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Lesson guide & glossary

Work & Professional Life 2 — C2 Collocations

This lesson practises 50 C2 collocations on Work & Professional Life. Collocations are fixed word pairings that native speakers expect — Cambridge examiners test them in Use of English Part 1 and reward precise lexis in Writing. Run through the interactive drills first, then open this glossary to revise every item in the set. For question-by-question feedback, use Review mode after you finish the session.

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Lesson glossary (50 collocations)

  • accumulate experience

    Volunteering is an excellent way to ____ in your chosen field.

  • bed of rice

    The dish was served on a ____.

  • mental tasks

    The job involves a lot of ____.

  • deviate from

    The speaker refused to ____ the prepared script.

  • win the battle

    The army managed to ____ despite being outnumbered.

  • target market

    The campaign is aimed at a specific ____.

  • walk into a job

    Some graduates seem to ____.

  • give way to

    The old building will soon ____ a modern development.

  • walk straight into a job

    Some graduates seem to ____.

  • respect someone's wishes

    It is important to ____ even if you disagree.

  • given a yellow card

    The player was ____ for the foul.

  • fight for survival

    The small company must ____ in a difficult market.

  • instigate measures

    The government decided to ____ to reduce crime.

  • talks collapse

    The peace ____ after only one day.

  • find a solution

    The team worked hard to ____ to the problem.

  • fast-track scheme

    The company offers a ____ for high-potential graduates.

  • face the challenge

    The team was ready to ____ of the final.

  • experience a growth

    The sector continues to ____.

  • entirely separate

    The two issues are ____.

  • fit for purpose

    The new equipment is fully ____.

  • drop of brandy

    He took a small ____ to calm his nerves.

  • good command of

    The job requires a ____ English.

  • play the stock market

    Many people like to ____.

  • resign from office

    The minister was forced to ____ after the scandal.

  • go down in history

    The event will ____ as a turning point.

  • problem arises

    No one knows what to do when a major ____.

  • heavy responsibility

    The new role carries a ____.

  • next-day service

    The shop offers excellent ____.

  • infringe the regulations

    The company was accused of trying to ____.

  • keep afloat

    The small business struggled to ____ during the recession.

  • wear and tear

    The carpet showed signs of normal ____.

  • come up to standard

    The work finally began to ____.

  • take up references

    The company always ____ before hiring.

  • stand noun

    The market stall has a good ____.

  • think highly of

    Most colleagues ____ her work.

  • honour a commitment

    He always tries to ____.

  • it goes without saying

    ____ that teamwork is essential.

  • tackle a problem

    Senior staff gathered to ____.

  • stay the same

    The situation is likely to ____ for some time.

  • constructive criticism

    The editor provided some very ____ on the draft.

  • work to someone's advantage

    The new law will ____ in the long run.

  • spread a rumour

    Someone began to ____ about the closure.

  • sprinkling of cinnamon

    The recipe requires a ____ on top.

  • bustling centre

    The market is always a ____ of activity.

  • cutthroat competition

    The industry is known for its ____.

  • address an issue

    The team met to ____ that had been causing delays.

  • land a job

    She finally managed to ____ in marketing.

  • worth the effort

    The result was definitely ____.

  • act as a go-between

    The diplomat agreed to ____ during the tense negotiations.

  • take for granted

    We often ____ the work of others.