These lists show you which words are used most often. They give you examples of their correct use in phrases or sentences. Note that some words may be used as noun, verb, adjective etc. For definitions and more uses and different meanings of these words you should refer to a good online dictionary or printed book dictionary of English.
area
The area of a circle is the radius squared multiplied by pi.
This learning activity should help you to understand how to calculate the area of a circle.
authority
The Health Authority gives money to the hospitals.
body
Her body is healthy but her brain is damaged.
Human communication is affected by body language and tone of voice as well as the actual words spoken.
book
I read the book from cover to cover.
The film is not a patch on the book (colloquial; not as good as).
business
The abolition of restrictions encourages business expansion.
What business is it of yours?
There was a conflict of interest between his business investments and his job as minister.
Money laundering is used to transfer money from drugs, smuggling and other crimes into legitimate business accounts.
She has a good reputation as a business leader.
His business affairs are kept separate from his political position.
The business students argued about the difference in meaning between
Her university degree is in Business Administration.
car
He was injured in a car accident.
My car has broken down so I will have to go by bus.
New car drivers must learn to operate the controls with skill.
The car repair job took 3 days.
The road was wide enough for the car to overtake.
You can use my car to drive to town.
If you approach the airport from the south, you will see a large car park.
The car factory has installed a new assembly line.
I need to insure my car against fire, theft and collision damage risks.
case
I’ll wait for you in case you are late.
You travel light; you have only one case and I have several bags.
He always carried his credit card in case of emergency.
centre
The sun is the centre of our universe.
change
She wished for a change in the weather.
He brought a change of clothes.
I didn’t have any small change so gave him paper money.
My decision is final; you will not persuade me to change my opinion.
child
He was convicted of child abuse.
My child is sick. Her children are 6 and 8 years old.
city
Mr Khan works in a city office.
Which way (direction) is it to the city centre?
The football club signed an agreement with the city council.
The baby was born at 03:30 in the city hospital.
He said that Vancouver is the best city bar none. (
London is the capital city of England.
Land is very expensive – especially in city centres and crowded countries.
community
There is a public party tonight in the community hall.
company
The accountant produced the company accounts for the tax inspector.
Don’t keep company with bad people.
The company went into administration and eventually closed down.
The labour union leaders and the company management reached a pay deal and averted a strike.
The company has advertised a new post – Chief Accounting Officer.
council
The local council looks after street cleaning.
She was elected to the Council of Ministers.
The United Nations Security Council condemned the act of war and called for a ceasefire.
They applied to the local council for planning approval to build a new office block.
country
We visited a country park.
France is a large country in Europe.
It is your duty to be loyal to your country and be a good citizen.
court
The court of King Rascali was corrupt.
The judge sits in court and hears criminal cases.
The court is very busy – the judge has to hear several cases this week.
The lawyer submitted a detailed argument to the court claiming that the defendant had an alibi.
He asked the court to award the plaintiff $50000 for the serious injuries he has suffered.
The decison of the district court was overturned by the higher court of appeal.
day
The day after tomorrow is Thursday.
The unnecessary movement of vehicles every day is a major cause of pollution.
development
Educational development is very important for the nation.
Foreign governments give development aid to poorer countries.
The Expressionist movement was an important stage in the development of modern art.
door
Please close the door when you go out.
effect
What effect will this have on my salary?
end
At the end of the day.
The far end of the road.
At the end of the meeting, there was a collection to raise money for the project.
eye
He has an eye for fine art.
Keep an eye on the children.
My left eye is hurting.
face
The face of modern Britain.
He washed his face and brushed his hair.
fact
Is this fact or fiction?
The fact is, I overslept.
family
This family of plants is nearing extinction.
My family consists of my mother, my father and me.
The family is on benefit; they depend on welfare benefits because there are so few jobs available.
figure
Look at the map in figure 8.
form
The footballer was in good form and scored two goals.
Fill in the form using a ballpoint pen.
friend
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
My friend John lives nearby.
government
The government has no control over the weather.
The government increase security controls due to the bomb scare.
The government is in charge of the army, education, health and trade.
He tried to gain an unfair advantage by bribing the government official.
group
A group of students were chatting.
On the basis of 5 litres per person, he calculated the group would need 50 litres of water per day.
hand
He lost his right hand in an industrial accident.
head
They were at the head of the race.
She is the head of marketing.
home
He lives at home with his parents.
England was the home of the industrial revolution.
hour
An hour has 60 minutes.
house
My house is on this street.
Part of the house fell down.
The house was in a poor state (condition).
One of the rooms in his house is used as a study.
The British House of Lords is unelected and some say undemocratic – but it works quite well most of the time.
idea
He has no idea about cooking.
I have an idea for a new book.
information
He gave false information to the police.
interest
He paid 12% interest on his loan.
Did he show any interest in her painting?
There was a conflict of interest between his business investments and his job as minister.
He earned 8% interest on the money in his savings account.
job
Have you posted your job application?
He has three years job experience in this industry.
There was a conflict of interest between his business investments and his job as minister.
It’s quite a job to climb that steep hill.
My job is well-paid and I I hope for another salary increase soon.
The car repair job took 3 days.
kind
What kind of fruit is this?
She is very kind and generous to everyone.
law
The new law was passed in parliament and enforced by the courts.
The law of nature says that all living things must eventually die.
level
The builder used a spirit-level to check whether the wall was level and true.
life
My aim in life is to work hard and to play hard.
line
The line of shoppers grew longer and longer.
man
This man works hard in the factory all day.
The police arrested the man and accused him of murder.
The old man was born a very long time ago.
If a dog bites a man, that is not news but if a man bites a dog, the newspapers will be interested.
market
The firm will enter a new market next year.
member
Are you a member of this club?
She is a respected member of the community.
million
Manchester United football club has bought a new player – he cost over a million Euro.
minister
The minister was accountable to parliament.
He was a minister in the Blair government.
She trained as minister of religion.
Mr Trasker is the Minister of Defence in the Social Democratic government.
money
The Health Authority gives money to the hospitals.
Do you have any money to hand?
I have no money so I cannot buy a new car.
Money laundering is used to transfer money from drugs, smuggling and other crimes into legitimate business accounts.
He earned 8% interest on the money in his savings account.
OXFAM and other charities launched an appeal to raise money for poor people.
At the end of the meeting, there was a collection to raise money for the project.
month
February is the only calendar month with 28 days.
mother
The mother fed her children.
The mother ship was escorted into harbour.
Her choice of clothes surprised her mother. Her mother wanted her to choose different clothes.
My mother and father have two children: a daughter and a son.
Mr
name
My name is Peter.
What’s the name of your hotel?
Can you name the 27 countries of the European Union?
I wrote his name and address in my notebook.
need
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
I need a new part for my car.
The old woman was in need of care due to her illness.
On the basis of 5 litres per person, he calculated the group would need 50 litres of water per day.
We need to budget for further expansion and increased advetising expenditure.
Students need careful advice about making wise career choices.
You will need a lot of force to break down that security door.
Wait a moment! This is not the right moment to go away. At moments like this, we need to be careful.
I need to insure my car against fire, theft and collision damage risks.
night
I have to work the night shift on alternate weeks.
number
This number is greater than ten.
office
I work in an office building.
The office of President is extremely powerful.
I asked at the theatre box office but they said that no seats were available.
They applied to the local council for planning approval to build a new office block.
other
Money laundering is used to transfer money from drugs, smuggling and other crimes into legitimate business accounts.
The other side of the moon.
Air is about 79% nitrogen and 20% oxygen; the rest is other gases including air pollution.
OXFAM and other charities launched an appeal to raise money for poor people.
part
I need a new part for my car.
He played the part of King Lear in the play.
I take part in sports.
Google Earth lets you zoom in on photographs of any part of the world.
party
It was no accident that they left the party at the same time.
We had a birthday party on Friday.
The Labour Party candidate was successful in the election.
There is a public party tonight in the community hall.
people
Some English people find strong Scottish accents difficult to understand.
With the arrival of foreign soldiers, the people were anxious.
Other people were present.
Some people eat pork and some don’t.
A lot of people were at the market.
What age are you? Only people aged 18 and over are allowed in this club.
His approach to the task is to be patient and persuasive; trying to bully people is not the best approach.
Most people have two arms and two legs. He has a tatoo on his right arm.
This baby submarine can carry two people to depths of 500 metres.
The MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) said it would bring about improvements in the lives of ordinary people in Zimbabwe.
per cent (%)
Inflation increased to 5 per cent (%) last year.
period
He was absent for a period of three weeks.
The period from June to August is a very busy time.
Her period was overdue.
The nineteenth century was a very turbulent period in British history.
person
He is a person of integrity.
She was acting like a very upset person but I
place
This is the place to be.
point
What is the point of doing that?
What is your point of view?
police
The police took action to reduce crime.
The protesters could not cross the police line.
The police arrested the man and accused him of murder.
After the terrorist attack, there was a lot of police activity at the airport.
The police became suspicious of his association with known terrorists and they brought him in for questioning.
The police force hopes to recruit women trainees.
After the fight, the police charged the suspect with assault.
policy
It is our policy to look after all our customers.
The committee members were in agreement about the new policy proposals.
power
Electric power is used for lighting, cooking and heating.
Political power corrupts many leaders.
problem
I have a problem with my car.
question
It’s a question of common sense.
I asked a question and he gave me an answer.
rate
What rate do you charge?
reason
He asked for the reason I was late.
Logic and reason can solve many problems but not all.
report
I was shocked by the report on global warming.
Jane’s school report was excellent.
I hope the report is on the agenda of the committee meeting.
result
The result of his negligence was severe injury.
What was the result of the test?
right
He lost his right hand in an industrial accident.
She is right to complain about the poor working conditions.
We have the right to vote.
Most people have two arms and two legs. He has a tatoo on his right arm.
The right to bear arms is enshrined in the US constitution. Firearms are dangerous.
Wait a moment! This is not the right moment to go away. At moments like this, we need to be careful.
road
Hard work is the road to success.
The road was wide enough for the car to overtake.
room
It looks so crowded; is there any room (space) to sit down?
This room is used for storing boxes.
The hotel offered us a room with a double bed or two single beds.
school
The alterations to the school rules were among many proposed changes.
My school class is learning English. .
Jane’s school report was excellent.
The school of fish swam away.
He liked the school teacher because she was knowledgeable and entertaining.
The school year has three terms or trimesters.
I like my new school – it’s a friendly but hard-working environment.
She wrote an interesting article for the school magazine.
service
What time does the bus service start?
The religious service began at 10:00.
The service is very fast in this restaurant.
The board of directors ordered all employees to be more efficient and give better service to customers.
side
The other side of the moon.
This side of summer.
This side of the road.
A side of beef.
society
state
The house was in a poor state (condition).
study
Conscientious study (process of learning) is the key to examination success.
The professor published his study of AIDS.
Psychologists study human behaviour and make associations between stimuli and responses.
system
The computer system failed to work properly.
term
The criminal was sentenced to a term of 10 years in jail.
What does the scientific term ‘relativity’ mean?
thing
What is this thing lying on the floor?
time
What time does the bus service start?
What time is it?
The old man was born a very long time ago.
use
What use are tea leaves if you have no hot water?
You can use my car to drive to town.
The FBI use secret agents to smash drugs cartels.
view
The view from Cape Town
war
The war on poverty is urgent.
There is a war of words between the politicians.
The United Nations Security Council condemned the act of war and called for a ceasefire.
water
There is a shortage of water in the desert.
She drinks two litres of water every day.
The laboratory analysis showed that the water was dangerously polluted.
On the basis of 5 litres per person, he calculated the group would need 50 litres of water per day.
way
I enjoy this way (method) of learning.
Which way (direction) is it to the city centre?
week
woman
She was the first woman to be become president.
The old woman was in need of care due to her illness.
word
The word ‘book’ can be used as a noun, as an adjective and as a verb.
They got word of his death.
I found the word in the dictionary.
The word data was originally the plural of datum.
Nowadays, the word data is generally used as an uncountable (mass) noun.
work
I work in an office building.
Hard work is the road to success.
The computer system failed to work properly.
I enjoy my work as a teacher.
Now that the boss is back, we had better work faster.
I have to work the night shift on alternate weeks.
My aim in life is to work hard and to play hard.
What percentage of students work hard for their examinations?
Which department do you work in?
world
She loves the world of art and literature.
He flew around the world in 3 days.
year
The school year has three terms or trimesters.
Last year I went to Spain.
A year has 12 months.
We pay our taxes year after year.