Mastering English Vocabulary and Writing Styles

Essential Vocabulary and Phrases

Financial and Personal Well-being

• Be well-off: To be in a good financial situation.
• Make ends meet: To have just enough money to cover expenses.
• Live from hand to mouth: To have barely enough money to survive.
• On the house: Offered for free, paid for by the establishment.
• Take pleasure in: To find enjoyment in something.
• Beyond my reach: Unattainable or too expensive.
• To date: Up until the present time.

Financial Terms

• Inherited: Received property or money after someone's death.
• Property: Real estate or possessions owned by someone.
• Bargain: Something bought at a lower price than usual.
• Refund: An amount of money returned.
• Borrowing: The act of taking a loan.
• Amount: A quantity of something, typically money.
• Receipt: A written acknowledgment of having received money or goods.

Personal States and Interactions

• Needy: Lacking the necessities of life; impoverished.
• Distressing: Causing worry or anxiety.
• Grateful: Feeling or showing thanks.
• Affluent: Having a great deal of money; wealthy.
• Broke: Having no money; bankrupt.
• Nod: To move one's head up and down as a sign of agreement.
• In turn: One after another in a sequence.
• Relieves: To alleviate or ease pain or discomfort.
• Repay: To pay back money owed.
• Afford: To have enough money to pay for something.
• Owe: To be in debt to someone.
• Charge: To demand a price for a service or goods.

Prepositional Phrases and Attitudes

• Lack of: Insufficiency or absence of something.
• Kind to: Benevolent or compassionate towards someone.
• Tired of: Weary or bored with something.
• Opposed to: Against or in disagreement with something.
• Intention of: A plan or aim to do something.
• Effect on: The result or impact on something.
• Grateful for: Thankful for something received.
• Sympathy for: Compassion or understanding for someone's situation.

Crime and Related Actions

• Mugger: Someone who attacks and robs people in public places.
• Scar: A mark left on the skin after a wound has healed.
• Shoplifter: Someone who steals goods from a store.
• Break into: To enter a building illegally, usually to steal.

Verbs and Actions

• Barely: Only just; hardly.
• Gave away: To give something as a gift.
• Went on: To continue.
• Put down: To place something on a surface.
• Back up: To support or assist.
• Took out: To remove something from somewhere.
• Reassure: To say or do something to remove doubts.
• Raise: To lift or move to a higher position.
• Release: To set free.
• Unfold: To open or spread out.
• Claimed: Stated that something is true.
• Warned: Informed someone of a possible danger.
• Refused: Declined to do or accept something.
• Guilty: Responsible for a wrongdoing.

Consequences and Awareness

• This will lead to: This will result in.
• Skills: Abilities to do something well.
• Unfair: Not just or equitable.
• Be aware: To have knowledge or perception of a situation.

Writing Structures and Styles

Book Review Structure

• The story is set in...
• It tells the story of...
• It is one of the author's best novels.
• It is a *thriller/romance* novel written by...
• I couldn't wait to turn the pages.
• I found the characters...
• I highly recommend this book.
• If you enjoy a novel that..., you'll love this.
• The downside...
• Not to be missed.

Summary Connectors

• However...
• Some claim that...
• In the past few years...
• Moreover...
• Clearly...
• Although...
• Consequently...
• In short...
• As well as...

Narrative Connectors

• One afternoon...
• After...
• Before...
• After all...
• During...
• While...
• When...
• As soon as...
• Until...
• Later...
• Next...
• Soon...
• Meanwhile...
• To my surprise...
• What a relief...
• It turned out to be...

Formal Letter Structure

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to make a complaint about the quality of the service.

• First of all...
• At this point, I was refused...
• I was told...

Looking forward to your prompt reply.

I trust that you will...

Yours faithfully,

Opinion Essay Phrases

• In my opinion...
• I believe that...
• Secondly...
• As I see it...
• In short...
• This may be true, but...

For and Against Essay Phrases

• More and more...
• On the one hand...
• On the other hand...
• In addition...
• I feel that...
• Most people...