Useful Collocations and Idioms for Essays

Question 1

all manner of something

Answer 1

a lot of different types:

There are all manner of architectural styles in the capital.
Today our world faces all manner of existential threats such as nuclear war and climate change.

Question 2

compared to\with

Answer 2

to examine or look for the difference between two or more things:

This road is quite busy compared to/with ours.
Children seem to learn more interesting things compared to/with when we were at school.

Question 3

At that point

Answer 3

This phrase refers to a particular time when an event or circumstance occurred.

Question 4

set something off

Answer 4

to cause an activity or event, often a series of events, to begin or happen:

The court’s initial verdict in the police officers’ trial set off serious riots.

to cause a loud noise or explosion, such as that made by a bomb or an alarm (= a warning sound) to begin or happen:

Terrorists set off a bomb in the city centre.
Somebody set the alarm off on my car.

Question 5

use something up

Answer 5

to finish a supply of something:

Don’t use up all the milk - we need some for breakfast.
The earth’s resources are being used up at an alarming rate.