B2 English Verbs: Change, Control & Social Interaction

This final section of our B2 verbs covers a range of complex actions. It includes vocabulary for Change, Transformation & Development like evolve and transform, verbs for Control, Management & Administration such as govern and regulate, and words related to Social Interaction & Relationships like embrace and interact. It also includes sections on Mental States & Desires and Miscellaneous Actions.

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Change, Transformation & Development

Word	Example Sentence	IPA (UK)
to activate	Users must activate their accounts within 48 hours.	/ˈæktɪveɪt/
to advance	Medical technology has advanced over recent decades.	/ədˈvɑːns/
to arise	Complications may arise from inadequate planning.	/əˈraɪz/
to decline	Manufacturing output has declined sharply in recent months. Word Partners: decline sharply/rapidly	/dɪˈklaɪn/
to decrease	Authorities aim to decrease carbon emissions by 50%. Word Partners: decrease emissions	/dɪˈkriːs/
to emerge	A clear pattern emerged from the research data.	/ɪˈmɜːdʒ/
to evolve	The strategy has evolved in response to challenges.	/ɪˈvɒlv/
to multiply	Investment has multiplied tenfold over the past decade.	/ˈmʌltɪplaɪ/
to proceed	The committee decided to proceed with the investigation.	/prəˈsiːd/
to recover	The economy has not recovered from the recession.	/rɪˈkʌvə(r)/
to undergo	The sector is undergoing profound transformation.	/ˌʌndəˈɡəʊ/
to unfold	Dramatic events unfolded as negotiations collapsed.	/ʌnˈfəʊld/
to unite	Opposition parties united against the legislation.	/juˈnaɪt/
to vary	Outcomes vary depending on local conditions.	/ˈveəri/

Control, Management & Administration

Word	Example Sentence	IPA (UK)
to accommodate	The venue can accommodate up to 2,000 delegates.	/əˈkɒmədeɪt/
to assign	The director assigned specific responsibilities to each team member.	/əˈsaɪn/
to distribute	Aid agencies distributed supplies to affected regions.	/dɪˈstrɪbjuːt/
to eliminate	The programme aims to eliminate child poverty. Word Partners: eliminate poverty/risk	/ɪˈlɪmɪneɪt/
to enable	Technology enables organisations to operate more efficiently.	/ɪˈneɪbl/
to ensure	Regulators must ensure that standards are maintained.	/ɪnˈʃʊə(r)/
to equip	The facility is equipped with modern technology.	/ɪˈkwɪp/
to exceed	Costs exceeded initial projections by 30%. Word Partners: exceed expectations/projections	/ɪkˈsiːd/
to occupy	The issue continues to occupy parliamentary time.	/ˈɒkjupaɪ/
to preserve	Conservation efforts aim to preserve endangered habitats.	/prɪˈzɜːv/
to reserve	Delegates should reserve accommodation in advance.	/rɪˈzɜːv/
to restrict	Access is strictly restricted to authorised personnel. Word Partners: strictly restricted	/rɪˈstrɪkt/
to retain	The party must retain key marginal seats. Word Partners: retain seats/control	/rɪˈteɪn/
to secure	The company managed to secure substantial funding. Word Partners: secure funding/a deal	/sɪˈkjʊə(r)/
to surround	The minister was surrounded by controversy.	/səˈraʊnd/
to suspend	The service has been suspended.	/səˈspend/

Word	Example Sentence	IPA (UK)
to accompany	Officials must be accompanied by security personnel. Word Partners: accompanied by	/əˈkʌmpəni/
to adopt	The committee adopted a more flexible approach to regulation. Word Partners: adopt an approach/strategy	/əˈdɒpt/
to aid	International funding will aid reconstruction efforts.	/eɪd/
to associate	Voters increasingly associate the party with economic competence. Word Partners: associate with	/əˈsəʊʃieɪt/
to concern	What concerns regulators is the lack of transparency.	/kənˈsɜːn/
to cope	Services are struggling to cope with increasing demand.	/kəʊp/
to embrace	The organisation embraced technological change. Word Partners: embrace change	/ɪmˈbreɪs/
to encounter	Researchers encountered unexpected obstacles during fieldwork. Word Partners: encounter a problem/obstacle	/ɪnˈkaʊntə(r)/
to engage	The government must engage with local communities.	/ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ/
to favour	The committee favours the revised proposal.	/ˈfeɪvə(r)/
to fulfil	The programme aims to help individuals fulfil their potential. Word Partners: fulfil potential/a promise	/fʊlˈfɪl/
to heal	The peace process will take time to heal divisions.	/hiːl/
to impress	The candidate impressed the selection panel.	/ɪmˈpres/
to inherit	The administration inherited severe economic problems. Word Partners: inherit problems	/ɪnˈherɪt/
to inspire	The initiative aims to inspire young entrepreneurs.	/ɪnˈspaɪə(r)/
to interact	Departments need to interact more effectively.	/ˌɪntərˈækt/
to mate	Many species mate during spring months.	/meɪt/
to rely on	The economy relies heavily on exports. Word Partners: rely on, rely heavily on	/rɪˈlaɪ ɒn/
to satisfy	The explanation failed to satisfy critics.	/ˈsætɪsfaɪ/
to trust	Investors no longer trust the company to deliver results.	/trʌst/

Mental States & Desires

Word	Example Sentence	IPA (UK)
to cast	Opposition MPs cast doubt on the government's figures. Word Partners: cast doubt on/a vote	/kɑːst/
to desire	Voters desire meaningful reform.	/dɪˈzaɪə(r)/
to distract	The scandal continues to distract attention from policy issues.	/dɪˈstrækt/
to motivate	The team is motivated to succeed.	/ˈməʊtɪveɪt/
to possess	The organisation possesses unique expertise.	/pəˈzes/
to pursue	The government will pursue legal action.	/pəˈsjuː/
to stimulate	Lower taxes should stimulate economic growth. Word Partners: stimulate growth	/ˈstɪmjuleɪt/
to symbolise	In many cultures, the dove is used to symbolise peace.	/ˈsɪmbəlaɪz/

Miscellaneous Actions

Word	Example Sentence	IPA (UK)
to approach	The deadline is approaching rapidly.	/əˈprəʊtʃ/
to consist of	The committee consists of twelve members. Word Partners: consist of	/kənˈsɪst əv/
to cure	Researchers are working to cure degenerative diseases.	/kjʊə(r)/
to delete	Officials deleted sensitive records.	/dɪˈliːt/
to deserve	Workers deserve better conditions. Word Partners: deserve better	/dɪˈzɜːv/
to devote	The organisation devotes resources to research. Word Partners: devote resources to	/dɪˈvəʊt/
to display	The museum displays artefacts from ancient civilisations.	/dɪˈspleɪ/
to expose	The investigation exposed widespread fraud. Word Partners: expose fraud/corruption	/ɪkˈspəʊz/
to issue	The central bank issued a statement regarding interest rates. Word Partners: issue a statement/warning	/ˈɪʃuː/
to melt	Polar ice caps are melting at an alarming rate.	/melt/
to obey	All citizens must obey the law.	/əˈbeɪ/
to relieve	The medication will relieve the symptoms.	/rɪˈliːv/
to resign	The minister resigned from the cabinet following the scandal.	/rɪˈzaɪn/
to reward	The company rewards employees for innovation.	/rɪˈwɔːd/
to rub	The comment rubbed salt in the wound. Word Partners: rub salt in the wound	/rʌb/
to seek	Organisations should seek expert advice. Word Partners: seek advice/help	/siːk/
to select	The panel will select candidates based on merit.	/sɪˈlekt/
to specialise	The firm specialises in corporate law.	/ˈspeʃəlaɪz/
to tag	Police tagged suspects with electronic monitoring devices.	/tæɡ/
to transmit	The virus is transmitted through direct contact.	/trænzˈmɪt/

B2 English Verbs: Change, Control & Social Interaction

Change, Transformation & Development

Control, Management & Administration

Mental States & Desires

Miscellaneous Actions

First Words

Grammar Guide

Grammar Exercises

Reading Exercises

Listening Exercises

Vocabulary Exercises

Test Prep

Business English

Phrasal Verbs

Pronunciation

Games

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