Page 273 - English Vocabulary In Use upper intermediet and advance

There are many possible answers to this question and it is, of course hard to predict which words
will stand the test of time. I would suggest faxable, teleworking and singlehood as they express
concepts that are already useful and are likely to remain so, whereas vogueing and Gorbymania
are likely to go out-of-date quickly.

cooking by microwave oven
a building which houses a number of different cinemas
skiing uphill
high-ranking, powerful members of international organisations
the study of humour
practically active
credit cards for use in a particular shop
babies born at a time when the birth-rate was particularly high

Unit I00

'Well, where shall I start? It was last summer and we were just sitting in the garden, I
I
sort of doing nothing much. Anyw~, looked up and ... see we have this kind of
I
long wall at the end of the garden, and it's.. .like..
- .a motorway for cats, for -- instance,
that big fat black one you saw, well, that one considers it has a right of way over our $
dreaming as usual, and all of a sudden there was this new cat I'd never seen before, I
vegetable patch, so. ..where was -- I? Yes, I was looking at that wall, you know, day-
-

Comments:
Where/How shall I stardbegin? This is a very common marker at the beginning of a story or
monologue while the speaker is composing hislher thoughts.
Anyway is probably the most common marker in spoken story-telling to divide up the story into
its different stages (introductionlmain plotlresolution, etc.)
See is often used in informal talk instead of you see, when someone is clarifying or explaining
something.
Like is often used when the speaker hesitates, or to make something less precise, a little more
vague.
Where was I? is used when we want to come back to the main subject we were talking about after
an interruption or diversion into another point or topic.
Yes is often used when we resume what we were talking about; it does not have to be an answer
to a question from someone. No is also used in exactly the same way and could have been used
here instead of yes.
Or rather is used when you change to a different word or a betterlmore accurate way of saying
what you want to say.
I mean is used when you want to explain something or expand or illustrate what you are saying.
This extract is typical of the number of markers found in everyday informal talk. The speaker is
not a 'lazy' or 'bad' speaker; everyone uses markers, even if they are not conscious of it or do not
want to admit it! Informal conversation without markers sounds rather odd and strained, and a
little too formal.

English Vocabulary in Use