Phrases and collocations

have an accident

to meet an unpleasant event, especially in a vehicle, that happens unexpectedly and causes injury or damage: My brother had an accident while he was driving and broke his arm.

be (involved) in an accident

to be part of a bad event that happens by chance, often causing injury or damage: The train was involved in an accident and all the passengers were evacuated.

do sth by accident

to do something without intending to: I'm so sorry, I deleted your file by accident.

in advance

before a particular time, or before a particular event: You should book your tickets in advance to get a good seat.

advance to/toward a place

to move forward/toward a particular place: The army will advance toward the enemy's camp.

go straight ahead

to continue moving forward: Just go straight ahead and you'll see the shop on your left.

go ahead

to start to do something, or to continue doing something: The United States can go ahead with the program with or without Canada's participation.

be ahead of sth/sb

to be in front of or further developed than someone or something else: She is ahead of everyone else in her class.

a change of direction

a change in the way you are going or the plan you are following: The company decided to make a change of direction with its new marketing strategy.

in the direction of sth

moving towards something or someone: He was walking in the direction of the park.

in this/that direction

towards this or that way: The wind is blowing in this direction.

off the top of your head

to say something immediately, from memory: "What date is their wedding?" "I couldn't tell you off the top of my head."

head for/towards a place

to move in the direction of a particular place: Let's head for the nearest cafe, I need a coffee.

head over heels (in love)

completely and deeply in love with someone: They are head over heels in love with each other, and they have decided to marry in the next month.

go/be on holiday

to travel somewhere for pleasure: We're going on holiday to Spain next week.

have/take a holiday

to spend time away from your work or studies: I'm looking forward to having a holiday next month.

bank holiday

an official holiday when banks and most businesses are closed for a day: Our offices will be closed for the bank holiday.

go/turn/etc left

to move towards the left side: At the traffic lights, turn left.

on the left

located on the left side: The restaurant is on the left, next to the bank.

plan your/a route

to think about and decide a particular way or direction between places: It's a good idea to plan your route before you start your trip.

take a route

to use a particular way of travelling: We decided to take the scenic route along the coast.

see the sights

to look at places of interest, especially to visitors On our first day, we took a bus tour to see the sights of the city.

go sightseeing

to visit interesting places, especially by people on vacation: There was no time to go sightseeing in Seattle.

at (high/full/etc) speed

moving very quickly: The car was traveling at full speed when it crashed.

a burst of speed

a sudden and short increase in speed: He ran with a burst of speed to catch the bus.

speed limit

the maximum speed allowed on a particular road: The speed limit on this road is 50 mph.

go on/take a tour of/(a)round somewhere

to visit a place or area, especially one during which you look around the place or area and learn about it: We took a tour of the whole museum.

tour a place

to visit a place as a tourist: We toured the city by bus.

tour guide

a person who shows tourists around a place: Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the castle.

business trip

a journey taken for work: My father is on a business trip to Japan.

school trip

a journey for a group of students, usually to a place of interest: We went to the science museum on our school trip.

go on a trip

to travel to a place and return: They went on a trip to the mountains.

take a trip (to a place)

to go on a short journey to somewhere and return, usually for pleasure: We took a trip to the beach last summer.

lose your way

to become lost: We lost our way in the forest and had to use GPS to get out.

make your way

to travel or move to a place: We slowly made our way down the river.

find your way

to get somewhere you are trying to reach: I had a map but I still couldn't find my way back to the hotel.

in a way

considered in a particular manner: In a way, I agree with what you're saying, but not completely.

on the way

during the course of a journey: I'll stop at the supermarket on the way home.

go all the way (to sth/swh)

to travel the entire distance to a place: I had to go all the way to the other side of town to find the shop.

on the left-hand side

located on the left side of a person or thing: In the UK, people drive on the left-hand side of the road.

in the left-hand corner

located in the corner on the left side: Please sign your name in the left-hand corner of the form.

left-handed

using your left hand more easily and more often than your right hand: She writes with her left hand, so she is left-handed.