TIME & MOVEMENTS Flashcards
remove by force
Chrissy accidentally broke the handle off the antique vase.
break off
make something untidy or unattractive, do something incorrectly
The hairdresser has completely messed up his hair
mess up
hit someone or something by mistake
I banged into the door while leaving the house.
bang into
fall to pieces
The old book came apart in the librarian’s hands.
come apart
hit something and make it fall to the ground
The dog knocked over the plant pot as it chased the cat.
knock over
hit something with your foot and fall to the ground as a result
Takira tripped over one of her son’s toys.
trip over
break something into pieces
Colin accidentally drove into a tree and smashed up his van.
smash up
become blocked
The drain was clogged up with old leaves, so l had to unblock it.
clog up
disassemble something, separate it into its parts
Jorge took the old clock apart to fix it.
take apart
use something so much that it cannot be used anymore
My son has worn out another pair of shoes!
Wear out
destroy by tearing into pieces
When I got home, I found that the dog had torn a cushion apart
Tear apart
break something into pieces by ripping it
After her favorite band split up, Jo tore up all her posters of them.
tear up
fall to the ground from a standing position
When Omar fell over in the backyard, his dad rushed over to help him.
fall over
fall to the ground from a higher point or surface
Rodrigo slammed the door so hard that the pictures fell off the wall.
fall off
be in a very bad state, fall to the ground (about a building)
The old manor house Andrei wants to buy looks as if it’s about to fall down.
fall down
break into pieces (because of age or bad quality)
Sanjay’s old car is falling apart. He’s had it since he was a teenager.
fall apart
fall from an enclosed place
David’s wallet fell out of his pocket while he was running for the bus.
fall out (of)
crumble and fall to the ground
After the leak in the room above, it looked like the ceiling might fall in.
fall in
avoid any unnecessary risks
It might rain later. I’ll play it safe and take an umbrella.
unharmed and safe
The rescue team found the climbers safe and sound.
safety is the most important thing
Make sure you wear a helmet when you re cycling! Remember,
safety first!
in the care of someone responsible
Zahira is an excellent scuba teacher. You re in safe hands with her.
it was safe to do something
The bear had left, and the coast was clear. We could continue with our trek.
unharmed or uninjured
After the crash, I called my mom to tell her I was still in one piece.
think about the consequences of taking risks
Are you sure you want to buy that motorcycle? I think you should look before you leap.
Be careful so that you avoid problems later
I always wear goggles when I do an experiment. Better safe than sorry!
.
full of danger
The route through the jungle was fraught with danger.
dangerously close
That bike almost hit me! It was too close for comfort.
in a very dangerous or insecure situation
Elsa’s job at the café is hanging by a thread after she dropped another tray of drinks.
potentially getting into trouble
You’re skating on thin ice, Dai.
You’ve arrived late for school every day this week.
close to a dangerous situation
Blake is teetering on the brink of losing his job. His boss has given him a final warning.
put yourself at risk
If you don’t do your violin practice, you run the risk of failing your test next week.
take a great risk
You have to take your life in your hands every time you cross this road.
extremely dangerous
I advised Kathy not to go into the water. It would be risking life and limb.
nearly had an accident, or got into danger
Marco had a narrow escape, but managed to avoid being hit by the truck.
a situation where something bad nearly happened
Hayley had a close shave.
That ball almost hit her!
not out of danger
Jill’s operation went well, but
she’s not out of the woods yet.
by the smallest possible amount of time
Maddy caught the train by the skin of her teeth. It left a few seconds later.
punctual
Victoria is always on time for her English class.
very rarely
Huan only cooks at home once in a blue moon.
lasted far too long
That meeting really dragged on.
Colm was almost asleep by the end.
lasted far too long
an extremely long time
You’ll have to wait until the cows come home before Yuri fixes your car.
spending time in an unproductive way
The teacher told Cory to stop wasting time on his phone.
hurry up
We must get a move on or we’ll miss the start of the play.
a boring experience that passes very slowly
Driving to work during rush hour is such a drag. The traffic’s terrible!
a very long time
It’s been ages since I last went to the circus. I haven’t been since I was a child.
passed very quickly or too quickly
Today has flown by, and I still have so much work to do!
past the appropriate time
It’s nearly midnight. It’s about time we went home.
unexpectedly soon or quickly
Finley’s growing up so quickly!
He was walking before we knew it.
at the last possible moment
We arrived in the nick of time. The train was about to leave.
kept busy while waiting
Our flight was delayed for a few hours, so we killed time playing cards.
extremely early in the morning
We were up at the crack of dawn to catch our flight.
early in the morning
Ren arrived bright and early for his first day at work.
the middle of the night; the quietest part of the night
I was woken in the dead of night by a loud noise outside.
through the whole night
I worked on my assignment from dusk till dawn.
very late at night
Fred stayed up until the wee hours, chatting with his grandfather.
almost but not quite remembered
The answer to the teacher’s question was on the tip of my tongue.
a poor practical memory
I can’t believe I forgot to bring the sandwiches! I’ve got a memory like a sieve.
was very easy to forget
That boring lecture went in one ear and out the other!
most people have forgotten
Memories are fading of what the world was like before TV.
remember something important that might be useful later
You should keep in mind that it gets cold in the winter and pack some warm clothes. (Us)
forgot the main point of what he was talking about
Jacob was explaining the diagram when he suddenly lost his train of thought.
came quickly into someone’s mind
When my son asked me to recommend a book, two titles sprang to mind immediately.
the ability to remember information or images in great detail
Martha has a photographic memory.
She copied that painting perfectly and she’d only seen it once.
help me to remember
The police showed me a photo of the suspect to jog my memory.
that anyone alive can remember
It’s the worst winter in living memory. I’ve never seen so much snow.
is familiar
That name rings a bell! I think I went to college with her.
I can’t remember its name
I’ve seen that animal before, but its name escapes me.
thinking hard, or making an effort to remember
I’ve been racking my brain all morning but can’t remember where
I put my passport. (US)
although I tried not to think about it
I enjoyed the party, but at the back of my mind I knew I had to catch the last train home.
brought back memories
Looking at my old medals stirred up memories of competing in the Olympics.
talked about the past in a happy way
Emi and Sofia took a trip down memory lane as they talked about their school days.
avoid remembering or thinking about
Keeping busy at work is helping me erase the memory of my ex-girlfriend.
I forgot
I’m sorry I didn’t get you a present. It slipped my mind that it was your birthday.
I couldn’t remember anything at all
When the hotel receptionist asked me for my phone number, my mind went blank
in the unlikely event
I think you’ll need to replace your washing machine, but I’ll take a look on the off-chance that I can fix it
a small possibility
There was only a slim chance that we’d see a cheetah, so we were amazed when we spotted one
