You know the adjective.

You know the verb.

You know the noun.

And then you get to the preposition...

in? at? for? of? about?

Suddenly, you’re not quite so sure.

Consider these:

I’m really interested in language.
She’s very good at explaining things.
Who’s responsible for this?
I’m not particularly keen on the idea.
He apologised for being late.

Why interested in but good at?

Why responsible for but capable of?

Usually, there isn’t a particularly useful answer.

The preposition is simply part of the language pattern.

And that’s exactly why dependent prepositions cause so many problems — even at C1 and C2.

What You’ll Learn in This Premium Lesson

In this article, we’ll look at dependent prepositions as lexical chunks rather than lists to memorise.

You’ll learn:

• useful C1/C2 verb, adjective and noun + preposition patterns

• how a change of preposition can change the meaning of a word

• why structures such as object to doing and be accustomed to doing cause so many mistakes

• dependent-preposition patterns particularly useful for Cambridge C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency

• a quiz at the end to see how well you’ve understood them

Most importantly, I’ll show you a much better way of learning dependent prepositions than trying to memorise endless lists of individual words.

Subscribe now

Read more

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know that I have a bit of a thing about learning language in context.

And phrasal verbs are a perfect example.

You can sit down with a list:

allow for = take into account
ask after = ask about someone’s health or wellbeing

And yes, you may remember them long enough to pass a vocabulary test.

But will they actually come to you naturally when you’re speaking?

That’s a different matter.

Phrasal verbs are lexical chunks

I always encourage advanced learners to pay attention not only to what a phrasal verb means, but to how it behaves in real language.

Look at this example:

When planning the journey, we allowed for heavy traffic and possible roadworks.

Allow for means to take something into account when making plans.

But don’t just memorise that definition. Notice the language around it:

allow for heavy traffic
allow for unexpected delays
allow for extra time
allow for the possibility that…

You’re beginning to build a network of language around the phrasal verb rather than learning two isolated words.

And here’s another useful one:

ask after someone

If I say:

When I bumped into David, he asked after you.

David didn’t ask to speak to you. He asked how you were.

There’s also something quite warm about asking after someone. It suggests continued interest or concern:

My grandmother still asks after all my old school friends when I visit her.

These are exactly the kinds of details that help move a phrasal verb from something you recognise to something you can actually use.

Watch this short extract

The video below is a short extract from Lesson 7 of my C1/C2 Phrasal Verbs course.

As you watch, don’t try to memorise everything.

Listen to the examples, notice the language surrounding each phrasal verb and, most importantly, picture the situation.

That’s far more effective than trying to learn a list.

Want to go further?

My complete C1/C2 Phrasal Verbs course is currently available at a half-price introductory price of just £14.75.

It includes full explanations and examples, lesson materials, self-assessment activities, video quizzes and an A–Z reference guide — all designed to help you understand phrasal verbs in context, rather than simply memorising definitions.

👉 Get the complete course for £14.75 here:

400 + Essential Phrasal Verbs

The introductory half-price offer is available for a limited time.

Account for is one of those phrasal verbs that looks simple until you notice it’s quietly doing two jobs at once. The first: to explain the reason for something — “He couldn’t account for his absence at the meetings.”

Of course, there is also another meaning — a financial one — he couldn’t account for the missing money. You’ll find that on my Phrasal Verbs course.

I can’t help but smile as I post this, as it reminds me of an idiom — “There’s no accounting for taste” — meaning it’s difficult to understand why other people like or dislike things that you like or dislike. The reason I smile is because it’s more often than not used disparagingly about someone’s taste in clothes, people, anything really.

You can imagine you and your partner being invited by someone you don’t know well to their house, and they proudly show you their newly decorated living room, painted in shocking, vivid colours, with floral curtains and sofas and armchairs that don’t match. When you leave, after saying your polite goodbyes, you look at your partner and say, “Well, there’s no accounting for taste, is there?” He or she replies, “I suppose not. I just wish I’d worn my sunglasses!” 😂

On an academic note — because, of course, I am such a serious teacher — the expression “there’s no accounting for taste” is adapted from the Latin proverb -

De gustibus non est disputandum, meaning “there is no disputing about taste.”

Ok, OK! I wasn’t really aware of that. I just looked it up! 😅

You can find my 400+ Phrasal Verbs course here -

Check it. out

- - if you’re in the mood to overcome the nightmare phrasal verbs give some learners.

Every so often a Chatterbox Zoom Workshop session reminds me why I still love teaching after all these years — not because everything goes smoothly, but because of the moments that don’t.

An Idioms Challenge

Last Sunday we were working through a set of idioms with five students over Zoom. As I usually do, I split them into a group and a pair in breakout rooms, then went back and forth between the two to help out — nothing unusual in that; idioms come up in every advanced class I run. But it’s the tangents that make these sessions worth showing up for, for me as much as for the students.

A Detour

It started innocently enough. Sladjana was a few minutes late joining, apologised, and I jokingly threatened detention. That led — as these things do — to a proper detour: detention, the noun, versus the verb, detain. Which led to a much more natural way of saying the same thing: held up. Which led, inevitably, to a discussion of what a hold-up actually means — raising your hand in a classroom, a traffic jam on the motorway, or, at the more dramatic end, someone pointing a gun at you in an old cowboy film. One small phrasal verb, three completely different pictures in your head, depending on context. That’s the sort of thing you can’t really get from a vocabulary list — you have to talk your way into it.

Grasp the nettle

Later, working through the idiom “grasp the nettle,” I ended up telling a story I hadn’t thought about in years — my cousin Michael, on a childhood coach trip, falling into a patch of nettles by the roadside, and being pulled out with his legs covered in stings. And, oddly, the one useful thing I remember from that day: a dandelion leaf rubbed on a nettle sting genuinely takes the pain away. Small bit of folk medicine, decades old, still rattling around in my head. That’s not in any textbook — but it’s exactly the kind of detail that makes an idiom stick.

Carry a torch for someone

My favourite moment, though, came from one of the students. We were working on “carrying a torch for someone” — to be in love with them, still, quietly, maybe for a long time. One student had checked the phrase and come back with a different meaning entirely: carrying a torch for the next generation. Not wrong, exactly — just a completely different idiom, picked up from a quick ChatGPT search rather than a dictionary. We had a good laugh about it, but it made a genuinely useful point: AI tools are extraordinary for a lot of things, but nuance — knowing which of several meanings actually fits the moment — is still where a human teacher earns their keep.

By the end of the session, we’d worked through idioms most students found harder than expected — not because they were obscure or old-fashioned, but because idioms rarely give up their meaning without context. As I said to the group: it just goes to show. These aren’t rare, dusty expressions either — they’re exactly the sort of thing that turns up at C2 level, in exams and in real conversation alike.

This is, more or less, what a Chatterbox session actually looks like — less a lecture, more a conversation that keeps finding its way into unexpected corners. If that sounds like your kind of English practice, Chatterbox runs every Sunday and I’d be glad to have you along.

You can join here: https://highflyerenglish.learnworlds.com/program/chatterbox-sunday-zoom-workshops

Chatterbox Zoom Workshops

If you’d like to have a chat on Zoom first, I’m happy to do so. Get in touch!

All the best,

Steve

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ll know that I keep coming back to lexical chunks.

There’s a reason for that.

Advanced speakers don’t construct everything they say one word at a time. A great deal of natural conversation consists of ready-made pieces of language:

Bear in mind...

I see your point.

Just a heads-up...

Needless to say...

Let me get this straight...

Native speakers reach for expressions like these automatically. And if you’re working towards C1 or C2 English — particularly Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) or C2 Proficiency (CPE) — they’re enormously useful.

They help you sound less as though you’re translating or assembling English and more as though you’re actually thinking in English.

But there’s an interesting distinction here.

Some expressions are fixed. We tend to reproduce them in essentially the same form.

Others are semi-fixed. They contain a recognisable framework, but we can change part of it:

Can I ask you something?

Can I ask you a quick question?

Can I ask you something rather personal?

For advanced learners, these semi-fixed patterns are particularly valuable because learning one expression can give you several — sometimes dozens — of things you can actually say.

So here are 50 conversational expressions worth having at your fingertips.

And no, they’re not all idioms. In fact, that’s rather the point.

1. Absolutely

Type: Fixed / semi-fixed depending on use

Meaning/use: Used alone, it’s a strong and confident way of agreeing or confirming something. It can also form part of larger chunks such as absolutely right, absolutely not and absolutely certain.

Example:
“Do you think we should go ahead?” “Absolutely.”

Useful extensions:
You’re absolutely right.
Absolutely not!
I’m absolutely certain.

2. All set

Type: Fixed / semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Used to say that you — or something — are completely ready.

Example:
“Ready to go?” “Yep, all set.”

It can also be extended:

We’re all set for tomorrow.

3. As a matter of fact

Type: Semi-fixed discourse marker

Meaning/use: Often introduces information that corrects an assumption, adds an unexpected detail or strengthens what you’ve just said.

Example:
“Have you ever been to Lisbon?” “As a matter of fact, I was there last month.”

Notice that it doesn’t necessarily mean simply in fact. In conversation, it often carries a slight sense of: Actually, since you mention it...

4. At the end of the day

Type: Fixed expression; somewhat idiomatic in meaning

Meaning/use: Used to introduce what you regard as the most important consideration after everything else has been discussed.

Example:
“We can argue about the details, but at the end of the day, somebody has to make a decision.”

It’s extremely common — perhaps too common in business English — but still very useful.

5. Bear in mind

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Used to remind someone to take an important fact into consideration.

Examples:
Bear in mind that this is only a draft.
You need to bear that in mind.

This is a good example of why I like semi-fixed language. Learn the framework rather than one isolated sentence.

6. By all means

Type: Fixed

Meaning/use: A polite and sometimes quite emphatic way of giving permission or encouraging somebody to do something.

Example:
“Would you mind if I opened the window?” “By all means.”

Depending on your tone, it can sound rather more enthusiastic than a simple yes.

7. Can I ask you something?

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: A useful way of preparing someone for a question, particularly when the question may be personal, important or slightly awkward.

Variants:
Can I ask you a quick question?
Can I ask you something personal?
Can I ask you a favour?

Example:
“Can I ask you something? Why don’t you ask Emily out as you’re so fond of her? You too shy?

”

8. Can you give me a hand?

Type: Semi-fixed / mildly idiomatic

Meaning/use: An informal, friendly request for help.

Variants:
Could you give me a hand with this?
Can you give us a hand?

Example:
“Can you give me a hand with these boxes?”

The hand is figurative, of course. Please don’t detach one.

9. Can’t complain

Type: Fixed conversational response

Meaning/use: A wonderfully understated response to How are you? or How are things? It generally means that things are reasonably good.

Example:
“How’s life?” “Can’t complain.”

This is particularly at home in British English. Your roof may have blown off, the boiler may have packed up and the dog may have eaten your passport, but otherwise — can’t complain.

10. Case in point

Type: Fixed

Meaning/use: Used to introduce a particular example that demonstrates what you’ve just been saying.

Example:
“He never checks his messages. Case in point: I emailed him three days ago and he still hasn’t replied.”

It’s useful in conversation, but also particularly valuable in more formal discussion and writing.

Those first ten are free. Paid subscribers can continue with all 40 remaining expressions below, including useful language for disagreeing politely, changing your mind, asking for clarification, managing conversations and — naturally — a little British sarcasm.

Subscribe now

11. Do me a favour

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Used when asking someone to do something for you. Intonation matters enormously: it can be a friendly request or an expression of irritation.

Variants:
Can you do me a favour?
Do me a quick favour and...

Example:
“Do me a favour and send me the link, will you?”

And with very different intonation:

“Oh, do me a favour!”

That second version means something closer to Don’t be ridiculous. Same words. Very different message.

12. Do you have a minute?

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: A conventional way of asking for someone’s attention without immediately launching into your question.

Variants:
Have you got a minute?
Do you have a couple of minutes?
Have you got a second?

Example:
“Do you have a minute? There’s something I’d like to run past you.”

13. For the record

Type: Semi-fixed discourse marker

Meaning/use: Used to make your position clear, particularly when you want what you’re saying to be understood or remembered accurately.

Example:
“For the record, I thought it was a bad idea from the beginning.”

It can sound serious, defensive or playfully mock-serious depending on context.

14. From my perspective

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Introduces a viewpoint while making it clear that you’re presenting your own interpretation rather than an absolute fact.

Variants:
From my point of view...
From our perspective...
From a practical perspective...

Example:
“From my perspective, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.”

Very useful for advanced discussion and exam speaking.

15. Guess what?

Type: Fixed conversational opener

Meaning/use: Used to announce news that you expect the listener to find interesting or surprising.

Example:
“Guess what? I’ve finally passed my driving test.”

Usually, you’re not actually asking the other person to guess.

16. Hang in there

Type: More idiomatic

Meaning/use: Used to encourage somebody who is going through a difficult or frustrating period.

Example:
“I know you’re exhausted, but hang in there — you’re nearly finished.”

Informal, supportive and extremely common.

17. Have you heard?

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: A conversational opener used to introduce news — and, let’s admit it, occasionally gossip.

Variants:
Have you heard the news?
Have you heard about Sarah?
Have you heard what happened?

Example:
“Have you heard? They’re closing the office at the end of the year.”

18. Hold on a second

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Used to ask somebody to wait briefly. It can also interrupt a conversation when you’ve suddenly noticed a problem or inconsistency.

Variants:
Hold on a minute.
Hold on a moment.
Hang on a second.

Example:
“Hold on a second — that isn’t what you said yesterday.”

19. How about that?

Type: Fixed conversational response

Meaning/use: Expresses surprise, interest or mild admiration.

Example:
“She’s just been promoted to director.” “Well, how about that?”

The reaction is often deliberately understated.

20. I agree with you

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: A straightforward agreement pattern that can easily be strengthened, qualified or restricted.

Variants:
I completely agree with you.
I agree with you up to a point.
I agree with you on that.

Example:
“I agree with you up to a point, but I think we’re overlooking one important issue.”

That last version is particularly useful at C1/C2: agreement doesn’t always have to mean complete agreement.

21. I can’t help but...

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Used when a thought, feeling or reaction seems difficult to prevent.

Variants:
I can’t help but wonder...
I can’t help but think...
I can’t help but feel...

Example:
“I can’t help but wonder whether we’re making a mistake.”

A very useful framework for expressing reservations indirectly.

22. I see your point

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Acknowledges that somebody’s argument has merit without necessarily saying you agree with it completely.

Variants:
I do see your point.
I can see your point.
I see your point, but...

Example:
“I see your point, but I’m still not convinced.”

An excellent expression for disagreement without turning the conversation into a duel.

23. I’ll give it a try

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Expresses willingness to attempt something, without promising success.

Variants:
I’ll give it a go.
I’ll give it another try.
I’ll give it my best shot.

Example:
“I’ve never made sourdough before, but I’ll give it a try.”

24. I’ll take care of it

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Reassures somebody that you’ll deal with a task, problem or responsibility.

Variants:
I’ll take care of that.
Don’t worry — I’ll take care of everything.

Example:
“Who’s going to contact the hotel?” “I’ll take care of it.”

25. In other words

Type: Semi-fixed discourse marker

Meaning/use: Used to reformulate an idea — often making it clearer, simpler or more direct.

Example:
“We’re unlikely to meet the deadline. In other words, we need more time.”

Related reformulation chunks include:

To put it another way...
What I mean is...
Put simply...

These are particularly valuable because advanced fluency involves being able to rephrase, not merely knowing more vocabulary.

26. In that case

Type: Semi-fixed discourse marker

Meaning/use: Introduces a response or decision resulting from information you’ve just received.

Example:
“The last train leaves at ten.” “In that case, we’d better go.”

Possible extensions:
Well, in that case...
If that’s the case...

27. Just a heads-up

Type: Semi-fixed / mildly idiomatic

Meaning/use: Gives someone advance warning or useful information, usually informally.

Variants:
Just a quick heads-up...
Thanks for the heads-up.

Example:
“Just a heads-up — the road outside is closed.”

28. Just in case

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Refers to taking a precaution because something might happen.

Examples:
“Take an umbrella, just in case.”
“I’ll save a copy just in case anything goes wrong.”

You can also have:

just in case you need it
just in case we’re late

29. Keep me posted

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Asks someone to continue giving you information as a situation develops.

Variants:
Keep us posted.
Keep me posted on what happens.
I’ll keep you posted.

Example:
“Let me know what the doctor says — keep me posted.”

30. Let me get this straight

Type: Semi-fixed conversational frame

Meaning/use: Used before repeating information to check that you’ve understood correctly. It often suggests surprise or disbelief.

Example:
“Let me get this straight. You sold your house, bought a boat and you’ve never actually sailed before?”

Excellent territory for British incredulity.

31. Let’s be clear

Type: Semi-fixed conversational frame

Meaning/use: Introduces a firm clarification, often when the speaker wants to remove any possibility of misunderstanding.

Variants:
Let’s be absolutely clear.
Let’s be clear about one thing.

Example:
“Let’s be clear: nobody is suggesting we cancel the project.”

32. Long story short

Type: More idiomatic / formulaic

Meaning/use: Signals that you’re going to omit the details and give the important outcome.

Example:
“Long story short, we missed the flight and spent the night at the airport.”

You will also hear the fuller British form:

To cut a long story short...

33. Make a note of it

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Used literally for recording information, but also for deliberately remembering something.

Variants:
Make a note of that.
Make a mental note of it.
I’ll make a note of it.

Example:
“Make a note of that date — we’ll need it later.”

34. Needless to say

Type: Semi-fixed discourse marker

Meaning/use: Introduces something that is unsurprising or can easily be inferred from the situation.

Example:
“Needless to say, he wasn’t particularly pleased.”

It can sometimes be used ironically when what follows is anything but needless to say.

35. No problem

Type: Fixed / semi-fixed depending on use

Meaning/use: Common response to thanks, apologies or requests. It reassures the other person that something causes no difficulty.

Variants:
No problem at all.
That’s no problem.
It shouldn’t be a problem.

Example:
“Sorry I’m a bit late.” “No problem.”

36. Not a chance

Type: Fixed conversational response

Meaning/use: A strong, informal refusal or statement that something definitely won’t happen.

Example:
“Are you going swimming in that?” “Not a chance.”

37. On second thought

Type: Semi-fixed discourse marker

Meaning/use: Signals that you’ve reconsidered what you were about to say or do.

Example:
“I’ll have the chocolate cake. On second thought, make that the cheesecake.”

Also common:

On second thoughts... — particularly in British English.

38. Pardon me

Type: Fixed / semi-fixed depending on use

Meaning/use: A polite expression used when asking somebody to repeat something, apologising for an interruption or attracting attention.

Example:
“Pardon me, is this seat taken?”

Depending on intonation, Pardon me? can also express surprise — and occasionally considerable disapproval.

39. Point taken

Type: Fixed conversational response

Meaning/use: Shows that you’ve understood and accepted somebody’s criticism or argument.

Example:
“You could have checked before you sent it.” “Point taken.”

It doesn’t necessarily mean I completely agree. Sometimes it means Yes, all right, you’ve made your point — can we move on now?

40. Right away

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Indicates that something will happen immediately or with very little delay.

Example:
“Could somebody deal with this right away?”

Related chunks include:

straight away
right this minute
as soon as possible

41. See you around

Type: Fixed conversational formula

Meaning/use: Informal goodbye, normally suggesting that you expect to encounter the person again without having made definite arrangements.

Example:
“Right, I’m off. See you around.”

42. Take your time

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Reassures somebody that they don’t need to hurry.

Variants:
Take your time with it.
Take all the time you need.

Example:
“I’m nearly finished.” “Take your time — there’s no rush.”

43. That makes sense

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Shows that you understand the logic or explanation behind something.

Variants:
That makes perfect sense.
That makes a lot more sense.
That doesn’t make sense.

Example:
“She left early because she had a train to catch.” “Ah, that makes sense.”

44. To be honest

Type: Semi-fixed discourse marker

Meaning/use: Introduces a frank opinion, particularly one that may not be what the listener expects or wants to hear.

Variants:
To be perfectly honest...
If I’m honest...
Honestly...

Example:
“To be honest, I thought the first film was much better.”

It’s also an excellent example of hedging. Instead of simply announcing The film was terrible, we prepare the listener for the opinion.

Very British. We like to give people a little warning before disappointing them.

45. Wait a minute

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Can literally ask somebody to wait, but is also commonly used when you’ve suddenly noticed something surprising, contradictory or suspicious.

Variants:
Wait a second.
Hang on a minute.
Just a minute.

Example:
“Wait a minute — you said you weren’t going!”

46. What do you think?

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Invites somebody’s opinion and is extremely useful for keeping a conversation moving.

Variants:
What do you think about it?
What do you think of that?
What do you think we should do?

Example:
“I’m thinking of changing jobs. What do you think?”

47. Would you mind...?

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: A highly productive framework for polite requests.

Examples:
Would you mind closing the window?
Would you mind waiting outside for a moment?
Would you mind if I sat here?

Notice the patterns:

Would you mind + -ing?

Would you mind if + clause?

This is exactly why semi-fixed expressions are so valuable: you’re not learning one sentence. You’re learning a reusable language pattern.

48. You’re absolutely right

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Strong agreement, often useful when acknowledging another person’s argument before adding your own point.

Variants:
You’re quite right.
You’re absolutely right about that.
You’re right up to a point.

Example:
“We should have checked first.” “You’re absolutely right.”

49. You’re not alone

Type: Semi-fixed

Meaning/use: Reassures somebody that other people share the same difficulty, feeling or experience.

Variants:
You’re certainly not alone.
You’re not alone in thinking that.
You’re not the only one.

Example:
“I find phrasal verbs difficult.” “Believe me, you’re not alone.”

50. Thanks a lot / Thanks a bunch / Thanks a million

Type: Semi-fixed family of conversational expressions

Meaning/use: These extend the basic thanks formula and allow you to vary warmth, enthusiasm — and occasionally sarcasm.

Sincere:
“You stayed behind to help me — thanks a million.”

Warm and conversational:
“Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it.”

Sarcastic:
“You’ve eaten the last biscuit? Thanks a bunch.”

And this is where vocabulary lists often let learners down.

The dictionary meaning of thanks a lot is easy.

Knowing that the same words can mean genuine gratitude or precisely the opposite, depending on intonation and context, is part of knowing how English actually works.

Don’t just learn words — collect chunks

If you’re aiming for advanced English, try changing the way you record vocabulary.

Instead of writing:

Or perhaps you’re preparing for Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) or C2 Proficiency (CPE) and need help with the areas that are holding you back.

For a limited number of learners, I’m offering my one-to-one Advanced English Coaching Programme.

This isn’t a course with a fixed syllabus. We start with you — your English, your goals and the areas that need attention — and I build the programme around that.

We might work on:

✓ speaking more naturally and confidently
✓ collocations, phrasal verbs and other lexical chunks
✓ eliminating those persistent errors that keep creeping back
✓ developing genuinely advanced C1/C2 vocabulary
✓ Cambridge CAE or CPE preparation
✓ writing, with detailed correction and feedback
✓ pronunciation, fluency and natural spoken

The programme includes:

✓ 10 × 90-minute private Zoom sessions
✓ A free initial Zoom consultation
✓ A personalised learning plan
✓ Homework and detailed feedback
✓ Writing correction where appropriate
✓ WhatsApp support between sessionS✓ Flexible scheduling

The complete 10-session programme is £495.

PLUS ✓ FREE access to my High Flyer English Chatterbox Zoom workshops while you’re enrolled (normally £30 per month

I’ve been teaching English for over 20 years, including working as a British Council teacher trainer, and I specialise in advanced learners and Cambridge C1/C2 preparation.

My teaching is strongly influenced by the Lexical Approach. In other words, we don’t just study individual words and grammar rules. We work on the collocations, expressions, patterns and chunks of language that help advanced learners sound genuinely natural.

I’m only taking on a small number of one-to-one learners, so if you think this might be right for you, the first step is simply to have a chat.

Message me here or email me at steve@highflyerenglish.com and we’ll arrange a free Zoom consultation.

No obligation — we’ll talk about your English, what you want to achieve, and whether I think I can help.

For more about me and my appoach, visit my website: https://highflyerenglish.learnworlds.com/home

Master 400+ essential phrasal verbs with this comprehensive video course from High-Flyer English with Steve. Each lesson covers phrasal verb meanings with real-world examples, so you can understand how to use them correctly in context.

Limited-time launch offer:
Full price: £29.50
Launch offer: only £14.75 (half price)
Get it here:

Get the Phrasal Verbs Course here

This course is a must for B2 intermediate learners wanting to achieve C1 Advanced level, and essential for C1 advanced learners to check their knowledge — you should know all these meanings and uses before attempting C2 level.

What's included:

10 video lessons covering 400+ phrasal verb meanings and uses
Full transcripts to follow along
PDF reference sheets with meanings and example sentences
Study notes for revision
Self-assessments with answer explanations
Video quizzes (20–25 phrasal verbs per lesson, with answers)
End-of-course full review section
A to Z reference book — all phrasal verbs in alphabetical order with meanings and examples

Get the Phrasal Verbs Course here

#phrasalverbs #phrasalverbmeanings #englishlearning #englishgrammar #b2english #c1english #c2english #englishcourse #learnenglish #esl #englishphrasalverbs #vocabulary #englishvocabulary #quiz #englishquiz #englishquizzes

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you’ll know that I’m always going on about lexical chunks.

And there’s a reason for that.

One of the biggest differences between an intermediate learner of English and a genuinely advanced speaker is not simply how much grammar they know or how many individual words they’ve learnt.

It’s how much language they can retrieve and use as ready-made chunks.

Instead of constructing every sentence word by word, fluent speakers have thousands of combinations already sitting there, ready to use.

We tend to concentrate on three particular types:

collocations — raise an issue, bitterly disappointed, a compelling argument

phrasal verbs — bring up, rule out, come across

idiomatic expressions — bite the bullet, add fuel to the fire, get cold feet

All extremely important.

But there’s another group of lexical chunks that I think advanced learners often overlook:

Fixed and semi-fixed expressions

You hear them constantly in natural conversation:

The sooner the better.

That’s easier said than done.

Be that as it may.

Come to think of it…

For what it’s worth…

Needless to say…

These expressions may not attract as much attention as colourful idioms or difficult phrasal verbs, but they do something extremely important.

They help you manage a conversation.

They allow you to agree, disagree, soften an opinion, buy yourself thinking time, introduce an afterthought, concede a point, summarise an argument, express uncertainty and react naturally to what somebody else has said.

And that is a huge part of sounding fluent at C1 and C2.

There is, however, an important distinction between fixed and semi-fixed expressions.

What is a fixed expression?

A fixed expression is essentially a complete lexical unit.

You learn it as a whole and retrieve it as a whole.

Take:

The sooner the better

There isn’t much to construct. The expression is ready to go.

“When do you want me to send you the information?”
“The sooner the better.”

Or:

That’s easier said than done

Someone offers a deceptively simple solution:

“Why don’t you just tell her what happened?”
“That’s easier said than done.”

Again, the expression works as a complete unit.

Here are a few more that are worth having at your fingertips.

Be that as it may

This is more formal. You acknowledge what someone has said, but it doesn’t change your position.

“The new system should save us money in the long run.”
“Be that as it may, we simply can’t afford it at the moment.”

Very useful in discussion and argument — and potentially useful in formal writing too.

I rest my case

This can be wonderfully cheeky in conversation.

Imagine you’ve just spent five minutes telling someone that your friend is always late.

The door opens twenty minutes later.

“Sorry I’m late!”
“I rest my case.”

No further evidence required!

The jury’s still out

We use this when there isn’t enough evidence yet to reach a conclusion.

“What do you think of the new manager?”
“The jury’s still out.”

In other words: ask me again later.

So far so good

A lovely little expression for cautious optimism.

“How’s the new job going?”
“So far so good.”

Notice the slight caution. Everything is fine up to this point. What happens next is another matter!

You can say that again

This means I completely agree.

“That meeting went on far too long.”
“You can say that again!”

And no — you’re not actually asking the other person to repeat it.

But semi-fixed expressions are different

This is where things become particularly interesting from a lexical point of view.

A semi-fixed expression is generative.

You learn the frame as a chunk, but the frame generates countless possible sentences.

Something follows it, and what follows changes according to what you want to say.

Take:

Needless to say…

The opening stays the same, but look what it can generate:

Needless to say, she was absolutely delighted.

Needless to say, we won’t be going back there again.

Needless to say, the whole thing cost considerably more than we’d expected.

You’ve learnt one chunk — Needless to say… — but it gives you access to hundreds of possible utterances.

That’s why semi-fixed expressions are so powerful.

And there are plenty more.

Semi-fixed expressions that can transform your spoken English

Subscribe now

Come to think of it…

This is wonderfully natural in conversation. You use it when something suddenly occurs to you while you’re speaking.

“Have you seen James recently?”
“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him for weeks.”

But change the situation and the same frame generates something completely different:

“Come to think of it, we never did get our money back.”

You’re not memorising two sentences. You’re acquiring the frame Come to think of it… and learning what communicative job it does.

For what it’s worth…

This is a lovely way of introducing an opinion without forcing it on somebody.

“For what it’s worth, I think you made the right decision.”

Or:

“For what it’s worth, I’d give it another couple of weeks before deciding.”

There’s a kind of modesty built into it: This is only my opinion — take it or leave it.

Don’t get me wrong…

Extremely useful when you’re about to say something that could be misunderstood.

“Don’t get me wrong, I really like him, but I wouldn’t want to work with him.”

Or:

“Don’t get me wrong, the hotel was lovely, but I wouldn’t pay that much to stay there again.”

Again, notice the generative power. Learn the frame and you can use it in hundreds of situations.

How shall I put it…

One of my favourites.

It gives you a little thinking time and signals that what you’re about to say may require some diplomacy.

“What did you think of her presentation?”
“How shall I put it… it wasn’t terribly well organised.”

Or perhaps:

“How shall I put it… he’s not the easiest person to work with.”

Sometimes what follows is considerably less diplomatic than the expression introducing it!

If truth be told…

This introduces a candid admission — often something you’ve been reluctant to say.

“If truth be told, I didn’t particularly enjoy the evening.”

Or:

“If truth be told, I’d rather not get involved.”

It can give what follows a slightly confiding quality.

As far as I’m concerned…

Useful when you want to make it clear that you’re expressing your own position.

“As far as I’m concerned, she’s the best person for the job.”

Or, rather more firmly:

“As far as I’m concerned, the matter is closed.”

The second example shows why tone matters. This expression can sound perfectly neutral, but in the right context it can become quite forceful.

If I’m not mistaken…

Advanced speakers don’t always make bald statements. We hedge.

“If I’m not mistaken, we’ve met before.”

Or:

“If I’m not mistaken, the deadline’s been moved to Friday.”

You believe you’re right, but you’re leaving yourself a little escape route.

Very useful!

What it boils down to is…

This is excellent when a discussion has become complicated and you want to reduce everything to the essential point.

“What it boils down to is, we simply can’t afford it.”

Or:

“What it boils down to is, neither side is prepared to compromise.”

This is precisely the sort of chunk that can help an advanced learner organise ideas more fluently in both speaking and writing.

If the worst comes to the worst…

This introduces the action you’ll take if everything else goes wrong.

“If the worst comes to the worst, we’ll get a taxi.”

Or:

“If the worst comes to the worst, we can postpone the whole thing until next week.”

The frame remains stable. The solution you generate after it is entirely up to you.

Funny you should say that…

This is wonderfully conversational.

Someone says something that happens to connect with something you’ve just experienced, remembered or been thinking about.

“I was thinking of giving Sarah a ring.”
“Funny you should say that — she called me this morning.”

Or:

“Do you ever think about moving abroad?”
“Funny you should say that — I’ve just been looking at jobs in Spain.”

This is exactly the kind of expression that helps conversation feel spontaneous rather than rehearsed.

Why these chunks matter at C1 and C2

At advanced level, knowing more vocabulary isn’t enough.

You need to be able to do things with language quickly and naturally.

You need language for:

expressing reservations

softening disagreement

introducing an opinion

conceding a point

summarising

hedging

reacting

remembering something mid-conversation

buying yourself thinking time

and connecting what you say to what somebody else has just said.

Fixed and semi-fixed expressions give you ready-made language for doing precisely that.

And this is why I keep coming back to lexical chunks.

Fluency isn’t simply knowing thousands of words.

It’s having thousands of pieces of language available to you without having to build everything from scratch.

A better way to learn them

Don’t try to memorise a list of forty expressions in one sitting.

Instead, choose perhaps three or four that you can imagine yourself genuinely using.

Then notice them.

Listen for them in films, television programmes, podcasts and conversations.

And most importantly, with the semi-fixed expressions, generate your own endings.

Take:

For what it’s worth…

and complete it five different ways.

Then try:

Come to think of it…

Don’t get me wrong…

If I’m not mistaken…

The aim isn’t to memorise five complete sentences.

It’s to make the frame itself automatic.

Once that happens, you have something much more useful than a memorised phrase.

You have a piece of language that can generate hundreds of things you might actually want to say.

And that, for me, is what learning vocabulary at an advanced level should really be about.

A quick apology from me.

Yesterday I sent you an offer for my free ebook, Speak Like A Native: 250 Advanced Expressions for C1/C2 Fluency.

Unfortunately, the download process didn’t work as it should. Some of you were being asked to go through an unnecessarily complicated registration and checkout process.

Sorry about that.

I’ve now made things much simpler.

There are no promo codes, no checkout and no forms to fill in.

Just click the link below to download the ebook.

Speak Like A Native

Speak Like A Native contains 250 advanced expressions for C1/C2 learners, including collocations, idioms, phrasal verbs and fixed expressions, with explanations and examples of how they’re used.

I hope you enjoy it — and apologies again for the confusion.

Best wishes,

Steve
High Flyer English

Want to take your English further?

400+ Essential Phrasal Verbs
Video lessons • Study Notes • Quizzes • A–Z Reference Guide
£29.50 £14.75

To find out more click the link below

Explore the Course

So I’ve made one of my High Flyer English resources available FREE for a limited time.

Speak Like a Native

250 Advanced Expressions for C1/C2 Fluency

Inside you’ll find:

• collocations

• idioms

• phrasal verbs

• fixed and semi-fixed expressions

• explanations and natural examples in British English

The ebook is designed for advanced learners who want to sound more natural and fluent — and particularly for those working towards Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency.

The normal price is £5.95.

For the moment: £0.00.

Simply use promo code NATIVE at checkout.

GET YOUR FREE COPY

Clicke the orange button which weill take you to checkout.

I hope you find it useful. And don’t just read the expressions — look for opportunities to actually use them. That’s when they start becoming part of your English.

Have you ever noticed that English speakers often put two words together in a particular order?

sick and tired
peace and quiet
fish and chips
black and white
safe and sound

These are examples of binomials — pairs of words that commonly occur together, usually joined by and or or.

And there is something rather interesting about them.

We say:

We want:

peace and quiet

not:

quiet and peace

And someone who has returned home unharmed is:

safe and sound

rather than sound and safe.

We’re hungy and fancy

fish and chips

but not normally:

chips and fish

Grammatically, there may be nothing obviously wrong with reversing the words. But to a native speaker, they simply don’t sound right.

That’s because many binomials have become fixed or semi-fixed chunks of language. We don’t construct them from scratch each time we speak. We retrieve the whole expression.

And that’s one of the reasons learning chunks rather than individual words can make such a difference to fluency.

Sick and tired

This is a particularly common binomial in everyday British English.

If you are sick and tired of something, you are thoroughly fed up with it:

I’m sick and tired of listening to his excuses.

She’s sick and tired of being treated like that.

Notice the pattern:

sick and tired of + noun / -ing

It is much stronger than simply saying I’m tired of it. There is usually a sense of frustration or irritation.

But not all binomials work in quite the same way.

Some express contrast:

black and white

Some emphasise completeness:

safe and sound

Some describe a reciprocal relationship:

give and take

Others have become so firmly established that we barely notice that we’re using a fixed expression:

pros and cons
trial and error
wear and tear
rules and regulations

And that’s where binomials become particularly interesting for advanced learners.

Why binomials matter at C1 and C2

Reaching an advanced level isn’t simply a question of knowing more individual words.

A learner may know both pros and cons, both trial and error, and both wear and tear. But that doesn’t necessarily mean those combinations will come naturally when they’re speaking or writing.

At C1 and particularly C2, you need increasingly good control of collocation, fixed expressions and lexical chunks.

Compare:

We should think about the advantages and disadvantages before deciding.

with:

We should weigh up the pros and cons before deciding.

Both are perfectly good English.

But the second demonstrates something different: the ability to retrieve a natural combination of words as a chunk.

Or:

I eventually learnt how to do it by trying different things.

Nothing wrong with that.

But an advanced speaker might naturally say:

I learnt how to do it by trial and error.

This is one of the differences between knowing English and having the lexical resources to use it fluently and idiomatically.

And what about CAE and CPE?

If you’re preparing for Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) or C2 Proficiency (CPE), this kind of language deserves particular attention.

You shouldn’t think of binomials as a separate grammar point that you learn for the exam.

They’re much more useful than that.

They belong to the wider network of collocations, fixed expressions and lexical chunks that advanced candidates need to recognise and use confidently.

In Reading and Use of English, you need to recognise which words naturally belong together. A gap may be grammatically possible with several words, but only one creates the natural expression or collocation.

In Speaking, expressions such as:

by and large
sooner or later
pros and cons
give and take
more or less

allow you to express ideas naturally without constructing everything word by word.

And in Writing, appropriate fixed combinations can help give your English the precision and naturalness expected at advanced level — provided, of course, that you use them naturally rather than forcing them into every paragraph.

That’s an important point.

Advanced English doesn’t mean stuffing your speaking and writing with impressive expressions.

It means having enough language at your disposal to choose the expression that fits naturally.

Binomials are part of that repertoire.

Why can’t we simply reverse them?

Sometimes there is an obvious reason.

With cause and effect, for example, the cause logically comes before the effect.

Sometimes sound and rhythm influence the order.

And sometimes there isn’t a particularly useful rule to learn. Generations of English speakers have simply used the words in one order until the combination has become fixed.

That’s why I wouldn’t recommend learning:

peace + quiet

and hoping that you’ll remember which comes first.

Learn:

a bit of peace and quiet

as one complete chunk.

Likewise, don’t just learn:

pros + cons

Learn:

weigh up the pros and cons

Now you’re not merely learning a binomial. You’re building a larger lexical chunk that you can actually use.

Paid subscribers: let’s build your C1/C2 Binomial Language Bank.

Below, we’ll look at some of the most useful binomials for advanced English — including everyday expressions, more sophisticated combinations for discussion and writing, binomials joined by or, and some particularly useful combinations for CAE/CPE candidates. I’ve also included a short quiz to aid your recall.

Subscribe now

Binomials for emphasis

sick and tired

Completely fed up.

I’m sick and tired of hearing the same excuses.

well and truly

Completely; emphatically.

By half-time, we were well and truly beaten.

The original plan has been well and truly abandoned.

This is a particularly useful advanced expression because it gives you another way of intensifying an idea without constantly relying on very, really or completely.

nice and easy

Gently, carefully or without unnecessary difficulty.

Take it nice and easy — there’s no hurry.

Useful binomials for discussion and argument

pros and cons

Advantages and disadvantages.

We need to weigh up the pros and cons before reaching a decision.

Learn the larger chunk:

weigh up the pros and cons

rather than simply pros and cons.

black and white

Clear-cut, with no ambiguity or middle ground.

The issue isn’t as black and white as it first appears.

That’s a useful expression when discussing complex issues — exactly the sort of thing you may find yourself doing in an advanced speaking exam.

give and take

Willingness to compromise on both sides.

Any successful working relationship requires a certain amount of give and take.

aims and objectives

Things that someone or an organisation intends to achieve.

The report sets out the project’s main aims and objectives.

This is particularly useful in more formal and professional English.

rules and regulations

Official requirements controlling an activity.

Businesses have to comply with an increasingly complex set of rules and regulations.

Notice the larger collocation:

comply with rules and regulations

That’s the sort of lexical network worth building at C1/C2.

Binomials for describing processes and experience

trial and error

Finding a solution by repeatedly trying different approaches.

I eventually worked out how to use the software by trial and error.

wear and tear

Gradual damage caused by ordinary use.

The furniture is showing signs of wear and tear.

Again, notice the larger chunk:

show signs of wear and tear

step by step

Gradually, one stage at a time.

There’s no need to learn everything at once. Take it step by step.

little by little

Gradually.

Little by little, her confidence began to grow.

Everyday binomials worth knowing

peace and quiet

Freedom from noise or disturbance.

After a hectic week, all I wanted was a bit of peace and quiet.

Learn:

a bit of peace and quiet

safe and sound

Completely safe and unharmed.

They eventually arrived home safe and sound.

odds and ends

Various small things of no particular type.

I’ve still got a few odds and ends to pack.

bits and pieces

Various small things, tasks or pieces of information.

I’ve got a few bits and pieces to finish before I leave.

back and forth

Repeatedly from one place or position to another.

We spent the whole afternoon going back and forth between the two offices.

It can also describe an exchange:

There was a lot of back and forth before they finally reached an agreement.

Binomials with or

Not all binomials contain and.

sooner or later

At some point in the future.

Sooner or later, they’ll have to make a decision.

more or less

Approximately; almost.

I’ve more or less finished.

now or never

The last realistic opportunity to do something.

If you’re going to apply, it’s now or never.

take it or leave it

Accept something as it is or reject it.

That’s my final offer — take it or leave it.

make or break

Cause something to succeed or fail.

The next few months could make or break the business.

A few more for your C1/C2 Language Bank

first and foremost — most importantly

First and foremost, we need to establish what caused the problem.

part and parcel — an unavoidable or essential part of something

Dealing with criticism is part and parcel of being in the public eye.

far and wide — over a very large area

People travelled from far and wide to attend the event.

short and sweet — pleasantly brief

I’ll keep my introduction short and sweet.

rough and ready — basic and not very polished, but good enough for the purpose

It’s only a rough-and-ready estimate, but it gives us some idea of the cost.

cut and dried — already decided or completely clear

The issue isn’t quite as cut and dried as the newspapers suggest.

hard and fast — fixed and not open to change

There are no hard-and-fast rules about how long the introduction should be.

That last group is particularly useful because these expressions allow an advanced learner to express quite complex meanings very economically.

A quick challenge

Complete each binomial.

1. I’m sick and ______ of hearing the same excuses.

2. We need to weigh up the pros and ______.

3. The carpet is showing signs of wear and ______.

4. After a hectic week, I’d love some peace and ______.

5. I learnt how to do it by trial and ______.

6. I’ve still got a few odds and ______ to sort out.

7. ______ or later, something will have to change.

8. The situation isn’t as black and ______ as that.

9. A successful relationship requires give and ______.

10. ______ and foremost, we need to decide what we’re trying to achieve.

11. There are no hard-and-______ rules.

12. Dealing with difficult customers is part and ______ of the job.

Answers

1. tired

2. cons

3. tear

4. quiet

5. error

6. ends

7. Sooner

8. white

9. take

10. First

11. fast

12. parcel

Your Binomial Language Bank

Don’t learn these as two separate words.

Learn the whole chunk — and, where possible, an even larger chunk:

be sick and tired of something
a bit of peace and quiet
arrive safe and sound
weigh up the pros and cons
learn by trial and error
show signs of wear and tear
a certain amount of give and take
aims and objectives
rules and regulations
odds and ends
bits and pieces
by and large
sooner or later
more or less
first and foremost
part and parcel of something
far and wide
short and sweet
hard-and-fast rules
not as cut and dried as it seems

That’s the real value of binomials for an advanced learner.

The individual words may be quite ordinary.

It’s knowing how English naturally puts them together that makes the difference.

There is a big difference between recognising an advanced English word and being able to use it naturally.

You may come across a sophisticated word in a newspaper, book or TV interview and think:

Yes, I know what that means.

But could you use it yourself five minutes later?

That’s a much more interesting question.

At C1 and C2 level, simply knowing more vocabulary isn’t enough. You need to know when a word is appropriate, what other words it naturally combines with, and whether it belongs more readily in conversation or formal writing.

So, before we go any further, let’s see how you get on with three adjectives.

A quick test

How confident are you with these?

egregious

wistful

shambolic

Perhaps you recognise all three.

But could you explain the difference between them?

And, more importantly, could you use each one naturally in a sentence?

For example, would you describe a person as egregious? Could a meeting be shambolic? What might make somebody feel wistful?

These are three of the 50 high-level adjectives I cover in the video below.

Some of the 50 are particularly useful for formal English, reading and writing. Others are words you’ll hear — and can use — in everyday conversation.

And that’s an important distinction. Learning advanced vocabulary isn’t about filling your English with unnecessarily complicated words. It’s about having a wider and more precise choice of language available when you need it.

50 High-Level Adjectives

In the video, I’ll take you through all 50 adjectives with meanings, examples and comments on how they’re actually used.

As you watch, don’t try to memorise everything.

Listen to the examples. Notice the words that occur together. And whenever you hear an adjective that is new to you, think:

When could I use that?

Before you leave...

Let’s see how much you actually remember.

Don’t replay the video!

What do these five adjectives mean?

1. prescient

2. sheepish

3. dogged

4. hackneyed

5. pithy

Now make the test harder.

Could you use each one naturally in a sentence of your own?

Recognising the word when you’ve just heard me explain it is relatively easy.

Retrieving it yourself — and combining it naturally with other words — is a much better test of whether you’re beginning to make it part of your active vocabulary.

Want to take your English further?

A small personal note...

As you may have noticed, I’m getting on a bit.

There’s a useful British expression for you! If somebody is getting on a bit, they’re politely — and usually rather tactfully — saying that the person isn’t quite as young as they used to be.

In my case, I’m well past the age when I’m supposed to have put my feet up and retired.

But I haven’t.

The simple reason is that I still love teaching English. I’m fascinated by the language, I enjoy creating lessons and resources, and, most of all, I enjoy working with advanced learners who want to discover just how rich English can be.

Producing good-quality videos, teaching materials and downloadable resources does, however, take a considerable amount of time — and it costs money too.

So if you enjoy what I produce here and would like to help me continue doing it, becoming a paid subscriber is a wonderful way to support The British English Insider.

And, of course, I’m not asking you to support me for nothing!

For £5 a month, paid members get:

🗣️ Live interactive sessions — ask questions, join the conversation and practise your English with me and other advanced learners.

📚 Premium C1/C2 content — articles, mini-lessons, quizzes and challenges, with answers and explanations.

📥 Exclusive learning resources — downloadable materials, additional practice and Language Banks.

So you help me to keep creating and teaching — and I help you to keep pushing your English towards C1, C2 and beyond.

That sounds like a pretty fair exchange to me!

How did you do?

Let’s go back to those five adjectives.

But rather than simply giving you a definition, let’s build some usable language around each one.

Subscribe now

1. Prescient

If someone is prescient, they seem to know or anticipate what is going to happen before it happens. It suggests foresight.

Her prescient advice about investing in technology turned out to be very profitable.

Useful combinations include:

prescient advice
a prescient warning
a prescient observation
a prescient prediction
remarkably prescient

Think about something that somebody predicted which later came true.

Could you describe their prediction as prescient?

Better still, make a sentence of your own.

2. Sheepish

This one is much more conversational.

If you look sheepish, you’re embarrassed because you know you’ve done something wrong or silly.

She gave me a sheepish smile and apologised.

Notice these useful combinations:

a sheepish grin
a sheepish smile
a sheepish expression
look rather sheepish

This is the sort of vocabulary that becomes much easier to remember when you connect it to an experience.

Can you remember a time when you looked sheepish?

What had you done?

3. Dogged

Dogged means persistent, determined and unwilling to give up.

Despite numerous setbacks, her dogged determination eventually led to success.

There’s an extremely useful collocation here:

dogged determination

You might also encounter:

dogged persistence
a dogged campaign
the dogged pursuit of something

This is why I don’t particularly like learning advanced vocabulary as isolated words.

Learn dogged determination rather than simply dogged and you’ve acquired a ready-made piece of language that you can actually use.

And remember the pronunciation: dogged has two syllables.

4. Hackneyed

Something hackneyed has been used so often that it has become boring and unoriginal.

a hackneyed phrase
a hackneyed expression
a hackneyed plot
a hackneyed idea

The film’s hackneyed plot was predictable and lacked creativity.

This is a particularly useful word for advanced writers.

Ironically, learning lots of idioms and expressions can actually make your English sound less sophisticated if you fill your writing with hackneyed expressions.

At C2 level, knowing vocabulary is only part of the skill.

Judgement matters too.

5. Pithy

I like this word.

Something pithy is concise but full of meaning — it expresses a lot in relatively few words.

a pithy comment
a pithy remark
a pithy summary
a pithy observation

Her pithy remarks during the meeting captured the essence of the issue.

A good speaker doesn’t necessarily use long, complicated sentences.

Sometimes the most articulate person in the room is the one capable of making a pithy observation that gets straight to the heart of the matter.

One final challenge

Now let’s see whether you can retrieve the vocabulary without being given the word.

Which of our five adjectives would fit each situation?

1. A politician made a prediction ten years ago which has turned out to be remarkably accurate.

2. Your friend admits, with an embarrassed smile, that he’s lost the book you lent him.

3. A detective refuses to abandon an investigation despite years of setbacks.

4. A film uses exactly the same predictable storyline you’ve seen dozens of times before.

5. Someone sums up a complicated argument brilliantly in a single sentence.

Have you got them?

Here are the answers:

1. prescient
2. sheepish
3. dogged
4. hackneyed
5. pithy

But don’t stop there.

Say the sentences aloud.

Change them.

Personalise them.

Try using the adjectives to talk about people, situations and experiences from your own life.

That’s the point at which vocabulary starts becoming yours.

And that’s what we’re trying to achieve at advanced and proficiency level: not simply knowing more English, but having more English available when you actually need it.

Hi English Learners

I am excited to announce that my course “Essential Phrasal Verbs for English C1 Advanced Level” is now available on Udemy at a special promotional prices on only £11.99. You can preview the course here:

https://www.udemy.com/course/essential-phrasal-verbs-for-english-c1-advanced-level/?utm_campaign=email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sendgrid.com&couponCode=CP260817G2

Share The British English Insider

TAKE AFTER

MEANING

Resemble a family member in either appearance or personality traits and interests. I’m often told I take after my dad - not so much in appearance, but in my mannerisms. My second daughter takes after me in her love of writing (she’s a journalist), travel and adventure (she’s currently in Venezuela!).

EXAMPLES

• She has a bad temper. She takes after her mother in that way.

• He’s very musical. His parents and older sister aren’t so maybe he takes after his grandfather who was an accomplished violinist.

Every one always says that Rebecca takes after her mother. They’re both beautiful.

So - do you take after anyone? In what way? :-)

Think you know your idioms and phrasal verbs?

Here’s a chance to put yourself to the test.

In this short video quiz, you’ll be given 20 seconds for each of 15 questions to choose the correct answer.

Some are fairly straightforward. Others are definitely more challenging — so don’t be surprised if a few make you stop and think.

Grab a pen and paper, make a note of your answers and see how well you do.

If the video goes too fast for you, then pause it! But NO CHEATING!

Ready? Let’s begin.

Finished?

No cheating! Make sure you’ve written down all your answers before you continue.

Paid subscribers can watch the answer video below and see how they got on. I also give an explanation of the correct answer

Subscribe now

Let me know your score in the comments — and tell me which question(s) caught you out!

Steve

If you’ve been learning English for any length of time, you’ve probably learnt hundreds of phrasal verbs.

But how many of them do you actually use?

And how often have you learnt one meaning of a phrasal verb, only to discover later that native speakers use it in several completely different ways?

That’s what we’re going to look at today.

I’m giving you part of an actual lesson from my 400+ Essential Phrasal Verbs course — and we’re going to get straight into the phrasal verbs themselves.

Watch Part 1 of Lesson 3

PASS BY

The most obvious meaning is simply to go past somewhere without stopping.

You might pass by a supermarket on your way home, or pass by a café every morning on the way to work.

There’s also a very natural little expression you’ll hear:

I was just passing by.

For example:

I thought I’d call in because I was just passing by.

But pass by can also be used when we’re talking about time.

The years seem to pass by so quickly.

I rather like this use because it feels more descriptive than simply saying time passed. It gives us that sense of life quietly moving along while we’re busy doing other things.

PASS OUT

Here’s another one with two very different meanings.

If somebody passes out, they faint or lose consciousness.

It was so hot that one of the runners passed out.

But native speakers also use this expression rather dramatically:

When I saw the bill, I nearly passed out!

The speaker probably remained perfectly conscious. It’s simply exaggeration — something we do rather a lot in British English.

But pass out can also mean to distribute something.

A teacher might pass out worksheets.

An invigilator might pass out examination papers.

Volunteers at a marathon might pass out bottles of water.

You may also hear hand out used with this meaning.

Did you notice?

Context does an enormous amount of the work for us.

If somebody passes out in the heat, they’re probably unconscious.

If a teacher passes out the exam papers, hopefully nobody is!

That’s why learning phrasal verbs through real situations is so much more useful than trying to memorise isolated definitions.

PAY BACK

You probably already know the most common meaning.

If somebody lends you money, you pay them back.

Don’t worry. I’ll pay you back tomorrow.

But notice the word order:

pay somebody back

I’ll pay you back.

Not:

I’ll pay back you.

Those little patterns matter if you want your English to sound natural.

And there’s another meaning.

If you pay somebody back, you can also take revenge on them.

That sounds rather sinister, but we often use it light-heartedly.

Imagine a friend plays a practical joke on you. You laugh and say:

Right. I’ll pay you back for that!

You aren’t necessarily plotting anything too dreadful. Well... hopefully not.

PAY OFF

Here’s another good example of why one definition is rarely enough.

You can pay off a debt by finishing paying it completely.

We commonly talk about:

paying off a mortgage
paying off a loan
paying off a debt
paying off a credit card

Those combinations are worth learning together rather than as individual words.

But there’s another extremely common meaning of pay off.

If something pays off, it produces a successful result after effort.

All those hours of practice finally paid off.

Her decision to study abroad really paid off.

And, of course:

Your hard work with English will pay off.

I sincerely hope it does.

Want to go further?

What you’ve just watched is the first part of Lesson 3 from my complete 400+ Essential Phrasal Verbs course.

The course goes well beyond simply giving you meanings and examples. We look at different meanings, natural usage, common collocations, word order and the kinds of expressions you’ll actually hear native speakers using.

It includes the complete video lessons, full transcripts, Study Notes, self-assessments, video and PDF quizzes, a complete Course Review and the 400+ Essential Phrasal Verbs A–Z Reference Guide.

August Special Offer: £47.50

Use promotion code AUGUST at checkout.

Explore the 400+ Essential Phrasal Verbs course

There’s plenty more to come...

We’ve only reached pay off.

In the rest of the lesson we’ll look at:

pick on • point out • pull down • let off • let out • lie down • light up • live on • live up to • lock up • go over • go through • go through with

And once again, several of them have more than one meaning.

For example, pull down can mean demolishing a building — but you can also pull down a blind.

You can live on a pension, but someone who eats an awful lot of pizza might jokingly say they live on pizza.

And go over, go through and go through with may look rather similar on the page, but they’re not interchangeable in every situation.

So let’s continue.

Subscribe now

Lesson 3 — Part 2

Now let’s pick up where we left off.

PICK ON

If someone is picked on, they’re being bullied or repeatedly treated unfairly.

Unfortunately, it’s an expression we often hear in connection with schools:

He was picked on at school because he was shy.

Notice something useful here:

be picked on

The passive is extremely common with this phrasal verb.

But pick on doesn’t always refer to serious bullying. We also use it when someone is being repeatedly criticised or treated unfairly.

Why are you always picking on him?

Perhaps a manager constantly finds fault with one particular employee while ignoring everybody else’s mistakes.

POINT OUT

You can point something out physically — show somebody something they might otherwise have missed.

She pointed out the house where she’d grown up.

But we also use point out when drawing someone’s attention to an idea, fact, problem or advantage.

He pointed out a potential problem with the plan.

And there’s a very useful expression for discussions, meetings and presentations:

I’d just like to point out that...

It’s a natural way of introducing an observation, an opinion or even a correction.

PULL DOWN

If a building is pulled down, it’s demolished.

They’ve pulled down the old factory.

But pull down can also simply mean to lower something.

Could you pull down the blind?

Two very different meanings — but once again, context normally makes the intended meaning perfectly obvious.

LET OFF

Someone who is let off isn’t punished, or receives a less serious punishment than they might have expected.

A particularly useful expression is:

let someone off with a warning

The police let him off with a warning.

But you can also let off fireworks — make them explode.

If you’ve ever owned a dog, you’ll probably know exactly how popular that particular activity is with them!

LET OUT

You might let the dog out into the garden.

Someone serving a prison sentence may eventually be let out.

But let out is also frequently used with sounds:

let out a scream
let out a sigh
let out a laugh

These are useful combinations to learn as complete chunks rather than trying to assemble them word by word when you’re speaking.

LIE DOWN

A nice straightforward one.

If you’re tired or feeling unwell, you might lie down for a while.

But watch the grammar.

Present:

lie down

Past:

lay down

The difference between lie and lay causes problems for plenty of learners, so it’s worth noticing.

LIGHT UP

Fireworks can light up the sky.

Christmas lights can light up the streets.

And someone’s smile can light up a room.

That last one, of course, isn’t literal. It’s a lovely way of saying that somebody brings warmth, happiness or energy to a place.

There’s another meaning too. Someone who lights up starts smoking.

You’ll probably encounter that meaning more often in older films and books than in everyday life nowadays, but it’s still useful to recognise.

LIVE ON

You can live on an income:

live on a pension
live on your savings
live on one salary

I don’t know how they manage to live on such a small pension.

But we also use live on when talking about food.

When I was a student, I practically lived on sandwiches.

It doesn’t usually mean that sandwiches were literally the only thing you ate. It’s another example of the exaggeration native speakers use all the time.

LIVE UP TO

This is a particularly useful one for advanced learners.

If something lives up to something, it meets the standard or expectations that have been created for it.

And there’s one combination I’d particularly like you to remember:

live up to expectations

The hotel certainly lived up to our expectations.

You can also live up to your reputation or live up to your potential.

Learning those combinations makes the phrasal verb much easier to retrieve when you actually need it.

LOCK UP

At the end of the working day, somebody has to lock up the office, school or shop.

In British English, this is a perfectly natural question:

Who’s locking up tonight?

But if someone is locked up, they may have a rather bigger problem.

It can also mean put in prison.

You’ll hear that meaning regularly in news reports and crime dramas.

And finally... three with GO

These last three are worth looking at together.

GO OVER

We commonly use go over when we mean review or check something.

Teachers go over answers.

Managers go over reports.

Students go over their notes before an exam.

But go over to someone’s house can simply mean visiting them:

We’re going over to my parents’ on Sunday.

It’s relaxed and informal — much closer to popping round than making a formal visit.

GO THROUGH

Go through is often used when something is being examined carefully and in detail.

A manager might go through 50 job applications.

You might go through a contract carefully before signing it.

There’s some overlap with go over, of course. Native speakers don’t always divide apparently similar phrasal verbs into perfectly neat boxes.

But go through often suggests working through something carefully, perhaps item by item, making sure nothing has been missed.

That’s an important point when learning phrasal verbs: don’t always look for a rigid rule that separates two similar expressions in every possible context. Usage can overlap.

GO THROUGH WITH

Add one small word and the meaning changes again.

If you go through with something, you do something you’ve already decided or planned to do, particularly when it’s difficult or worrying.

Someone may have second thoughts before an operation or even a wedding.

Eventually, however, they decide to go through with it.

The expression often carries a sense of determination: you’ve thought about it, perhaps worried about it, but ultimately you’ve decided to do it.

One final thought

If there’s one thing I’d like you to take away from this lesson, it’s this:

Don’t try to learn phrasal verbs as isolated translations.

Notice what surrounds them.

Notice the nouns they commonly occur with.

Notice whether they’re commonly active or passive.

Notice the little expressions native speakers repeatedly use.

And above all, keep meeting them in different contexts.

As I say at the end of the lesson, fluency isn’t about knowing thousands of individual words. It’s about being able to use the right language naturally and confidently.

If you’ve enjoyed learning with me today, you can find the complete course here:

400+ Essential Phrasal Verbs — August Special Offer £47.50

And whether or not you join me on the course, keep noticing phrasal verbs when you meet them in the wild. You’ll be surprised how quickly they start to feel less like something you have to memorise and more like a natural part of your English.

All the best,

Steve

I’ve written about my 400 Essential Phrasal Verbs course on Substack before, usually while I was still developing it.

Well, it’s finished.

And when I say finished, I really do mean finished. You may well know that because I’ve posted a couple of articles/videos about it.

So, yes! The videos have been recorded and edited. The study notes and transcripts are there. The quizzes and self-assessments are done. There’s a full review section and, finally, a 141-page A–Z reference guide bringing all the phrasal verbs together in alphabetical order.

At various points during its development, I thought I was nearly there. Then I’d look at something again and decide it wasn’t quite good enough.

Some of you who have known me for a while may remember that the course actually grew out of an old YouTube video I made years ago covering 400 phrasal verbs in alphabetical order. It proved popular, and eventually I decided to turn it into a proper course.

That sounded relatively straightforward.

It wasn’t!

The more I worked on it, the more I realised I didn’t simply want to chop up an old video and call it a course. My teaching has changed over the years, and so has the way I think advanced learners should approach vocabulary.

So I effectively started again.

The result is something I’m genuinely pleased with. The lessons are much more conversational, the examples have more context, and I’ve tried to deal with something that simple lists of phrasal verbs don’t always do very well: how these expressions are actually used.

And then came the interesting part.

You can create it. But will anyone buy it?

So far, the answer has been...

not yet.

I’ve promoted the course to my mailing list, on Facebook, on YouTube and here on Substack. There has been some interest, but at the time of writing, no sales.

Am I disappointed?

Of course I am.

After spending months creating something, you can’t help hoping that when you finally throw open the doors, a few people will walk through them.

Instead, there has been rather a lot of tumbleweed rolling past the entrance!

But it’s early days.

And I’m also learning something that many of you who create things probably know only too well:

creating the thing and selling the thing are two entirely different skills.

I’m an English teacher. I know how to teach English. I know my subject and I know my learners.

Marketing an online course is another matter entirely.

I’ve already reconsidered the pricing. Initially, I priced the course at £147.50, with a substantial launch discount. Looking at it again from a learner’s point of view, I’ve decided that was too ambitious for a specialist course on phrasal verbs, however much material I’ve included and however much work went into creating it.

That’s why I’ve decided to make it available throughout August for £47.50.

Why am I telling you all this?

Not because I’m looking for sympathy—and certainly not because I’m begging people to buy my course.

I’m sharing it because Substack is full of creators.

Writers, teachers, artists, podcasters and other people who spend an extraordinary amount of time making things before discovering whether the rest of the world is remotely interested in them.

I’m sure some of you will recognise the feeling.

There’s something rather exposing about putting months of work in front of an audience and saying:

“Right. Here it is. What do you think?”

And then waiting.

So this is partly a promotion, certainly. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.

But it’s also part of the story of creating High Flyer English and trying to turn more than twenty years of teaching experience into something that can reach learners beyond my Zoom classroom.

And because I’d much rather show you what I’ve created than tell you how wonderful it is, I’ve made the video below.

It begins with a nightmare—which seems rather appropriate after the last few months.

The video then goes on to explore why phrasal verbs cause advanced learners so many problems. I then take you inside the course and show you part of Lesson 1, including several phrasal verbs with LOOK, before showing you the resources that accompany the lessons.

So, if you’re curious, have a look.

And if you’re a fellow creator who has experienced that slightly unnerving silence after finally pressing Publish, you’ll probably understand exactly where I’m coming from.

August Special Offer: £47.50

To mark the launch, the complete 400+ Essential Phrasal Verbs course is available throughout August for £47.50.

Enter promotion code AUGUST at checkout.

The link below is where the course resides.

400 + Essential Phrasal Verbs

🚀 Phrasal verbs are one of the biggest challenges for C1 advanced English learners - some would say there are a nightmare — but they don't have to be. You can over come the challenge, In this video, British English teacher Steve Ellis introduces his course, 400 Essential Phrasal Verbs, designed to help you how to Learn and Use Phasal Verbs Like A NativeSpeaker relies on everyday,
Rather than memorising endless lists, you'll meet phrasal verbs in their natural context — and gradually they'll begin to feel more familiar and more natural.

📚 What's included in the course:
• Video lessons – Steve explains each phrasal verb clearly, with natural examples showing exactly how they're used in context
• Full transcripts – follow along with everything Steve says in each lesson
• PDF reference sheets – meaning and examples for every phrasal verb covered
• Study notes – go back over the lessons to revise at your own pace
• Self-assessments – test yourself and get detailed explanations for any wrong answers, not just the correct ones
• Video quizzes – timed quizzes of 20–25 phrasal verbs per lesson, also available as PDFs if you prefer to work at your own pace
• Full review section – consolidate everything at the end of the course
• A–Z reference book – all 400 phrasal verbs in alphabetical order, with meanings and examples, to dip into whenever you need.

👀 In this video, you'll see Lesson 1 in action, covering phrasal verbs with look:
• Look after – to take care of someone or something
• Look ahead – to think about the future or anticipate problems
• Look at – to direct your eyes, or to examine/consider carefully
• Look for – to search for, or to expect/hope for something
• Look into – to investigate, or to explore possibilities
• Look out for – to watch carefully, or to protect someone
• Look up – to search for information, or to improve

Whether phrasal verbs have given you nightmares or you simply want to feel more confident using them, this course will help you turn that around.

I recorded this song a few years ago. The video is a song-listening comprehension exercise with a difference in that you have to interpret it and give your opinions.

The song is a famous ballad" called The House of the Rising Sun", which has a long, varied history,
Your answers can be subjective according to your interpretation. There are no black-and-white answers. You can write your analysis as a short narrative if you wish, and if you do, post it.

1. What kind of place is ‘The House of the Rising Sun’?
2. How do you think it got its name?
3. What’s the singer’s opinion of the place?
4. Comment on the likely relationship between his mother and father.
5. What warning does he give to mothers?
6. Is he eager to return there or torn (undecided)? Who usually wears a ball and chain?
7. What do you think he does at ‘The House of the Rising Sun”?

Extract from Wilipedia

“The House of the Rising Sun“ is an American traditional folk song, sometimes called “Rising Sun Blues“. It tells of a person’s life gone wrong in the city of New Orleans. Many versions also urge a sibling or parents and children to avoid the same fate. The most successful commercial version, recorded in 1964 by the English rock band The Animals, was a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart and in the US and Canada.^[1] As a traditional folk song recorded by an electric rock band, it has been described as the “first folk rock hit”.

The song was first collected in Appalachia in the 1930s, but probably has its roots in traditional English folk song.^[ It is listed as number 6393 in the Roud Folk Song Index. In June 2026, CBS News included the song in its list of the 250 essential American songs of the past 250 years.^[

I’m pleased to announce that Founder (Premium) Members are welcome to participate in our “Chatterbox” Zoom Workshops which take place every Sunday 1500 UK time.

Normally membership is through my website and is £30 per month, so by becoming a Founder member you save £110 per year.

You also have access to my 400 + Essential Phrasal Verbs Course

Alternative if you’d like to attend regularly, every Sunday at 1500 UK Time, and pay monthly (£30) you can join directly through my LearnWorlds page. Link below.

Chatterbox Zoom Workshops

More details below:

If you’ve ever wondered what our Chatterbox Zoom workshops are actually like, the video above is an older video (when we used to do more than one a week) offering little glimpse behind the scenes and the one below gives you another more recent insight into Sunday session,

You’ll hear some of our members chatting about their experiences of the workshops, what they’ve gained from them, and why they keep coming back each week.

There was no script and no sales pitch—just genuine conversations from advanced English learners who enjoy practising together in a relaxed, supportive atmosphere.

I’ve now been running these workshops for nearly four years, During that time, I’ve been pleased to see several members go on to pass the Cambridge Proficiency Exam (CPE)

Every Sunday at 3.00 pm (UK time) we spend around 2 hours working on natural, advanced English through discussion, lexical chunks, idioms, collocations, phrasal verbs and Cambridge-style speaking activities. Learners have the opportunity to work in groups and pairs (Zoom break-out rooms) for discussion and to complete exercises and tasks so benefit from being able to chat to learners from different countries,

The workshops are designed for ambitious learners around C1 and C2 level who want to sound more fluent and natural. But, let me hasten to add, the atmosphere is warm, friendly and welcoming. We like to have a laugh too!

I provide all learning resources including Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency Books, the Cambridge Advanced in Use series - Collocations, Phrasal Verbs, Idioms, Vocabulary and Grammar plus my own material.

We also have a WhatsApp group where I share resources and members are welcome to post too.

If you decide to become a founding member, please message me so I can welcome you personally and we can have a chat on Zoom,

As I said earlier, alternatively if you’d like to attend regularly, every Sunday at 1500 UK Time, and pay monthly (£30) you can join directly through my LearnWorlds page. Link below.

Chatterbox Zoom Workshops

Over the past few months, many of you have been reading my articles, watching my videos and joining me for our Sunday Chatterbox workshops.

Some of you have also chosen to become paid subscribers, and I’m genuinely grateful for your support.

Creating high-quality resources takes a great deal of time, but it’s something I love doing. Knowing that readers value my work enough to support it encourages me to keep creating new courses, articles and videos for advanced learners.

So I’d like to introduce another additional benefit for those who choose to subscribe annually.

As a Paid Member, you’ll already enjoy:

✓ One live Chatterbox Zoom workshop each month

✓ Access to our private WhatsApp community

✓ Premium articles and exclusive learning resources

And now I’d like to add something else...

Complimentary Access to My 400 + Phrasal Verbs Course

As an Annual Subscriber, you’ll receive complimentary access to my the course.

The video above an extract from Lesson 1 and will give you an impression of the course.

400 Essential Phrasal Verbs

Website price: £147

This is my most comprehensive course to date and has been created specifically for advanced learners who want to understand, remember and confidently use the phrasal verbs that native speakers use every day.

Inside the course you’ll find:

• Comprehensive video lessons

• Downloadable study notes

• Interactive quizzes

• Hundreds of natural examples

• Clear explanations designed for advanced learners

• An A-Z Reference guide of all the Phrasal Verbs covered on the course.

  

  Whether you’re preparing for Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency—or simply want to sound more fluent and natural—I believe this course will become one of your most valuable English-learning resources.

How to access the course:

If you decide to become an Annual Subscription member simply reply to this post or send me a direct message here on Substack.

I’ll personally send you everything you need to access the course.

I’d much rather welcome you personally than send an automated email.

Thank you for reading The British Insider and for being part of this growing community.

I look forward to helping you on your journey towards more natural, confident English.

Steve Ellis