Phrases & Expressions

A strong wish to learn and find out as much as possible.

• Good teachers encourage children's natural thirst for knowledge instead of simply preparing them for tests.
• Her thirst for knowledge led her to take online courses in astronomy, history and coding.

Used to move from one topic to the next in a talk or piece of writing.

• Many families simply cannot afford private tutors, and this brings me to my next point: the rising cost of education.
• So far I have discussed the benefits of remote work, and this brings me to my next point, which is its effect on teamwork.

To get involved in an activity eagerly, giving it all your time and effort.

• After moving to a new city, she threw herself into volunteering as a way of meeting people.
• If you throw yourself into your studies in the first year, the later years become much easier.

A very shocking and upsetting event that can affect someone for a long time.

• Children who have lived through a traumatic experience such as war may need long-term psychological support.
• Losing his job and his home in the same year was a deeply traumatic experience for him.

To behave towards someone as though they have the same importance and rights as you.

• Good managers treat their employees as equals and genuinely listen to their suggestions.
• My professor always treated me as an equal, which gave me the confidence to challenge her ideas.

Getting two things or benefits for the cost or effort normally needed for only one.

• This week the bookshop is selling all its dictionaries at two for the price of one.
• Cycling to work is two for the price of one: you save money and get fit at the same time.

Being talked about or considered, with no final decision made yet.

• Plans to introduce a four-day working week are currently under discussion in several European countries.
• The proposal under discussion would make public transport free for everyone under twenty-five.

To fail to realise how important something really is.

• Many students underestimate the importance of sleep when they are preparing for exams.
• We should never underestimate the importance of a good teacher in a child's life.

A huge area made up of many lands and peoples, all under the control of one ruler or state.

• At its height, the Ottomans ruled a vast empire stretching from Central Europe to the Persian Gulf.
• Ruling a vast empire was difficult in the ancient world because messages could take months to arrive.

To finally realize or understand the truth about a difficult situation.

• We need to wake up to the dangers of climate change.
• She finally woke up to how much trouble she was in.