Common Verbs Used by Native Speakers
- Acknowledge – She acknowledged his contribution to the project.
- Commence – The meeting will commence at 9 AM.
- Contemplate – I’m contemplating a career change next year.
- Disclose – He refused to disclose any personal information.
- Engage – She engages in meaningful conversations with her colleagues.
- Exemplify – His work ethic exemplifies what this company stands for.
- Mitigate – We need to mitigate the risks associated with this investment.
- Refute – She refuted the claim with solid evidence.
- Reiterate – Let me reiterate the importance of meeting the deadline.
- Scrutinize – The auditors scrutinized every financial record.
Common Nouns Used by Native Speakers
- Agenda – What’s on the agenda for today’s meeting?
- Allegation – The allegations were proven false after a thorough investigation.
- Benchmark – This project will set a new benchmark for quality.
- Caveat – The contract includes a caveat about termination terms.
- Epiphany – He had an epiphany that changed his outlook on life.
- Facilitation – The facilitation of the workshop was excellent.
- Nuance – The nuances in her speech revealed her true feelings.
- Paradox – It’s a paradox that technology makes life easier yet more complicated.
- Proponent – He’s a strong proponent of renewable energy.
- Trajectory – The company’s growth trajectory looks promising.
Advanced Adjectives Used by Native Speakers
- Ambiguous – The instructions were ambiguous and hard to follow.
- Astute – He made an astute observation during the discussion.
- Benevolent – She has a benevolent attitude toward helping others.
- Candid – Let’s have a candid conversation about the issues we’re facing.
- Cumbersome – The process was cumbersome, requiring too many approvals.
- Impeccable – Her performance during the presentation was impeccable.
- Lethargic – I felt lethargic after the long flight.
- Perplexing – The perplexing nature of the problem slowed our progress.
- Presumptuous – It was presumptuous of him to assume he’d get the promotion.
- Unprecedented – The pandemic has led to unprecedented challenges.
Advanced Adverbs Used by Native Speakers
- Arbitrarily – The rules were changed arbitrarily without any explanation.
- Decisively – She acted decisively in handling the crisis.
- Inadvertently – He inadvertently left his keys in the car.
- Methodically – She worked methodically through the list of tasks.
- Notoriously – This software is notoriously difficult to use.
- Ostensibly – He was ostensibly working on the project, but he was really browsing online.
- Reluctantly – She reluctantly agreed to the proposal.
- Subsequently – Subsequently, the issue was resolved without further complications.
- Tentatively – We’ve tentatively scheduled the meeting for next Tuesday.
- Vehemently – She vehemently opposed the changes to the contract.
Colloquialisms and Slang Commonly Used by Native Speakers
- Ballpark figure – Can you give me a ballpark figure for the cost?
- Blow off steam – I need to blow off some steam after that stressful day.
- Cut to the chase – Let’s cut to the chase and focus on the main issue.
- Down to the wire – It was down to the wire, but we finished the project on time.
- Face the music – You’ll have to face the music and explain your mistake.
- Get the hang of it – You’ll get the hang of it after a few tries.
- Hit the nail on the head – You hit the nail on the head with that solution.
- Let’s touch base – Let’s touch base next week to see where we’re at.
- On the ball – She’s really on the ball and keeps everything organized.
- Under the weather – I’m feeling a bit under the weather today.
Idiomatic Expressions Commonly Used by Native Speakers
- A blessing in disguise – Losing that job was a blessing in disguise; I found a much better one.
- Bite off more than you can chew – He’s bitten off more than he can chew with all these new responsibilities.
- Burn the candle at both ends – She’s been burning the candle at both ends with work and school.
- Caught between a rock and a hard place – I’m caught between a rock and a hard place—both options are bad.
- Hit the ground running – We need to hit the ground running with this new project.
- In the same boat – We’re all in the same boat with these budget cuts.
- Let the cat out of the bag – He accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
- Miss the boat – If you don’t apply soon, you’ll miss the boat on this opportunity.
- Put all your eggs in one basket – Don’t put all your eggs in one basket with that investment.
- The ball is in your court – I’ve given you the information; now the ball is in your court.
Phrasal Verbs Commonly Used by Native Speakers
- Break down – Let’s break down the problem and find a solution.
- Call off – They had to call off the event due to bad weather.
- Catch up – Let’s catch up over coffee next week.
- Figure out – We need to figure out the best way to approach this issue.
- Give up – Don’t give up on your dreams.
- Look into – We’ll look into the issue and get back to you.
- Put off – Don’t put off the meeting—schedule it as soon as possible.
- Run into – I ran into an old friend at the grocery store.
- Set up – We need to set up a meeting to discuss the project.
- Take over – She will take over as the new manager next month.
Nuanced Adjectives and Descriptive Words
- Cordial – They had a cordial relationship despite their differences.
- Deceptive – The simplicity of the game was deceptive—it was actually quite challenging.
- Eccentric – Her eccentric fashion choices made her stand out.
- Frivolous – His concerns seemed frivolous in light of the serious situation.
- Inconsequential – The typo in the report was inconsequential to the final decision.
- Inevitable – Change is inevitable in any growing company.
- Palpable – The tension in the room was palpable during the negotiation.
- Plausible – It’s a plausible explanation, but I’m not entirely convinced.
- Tentative – We have a tentative agreement, but it’s not finalized yet.
- Volatile – The stock market has been volatile this year.
