hsg tỉnh (vlc - 30/4)

cố gắng try hard

Our supplies of firewood will soon be finished. (LOW)

We are running low on our supplies of firewood.

I’m sure the robbery has nothing to do with my son. (MIXED)

My son was not mixed up in the robbery, I assure you.

I don’t enjoy cooking for five hungry children.

Cooking for five hungry children is no fun/gives me no please.

Our luggage has been stolen. (RUN)

Someone has run off with our luggage.

It’s very important for me to know the answer. (SIMPLY)

I simply must know the answer.

Building societies will have to guard against their rivals.

Building societies will not be able to rest on their laurels.

Mr. Foster asked me to write this letter to you.

It is at Mr. Foster’s request that I’m writing this letter to you.

She was delighted with her new car. (PINK)

be tickled pink with st

She was tickled pink with her new car.

Everybody in the audience stood to applaud the actor’s performance. (STANDING)

The actor was given a standing ovation for his performance.

I was never consulted, so I couldn’t offer any advice on the matter. (ONCE)

Never once was I asked to give my advice on the matter.

The term “public assistance” has now been replaced by “supplementary benefits” though the means test is the basic of both. (SUBSTITUTED)

A be substituted for B = A be replaced by B

The term “public assistance” has now been substituted for “supplementary benefits” though the means test is the basic of both.

The Social Security pamphlet told me all about the benefits I could claim. (ENTITLED)

be entitled to (a)

The Social Security pamphlet told me all about the benefits I was entitled to.

Kevin felt that the official’s tone implied that there was no likelihood of his getting any work. (INFERRED)

Kevin inferred from the official’s tone that there was no likelihood of his getting any work.

This patient’s condition is rather worrying if you look at his medical history.

Given his medical history, the patient’s condition is rather worrying.

A child of his age is too young to be deceitful.

So young is a child of his age to be deceitful.

Your empty promises won’t have any effect on her. (ICE)

cut no ice with sb

Your empty promises will cut no ice with her.

Martin promised to baby-sit but didn’t show up. (LET)

let sb down = upset sb/cho ai leo cây

Martin promised to baby-sit but let me down.

The old wooden floor collapsed under their weight.

give way = collapse (v)

The old wooden floor gave way under their weight.

What you have been saying is beside the point.

What you have been saying is quite irrelevant.

John is a bit too ill to go out. (UP)

John doesn’t feel up to going out.

We don’t expect that the missing climbers have survived. (HOLD)

hold out hope for

We don’t hold out much hope for the missing climbers.

I think that my boss is prejudiced against me. (IT)

I think that my boss has it in for me.

The tourists were unharmed after the train crash. (NONE)

The tourists were none the worst for their experience in the train crash.

They declared war on the pretext of defending their territorial rights.

The excuse for the declaration of war was the defence of their territorial rights.

She wasn’t speaking seriously. (TONGUE)

with your tongue in your cheek = not seriously

She was speaking with her tongue in her cheek.

After such a long time together they are still happily married. (TEST)

stand the test of time = trường tồn

Their marriage has stood the test of time.

We want you to inform all the details. (INS)

We want you to inform the ins and outs.

The vice principal was modest about what he had achieved at the college.

The vice principal was modest about his achievement at the college.

I can’t make any sense of this. (UTTER)

This is utter nonsense!

I think it is going to rain all day. (SET)

I think the rain has set up for the day.

Everyone who comes to the city notices the beauty of its architecture. (FAILS)

No one who comes to the city fails to notice the beauty of its architecture.

I must arrange to have the kitchen repainted.

I must see about having the kitchen repainted.

Julie must be too old to bite her nails.

Julie must have grown out of biting her nails.

The area was completely devoid of vegetation. (WHATSOEVER)

There was no vegetation whatsoever in the area.

I felt relaxed at Gita’s house because her parents greeted me so warmly. (EASE)

Gita’s parents put me at ease with the warmth of their greetings.

Although she was upset, there was never any question of revenge. (LAST)

Upset though she was, revenge was the last thing on her mind.

I wanted to tell her what I really felt, but in the end I decided not to.

In the end, I stopped short of telling her my real feelings.

It doesn’t need to be finished this afternoon. (FINISH)

It is not necessary to finish this afternoon.

You must never take your helmet off while you are riding a motorcycle. (ALL)

Helmet must be worn at all times when riding a motorcycle.

She is not sure whether she wants to marry him or not now. (SECOND)

have second thoughts about doing st

She is having second thoughts about marrying him now.

Everybody in the audience stood to applaud the actor’s performance. (STANDING)

The actor was given a standing ovation for his performance.

You are absolutely forbidden to smoke anywhere in the factory. (TOTAL)

There is total ban on your smoking anywhere in the factory.

Did the football team play any better last weekend? (IN)

Was there any improvement in the way the football team played last weekend?

You should punish him severely so that others will be afraid to behave as he did. (EXAMPLE)

make an example of sb

You should make an example of him so that others will be afraid to behave as he did.

Five actors were competing for the leading role in the play. (CONTENTION)

There are five actors in contention for the leading role in the play.

It was a secret so I promised not to tell anyone else about it. (HAT)

keep it under my hat

It was a secret so I promised to keep it under my hat.

There is no way we can agree to this solution. (CONCERNED)

This solution is out of the question as far as we are concerned.

When I grow up, I’m going to be really important. (CAT)

I am going to be a fat cat when I grow up.

I’m never going to speak to Annie again. She made me look foolish in front of all my friends.

I’m never going to speak to Annie again. She made a monkey out of me in front of all my friends.

You have to work harder if you want to pass your exam. (SOCKS)

You will have to pull your socks up if you want to pass your exams.

The government shouldn’t let this situation get worse.

This state of affairs shouldn’t be allowed to get worse by the government.

The completion of the work was scheduled for last week.

The work was to have been completed by the end of last week.

She is now leading a normal life as a result of all the support she received from social workers.

Had she not received so much support from social workers, she wouldn’t be leading a normal life.

Just think about his face at that moment makes me laugh.

The very thought of his face at that moment makes me laugh.

He declared his disapproval of the behavior of some of his supporters.

He let it be known that he disapproved of the behavior of some of his supporters.

Everybody wants Pauline as an after-dinner speaker. (DEMAND)

Pauline is in great demand as an after-dinner speaker.

At first the new computer made me feel a bit afraid. (AWE)

At first I was a bit in awe of the new computer.

I don’t think you mean what you say about helping me. (EARNEST)

I don’t think you are in earnest about helping me.

William decided that an actor’s life was not for him. (CUT)

William decided that he was not cut out to be an actor.

I felt vaguely that something was wrong, but what was it? (BACK)

I felt at the back of my mind that something was wrong, but what was it?

This bottle-opener is completely useless. (DEAD)

This bottle-opener is a dead loss.

This important person will pay an official visit to our village. (SHOT)

This big shot will pay an official visit to our village.

I am afraid that I cannot afford that car. (MEANS)

That car is beyond my means.

You haven’t done your homework, have you?

It’s about time you did your homework.

Drinking too much will affect your health. (TELL)

Drinking too much will tell on your health / you.

Laughing isn’t permitted in the pagoda.

You must keep a straight face in the pagoda.

Their problems are all self-inflicted.

self-inflicted (a): tự chuốc lấy

Their problems are of their own making.

We will not delay our voyage whether there is a rain or not.

Regardless of the rain, we will not delay voyage.

He pretended that his latest business failure was not important.

laugh off (phr. v): giả vờ như không có gì

He laughed off his latest business failure.

Kate soon calmed down and explained her problem.

Kate soon pulled herself together and explained her problem.

Why does life have to be so difficult! (ONLY)

If only life weren’t so difficult!

My jewelry has been stolen! (OFF)

Someone has run off with my jewelry.

What you do with the money is of no interest to me. (CARE)

I don’t care what you do with the money.

In all probability we will finish the project on Thursday. (CHANCES)

The chances are that the project will be finished on Thursday.

I’m annoyed with you for not phoning me to say you’d be late. (MIGHT)

You might have phoned me to say you’d be late.

The thief must have come in through the window.

The thief almost certainly came in through the window.

He said that he had won as a result of good luck.

He attributed his win/victory/triumph/success to good luck.

I thought about what has happened all those years before.

I cast my mind back to what has happened all those years before.

To pass the time, I looked through some magazines.

while away the time: giết thời gian

I whiled away the time by looking through some magazines.

I almost gave up at one point.

I came very close/near to giving up at one point.

Jim’s inability to make decisions dates from his accident.

Ever since (he had) his accident, Jim has been unable to make decisions.

It was almost dark when we got home. (UNTIL)

Not until it was almost dark did we got home.

They started building the new supermarket 2 years ago.

The new supermarket has been under construction for the past 2 years.

They tied the dog up for fear it might escape. (CASE)

The dog was ties up in case it escaped.

He hated the way the media scrutinized his private life. (CAME)

be scrutinized = come under scrutiny

He hated how his private life came under scrutiny from the media.

If you want to succeed, you need to make good use of the things you are good at. (PLAY)

play your strengths

You have to play your strengths if you want to succeed.

I quite like snails, but they wouldn’t be my first choice. (AVERSE)

be averse to st/doing st

Although I am not averse to (eating) snails, they wouldn’t be my first choice.

We were elated by the birth of our first grandchild. (MOON)

be over the moon = be happy = be elated

We were over the moon when our first grandchild was born.

Tom’s presence at parties adds to everyone’s enjoyment. (SOUL)

Tom is always the life and soul of parties.

Russ’s opinion on the new management policies were very different from those of his fellow workers. (ODDS)

be at odds with sb over st = disagree with sb

Russ was at odds with his fellow workers over/concerning the new management policies.

Twice as many men as women are insurance agents.

Male insurance agents outnumber female agents.

I’d like to know more about world religions.

I am interested in learning more about world religions.

Frank doesn’t care if Jean leaves or stays.

Whatever Jeans does is all right with Frank.

People rumor that he is rich but stingy.

What people rumor is that he is rich but stingy.

His acting in a play caused him to lose his voice. (PERFORMING)

He lost his voice because he has been performing in a play.

They will want to know what you have in your suitcase. (ASKED)

You will be asked to show the contents of your suitcase.

Are you implying that he is a thief? (INFER)

Am I to infer that he is a thief?

The plumber advised me not to use the faulty appliance. (ADVICE)

The plumber’s advice to me was not to use the faulty appliance.

The Member of Parliament did everything he could do to exploit the situation. (ADVANTAGE)

The Member of Parliament did everything he could to take advantage of the situation.

The worst is over now. (THROUGH)

We are through the worst.