Phrases & Expressions

To write down your experiences, thoughts or progress regularly, often every day.

• Language teachers often advise students to keep a journal of new words and expressions they come across.
• During her year in Japan, she kept a journal describing the places she visited and the people she met.

To be in charge of a group of people working together and guide their work.

• In her new role, she will lead a team of twelve engineers working on electric vehicles.
• Leading a team successfully requires patience as well as clear goals.

To feel excited or pleased about an upcoming meeting with someone.

• I look forward to seeing you next week.
• She said she looked forward to seeing him again.

To stop communicating with someone, so that you no longer know what is happening in their life.

• I lost touch with most of my school friends after we went to different universities.
• Social media makes it harder to lose touch with old classmates, even after you move to another country.

To no longer feel hungry or interested in eating.

• She lost her appetite after hearing the bad news.
• He tends to lose his appetite when he's stressed.

To tell a person or organisation officially that you are not happy with something.

• Customers who make a complaint about a faulty product should normally receive a reply within fourteen days.
• My neighbour made a complaint about our dog barking, so we now keep him inside at night.

To make people form a positive opinion of you when they meet you for the first time.

• On the first day of a new course, most students try hard to make a good first impression on their teachers.
• The hotel lobby was dirty and noisy, so it didn't make a very good first impression on us.

To cause someone to have a positive opinion of you.

• She wanted to make a good impression at the interview.
• He made a good impression on his first day at work.

To decide at the start of a new year that you will change something about your behaviour.

• Like millions of people, I made a New Year's resolution to exercise more, but I gave up in February.
• Our teacher suggested that we make a New Year's resolution connected with our studies, such as reading in English every day.

To write something down so that you remember it and can use it later.

• Please make a note of the deadline, because late applications will not be accepted.
• When you read an article for your research, always make a note of the author, date and page number.