pick sb's brain(s)
3)rack your brain(s)
1) to sound familiar
The name ... but I couldn't remember where I had heard it before
2) to argue about small details of something
Pray don't let us be ... or there will never be the end of our dispute
1) ring a bell
2) split hairs
1) get information on a particular subject by reading a lot about it
2) study something very hard, especially for an examination
1) read up (on or about)
2) swot up or on
1) to understand something, especially something difficult
2) to think carefully about something, especially for a noticeable length of time
1) grasp
2) ponder
seeming likely to be true, or able to be believed
plausible
MENTAL
1) Although Andrew is 25, he has a ... ... of six.
2) I made a ... ... of her address = try to remember sth
3)Laughing is good for your ... ... ... disorders
1) mental age
2) make a mental note of sth
3) mental health
1) to make someone very bored or very angry / crazy:
Staying at home all day was ... her ... .
2) to examine a situation carefully, take some time bedore decide what to do next
After the storm homeowners came out to ... the damage.
1) send/drive sb round the bend
2) take stock of
1) consider the facts about something in an organised and thorough way
2) consider a problem or decision carefully
3) invent or imagine something, especially an excuse
1) think through
2) think over
3) think up
1) to spend time considering a possible future action, or to consider one particular thing for a long time in a serious and quiet way
2) to think or talk seriously and carefully about something
1) contemplate
2) deliberate
showing an unreasonable dislike for something or someone
prejudiced