B1 English Verbs: Conflict, Business & Change
This list continues our B1 verbs with more specific actions. You will find words for Conflict & Force like arrest and punish, verbs for Business & Work such as hire and invest, vocabulary for Change & Transformation like expand and update, words for Investigation such as examine and spot, and verbs describing Preferences & Reactions like fancy and dislike.
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Conflict, Force & Negative Actions
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| to arrest | The police arrested him because he was very drunk. | /əˈrest/ |
| to ban | They plan to ban smoking.
Word Partners: ban smoking
|
/bæn/ |
| to block | A tree is blocking the road.
Word Partners: block the road
|
/blɒk/ |
| to bomb | They were sent to bomb the target. | /bɒm/ |
| to bury | The dog tried to bury the bone.
Word Partners: bury a bone
|
/ˈberi/ |
| to challenge | Opposition MPs challenged the legality of the decision. | /ˈtʃælɪndʒ/ |
| to charge | The police charged him with theft.
Word Partners: charge someone with
|
/tʃɑːdʒ/ |
| to cheat | It is wrong to cheat in an exam.
Word Partners: cheat in an exam, cheat on someone
|
/tʃiːt/ |
| to damage | The storm might damage the roof.
Word Partners: damage the roof, cause damage
|
/ˈdæmɪdʒ/ |
| to explode | The bomb might explode.
Word Partners: a bomb explodes
|
/ɪkˈspləʊd/ |
| to force | You can't force someone to like you. | /fɔːs/ |
| to frighten | Noises frighten the cat. | /ˈfraɪtn/ |
| to murder | He was accused of murdering his wife.
Word Partners: commit murder
|
/ˈmɜːdə(r)/ |
| to poison | Someone tried to poison the water supply. | /ˈpɔɪzn/ |
| to punish | The teacher punished him due to his disruptive behaviour. | /ˈpʌnɪʃ/ |
| to reject | The bank rejected his application.
Word Partners: reject an application, reject an offer
|
/rɪˈdʒekt/ |
| to shock | The verdict deeply shocked observers.
Word Partners: deeply shocked
|
/ʃɒk/ |
| to suffer | He suffers from headaches and takes medication. | /ˈsʌfə(r)/ |
| to trick | He tricked me into paying too much. | /trɪk/ |
Business, Work & Professional
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| to afford | I can't afford to buy a car with my salary. | /əˈfɔːd/ |
| to award | The judges awarded him the prize.
Word Partners: award a prize
|
/əˈwɔːd/ |
| to deal | I can deal with difficult situations.
Word Partners: deal with
|
/diːl/ |
| to deliver | He will deliver the parcel.
Word Partners: deliver a parcel, deliver a letter
|
/dɪˈlɪvə(r)/ |
| to exchange | Can I exchange these shoes?
Word Partners: exchange goods, exchange money
|
/ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ/ |
| to export | The country exports coffee.
Word Partners: export goods
|
/ˈekspɔːt/ |
| to hire | We need to hire more staff next month. | /ˈhaɪə(r)/ |
| to host | The nation will host the summit next year.
Word Partners: host an event
|
/həʊst/ |
| to import | We import tea.
Word Partners: import goods
|
/ɪmˈpɔːt/ |
| to invest | He wants to invest in stocks.
Word Partners: invest in, invest money
|
/ɪnˈvest/ |
| to participate | Students are encouraged to participate in the discussion.
Word Partners: participate in
|
/pɑːˈtɪsɪpeɪt/ |
| to promote | They want to promote their product.
Word Partners: promote a product
|
/prəˈməʊt/ |
| to qualify | He hopes to qualify as a lawyer.
Word Partners: qualify as, qualify for
|
/ˈkwɒlɪfaɪ/ |
| to queue | We had to queue up for tickets.
Word Partners: queue up
|
/kjuː/ |
| to quit | He decided to quit his job.
Word Partners: quit a job, quit smoking
|
/kwɪt/ |
| to rent | We rent a flat.
Word Partners: rent a flat, rent a car
|
/rent/ |
| to require | This job requires previous experience.
Word Partners: require assistance/experience
|
/rɪˈkwaɪə(r)/ |
| to retire | He plans to retire from work. | /rɪˈtaɪə(r)/ |
| to risk | I don't want to risk losing money.
Word Partners: risk losing, risk your life
|
/rɪsk/ |
| to rule | The Queen ruled the country.
Word Partners: rule a country
|
/ruːl/ |
| to store | You can store the files on the computer. | /stɔː(r)/ |
| to supply | They supply food to many local restaurants.
Word Partners: supply food, supply and demand
|
/səˈplaɪ/ |
| to trade | We trade with other countries. | /treɪd/ |
| to volunteer | She volunteered to help with the project. | /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə(r)/ |
| to vote | Who did you vote for?
Word Partners: vote for, vote against
|
/vəʊt/ |
Change & Transformation
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| to aim | We aim to finish the project by Friday. | /eɪm/ |
| to attract | The museum attracts many tourists.
Word Partners: attract tourists, attract attention
|
/əˈtrækt/ |
| to benefit | We will benefit from the park. | /ˈbenɪfɪt/ |
| to commit | Do not commit a crime.
Word Partners: commit a crime
|
/kəˈmɪt/ |
| to educate | Schools should educate children and prepare them for the outside world. | /ˈedʒukeɪt/ |
| to feature | The film features some well-known actors. | /ˈfiːtʃə(r)/ |
| to function | The machine isn't functioning properly. | /ˈfʌŋkʃn/ |
| to gather | Please gather together in the hall.
Word Partners: gather together, gather up
|
/ˈɡæðə(r)/ |
| to graduate | She hopes to graduate from university. | /ˈɡrædʒueɪt/ |
| to improve | Your English will improve with practice. | /ɪmˈpruːv/ |
| to influence | Her friends influence her decisions.
Word Partners: influence a decision, have an influence on
|
/ˈɪnfluəns/ |
| to injure | He injured his leg.
Word Partners: injure a leg, injure yourself
|
/ˈɪndʒə(r)/ |
| to release | The band will release a new album soon.
Word Partners: release a prisoner/film/album
|
/rɪˈliːs/ |
| to remain | Despite the pressure, he managed to remain calm.
Word Partners: remain calm, remain silent
|
/rɪˈmeɪn/ |
| to rise | Prices continue to rise and people are angry. | /raɪz/ |
| to suit | That colour really suits you.
Word Partners: suit you, suit your needs
|
/suːt/ |
| to survive | He managed to survive the accident without any serious injuries.
Word Partners: survive an accident/disaster
|
/səˈvaɪv/ |
| to tend | I tend to wake up early even at weekends. | /tend/ |
| to treat | You should treat people with respect.
Word Partners: treat someone well/badly, treat with respect
|
/triːt/ |
| to upset | I didn't mean to upset you, Kathy. I'm sorry! | /ʌpˈset/ |
Investigation & Observation
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| to assist | The nurse will assist the doctor with the operation.
Word Partners: assist someone with something
|
/əˈsɪst/ |
| to explore | Let's explore the city.
Word Partners: explore a city, explore an idea
|
/ɪkˈsplɔː(r)/ |
| to guard | Soldiers guard the palace where the king lives. | /ɡɑːd/ |
| to hunt | They went out to hunt for mushrooms.
Word Partners: hunt for
|
/hʌnt/ |
| to indicate | Research indicates that the problem is widespread. | /ˈɪndɪkeɪt/ |
| to investigate | Police will investigate the crime.
Word Partners: investigate a crime
|
/ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt/ |
| to prove | You must prove that you are right.
Word Partners: prove that, prove a point
|
/pruːv/ |
| to spy | He was accused of spying on his neighbours.
Word Partners: spy on
|
/spaɪ/ |
Preferences & Reactions
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| ought to | You ought to apologise to Helen after what you said. | /ɔːt tə/ |
| to bother | I can't be bothered to cook tonight.
Word Partners: can't be bothered
|
/ˈbɒðə(r)/ |
| to claim | He claims that he didn't do it.
Word Partners: claim that, claim to be
|
/kleɪm/ |
| to dislike | I dislike waiting for John and he never tells me what time he's coming! | /dɪsˈlaɪk/ |
| to donate | She donates money to charity.
Word Partners: donate money, donate blood
|
/dəʊˈneɪt/ |
| to face | You must face the problem.
Word Partners: face a problem, face a challenge
|
/feɪs/ |
| to fancy | Do you fancy a drink?
Word Partners: fancy a drink
|
/ˈfænsi/ |
| to fear | He fears the worst.
Word Partners: fear the worst
|
/fɪə(r)/ |
| to lack | The team lacks experience.
Word Partners: lack experience, lack confidence
|
/læk/ |
| to pray | The old woman was kneeling in the church, praying. | /preɪ/ |
| to respect | You should respect other people's opinions. | /rɪˈspekt/ |
