English file. Advanced. 1A

bright

intelligent and quick to learn

e.g. She is a … student and solves difficult problems quickly.

conscientious

careful and hard-working, paying attention to detail

e.g. He is a … worker who checks every detail before finishing a task.

determined

not willing to give up until you reach a goal

e.g. She was … to win the race and trained every single morning.

gentle

kind, calm and not rough

e.g. The nurse spoke in a … voice so the child would not be scared.

resourceful

good at finding clever solutions to problems

e.g. He is very …; he can fix a car with just a knife and some wire.

sarcastic

saying the opposite of what you mean in a mocking way

e.g. "Oh, great job breaking the vase," she said in a … tone.

self-sufficient

able to live or work alone without help from others

e.g. After moving out, he became completely … and paid all his bills.

spontaneous

acting without planning, following sudden impulses

e.g. She is so … — she booked a flight to Paris yesterday without any planning.

steady

calm, stable and reliable

e.g. He is a … person you can always count on.

straightforward

honest and clear, saying exactly what you think

e.g. My boss is very …; she always tells you exactly what she thinks.

sympathetic

kind and understanding to someone in trouble

e.g. When I told her about my problem, she was very … and listened carefully.

thorough

careful and complete, missing no details

e.g. The detective was very … and checked every single room in the house.

assertive

confident and firm in saying what you want

e.g. You should be more … and say what you want in meetings at work.

bossy

always telling other people what to do

e.g. My little sister is really … — she always tells everyone what to do.

moody

often changing mood quickly and unpredictably

e.g. He is so … — one minute he is laughing, the next he is angry.

stubborn

refusing to change your mind even when you are wrong

e.g. She is so … that she never admits she is wrong.

anxious

worried and nervous about something

e.g. I felt … before my job interview and could not sleep all night.

lively

full of energy and enthusiasm

e.g. My grandmother is 80 but still very … and full of energy.

nosy

too interested in other people's private affairs

e.g. Our neighbour is so … — she always asks very personal questions.

sociable

friendly and enjoying being with other people

e.g. She is very … and loves meeting new people at parties.

stingy

not willing to spend or share money

e.g. He is so … that he never pays for a coffee when we go out together.

come across as

to give the impression of being a certain way

e.g. He … shy, but he is actually very talkative once you know him.

deep down

in your true inner feelings, below the surface

e.g. He seems self-confident, but … he is quite insecure about himself.

on the surface

at first sight, externally

e.g. … he is friendly, but inside he is very shy and nervous.

on the whole

generally speaking, considering everything

e.g. There were a few problems, but … the trip was a great success.

tend to

to usually do something

e.g. I … get tired in the afternoon right after lunch every day.

have a heart of gold

to be a very kind and generous person

e.g. My grandfather …; he always helps everyone in the neighbourhood.

down to earth

practical, realistic and not pretentious

e.g. She is a famous actress, but she is very … and friendly with fans.

a cold fish

a person who shows no emotion or warmth

e.g. My new boss is really …; she never smiles or shows any emotion.

a pain in the neck

an annoying person or thing

e.g. My little brother is such … — he never leaves me alone for a minute.

a soft touch

a person who is easy to persuade, especially to give money

e.g. My mum is …; she always lends me money whenever I ask.

a quick temper

a tendency to get angry very easily

e.g. He has … and shouts at people over very small things.

full of yourself

too proud of yourself or your achievements

e.g. Since he won the prize, he has been so … and talks only about himself.

wouldn't hurt a fly

very gentle and harmless

e.g. He looks scary, but he … .

lift a finger

to make any effort to help (usually used in the negative)

e.g. My brother never … to help around the house.

the life and soul of the party

the most lively and entertaining person at a social event

e.g. My cousin is always … — everyone loves her energy