Phrases & Expressions

To have pain in your neck that makes it hard to turn your head.

• Office workers who spend hours looking down at laptops often have a stiff neck by the end of the day.
• If you have a stiff neck, gentle stretching and a warm shower can help the muscles relax.

To stop for a short stay in a place during a long journey, especially by plane.

• On our way to Australia, we had a two-day stopover in Singapore to break up the journey.
• If you have a stopover in Dubai, it's worth leaving the airport to see the city for a day.

To remember something only slightly and without any clear details.

• I have a vague memory of visiting the castle as a small child, but I can't remember much else.
• Most adults have only a vague memory of the chemistry they studied at school.

To have a strong wish to achieve a particular goal in the future.

• Many of the students on the course have ambitions to start their own businesses after graduating.
• The club has ambitions to become one of the top teams in Europe within five years.

To become ill after eating, touching or breathing in something your body is very sensitive to.

• Restaurants should label their dishes clearly, as some customers could have a serious allergic reaction to nuts.
• My sister had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics and came out in red spots all over her arms.

To have a clear and noticeable effect on someone or something, often a strong one.

• Few inventions have had as great an impact on daily life as the smartphone.
• Rising housing costs have a direct impact on where students choose to study and live.

To cause particular results or effects, often bad ones, for someone or something.

• Rising sea levels will have serious consequences for millions of people living in low-lying coastal cities.
• Cutting funding for public libraries could have long-term consequences for children's reading skills.

To have a poor opinion of yourself and little belief in your own value or abilities.

• Teenagers who constantly compare themselves with others online often have low self-esteem and struggle to make friends.
• She has low self-esteem, so she rarely puts her hand up in class even when she knows the answer.

To be legally entitled to go first when vehicles or people meet at a junction or crossing.

• Many cyclists wrongly assume that they always have the right of way at junctions.
• Even if you have the right of way, it is wise to slow down when children are playing near the road.

A lot of rain falling in one area, either suddenly or over a period of time.

• Heavy rainfall caused rivers to burst their banks, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes.
• The outdoor concert was postponed because the forecast warned of heavy rainfall and strong winds.