| a little bit (det.) | a small part | I'm sending you a picture so you can see a little bit of Paris. |
| a lot | many things | It's a big city and there's always a lot to do. With so many activities, you will never get bored. |
| ability (n.) | the power to do something | She is very smart. She has the ability to do whatever she wants. |
| about (prep., adv.) | concerning or regarding 2. more or less | 1. They are talking about the movie. 2. The Dead Sea is about 1,300 feet below sea level. |
| above (prep.) | over | The cookies are on the high shelf above the sink. Can you reach them? |
| accept (v.) | to take something that is given | Dear guest, please accept this gift of world-famous Belgian chocolates. |
| accident (n.) | a bad and unexpected event | He was killed in a car accident. |
| accompany (v.) | to go together with somebody else | Walk through the wild bush accompanied by your own guide. |
| acre (n.) | a unit used to measure land, about 4.000 square metres | The hotel stands in a big 40-acre garden near a lake. |
| across (prep.) | to the other side | People can drive or walk across the bridge. |
| act (v.) | to behave | The children loved the way the animals in the story speak and act like people. |
| action (n.) | exciting activity | They were excited for the action to start at the football game. |
| activity (n.) | a series of actions | What other water activities do you have besides swimming and water-skiing? |
| actor (n.) | a man who plays or acts in films, on the stage or on TV | Burt Lancaster is the famous actor who starred in the Birdman of Alcatraz |
| actress (n.) | a woman who plays or acts in films, on the stage or on TV | She was a famous actress in old films. |
| actual (adj.) | real | It's an actual fact. I didn't make it up. |
| actually (adv.) | really | Are you calling from California? No, actually. I'm calling from New York. |
| add (v.) | to join together and make bigger | Fill a large pot with water and add some salt. |
| address (n.) | the place where somebody lives, usually house number and street name | What is your name and address? I need to know where you live so that I can send you this package. |
| admire (v.) | to look at something with pleasure and respect | I spent two hours admiring the paintings in the gallery. They were done by my favourite artist. |
| admission (n.) | the price paid to go into a place | It does not cost anything to get into the museum. Admission is free. |
| adult (n.) | a grown-up person | Folk stories are great for both adults and children. |
| adventure (n.) | an unusual and exciting thing to do | The ride down the river was quite an adventure! |
| advertisement (n.) | a notice offering or asking for goods or services | I found the job through the newspaper advertisement. |
| advice (n.) | a suggestion given to other people about what to do | My teacher gave me good advice on how to write my paper. I think that I can do a good job now. |
| aeroplane (n.) | a means of transporting people and goods through the air. | I have an aeroplane ticket to New York. We are flying on Thursday night. |
| affect (v.) | to change or influence | The weather affects people's plans. A rainy day, for example, can ruin an outdoor picnic. |
| afraid (adj.) | 1. to be frightened or scared of something 2. to express regret or apology | 1. He is afraid of flying. He always thinks that the plane is going to crash. 2. I'm afraid it's closed on Mondays. |
| after (prep.) | following in time | Can I call you back after dinner? I was just about to start eating. |
| afternoon (n.) | the time of day from twelve o'clock until the evening | In the afternoons and evenings, you can enjoy lively street bands and street theatre. |
| again (adv.) | one more time | Her father married again, but his new wife was very jealous. |
| against (prep.) | 1. touching2. not supporting someone or something | Stand against the wall. I would like to take a picture of you. 2. The children rebelled against the teachers. |
| age-old (adj.) | very old, from before anyone can remember | Your tour guide will explain the age-old tradition of chocolate making. |
| agent (n.) | a person who represents a company | The travel agent booked our flight to China and arranged a tour for us. |
| ago (adj.) | before the present time | Nobody knows exactly when people began to use skis, but it was a very long time ago. |
| agree (v.) | to have the same idea or opinion as someone else | Most people agree that doing exercise is healthy. |
| ahead (adv.) | in advance, before | You should book seats ahead of time. If you wait until the last minute, there will be no tickets left. |
| air (n.) | 1. the open space above the earth 2. in an aeroplane | 1. The air above cities is not clean. 2. People can get there by air. It takes two hours in a plane. |
| airport (n.) | a place where passengers wait for flights to land and take off | We saw many planes at the airport. |
| Alcatraz | a prison on an island in San Francisco bay | I am going to visit Alcatraz. It is a famous prison. |
| all over (adj.) | in every place | French wine and French cooking are famous all over the world. |
| allow (v.) | to permit | You are allowed a visit of 2 hours. After that you have to leave. |
| almost (adv.) | very nearly | We almost missed the train. We got there just as the doors were about to close. |
| alone (adj.) | by oneself, with nobody else | He spent 43 years alone in a prison cell. He hasn't spoken to another person in all those years. |
| along (prep.) | over the length of | There is beautiful scenery along the west coast. |
| Alps (n.) | high mountains in central Europe | The Alps are the highest mountains in Europe. |
| already (adv.) | before this time | We've already seen the movie. We don't want to see it a second time. |
| also (adv.) | in addition | Paris is very old but also very modern. |
| alternative (n.) | a different option | We need a list of alternatives . It is important to have other choices in case this does not work out. |
| always (adv.) | at all times, forever, every time | People always say that, but it is not true. |
| amazed (adj.) | surprised and filled with wonder | I was amazed from takeoff to touchdown. I couldn't believe how beautiful everything was from the sky. |
| amazing (adj.) | wonderful, very surprising | Weren't the dolphins amazing? They did unbelievable tricks. |
| Amazon | the largest river in South America | The boat sailed down the Amazon River, through the rainforest. |
| among (prep.) | through the middle of and between | He dived down and swam among the fish and corals. |
| amusing (adj.) | pleasing, entertaining, funny | The explanation was amusing. It made us laugh. |
| ancient (adj.) | very old, from a long time ago | Machu Picchu is an ancient Inca city. It was recently found by archaeologists. |
| anger (v.) | to cause strong feelings of wanting to fight | Her words angered the father. He began to argue with her. |
| angry (adj.) | having a strong feeling of wanting to fight | He was rude to me. It made me angry. |
| animal (n.) | a living being that is not a plant or a human | The forest is full of wild animals. There are bears, tigers and lions. |
| announce (v.) | to let people know about something | Hansel announced 'I am going to take you home now.' |
| annoy (v.) | to bother, to make slightly angry | I get really annoyed by the flies. I can't stand the way they are always buzzing around me. |
| another (adj.) | one more | I am sorry to trouble you again, but I have another question -- how fit do you need to be for this walk? |
| answer (n.) | a response to a question | Your answer is wrong. I will give you another chance to give a correct answer. |
| answer (v.) | to give a response to a question | Please answer the question. |
| ant (n.) | a tiny insect with six legs that lives in large groups | In the summer, many little red ants get into the house and crawl around everywhere. |
| anteater (n.) | an animal with a long sticky tongue that eats ants | An anteater eats ants. |
| antique (adj.) | in the style of a time long ago | Her house is full of antique furniture. She hates anything modern. |
| any (det.) | 1. not one 2. a quantity of | 1. Sorry, we don't have any English papers. 2. Do you have any stamps? |
| anymore (adv.) | any longer, from now on | We do not do those things anymore. We stopped years ago. |
| anything (pron.) | something | We will keep it a secret. We will not say anything to anybody. |
| anyway (adv.) | in any case | Don't worry about getting lost. Anyway, our guides are experienced. |
| apologise (v.) | to say that one is sorry for something that has happened | I would like to apologise for what I did yesterday. I didn't mean to hurt you and I am truly sorry. |
| appear (v.) | to come into existence, to be seen | The first flowers appeared after the rain. |
| apple (n.) | a red or green fruit | The apples grow on the tree outside. When they are ripe, we pick them and use them to make a fruit salad. |
| application (n.) | a request for something | I would like to take a course at this school. Where can I get an application form? |
| apply (v.) | to ask for something formally | You may apply for permission to visit the building. |
| appreciate (v.) | to see the value in something | You would appreciate seeing this place. It is the kind of place that you usually like. |
| approaching (v.) | coming nearer | Here we are, approaching the entrance. |
| approximately (adv.) | about | In approximately 30 minutes we will be landing in Geneva. |
| archaeologist (n.) | a scientist who digs up and studies the remains of old cities | After digging for many months archaeologists discovered the ancient ruins of the city of Pompeii. |
| architecture (n.) | the design of buildings | That building is a masterpiece of architecture. It is built beautifully. |
| area (n.) | a region, a part of a country | Baja California, in Mexico, is one of the most interesting areas in the world. |
| arm (n.) | the limb that comes down from the shoulder | My arms are tired from carrying the child. |
| armed (adj.) | carrying a gun | I walked through the forest with an armed guard. I felt safer because he was carrying a gun. |
| armoury (n.) | a place where guns and war equipment are stored | I'm planning to see the 'Armoury Museum.' I want to see suits that soldiers used to wear in battle. |
| around (prep.) | surrounding | San Francisco lies on mountains around a bay. |
| arrive (v.) | to get to a place | The bus arrived late and I missed the show. |
| art (n.) | paintings and other beautiful things | There is great art in the museums. I love the beautiful paintings and sculptures. |
| artist (n.) | a person who paints or draws pictures | There are artists who can draw your picture in a few minutes. |
| ashamed (adj.) | sorry and embarrassed | She felt ashamed and said, 'I am sorry. Please forgive me.' |
| ask (v.) | to put a question to somebody | You ask the computer questions and it answers. |
| asleep (adj.) | not awake | I was so tired, I fell asleep in my clothing. |
| assistant (n.) | a helper | He worked as a shop assistant. His job was to help the shop owner run the store. |
| association (n.) | an organised group of people who have a common interest | She belongs to the Animal Rights Association. |
| assortment (n.) | a collection of different kinds | This box contains an assortment of chocolates. There are so many different kinds that I don't know which to choose. |
| astronomy (n.) | the study of the sun, moon and stars | I would like to learn more about astronomy. I have always been interested in the stars and planets. |
| attack (v.) | to begin to fight | The buffaloes sometimes attack humans. Some people have been seriously injured this way. |
| attempt (v.) | to try | Do not attempt to touch the bulls. If they see you coming close to them, they will get scared and may hurt you. |
| attend (v.) | to be present at an event | Do you plan to attend the festival? Yes, I'll be there. |
| attention (n.) | interest in what is being said or done. | Try to catch their attention by waving at them. |
| attract (v.) | to draw interest or attention | The colourful outdoor market attracts many tourists. |
| attraction (n.) | something that causes interest | The Grand Canyon is one of the most popular attractions in the USA. |
| attractive (adj.) | good-looking, interesting | The market is very attractive. It has beautifully paved roads and is full of bright colours. |
| audience (n.) | a group of people who watch or listen to a performance | The audience cheered and clapped after the show. |
| auditorium (n.) | a building for public meetings | The speaker is in the auditorium. |
| available (adj.) | can be found and used | This magazine is available in English. |
| avocado (n.) | a large pear shaped green fruit | Please get me an avocado from the tree outside. If it is soft, I will put it into the salad. |
| await (v.) | to wait for something to happen | The audience eagerly awaited the President's arrival. |