Phrases & Expressions

In a cool area protected from direct sunlight by something such as a tree or building.

• Parking in the shade of a building helps to stop your car becoming unbearably hot in summer.
• Planting trees along city streets lets pedestrians walk in the shade of their branches on hot days.

Living freely in nature, not kept by people as pets, on farms or in zoos.

• We were lucky enough to see dolphins in the wild during our boat trip along the coast.
• Animals raised in zoos rarely learn the hunting skills they would need to survive in the wild.

To fit panels on a roof or wall so that a building makes its own power from the sun.

• Homeowners who install solar panels can sell the extra electricity they produce back to the grid.
• We're saving up to install solar panels, but first we need to check whether our roof gets enough sun.

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 memorize something completely so that you can repeat it without looking.

• The students had to learn the entire poem by heart.
• She learned the script by heart before the rehearsal began.

To fail to do what someone expected or hoped for.

• He felt terrible for letting his team down.
• She promised not to let him down again.

A polite way of ending a formal letter or email, showing that you hope the reader will reply.

• Please let me know whether a refund is possible; I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
• We look forward to hearing from you and hope to welcome you to our summer language course.

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.