10 Formal and informal collocations Flashcards
to ask for a statement that something will happen or is true in order to remove any doubt about it
G: Zusicherung einholen, sich versichern lassen
to seek assurance (seek, sought, sought)
We quickly sought assurance that the aircraft would remain stationary long enough for us to get off.
said to express sympathy with someone when something
bad has happened to them
Pech (gehabt)! / (So ein) Pech!
Hard/bad/tough luck
“They’ve just run out of tickets.” “Oh, bad luck!”
to complain loudly about something
They’ll usually give you your money back if you threaten to k_____ up a f_____.
to kick up a fuss (about sth)
G: viel Aufheben(s) machen, einen Aufstand machen; Krach schlagen
(unable) to do what you promised to do or what you are expected to do; (unable) to produce or provide what people expect you to
Successive administrations have failed to _____ adequate funding for education
(fail to) deliver
G: (nicht) einhalten/einlösen/erfüllen/liefern (können)
to make known officially or publicly that you do not feel pleased or satisfied with sth
G: seine Unzufriedenheit kundtun/äussern/zum Ausdruck bringen
to register your dissatisfaction with sth
to be extremely worried/anxious
Where have you been? I’ve been w_____ s_____ about you.
to be worried sick
very unhappy, worried or upset
She was d_____ d_____ by the news of his death.
deeply distressed
G: zutiefst bekümmert/betrübt/besorgt/unglücklich
a statement, often written, that an arrangement is certain
G: schriftliche Bestätigung
written confirmation
We will send you written confirmation of you offer shortly.
to send a short letter to sb
G: jdm. (ein paar Zeilen) schreiben
to drop sb a line
Drop me a line when you get there.
to say that something is definitely true
G: hoch und heilig schwören, dass …
swear blind (swear, swore, sworn)
He swore blind that he’d already paid back the money he owed me.
to GET a bacteria or a virus causing an illness that is usually not serious
G: einen Bazillus (Käfer) auflesen
to PICK UP a bug [informal]
I picked up a bug in the office.
to CATCH or BECOME ill with a disease
to CONTRACT a disease [formal]
If you have an u_____ st_____, you feel slightly ill, especially because of something you have eaten or drunk
upset stomach
G: Magenverstimmung
a loud cough that sounds painful
a hacking cough
G: eine trockener Husten
(Symptome) auftreten, sich zeigen
to develop symptoms
If you develop symptoms such as chest pain and …
