Dr Fingers’ Grammar Clinic

DR FINGERS’VOCABULARY CLINIC USEFUL EXPRESSIONS

Fans of the good doctor will be pleased to know that he has decided it’s time to expand your vocabulary. So, here is the first of a new series of expressions for you to learn. The expressions have all been illustrated by Dr Fingers to help you make an association between the image and the meaning of the expression. This should help you remember the expressions. The answers are on page 50.

To work yourself into a state of anxiety:

To become very nervous and anxious about something.

To make full use of something: (100%)

To take full advantage of something, and to use that thing 100%.

To know your limits:

To understand yourself and to know what your reaction is going to be in a difficult situation.

To never bother to do something:

To never do something because you are too lazy or tired, and you don’t want to do that thing.

In the interests of safety:

If you do something “in the interests of safety”, you do that thing whilst thinking about the possible dangers involved, and how to avoid them.

To leave halfway through a film:

To leave a cinema before the end of a film - usually because you don’t like the film.

To inch your way across a surface:

To move over a surface very, very slowly - just like a snail.

On the horizon:

If you can see a ship “on the horizon”, you can see it on the line that exists where the sky and the sea join together.

To come to a sudden halt:

To suddenly stop.

Exercise

Now look at the sentences below. See if you can choose the correct option (a, b, c or d). 1. I hated the film Moulin Rouge so much I left halfway _______ . a) Across b) Down c) Through d) Along 2. From the west coast of England you can sometimes see Ireland on the _____________. a) Distance b) Background c) Outskirts d) Horizon 3. Sometimes Venus can be seen inching its __________ across the sky. a) Path b) Way c) Course d) Route 4. With water in its engine, a car can __________ to a sudden halt. a) Come b) Fall c) Pull d) Go 5. Unfortunately, Edwina and John never _____________ to keep in touch. a) Minded b) Concerned c) Worried d) Bothered 6. You shouldn’t work yourself into a ________ of anxiety before exams.

Who cares if you fail? a) State b) Condition c) Feeling d) Case 7. When you are in a dangerous situation, you have to know your ___________. a) Limits b) Ends c) Frontiers d) Borders 8. In order to ___________ full use of your English, it’s best to work in a multinational environment. a) Be b) Have c) Make d) Get 9. You need fire extinguishers in the _________ of safety. a) Interests b) Needs c) Purposes d) Regards