Changes Flashcards
Alter
Verb
Change or cause to change in character or composition, typically in a comparatively small but significant way; Modify- Remodel
Moving to the countryside radically altered our lifestyle.
Some people choose to alter their appearance with surgery.
Switch
Verb
Change the position, direction, or focus of; Convert- Shift: By switching to a different provider, it can be possible to pay much less for your mobile phone bills.
I chose drama as an extra-curricular activity, but switched to photography a few weeks later.
Adjust
Verb
Alert or move (something) slightly in order to achieve the desired fit, appearance, or result; Regulate- Tune: It can take time to adjust to living in a different country.
Prices seem low, but when you adjust them to allow for tax, they are considerably higher.
Fade
Verb
Gradually grow faint and disappear; Vanish- Grow dim: The noise built up rapidly, and then just as quickly it faded into the distance.
As the applause faded, the speaker started talking.
Vary
Verb
Differ in size, amount, degree, or nature from something else of the same general class; Differ: The amount of tax you pay on a car varies according to the amount of carbon dioxide it emits.
People’s reaction to the medicine vary a lot, with some people complaining it has no effect at all.
Reduce
Verb
Make smaller or less in amount, degree, or size; Lessen- Diminish- Decrease: Everyone should try to reduce the amount of fat in their diet.
Many companies were forced to reduce their workforce during the recession.
Deteriorate
Verb
Become progressively worse; Worsen- Decay- Degenerate: Economic crises often deteriorate into social unrest. The weather deteriorated/ get worse/worsen rapidly when it started raining and the winds picked up.
Swell
Verb
(especially of a part of the body) become larger or rounder in size, typically as a result of an accumulation of fluid; Expand- Inflate: Ankles and other joints often swell when people travel by air. The town is home to 3,000 people, but this figure swells to 12,000 in the same summer.
Exchange
Verb
Give something and receive something of the same kind in return; Trade- Swap- Replace: The tokens can be exchanged for food in the student canteen. Shops will normally exchange damaged goods if you have a receipt.
Renovate
Verb Restore (something old, especially a building) to a good state of repair; Renew- refurbish: Businesses in the city center were offered funding so they could renovate their premises. In some cases it can be more expensive to renovate an old building than knock it down and build a new one.
Replace
Verb
Take the place of. Put (something) back in a previous place or position; Put back- Return: Email has largely replaced the traditional letter as a means of written business communication. The plan is to replace all the old desktop computers in the library with netbooks.
Adapt
Verb Make (something) suitable for a new use or purpose; modify; Modify- Reconcile- Suit: Some companies are slow to adapt to a changing market. Courses can be adapted to suit the needs of individual students.
Disappear
Verb
Cease to be visible; Vanish- Pass from sight: The symptoms of illnesses like measles aren’t usually serious, and disappear within a few days. As the sun disappeared behind the clouds, the temperature quickly dropped.
Promote
Verb
Further the progress of (something, especially a cause, venture, or aim); support or actively encourage.
Advance or raise (someone) to a higher position or rank; Advance- Upgrade- Elevate- Improve the position of: A college course can help you to find a job
or get promoted at work. The ‘Peter Principle’ is a theory which says that in a big company, everyone eventually gets promoted to a job that is beyond their
ability.
Relax
Verb
Make or become less tense or anxious.
Make (a rule or restriction) less strict while not abolishing it; Unscrew- Loosen- Slack: Some people think that the government should relax the rules regarding building on protected land. For the final part of the exercise, you need to repeatedly tighten, then relax your stomach muscles.
Improve
Verb
Make or become better; Ameliorate- Make better- Rectify: The government’s aim in the next five years is to improve educational standards. The best way of improving your English is to practice using it as much as possible.
Expand
Verb
Become or make larger or more extensive; Develop, Expand, Extend, Enlarge, Increase, Outstretch
Water freezes in the pipes, forcing them to
expand and burst. Britain’s universities expanded at an
unprecedented rate at the end of the twentieth century.
Cut
Verb
Make an opening, incision, or wound in (something) with a sharp-edged tool or object. Divide into pieces with a knife or other sharp implement; Slice: Supermarkets cut prices on many basic items to attract more customers. I believe that governments should increase spending on the arts instead of cutting it.
Transform
Verb
Make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of; Change- Alter- Modify- Convert: Email and social networking websites have
transformed the way people communicate. When it was closed down, the old fire station was transformed into an art gallery.
Decline
Verb
(typically of something regarded as good) become smaller, fewer, or less; decrease- Reduce- Diminish
politely refuse (an invitation or offer).
House prices are so high that the number of people buying their own home has declined in the last five years. Because so many people are out of work,
living standards are declining rapidly.
Increase
Rise
Go up
Student numbers at the Briarwood School of English increased/ rose / went up.
Fall
Drop
Go down
Decline
Student numbers at the Windsor Language Centre
fell / dropped / went down / declined.
Remained steady
Remained constant
Student numbers at the Speakeasy School of Languages remained steady / remained constant.
Fluctuated
Student numbers at Harefield College fluctuated.
Peaked at
Reached a peak of
They peaked at / reached a peak of 120 in June.
Gradually
Steadily
Between January and April, petrol prices increased gradually / steadily.
Slightly
In May, petrol prices fell slightly.
Dramatically
Sharply
In June, petrol prices rose dramatically / sharply.
Upward trend
Overall, there has been an upward trend in petrol prices.
The graph shows how many people visited three seaside towns between April and August.
The number of visitors to Seahaven increased / rose / went up gradually / steadily between April and June, then increased / rose / went up dramatically / sharply in July, and continued to go up / increase / rise in August. For the first four months, visitor numbers to Bridgeport fluctuated, but then dropped / fell / declined / decreased / went down dramatically / sharply in the final month. Westhampton visitor numbers remained constant / remained steady from April to June, then increased / rose / went up slightly in July and finally peaked at / reached a peak of 11,000 in August.
Overall, there was an upward trend in the number of visitors to Seahaven and Westhampton, but a downward trend in the number of people visiting Bridgeport.
