a disaster strikes (=happens
suddenly)
Congress often gives millions of dollars in foreign
aid when natural disasters strike.
prevent/avert a disaster
They called for an international programme to prevent
the disaster happening again.
p. 38
end /end/ ●●● S1 W1 noun
1 LAST PART [singular] the last part of a period of time, event, activity, or
story OPP beginning, start
end of
- Costs are expected to double by the end of 2012.
at the end
- What would she find at the end of her journey?
- Hooker’s death marked the end of an era.
- I played the tape from beginning to end.
in the end
after a period of time, or after everything has been
done
- What did you decide in the end?
when/if push comes to shove
(also if it comes to the push British English) spoken
if a situation becomes very difficult or action needs to be taken
- If push comes to shove, you can always sell the car.
Finders keepers, losers weepers
A person who finds something can keep it, and the
loser has no right to it. This proverb is of dubious ethical merit.
GRAMMAR: Countable or uncountable?
• Jewellery is an uncountable noun and is not used in
the plural. You say:
The thieves stole all my jewellery.
✗Don’t say: The thieves stole all my jewelleries.
• Jewellery is always followed by a singular verb:
Their jewellery is very fashionable.
• When talking about one ring, necklace etc, you say a
piece of jewellery or an item of jewellery:
She bought an expensive piece of jewellery.
put sb on the spot
If you put someone on the spot, you cause them
embarrassment or difficulty by forcing them at that moment to answer a
difficult question or make an important decision:
Mira rather put the boss on the spot by asking him
when he was going to give us a pay rise.
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