Essential Vocabulary and Grammar for English Learners

Vocabulary

Social Interactions

• Back up
• Fall out
• Finish with
• Friendship group
• Gossip about
• Hurt somebody's feelings
• Take an instant dislike to
• Let down
• Life and soul of the party
• Look out for
• Make up
• Rely on
• Talk behind somebody's back
• Split up
• Upset

Opinions and Attitudes

• Approve of
• Be ashamed of
• Attitude towards
• Be aware of
• Belong to
• Bias against
• Decrease in
• Depend on
• Different from
• Fearful of
• Prevent/protect from
• Puzzled by
• Result in
• Similar to
• Typical of

Phrasal Verbs

• Do away with
• Die out
• Take over
• Carry on
• Get on
• Talk someone into
• Get across

Time and Scheduling

• Ahead of schedule
• The last minute
• At times
• Catch up on
• Deadline
• From time to time
• Get behind
• In the nick of time
• In two weeks' time
• Keep somebody waiting
• Remember
• Retain
• Rush
• Slow down
• Take your time
• Time to spare
• Turn up

Emphasis and Specificity

• Specially
• Especially
• Particular
• Particularly

Additional Vocabulary

• Drop
• Due
• Face
• Filling
• Fine
• Fly
• Gather
• Last
• Leading
• Nail
• Odd

Grammar

Rephrasing with Infinitives

• Offer
• Refuse
• Threaten
• Agree
• Promise
• Advise
• Invite
• Remind
• Warn
• Tell

Verbs + Gerunds

• Admit
• Deny
• Apologize for
• Insist on
• Suggest
• Thank for
• Accuse + complement + of

Other Grammatical Structures

• In spite of = despite + -ing or noun phrase
• Although + clause
• The + comparative..., the + comparative (e.g., The more I see it, the more I like it)
• Too + adjective -> not + opposite + enough (e.g., too good to be true)

Reporting Verbs

Verb + that + Clause

• Acknowledge
• Admit
• Agree
• Assert
• Claim
• Complain
• Deny
• Emphasize
• Explain
• Insist
• Promise
• Recommend
• Repeat
• Reveal
• Say
• Suggest
• Think
• Warn

Verb + Object + that + Clause

• Assure
• Convince
• Inform
• Promise
• Reassure
• Remind
• Tell
• Warn

Verb + Object + Not + Infinitive

• Advise
• Ask
• Beg
• Encourage
• Invite
• Order
• Persuade
• Remind
• Tell
• Urge
• Warn

Verb + Object + Preposition + -ing + Object

• Accuse...of
• Compliment...on
• Congratulate...on
• Praise...for
• Remind...about
• Talk...into
• Thank...for
• Warn...against

Verb + Preposition + -ing Form + Object

• Apologize for
• Complain about
• Insist on
• Object to
• Reflect on

Modal Verbs

• Can
• Could
• May
• Might
• Be able to
• Must
• Have/has to
• Need/s to
• Needn't
• Mustn't
• Don't have to
• Ought to
• Should
• Had better (not)

Linkers of Purpose

• In order to
• So as to
• So that
• With a view to
• With the aim of
• Linker + infinitive + phrase