9 b Chapter Flashcards
to improve your skills in something, especially when you have not used it for a period of time
brush up on sth/brush sth up
I’m trying to brush up on my French before I go to Paris.
to have a meaning or reason that you can understand
make sense of sth
He’s written me this note but it doesn’t make any sense.
make progress at the same speed as others
to do whatever is necessary to stay level or equal with someone or something
keep up (with sb) He started to walk faster and the children had to run to keep up.
be remembered or understood
sink in
The new vocabulary do not sink in.
Continue to concentrate on sth
to keep paying attention to something, even though it is difficult
keep your mind on sth
Making notes is the best way of keeping your mind on the task at hand.
to learn a new skill or language by practising it rather than being taught it
pick sth up
When you live in a country you soon pick up the language.
Don’t bother with the computer manual - you’ll pick it up as you go along.
to continue to do sth as well as you are doing it now
keep it up
to think very hard
rack your brains
I’ve been racking my brains all day but I can’t remember her name.
If something comes back to you, you start to remember it
come back to
I can’t think of her name - it’ll come back to me later.
about to be said if you can remember it
on the tip of your tongue
I know her - her name is on the tip of my tongue, but it won’t come to me.
heard but quickly forgotten
goes in one ear and out the other
Whatever he tells me seems to go in one ear and out the other.
