Essential English Vocabulary and Phrasal Verbs for Academic Success

Essential English Vocabulary and Phrasal Verbs

Welcome to this comprehensive compilation of English vocabulary and phrasal verbs designed to help you improve your language skills, especially in academic contexts. Below you will find definitions, explanations, and practical examples for each term.

Phrasal Verbs and Idiomatic Expressions

• Live up to: Be as good as something.
  Ex: My mum is very ambitious for me, and it is difficult to live up to her expectations.
• Get away with: Succeed in avoiding punishment for something.
  Ex: I do not know how Charo gets away with copying her essays from the Internet, but the teacher never seems to notice.
• Point out: Tell someone about some information, often because you believe they are not aware of it or have forgotten it.
  Ex: The exam turned out to be easier than I expected and, just as you pointed out, it was all things we'd studied before.
• Get to know:
  Ex: I am getting to know lots of local people.
• To get on with: They like each other and are friendly to each other (to have a good relationship).
  Ex: Richard and his sister don't get on with each other.

Academic and School Vocabulary

• Exchange: An arrangement in which a student, teacher, etc., visits another school or university to work or study.
  Ex: I am here for a term on an exchange.
• Host: A person who receives or entertains guests at home or elsewhere.
  Ex: The host family was really kind.
• Immerse in: To become completely involved in something.
  Ex: She was far too immersed in her studies.
• Demanding: Needing a lot of ability, effort, or skill.
  Ex: Climbing is physically demanding.
• Boarding school: A school where students live as well as study.
  Ex: So what happened was my parents came to me with a brochure of a boarding school.
• Determined: Having a strong desire to do something, so that you will not let anyone stop you.
  Ex: Gwen is a very determined woman.
• Grade: A mark that a student is given for their work or for an examination.
  Ex: He got a grade A in maths.
• Behave: To do things that are good, bad, sensible, etc.
  Ex: She behaved in a very responsible way.
• Advise: To tell someone what you think they should do, especially when you know more than they do about something.
  Ex: She needed someone to advise her.
• Assessment: A process in which you make a judgment about a person or situation, or the judgment you make.
  Ex: A reading assessment test.
• Involvement: The act of taking part in an activity or event, or the way in which you take part in it.
  Ex: School officials say they welcome parental involvement.
• Preference: If you have a preference for something, you like it more than another thing and will choose it if you can.
  Ex: Do you have a colour preference?
• Approval: When a plan, decision, or person is officially accepted.
  Ex: The president has already given his approval to the plan.