Phrases and practice

Learn a useful phrase in context, listen to its pronunciation and practise saying it.

• To someone who knows the building, the arrow seems obvious, but a visitor has no floor plan in their head; let us assess the sign before the corridor branches, rather than after reaching the destination.C2 · #5301
• I would not want room numbers to make visitors solve a puzzle about past renovations; if the sequence has gaps, the map should show the exception before someone assumes they have walked past the right door.C2 · #5302
• Since the two staircases lead to different parts of the floor, calling both simply stairs obscures a crucial distinction; a short label is useful only if it does not leave reception to explain everything.C2 · #5303
• The instruction to turn at the former café works only for people who remember it; in directions for new visitors, let us replace the memory with a landmark they can actually see.C2 · #5304
• On leaving the lift, visitors see the back of the sign, although it occupies the right spot on the plan; let us assess the route from an arriving person's eye level and line of sight, not just from a floor plan.C2 · #5305
• To taste is honest in a family note, but in a book for strangers it conceals the starting point; let us give an approximate amount and allow adjustment, rather than pretend everyone remembers the same pot.C2 · #5306
• The person who wrote down the recipe need not be the one who taught us to cook; let us distinguish those roles in the credit so that a polished text does not eclipse someone who passed on knowledge at the kitchen table.C2 · #5307
• The number of servings also depends on the dish's place in a meal: a side dish and a main course imply different quantities; let us state the assumption before readers mistake their own appetite for an error in the recipe.C2 · #5308
• Two versions of a recipe can equally reflect different households, even if one is older; let us decide which to record without making the book an arbiter of whose grandmother did the authentic cooking.C2 · #5309
• The photograph shows the result after the cake has rested, while the instructions end at taking it out of the oven; let us add that stage so readers do not try to reproduce its appearance at a moment the picture does not show.C2 · #5310
• If one person announces the optimal move for everyone, a shared victory may conceal a solitary game; before moving the piece, let us give others time to formulate an idea of their own.C2 · #5311
• I would not want predictions of another player's moves to rely on knowledge their character has not yet acquired; let us agree what may be disclosed before a convenient reading of the rules rescues us from defeat.C2 · #5312
• In an introductory game, explaining why I pass up a stronger move teaches more than simply giving way; a newcomer should see the choice, rather than feel they won through other people's inexplicable mistakes.C2 · #5313
• We can undo a move made after mishearing a rule without reopening every later decision; let us state the reason for the exception so that courtesy does not turn into an ill-defined privilege.C2 · #5314
• When calling the defeat bad luck, let us distinguish an unfavourable roll from the risk we knowingly took beforehand; otherwise our analysis begins only where our responsibility for the choice ends.C2 · #5315
• I suggest leaving sound sources unnamed for a moment so that a recognised label does not replace listening; we may know a tram is passing and still fail to hear how its sound changes around the corner.C2 · #5316
• Asking the group to be quiet does not promise the surroundings will fall silent with us; the aim is to hear what our conversation usually drowns out, rather than put the world through a test of silence.C2 · #5317
• I would not discard the sound of a delivery merely because it disrupts an idyllic picture of the square; if we are recording an ordinary morning, the work of people absent from the postcard belongs to its sound too.C2 · #5318
• Describing the gate as sounding metallic is not the same as identifying its material; let us describe how long the sound lingered and the rhythm of the impacts, so the note preserves an impression as well as a material's name.C2 · #5319
• Let us stop at the same spot on the way back, without treating the second listen as a repeat of the first; changed traffic may reveal sounds that were already there but went unnoticed.C2 · #5320
• A letter that breaks off mid-sentence need not indicate an abrupt rupture in the relationship; before giving it a dramatic ending, let us check whether the missing sheet is simply a gap in the surviving collection.C2 · #5321
• If we retain the original spelling, let us explain the policy before readers mistake inconsistencies for oversights; fidelity to the document should not require them to guess our editorial decisions.C2 · #5322
• Repeated assurances of feeling well may answer the recipient's concern rather than give a full account of the writer's day; let us read the formula as a gesture within a relationship, not solely as a diary entry.C2 · #5323
• Arranging letters by the dates they arrived will show the rhythm of the recipient's waiting, but may obscure the order in which they were written; let us name our perspective before readers take the volume's sequence for the sequence of events.C2 · #5324
• A courteous closing does not cancel a sharp remark in the middle of a letter, just as that remark does not make every courtesy hypocritical; let us preserve both tones instead of smoothing the correspondence into a single mood.C2 · #5325
• Rather than immediately calling the character furious, let us describe the clenched hand and abrupt movement; listeners can draw an inference from the gesture without receiving an interpretation disguised as a visible detail.C2 · #5326
• If the film has not yet revealed the name of the person at the door, our description should not jump ahead of that discovery; a recognisable feature can help listeners follow the character without taking away the moment of recognition.C2 · #5327
• A pause in the dialogue makes room for description, but does not oblige us to fill every second; in this scene, silence also builds tension that excessive explanation could defuse.C2 · #5328
• Since the alarm is clearly audible, let us not repeat it in words at the expense of the flashing light; the description should add to what listeners receive rather than explain a sound they have just recognised.C2 · #5329
• The camera's return to the same window may connect two shots even though no one opens it; let us name the change of perspective so that movement in the image does not become a new action by a character in our description.C2 · #5330
• A photograph of an empty bench at dawn cannot tell us whether the spot works at midday; before declaring the choice a success, let us see who actually wants to sit there and under what conditions.C2 · #5331
• Moving the bench off the main path removes one obstacle but may create another if access ends on uneven ground; let us assess the whole route to the resting place, not just the clear strip between benches.C2 · #5332
• Facing seats towards one another encourages conversation in this part of the square, but not everyone comes here to talk; let us also allow people to watch their surroundings without feeling they have taken a place at someone else's table.C2 · #5333
• The complaint about evening noise concerns particular behaviour, not everyone who sits on the bench; let us frame the problem so its solution does not also deprive unobtrusive users of a daytime rest.C2 · #5334
• The same bench is a stop along the way for one person and the only meeting place for another; the consultation should accommodate both experiences rather than treat length of stay as a measure of how legitimate the need is.C2 · #5335
• A design viewed in a flat photograph may conceal a corner that cuts across a face in the mural; before approving the composition, let us walk around the corner as passers-by will.C2 · #5336
• If painting together is also meant to be a learning experience, let us not assign beginners only the task of covering up existing mistakes; give them a section where they can make a decision of their own rather than restrict them to copying someone else's brushstrokes.C2 · #5337
• One resident knowing the building's history does not mean her favourite motif represents the entire street; let us also invite voices that do not fit the story easiest to paint.C2 · #5338
• When photographing the mural's creation, let us include rejected sketches too, if their authors wish to share them; the final result alone does not show how a joint decision grew out of different proposals.C2 · #5339
• The empty space between figures may be part of the image's rhythm rather than a spot awaiting the last volunteer; before adding another detail, let us check whether our contribution would drown out the composition we meant to help create.C2 · #5340
• Let us leave a breathing space after the quiet track before the loud chorus begins; I do not want the next song's energy to deny the previous one a chance to linger, even though both belong on the list.C2 · #5341
• A list on which everyone chooses one track need not pretend to express a unified taste; we can present it as a meeting of different preferences rather than smooth away differences until someone's choice disappears.C2 · #5342
• Before using the shared list as background to conversation, let us agree whether we are listening to lyrics or merely setting a mood; a track that demands attention may turn a casual gathering into a listening session no one agreed to.C2 · #5343
• The song reminds me of our trip, but I do not assume everyone remembers it in the same way; in a short note, I will share my own recollection while leaving others room for an entirely different association.C2 · #5344
• It is worth separating two versions of the same piece on the list if we want each to stand on its own; placed side by side, they may invite a comparison of performers even though we merely meant to broaden the repertoire.C2 · #5345
• The ticket and photograph refer to the same event, but separate envelopes may hide that link; let us mark their connection so future readers need not reconstruct our story from objects that happen to lie next to each other.C2 · #5346
• In the letter to future residents, let us distinguish a hope from a promise whose fulfilment is beyond our control; a sincere wish can endure as a record of our aspirations even if the world takes a different path.C2 · #5347
• If someone wishes to contribute a statement without their name, let us not later pair it with an identified photograph of the same person; anonymity should be preserved by the collection as a whole, not merely by a blank beneath one text.C2 · #5348
• We collected messages over several months, so let us not present them as a single shared today; dating each entry will reveal changes of mood instead of making different moments look like conflicting accounts of the same day.C2 · #5349
• Let us leave future readers a question they can truly answer rather than a script for admiring us; the capsule can invite a conversation across time without demanding gratitude from people we do not yet know.C2 · #5350
• The faltering breath reflects the character's uncertainty here, not a recording flaw; let us not polish the line so thoroughly that someone visibly hesitating speaks with unshakable confidence.C2 · #5351
• The shift to a familiar form of address comes only after the reconciliation; if our translation uses it from the outset, viewers will lose a cue to the changed relationship even though each sentence sounds natural on its own.C2 · #5352
• The repeated word lets the character buy time before answering, so let us not cut it merely as clumsy phrasing; a smoother line could remove the very resistance the scene was meant to reveal.C2 · #5353
• The shout from the next room should follow the head turn if the character first sees something; moving the sound earlier would turn a response to a sight into a response to a call.C2 · #5354
• The character deliberately leaves the threat unfinished, keeping its meaning implicit; spelling out the missing condition in translation may deprive the addressee of the evasive answer that drives the next scene.C2 · #5355
• The clue about the fountain is unambiguous only to someone who knows our route; since the square has two, let us add a detail that identifies the right one without guessing what the puzzle's author had in mind.C2 · #5356
• The password printed on a poster beside the game station may reduce the puzzle to copying; if we want to test reasoning, let us distinguish information needed to solve it from a ready-made answer on the wall.C2 · #5357
• The first hint should open a path to the next step rather than reveal the ending at once; someone asking for help may still want to solve the puzzle, not lose all the pleasure of discovery.C2 · #5358
• If the score depends on walking time, let us call it a race with puzzles; we should not present the table as a pure measure of ingenuity when fast feet can make up for longer deliberation.C2 · #5359
• A false lead can make the game more interesting if the available clues allow it to be ruled out; an organiser's private joke should not be a key participants had no way to obtain.C2 · #5360
• ‘Never worn’ describes a garment's history, not its present condition; if it has spent years in a wardrobe, let us inspect it before the swap rather than let the label of newness stand in for an examination.C2 · #5361
• The size on the label offers a starting point but does not settle how this cut fits; I can describe where the garment is loose without promising it will sit exactly the same way on someone else.C2 · #5362
• Fixing the seam is a small matter to me, but the person taking the jacket may have neither tools nor practice; let us name the repair needed rather than present our own ease in doing it as a property of the garment.C2 · #5363
• If the swap aims to pass on clothes we do not use, we need not return with the same number of items; a less full bag can mean the purpose was fulfilled, not that someone got the worse end of the exchange.C2 · #5364
• Taking a garment to try on is not yet a final choice, but putting it down should not mean losing one's turn either; let us agree on a brief reservation so that checking the fit does not become a struggle for priority.C2 · #5365
• Rather than stop at the word leader, I will describe how she brought order to a discussion in which three people were addressing different problems; the reader should see the action behind the praise, not merely the prestige of a label.C2 · #5366
• I am happy to support the candidacy, but do not want to turn up the heat of praise whenever someone else adds a superlative; the reference will gain precision if its words retain a clear sense of degree.C2 · #5367
• Before forwarding an old letter to a new recipient, let us ask its author whether they wish to add later experience; a favourable assessment from years ago should not masquerade as a statement written specifically for today's occasion.C2 · #5368
• The phrase ‘she is not lacking in ambition’ may sound cautiously detached although I meant to praise persistence; I would rather name what I value than expect the reader to untangle a compliment wrapped in a negative.C2 · #5369
• The reference should help readers understand how the candidate works, not oblige her to live up to my ideal portrait; let us leave room for growth rather than describe a person as a finished product.C2 · #5370
• If my partner establishes a station as the scene's setting, I need not share their character's fear to accept that space; we can play different reactions within a shared world instead of pulling the scenery towards our own side.C2 · #5371
• A character who is a company director may give orders within the scene, but this does not entitle the actor to dictate every move his partner makes; let us distinguish authority in the story from how we create it together.C2 · #5372
• The audience offered three ideas, and we will choose one as a starting point; let us thank them for all three without promising each will appear on stage, since that promise could turn improvisation into ticking off a list.C2 · #5373
• We can incorporate the mistaken town name into the fiction without pretending afterwards that it was intended from the outset; making creative use of a slip does not require rewriting how it came about.C2 · #5374
• Laughter after the last line offers a good moment to end, but does not automatically resolve the thread we opened earlier; let us decide whether to leave the question hanging rather than confuse a successful punchline with closure for the whole scene.C2 · #5375
• The intersecting answers only seem to confirm that letter if both rest on the same guess; let us return to the clues before treating agreement between our own assumptions as an independent check of the solution.C2 · #5376
• The word fits the number of squares, but I would have to stretch the clue's meaning to defend it; I would rather leave a gap than let a plausible answer become a reason to reinterpret the whole puzzle.C2 · #5377
• If the answer depends on a regional term, let us signal that scope in the clue; difficulty can come from an inventive association rather than having to guess where the crossword's author comes from.C2 · #5378
• The most confident answer being voiced loudest does not make it a shared conclusion; before entering the word, let us allow someone with another idea to explain which part of the clue they read differently.C2 · #5379
• Beside the unanswered clue, I left two rejected ideas and why they were rejected; the shared note should spare the next person a trip down a blind alley without denying them a route of their own to the solution.C2 · #5380
• By mild I mean a subtle taste, while you mean a faint aroma; before treating our ratings as agreement, let us note which aspect of the experience the shared label refers to.C2 · #5381
• If one sample is served immediately and another after a long conversation, let us not attribute the entire difference in ratings to the teas themselves; record the serving conditions we changed between cups too.C2 · #5382
• After seeing the packaging, I can describe a new association, but do not want to rewrite the earlier note as though I knew the brand all along; the change of interpretation also belongs to the story of this comparison.C2 · #5383
• My favourite sample for a leisurely breakfast need not be the one I would choose with a sweet dessert; let us specify the occasion so personal preference does not sound like a universal ranking unrelated to the rest of the meal.C2 · #5384
• To compare two independent impressions of the same sample, let us serve it under a different number and record ratings before discussing the result; otherwise the second answer may express loyalty to the first declaration rather than a fresh impression.C2 · #5385
• I would not want the round of introductions to become a test of openness; a new neighbour can give only their name and still be a full participant, even if everyone else wants to tell entire stories.C2 · #5386
• When recalling an old courtyard joke, let us explain its background without testing who already knows it; shared memory can welcome new people rather than draw a line between insiders and those left standing beside them.C2 · #5387
• An empty chair within a closed circle of friends is not always a clear invitation; the host can make room in the conversation by introducing the person and opening a topic rather than leaving them to interrupt other people's reminiscences.C2 · #5388
• A high turnout tells us people came, not necessarily that they found someone to talk to; in the review, let us ask about new contacts too so that a full room does not stand in for the gathering's purpose.C2 · #5389
• An invitation to the neighbourhood group should allow people to choose how to stay in touch rather than immediately put everyone on a rota; a first visit may be an attempt to get to know the place, not a commitment to every shared task.C2 · #5390
• I remember the conversation vividly but am unsure which month it took place in; I will mark the uncertainty of the date without letting it spill over the whole memory, since different details need not be equally sharp.C2 · #5391
• If we combine two homecomings into one scene, let us tell readers about that compression; a fluent narrative should not create a single evening that no one experienced in that form.C2 · #5392
• The childhood nickname and the later name in this story refer to the same person; let us make one clear connection so that a change of naming does not multiply characters who never existed.C2 · #5393
• I remember that advice as a turning point, but earlier experiences may also have prepared me to accept it; I will describe what the conversation meant to me without making a single sentence solely responsible for the change.C2 · #5394
• In editing the dispute, I kept every brilliant reply for myself and left the other person only silence; I will reread the scene with that in mind so that literary rhythm does not turn memory into a convenient duel with a shadow.C2 · #5395
• When introducing the new facilitator, let us not present every decision she makes as a continuation of my view; participants should know who now answers questions rather than seek confirmation from the person who handed over the role.C2 · #5396
• In the handover note, I will distinguish agreed decisions from ideas we have not yet discussed; the new facilitator should not treat my working shorthand as a promise made to the entire club.C2 · #5397
• I would not want to hand the new facilitator a list of difficult people as though an old conflict were their permanent trait; I will describe the specific situation and what remains unresolved without locking people into inherited labels.C2 · #5398
• Starting every meeting with the same round does not make it an unchangeable rule; in the handover, let us explain its purpose so the next person can preserve that aim with a different way of opening the discussion.C2 · #5399
• Let us arrange a conversation after the first month about what the handover lacked rather than what the new facilitator did differently from me; that perspective can improve the guidance without turning it into a review of my successor.C2 · #5400