Phrases & Expressions

To make a country or region depend on a wider range of industries and products.

• Oil-rich countries are trying to diversify their economies by investing in tourism and technology.
• The government plans to diversify the economy so that the region is less dependent on farming.

To decorate or furnish a room or building in a particular way; mainly British.

• The hotel has been done out in a modern style, with bright colours and wooden floors.
• We did the spare room out in pale blue and turned it into a small office.

To compare two things to show how they are similar, often in order to explain an idea.

• The lecturer drew an analogy between the human brain and a computer to explain how memory works.
• It is tempting to draw an analogy with the financial crisis of 2008, but today's situation is quite different.

To spend too much time thinking or talking about something bad that has happened.

• My counsellor pointed out that dwelling on past failures was only making my anxiety worse.
• She tends to dwell on minor mistakes, which makes giving presentations far more stressful than it needs to be.

To make debts easier to manage, for example by lowering interest rates or allowing more time to pay.

• The new agreement aims to ease the debt burden on the world's poorest nations.
• The government plans to ease the debt burden on students by freezing interest rates.

A strange, unnatural quiet that makes people feel uneasy.

• After the storm passed, an eerie silence fell over the village.
• During the lockdown, an eerie silence hung over the normally busy city centre.

A speech that uses language skilfully and powerfully, so that it moves or persuades listeners.

• The head of the charity made an eloquent speech about why every child deserves access to clean water.
• Even the most eloquent speech will not change people's minds if the evidence behind it is weak.

To recover from an economic downturn, with output and employment beginning to rise again.

• The economy emerged from recession last spring, but many families are still struggling.
• The country took almost three years to emerge from recession after the banking crisis.

To send gases such as carbon dioxide into the air, where they trap heat.

• Cars, power stations and factories emit greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
• Countries that emit the most greenhouse gases are under growing pressure to cut their emissions quickly.

To use a particular plan or method in order to achieve something.

• Successful readers employ a range of strategies, such as skimming and predicting, to understand difficult texts.
• The company employed a clever marketing strategy to attract younger customers to its products.