LIFE DECISIONS VOCABULARY
What does "take a risk" mean? Give a real life example.
do something dangerous or uncertain — e.g. quit your job to start a business
Complete: "By the time he got the promotion, he _____ for the company for ten years."
had already finished
What does "follow your dreams" mean?
pursue what makes you happy, regardless of difficulty
What does "FOMO" stand for?
Fear Of Missing Out
Which modal shows past possibility? "Why is John not here yet? He _____ (take) the wrong train."
may/might/could have taken
What does "take the easy way out" mean? Is it always negative?
choose the simplest solution to avoid difficulty — usually negative, implies avoiding responsibility
Complete: "She was exhausted because she _____ (work) all night."
had been working
Correct the mistake: "After a hard few years, she completely turned her life upside."
turned her life upside → turned her life around
What does "doomscrolling" mean?
endlessly scrolling through negative news/social media
Complete: "She _____ have forgotten — she never forgets anything!"
can't have
What does "turn your life around" mean? Give an example of when someone might do this.
completely change from a negative situation to a positive one — e.g. after addiction, job loss
Complete: "By the time he got the promotion, he _____ for the company for ten years."
had been working
Correct the mistake: "She worked so hard — she really climbed the career stairs."
stairs → ladder — climb the career ladder
"Someone created a completely fake online profile to trick another person into a romantic relationship." — What's the word?
catfishing
What's the difference? "She must have been tired" vs "She might have been tired."
must have = almost certain
might have = possible but uncertain
What's the difference between a "setback" and a "struggle"?
setback = something that slows your progress / struggle = an ongoing difficulty
What's the difference in emphasis? "She had read the report" vs "She had been reading the report."
(had read = completed / had been reading = in progress, emphasises duration or interruption)
Correct the mistake: "He reached his full possibility after years of hard work and sacrifice."
(possibility → potential — reach your potential)
What's the difference between being "blocked" and being "shadow-banned"?
blocked = you know you can't see someone's content / shadow-banned = your content is hidden from others without you knowing
What's the difference? "He could have helped" vs "He should have helped."
Could have = it was possible
Should have = it was the right thing to do
What's the difference between "determination" and "motivation"? Can you have one without the other?
determination = inner strength to keep going despite difficulty / motivation = the desire or reason to start — yes, e.g. motivated to start but lacking determination to finish
What's the difference? "I had lived in Paris" vs "I had been living in Paris."
(had lived = completed, often with "for/since" and a focus on the fact / had been living = emphasises the ongoing duration, often explains a present result)
"He chose the simplest option just to avoid dealing with the problem." — What's the expression?
take the easy way out
What's the difference between a "troll" and someone who "catfishes"?
troll = provokes or upsets people online for fun
catfish = creates a fake identity to deceive someone romantically
What's the difference? "He used to be shy" vs "He would be shy as a child."
used to be = correct — states describe a past state
would be = incorrect for states, only habits