PHRASEOLOGY FOR CAE and CPE
Certificate of Advanced English (CAE). C1
Actually / (Quite) Frankly, I enjoy the process / satisfaction (B2) of writing (a big novel). Having said that / That said / However (1), you have to weigh up the pros and cons (B2) before you make the jump. I appreciate (2) the satisfaction of a fulfilling (C2) job.
Syn: advantages: One of the big pros of living in Madrid is the night life; It's an immensely satisfying / rewarding job.
Compare: notwithstanding (1); understand a situation (2). (C2)
Although death is terrifying, knowing that you are living to eternity without ever being able to die is even more terrifying (B2). See an eternity
As an artist, I took a liking to another quote I saw on Pinterest: "Art school taught me that my greatest tool is myself. See (too crowded / hot) for my liking. (C1)
As for me, all I know is (that) I know nothing. Socrates
Syn: concerning (B2), regarding, as far as sth / sb is concerned (B2): As far as I'm concerned, feng shui doesn't work.
Certain things in life are more important than the usual crap that everyone strives for. James TaylorDifficulties are just things to overcome (B2) after all (C1). Ernest Shackleton
Compare: 1. Her parents were overcome with grief at the funeral. (C2) [usually passive] to affect somebody very strongly. 2. I do like her, after all, she is my sister. (B1)
Don't let your brain interfere with your heart. Albert Einstein
Find someone you know who has no ambition whatsoever, and I can guarantee (B2) you they don't believe they'll ever be successful.
Having a purpose to write is way / far / much / a lot more important than making a living (B2) from it. Syn: get by (on/with sth), earn a living. Compare acquire a livelihood.
I'd rather annoy with the truth than please with adulation (B2). Seneca
I'm not a hopeless (B2) romantic. I'm quite the reverse. I'm a nasty piece of work, an ego maniac. Hugh Grant
I hated / loathed (C2) every minute of training (B1), but I said (to myself), 'Don't quit (B1). Suffer now and live the rest of your life as (B1) a champion. Muhammad Ali
Syn: loathe /loʊð/ (C2), abhor (C2), detest (oxford C1)
I learned that we can't do everything... at least (B2) not at the same time. So think of your priorities (B2) not in terms of (B2) what activities you do, but when you do them. Timing (B2) is everything. Dan Millman
See 1. anyway, 2. Consequently (B2).
I say what I want to say and do what I want to do. There's no in between. People will either love you (for it) or hate you for it. Eminem.
See I am not a huge fan of television and I hate being told what to think / to do and how to dress; I dislike people telling me what to think. I don't like you to tell me what to think; I don't like for you to tell me what to do because I want to learn from my mistakes. I hate being told what to think, I hate anyone trying to foist an opinion on me.
Note: I don't like / dislike people telling me what to do. I hate (it) when people tell me what to do; I'm fed up with your(r) telling me what to do; 2. I don't like people's telling me what to do. (sounds awkward, I would re-word it as: I don't like when people tell me what to do.)
If you want your children to be happy, read them fairy tales (B2). If you want them to be happier, read them more fairy tales (B2).
It's funny how when it comes to (B2) giving advice to others, I can tell you a lot but when it comes to (helping) myself i just dont know what to do
It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching. St. Francis of Assisi
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. Confucius
Not having a job is tough (B2). But that does not mean that you can't stop growing, making money, or being you! D. William Landsborough.
See: put a stop to sth: to stop an unpleasant, unwanted activity or habit from continuing:He used to smoke in bed when I first got to know him, but I soon put a stop to that!
James Dean, in a day in 1955, said to a friend 'My fun days are over. An hour later his car crashed and he was dead. A self-fulfilling prophecy or just bad luck?”
Sadly (B2) / Unfortunately / Unluckily, my fan days are over. James Dean
See: over (B2) (referring to a cause of interest, worry, discussion, etc.) connected with or about: There's no point in arguing over something so unimportant; I need time to talk/think over your proposal (= to discuss/consider it carefully);The legal battle was over who should have custody of the child.
The hardest part of moving forward (B2) is not looking back (B2).
Syn: onward(s) (C2), ahead, along: I'm usually at home from five o'clock onwards. Contrast Backwards.
The talent for being happy is / lies (B2) in appreciating (B2) what you have, instead of what you don't have / lack (B2)
The turning point (B2) really is just knowing you're an imbecile. Warren Cuccurullo
Syn: moronic (Oxford C2), cretin (Oxford C2), idiotic (Oxford C1), half-wit: You're idiotic; an idiotic question. Don't be so idiotic! ridiculous (B2); that's just idiotic. I mean, I'm not saying you're idiotic ...
The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do in order to have what you want. See in reverse (backwards): in the opposite order or way
To accomplish great things we must not only act (B2), but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. Anatole France
Without wonder and insight, acting is just a trade. With it, it becomes creation (B2). Bette Davis
Syn: understanding, knowledge.
ONE-LINERS C1
A bore is someone who deprives you of solitude (Oxford C2) without providing you with company. Oscar Wilde.
Any married man should forget his mistakes, there's no use / point (in) two people remembering the same thing. See what's the use of ...? Ex: Try not to get depressed; after all, what's the use of worrying?
Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It's very / really time consuming.
Compare: time-consuming: There are no insoluble problems. Only time-consuming ones. James A. Michener; I didn't see myself doing TV. It's time-consuming. Tyler Hilton; One of the most time-consuming things is to have an enemy. E. B. White
I always arrive late at the office, but I make up for (B2) (compensate) it by leaving early. See compensate (C2), Ex: Nothing will ever compensate for his lost childhood; His enthusiasm (B2) more than compensates for his lack of experience.
If God is watching us, the least we can do is be entertaining (B2). Syn: funny and enjoyable.
It’s not the fall / falling that kills you; it’s / but the sudden (B2) stop at the end.
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you. Joseph Heller (Catch-22)
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright (B2) until you hear them speak. Syn: intelligent, smart, ingenious, sharp (B2), on the ball (slang)
Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure makes misery (distress) easier to live with.
Never get into fights with ugly (C2) people, they have nothing to lose. Syn: get int sth: to become interested / being involved in an activity; ugly: unpleasant and threatening or violent: Ex: There were ugly scenes outside the stadium.
BOOK LINES C1
And meanwhile time goes about its immemorial work of making everyone look and feel like shit. You got that? Syn; undertake, engage in (C2), approach, tackle (a task). Martin Amis, London Fields
[A]nything worth dying for ... is certainly worth living for. — Joseph Heller (Catch-22)
I can resist everything but (B1) / except temptation. Oscar Wilde. Compare resist (C1) (fight against)
The only way to get rid of (a) temptation is to yield (C2) to it. Yielding to temptation is no big deal (to me). Oscar Wilde
Compare (C1): We got rid of our unwelcome guests by saying we had to go to bed.
See The only way of getting rid of the effects of alcohol is for your body to metabolise it and that takes time! On average your body metabolises one standard drink per hour. Alcohol makes it easier for people to socialise.
Whether (B1) I shall turn out to (B2) be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held (B1) by anybody else, these pages must show. C. Dickens, David Copperfield.
You have to be always drunk. That's all there is to it; it's the only way. So as not to feel the horrible burden of time that breaks your back and bends you to the earth, you have to be continually drunk. But on what? Wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish. But be drunk. Charles Baudelaire. Be Drunk.
Compare: so as to (B2): We read (so as) to know we are not alone. C.S. Lewis
Syn: in order to (B1): I shut my eyes in order to see. Paul Gauguin
Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). C2
Advertising is fundamentally persuasion and persuasion happens to (C1) be not a science, but an art. William Bernbach
As I have found out (discover), recognition has its upside (C1), its downside (C1) and, you may say, backside. This is not to say that recognition is a negative trait. However, you must constantly remind yourself that everything has an upside (C1) and a downside (C1) ...Pippa Middleton
Destiny has two ways of crushing us; by refusing our wishes and by fulfilling (C1) them. Henri Frederic Amiel
Crash (C1) inf. temporary infatuation; a strong but temporary feeling of liking someone; Ex: Crushes are common among teenagers; She has a crush on one of her teachers at school. Syn infatuation, enamoramiento, capricho, deseo.
Infatuation strong but not usually lasting feelings of love or attraction; infatuation (with/for sb/sth) very strong feelings of love or attraction for sb/sth, especially when these are unreasonable and do not last long; Ex: It isn't love, it's just a passing infatuation; The current infatuation with popular culture, Syn capricho, deseo, obsesión, pasión,
Dying is no big deal. Living is the trick (B2). Red Smith. Syn: a knack (for)
Compare: do the trick / job. Little by little does the trick / job. Aesop.
Fancy his being married all these years without my knowing it.
See: fancy (that)! an expression of surprise: Fancy seeing you here! "They have eight children." "Fancy that!" (how surprising!)
Harboring a / your resentment is allowing someone who you don't like to live inside your head without paying any rent.
Version: Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise (C1) live rent-free (Oxford C1) in your head. Ann Landers
Healthy eating in the long-term (B2) is more effective (B2) than calorie-counting as a means (B2) to lose weight.
Compare (C2) 1. Money; (+ to infinitive) He has the means to buy half the houses in the street if he wanted to. 2. In the long run (B2)
The trouble with being a hypochondriac these days is that antibiotics have cured all the good diseases. Caskie Stinnett.
I'm a complete hypochondriac. If my heart starts beating a little faster than normal, I think I'm having an attack. Antonio Banderas.
I was a fat child; I was asthmatic. No wonder I'm a hypochondriac. Alber Elbaz
If you're cast on 'The Vampire Diaries', the likelihood of you dying is very good. Kat Graham
See Taking a vacation can actually increase the likelihood of getting a raise or a promotion. Shawn Achor.
Compare: In all likelihood (almost certainly)
It took me years to come to terms with the death of my best friend. (accept, asimilar)
Marriage is give and take. You'd better give it to her or she'll take it anyway. Joey Adams
Maths is (very much / a lot / a great deal) like going to the gym for your brain; strengthens (B2) and sharpens your mind and it makes you smarter. Danica McKellar.
Syn: Math is a workout (C1) for your brain. Robin Schwartz
People think that at the end of the day (B2) a man is the only answer. Actually, a fulfilling job is better for me. Princess Diana
Technique is what you fall back on when you run out of inspiration. Rudolf Nureyev
Tell the truth so as to puzzle and confound your adversaries. Henry Wotton.
The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold (C1) two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function (B2). F. Scott Fitzgerald
The turning point (C1) in the process (B2) of growing up is when you discover the core (1) of strength within you that survives (B2) all hurt. Max Lerner
Syn: (1) essence (C2), main point, gist, root, bottom line (inf) (C2): Yet change is the very (C2) essence of life. (to emphasize, exact)
See: to the core (Idiom) In every way, to an extreme degree:: Only crime and the criminal, it is true, confront us with the perplexity of radical evil; but only the hypocrite is really rotten to the core. Hannah Arendt; He's a Conservative to the core; I was shocked to the core.
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Mahatma Gandhi (All Men are Brothers: Autobiographical Reflections)
Ultimately, you have to write what's coming at any given point in time. Fighting your instincts for practical reasons is (fighting) a losing battle (Oxford C2). Jonathan Tropper
Syn: At the end of the day (B2), after all (is said and done), basically (B2), essentially (B2), fundamentally (C2), in the end, primarily (B2) ...
Compare (C1) Eventually (B2), in the long run (B2).
Unconditional love with someone you've never met is a straightforward (C1) feeling that is so overwhelming (C1) and fulfilling. Marina Abramovic
Syn: 1. easy, undemanding, simple, uncomplicated. 2. irresistible (feeling)
When asked, 'How do you write? I invariably / always answer, 'one word at a time.' Stephen King
Corruption (C1) is worse than prostitution. The latter (Oxford C1) might endanger the morals of an individual, the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire (B2) country. Karl Kraus;
Literature throws us many great heroes. Real life invariably outdoes (C1) them. W. Smith;
The trouble with telling a good story is that it invariably reminds the other fellow (B2) of a dull (B2) one. Sid Caesar
ONE-LINERS C2
A man in love is incomplete until he has married. Then he's finished (done for). Zsa Zsa Gabor
By all means let's be open-minded (C1), but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.
I intend to live forever. So far, so good. Steven Wright.
If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of payments (B2) / car installments.
Version: If you get married they think you're finished (done for) and if you are without a woman they think you're incomplete. Charles Bukowski
You can't blame gravity for falling in love. Albert Einstein.
See blame sth on so (B2): The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone else he can blame it on. Robert Bloch; The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny. Albert Ellis
SAYINGS AND PROVERBS C2
A rolling stone gathers no moss: A person who is always changing jobs and places has the advantage of less responsibilities, but also the disadvantage of no fixed place to live: Example: He was a bit of rolling stone before he got the job and settled down.
Appearances can be deceptive: Outward appearance may not be what you believe them to be.
As you / ye sow, so shall you / ye reap used to mean that the way you behave in life will affect the treatment you will receive from others
Note: "Ye" is a word meaning "you", used when talking to more than one person: Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
beauty is in the eye of the beholder: What may seem beautiful to one person may not seem to another. Ex: Example: You may not like the curves of my new car, but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Better to wear out than to rust out It is better to remain active than to be idle (used mainly for old people). Example: X: Seeing your age, I wouldn’t recommend you to work so hard. Y: It’s better to wear out than to rust out.
Curses, like chickens, come home to roost The consequences of doing wrong always catch up with the wrongdoer. Example: Politicians can fool some people some of the time, but in the end, chickens come home to roost.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew Don’t take more responsibility than you can handle. Example: I bit off more than I can chew when I said ‘yes’ to my boss for another project.
Don’t put the cart before the horse Do things in proper order. ‘Horse before the cart’ is the proper order, and not ‘cart before the horse’. Ex: Example: Don’t put the cart before the horse by finalizing the house you want to buy before you arrange the funds for down payment.
Familiarity breeds contempt If you know a situation, person, or thing well, you stop respecting them and become careless; Ex: After working so many years in that role, I don’t like it. I guess familiarity breeds contempt.
Get out while the going (getting) is good To leave a place or situation before conditions worsen and it becomes difficult to leave. Ex: With the stock market at an all-time high and further upside looking difficult, we decided to sell our shares and get out while the going was good.
Grief divided is made lighter If you share your grief, it’ll get easier to bear. Ex: You shouldn’t hold back the news of financial loss you’ve incurred in your business. Grief divided is made lighter.
Honesty is the best policy It’s always better to be truthful and honest, even if the opposite may get you the benefits. Ex: I think you should just explain what happened, rather than trying to cover your tracks. Honesty is the best policy, after all.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it If something is working fine, don’t change it unnecessarily. Ex: X: Why do you want to change this component in the machine when everything is working fine? Y: OK. I agree. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride If things were to happen by just wishing them, even the poorest will have everything they want. Ex: X: I want to be in a job that would pay me a million dollars a year. Y: If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Stop fooling yourself and work hard towards your goal.
If you buy cheaply, you pay dearly cheap things work out expensive in the long run; Syn Bargain may not be a good buy; cheap things are often of low quality; don't be penny wise and pound foolish.
Note: 1. expensively. 2. Sincerely.
Ignorance is bliss If you don’t know about something, you don’t need to bother about it. In other words, if you’re unaware of something, it won’t cause you stress. This proverb, however, is often used in negative way – ignorance is not bliss: Ex: I didn’t know that the neighbor next door was involved in criminal activities. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
It’s never too late to mend It’s never too late to change your wrong ways or habits. Ex: X: I still miss my best friend, but it’s been a year since our fight and we haven’t spoken to each other since. Y: Well, it’s never too late to mend; why don’t you call him up and apologize?
No cows, no cares (B2)
Don’t count your chickens (before they are hatched) (C2) said to emphasize that you cannot depend on something happening before it has happened
It’s not over till it’s over Till the event has completely played, you’re still in with a chance to succeed. It takes two to make a quarrel. An argument of quarrel is not one person’s fault. Ex: X: Why are you always so quarrelsome? Y: I’m not the only person involved. It takes two to make a quarrel. Syn: It takes two to tango: Where two parties are involved in a situation, fault usually lies with both if things go wrong. Rarely can one party be blamed entirely.
(it's/there's) no use crying over spilt milk (redirected from It's no use crying over spilt milk) (B2): What's done cannot be undone; It does no good to get upset over a bad decision or unfortunate event that has already come to pass and cannot be changed. Ex: I was such a fool to take out that second mortgage. Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk!
Lightning never strikes twice in the same place Misfortune does not occur twice in the same way to the same person. Ex: X: I don’t want to take this route, because I was robbed the last time I traveled on this route. Y: Don’t worry, lightning never strikes twice in the same place.
Look before you leap Consider all consequences before taking an action, especially when you can’t retract. Ex: X: I’m planning to pursue an MBA. Y: It’s an expensive degree and, moreover, you’ll be out of work for two years. I would say look before you leap.
Make hay while the sun shines Make the most of favorable conditions till they last. Ex: I got plenty of referral traffic to my website from Facebook in its initial years. I made hay while the sun shone. Later on they changed their algorithm, after which the traffic dried.
Every cloud has a silver lining (B2): every sad or difficult situation has a positive side;
Never put off till until tomorrow what you can do today 1. postpone, Don’t delay doing something if you can do it immediately, 2. to make somebody dislike somebody/something or not trust them/it. Ex: She's very clever but her manner does tend to put people off; Don't be put off by how it looks—it tastes delicious.
The end justifies the means A positive outcome justifies the methods one employs to reach it, even if they are unethical: I know you think that the end justifies the means, but stealing to feed the poor is still stealing. Syn: All’s well that ends well: As long as the outcome is good, problems on the way don’t matter.
RHETORICAL QUESTIONS C2
What likelihood is there of corrupting a man who has no ambition? Samuel Richardson
BOOK LINES C2
Finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, (The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha).
I've always had a weakness for lost causes once they're really lost. Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind),
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." F. Scott Fitzgerald, (The Great Gatsby) Syn: fig. reflect on, think deeply about, ponder, sopesar.
Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs.' Charlotte Bronte. Syn: hostility, hatred (C1), dislike (B2).
Life is to be lived, not (to be) controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play / playing in (the) face of (1) certain defeat. Ralph Ellison. (1): despite having to deal with a difficult situation or problem. See mother(s)-to-be, bride-to-be ... (in the near future)
No man, for any considerable period (of time), can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which (one) may be the true. Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
We cast a shadow on something wherever we stand, and it is no good moving from place to place to save things; because the shadow always follows. Choose a place where you won't do harm - yes, choose a place where you won't do very much harm, and stand in it for all you are worth, facing the sunshine. Syn: to the utmost / fullest. E.M. Forster, (A Room with a View)
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