Phrases & Expressions

To be allergic to pollen from grass and flowers, which makes you sneeze and gives you itchy eyes.

• Students who suffer from hay fever often find it hard to concentrate in summer exams, when pollen levels are at their highest.
• I suffer from hay fever, so I check the pollen forecast every morning from May to July.

To make a very serious formal promise, often in public or as part of a ceremony.

• New citizens in many countries must swear an oath of loyalty at a special ceremony.
• Doctors traditionally swore an oath to protect their patients and never cause deliberate harm.

To take action to stop people, especially children at school, from repeatedly hurting or frightening others.

• Every school should have a clear policy to tackle bullying, including abuse that happens online.
• Parents and teachers need to work together if they want to tackle bullying effectively.

To make a special effort to do something correctly or carefully.

• The researchers took care to include people of all ages and backgrounds in their survey.
• Please take care to check your answers before you hand in the exam paper.

To act firmly and quickly in a way that has a clear effect on a situation.

• The central bank took decisive steps to control inflation, raising interest rates three times in one year.
• Unless world leaders take decisive steps now, some effects of climate change may become irreversible.

To do something extreme and sudden in order to deal with a serious problem.

• When sales collapsed during the pandemic, the airline took drastic measures, grounding most of its planes and cutting thousands of jobs.
• The school had to take drastic measures after dozens of students were caught cheating in their exams.

To use armed forces against another country or group.

• The prime minister promised to consult parliament before taking any military action abroad.
• The navy took military action to free the cargo ship after pirates seized it off the coast.

To accept extra duties or a more important role, especially at work.

• As children grow older, they should gradually take on more responsibility for household chores.
• After her promotion, she took on responsibility for training all the new staff in the department.

To borrow money to pay for your studies, which you repay later once you are earning.

• Many graduates who took out student loans are still repaying them well into their thirties.
• I had to take out a student loan to cover my rent, because my part-time job didn't pay enough.

To buy a policy that pays for your medical treatment if you become ill or injured.

• In countries without free public healthcare, most families need to take out health insurance to cover hospital bills.
• I decided to take out private health insurance because the waiting lists at public hospitals were so long.