Phrases & Expressions

To say that you disagree with or dislike a plan, an idea or a situation.

• Local residents object to the plan because the new factory would be built right next to a primary school.
• I don't object to working at weekends, as long as I get a day off during the week.

Content such as images, videos or text that is likely to upset or insult people.

• Social media companies are under pressure to remove offensive material more quickly.
• The newspaper apologised after offensive material appeared in the comments section beneath one of its articles.

To pay employees at least as much as other organisations pay for similar work.

• Tech companies offer competitive salaries to attract skilled engineers who might otherwise move abroad.
• Hospitals in rural areas struggle to find nurses unless they offer a competitive salary and help with housing.

To say sorry to someone in a way that shows you really mean it.

• The airline offered a sincere apology to passengers whose luggage had been lost during the transfer.
• The head teacher offered a sincere apology to parents after exam results were accidentally emailed to the wrong families.

To formally invite someone to accept a job after selecting them.

• Two days after the interview, they called to offer him the position, and he accepted immediately.
• If none of the candidates is suitable, the panel may decide not to offer anyone the position.

In the ordinary shops found in town centres, where clothes cost far less than in designer stores.

• Cheap copies of catwalk designs often appear on the high street just weeks after the fashion shows.
• Small independent shops are struggling to survive on the high street as more people buy online.

Fashionable right now, especially in clothes, colours or design.

• The café's interior, with its plants and bare brick walls, feels very on trend for a young audience.
• Wide-leg trousers are very on trend this season, so the high street shops are full of them.

An official examination of a matter that has already started and is still continuing.

• The police refused to comment on the case because of an ongoing investigation into the fire.
• Two players were suspended by the club as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal betting.

To give someone new opportunities, especially in their career.

• An internship at a well-known company can open doors that would otherwise stay closed.
• The success of her first novel opened doors to the world of film and television.

Unusual or different from what normally happens or what you normally see.

• The hotel was certainly out of the ordinary, with guest rooms built inside old railway carriages.
• At first the results seemed nothing out of the ordinary, but further analysis revealed an unusual pattern.