Phrases & Expressions

To pay back money that a person, organisation or country has borrowed.

• Some poor nations spend more on repaying their debts than on their schools and hospitals.
• It took her almost ten years to repay the debt she ran up while she was at university.

To teach people new skills so that they can do a different kind of job.

• As automation spreads, governments will need to retrain workers whose jobs have disappeared.
• The car company promised to retrain its factory workers rather than make them redundant.

An activity that makes you feel satisfied because it is useful, worthwhile or helps others.

• Many students say that volunteering abroad was the most rewarding experience of their university years.
• Teaching children to read can be a deeply rewarding experience, even though the pay is low.

A job that gives you a strong sense of achievement or purpose.

• Teaching is a demanding but rewarding job, especially when you see your students make real progress.
• Many nurses say theirs is the most rewarding job they could imagine, despite the long hours.

Prices that are as low as they can possibly be.

• The store attracts customers with rock-bottom prices, but its products often don't last long.
• Budget airlines advertise rock-bottom prices, yet passengers often end up paying extra for bags and seats.

To publish or broadcast a particular news report.

• Several newspapers ran the story on their front pages the next morning.
• Before they run a story, responsible journalists check their facts with at least two independent sources.

A district where buildings and streets are in poor condition because they have been neglected.

• The government has promised to invest in run-down areas of northern cities by building new schools and parks.
• They bought a cheap house in a run-down area, hoping that prices would rise once the neighbourhood improved.

To write a short message very fast and untidily.

• She scribbled a note to her flatmate saying she would be home late and left it on the fridge.
• During the interview, the journalist scribbled notes on a small pad while I was answering her questions.

To go to a doctor or hospital in order to get treatment or advice.

• Many men delay seeking medical help until their symptoms have already become serious.
• Thanks to a public awareness campaign, more people now seek medical help at the first signs of a stroke.

A very long period with little or no rain that causes serious problems.

• A severe drought in East Africa has left millions of people in urgent need of food aid.
• Farmers in the south lost most of their harvest during last summer's severe drought.