Phrases & Expressions

A clever or original idea, sometimes used sarcastically about a bad plan.

• Painting the fence at midnight was not a bright idea.
• She had a bright idea for the school project.

A noticeable way of pronouncing words that shows where a speaker is from.

• He speaks English with a strong accent.
• She has a strong accent from growing up abroad.

A meal made up of a starter, a main dish, and a dessert.

• The restaurant offers a three-course meal for a fixed price.
• They enjoyed a three-course meal to celebrate their anniversary.

To find and use a document or other material on the internet.

• Students can access lecture recordings online if they miss a class through illness.
• Many newspapers now charge readers a monthly fee to access their articles online.

Used after one or more examples to refer vaguely to similar things or activities.

• At weekends I like cycling, hiking and that kind of thing – anything that gets me outdoors.
• The job involves answering emails, booking meetings and that kind of thing, so it's mostly admin.

Used at the end of a list to mean other similar things.

• Tourists usually ask about restaurants, public transport and things like that.
• The course covers grammar, essay structure, punctuation and things like that, so it's very useful before university.

To formally request official permission to enter another country.

• They applied for a visa two months before the trip.
• You need several documents to apply for a visa.

To have a positive opinion of something or someone and consider them acceptable.

• Not all parents approve of their children using smartphones at the dinner table.
• Most people surveyed approved of the plan to turn the old factory into a public park.

Very close to a deadline or the time something is due to happen.

• He booked his flight at the last minute.
• They changed the venue at the last minute.

To make someone notice something or become interested in it.

• Her unusual science project soon attracted her teachers' attention, and she was invited to join a university summer programme.
• I waved my arms to attract the waiter's attention, but he walked past without seeing me.