Here is a useful list for the harder vocabulary found in English Vocabulary in Use, Upper-Intermediate. I originally
made this list to help myself practice for the vocabulary exam for the class Language Skills in the 1ste semester of the
second year of my study. Because this was originally meant only for me it’s obviously missing quite a few words that
are present in the book, however I’ve found that studying this list really helped me get a high grade. So I hope it will
help you too!
The units and vocabulary listed off in the first row called ‘Words’ come from the English Vocabulary in Use, Advanced
book (McCarthy & O’Dell, 2017).
The information that I put in the rows ‘Transcription’ and ‘Meaning / Example’ came from the Cambridge dictionary
website (Cambridge University Press, 1995).
I used the empty squares all the way on the right side of these tables to cross off the words I already knew, you
might find this useful too!
APA list:
Cambridge University Press. (1995). Cambridge Dictionary. Consulted on the 14 th of October 2020, from
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/
McCarthy, M., & O’Dell, F. (2017). English Vocabulary in Use Advanced (3d edition). Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
, Unit 1 Cramming for success: study and academic work
Words Transcription Meaning / Example
1. cra m /kræm/ s tudyi ng i n a very concentrated wa y for a s hort tim e.
2. do s ome revi s i on re-check your s ummari es .
3. pa s t papers exa m papers from previ ous years .
4. rote-l ea rni ng /rəʊt/ t/ l eari ng purel y by repetitio n.
5. mnemoni cs /nɪˈmɒn.ɪk/mɒn.ɪk/n.ɪk/ tri cks that hel p you remember s omethi ng.
6. compos i tio n /ˌkɒm.pəˈzɪʃ.kɒn.ɪk/m.pəˈmɒn.ɪk/z ɪʃ..ən/ coul d be jus t 50 - 100 words , ofte n us ed for s chool work.
7. es s a y /ˈmɒn.ɪk/es.eɪ/ longer than a composition, more serious, hundreds or thousands of words.
8. as s i gnment /əˈmɒn.ɪk/saɪn.mənt/ a l ong es s a y, ofte n part of a cours e, us ual l y thous ands of words .
9. project /ˈmɒn.ɪk/prɒn.ɪk/dʒ.ekt/.ekt/ l i ke a n as s i gnment, but emphas i s on s tudents 's own ma teri a l a nd topi c.
10. portfo l i o /ˌkɒm.pəˈzɪʃ.pɔːtˈfəʊ.li.əʊ/tˈmɒn.ɪk/fəʊt/.li.əʊt/ / a col l ectio n of i ndi vi dua l pi eces of work.
11. di s s ertatio n /ˌkɒm.pəˈzɪʃ.dɪs.əˈmɒn.ɪk/teɪ.ʃ.ən/ a l ong, res ea rch-ba s ed work, 10-15,000 words , for a degree or di pl oma.
12. thes i s /ˈmɒn.ɪk/θiː.sɪs/iːtˈfəʊ.li.əʊ/.s ɪs/ a very long, original, research-based work, 80-100,000 words, for higher degree (PhD)
13. firs t draft firs t, rough vers i on
14. pl a gi ari s m /ˈmɒn.ɪk/pleɪ.dʒ.ekt/ər.ɪ.z əm/ us i ng other peopl e's work as your own.
15. pl a gi ari s m form a form s tudents ha ve to s i gn that s ays a l l thei r work i s thei r own.
16. as s es s ed /əˈmɒn.ɪk/ses/ eva l ua ted or gi ven a gra de.
17. ca rry out res ea rch l es s formal : do res earch
18. academi c journa l s magazines with academic artic les. (though we do not use the word magazine)
19. i nter-l i bra ry l oa n s ys tem where l i brari es excha nge books /journa l s wi th one another.
20. open educa tio nal res ources online material that can be freely used by teachers and students everywhere.
21. wel l -qual i fie d wi th the ri ght formal qual i ficatio ns .
Unit 2 Education: debates and issues
Words Transcription Meaning / Example
1. qual i ty of opportuni ty when everyone ha s the s ame cha nces .
2. s el ective s chool i ng at some private schools parents giving school fees can factor who gets admission
3. comprehens i ve s chool i ng everyone enters wi thout exams , educa tio n i s free, pa i d by government.
4. i nherent i n exi s tin g a s a bas i c part of s omethi ng.
5. l ea gue ta bl es l i s ts of s chool s or col l eges , from bes t down to wors t.
6. perpetua te /pəˈmɒn.ɪk/petʃ..u.eɪt/ ma ke s omethi ng contin ue.
7. two-tie r s ys tem a s ys tem wi th two s epara te l evel s , one whi ch i s beter than the other.
8. percei ves /pəˈmɒn.ɪk/siːtˈfəʊ.li.əʊ/v/ s ees , cons i ders
9. wel l -endowed recei ves a l ot of money i n grants . (gi fts from ri ch peopl e)
10. depres s i ng reduci ng
11. burs ari es /ˈmɒn.ɪk/bɜːtˈfəʊ.li.əʊ/.s ər.i/ money gi ven to pa y for s tudi es , us ua l l y provi ded on the bas i s of need.
12. tertia ry /ˈmɒn.ɪk/tɜːtˈfəʊ.li.əʊ/.ʃ.ər.i/ educa tio n a t uni vers i ty or col l ege l evel
13. s tudents l oans s tudents borrow from bank whi l e s tudyi ng, pay back when worki ng.
14. undergradua tes s tudents doi ng a firs t degree. (pos tgra duates = doi ng a further degree)
15. tui tio n fees monet pai d to recei ve teachi ng.
16. The three R's Rea di ng, wri tin g a nd a ri thmetic
17. numera cy the abi l i ty to count / do math
18. l i tera cy the abi l i ty to rea d
19. curri cul um reform changes to what is covered in the national syllabus = plan of what is to be studied.
20.
, Unit 3 applying for a job
Words Transcription Meaning / Example
1. reportin g to i f you report to s omeone, he/s he i s your bos s .
2. ca reer pros pects opportuni tie s for promotio n a nd career devel opment.
3. competitive s a l ary a s good a s , or bette r tha n, other s a l ari es for s i mi l i a r jobs .
4. benefits package a l l the extra benefits that a compa ny offe rs . (a s wel l as s al a ry)
5. s ubs i di s ed partl y pai d for by compa ny.
6. cover l ette r a l ette r s ent wi th a job appl i catio n. (a l s o ca l l ed a coveri ng l ette r)
7. cus tomer-faci ng dea l i ng di rectl y wi th cus tomers .
8. manageri al experi ence experi ence of managi ng other peopl e
Unit 4 job interviews
Words Transcription Meaning / Example
1. recrui tin g /rɪˈmɒn.ɪk/kruːtˈfəʊ.li.əʊ/tɪŋ/ hi ri ng (new s taff)
2. cri teri a requi erments you us e to ma ke deci s i ons
3. s hortl i s ted s el ected from a l a rge group
4. a pa nel a group of peopl e
5. l i ne ma na ger the pers on who i s di rectl y res pons i bl e for your work
6. trai nee a pers on who i s l earni ng a new job
7. profes s i ona l devel opment tra i ni ng gi ven to empl oyees to i ncrea s e thei r knowl edge or s ki l l s .
8. i n-hous e wi thi n the compa ny
9. s upervi s or the pers on who checks your work
10. notice peri od time you need to work in your job afte r you have offi
cially told the company you're leaving.
11. outl i ni ng gi vi ng an overvi ew of
12. pa i d l ea ve tim e offyou a re pa i d for, s uch a s hol i days or parenta l l eave
13. reportin g s tructure company s tructure a nd who you report to
, Unit 5 at work: colleagues and routines
Words Transcription Meaning / Example
1. oppos i te number has the s a me pos i tio n/ does the s a me job as me
2. counterpart more forma l equi va l ent of oppos i te number
3. rapport communi catio n/rel a tio ns hi p
4. hi erarchi cal /ˌkɒm.pəˈzɪʃ.haɪəˈmɒn.ɪk/rɑːtˈfəʊ.li.əʊ/.kɪ.kəl/ has a s tructure wi th i mportant a nd l es s i mporta nt peopl e
5. pecki ng order a system where some people have the rght to get benefit s/promotions before others
6. job-s hare a a greement where two peopl e each s ha re the s a me job
7. hot-des ki ng a policy of sharing desks in a offi
ce, so people sit where ever is free that day.
8. workmates colleagues you are friendy with (especially in a non-professional occupation)
9. tal k s hop ta l k a bout work (i nforma l )
10. munda ne ordi nary, not i nteres tin g
11. repetitive the s ame thi ng i s repeated everyda y
12. knocki ng off fin i s hi ng work (i nformal )
13. monotonous /məˈmɒn.ɪk/nɒn.ɪk/t.ən.əs/ bori ng becaus e i t never changes
14. s atis fyi ng ma ke me feel pl ea s ed
15. anti-s oci al does not enabl e one to ha ve a s oci a l l i fe.
16. s tuck i n a rut s tuck/trapped i n a job they ca n't es ca pe from
17. dead-end wi th no pros pects of promotio n
18. went i n wi th formed a bus i nes s
19. freel ance or works freel ance
20. programmer s omeone who wri tes computer programs
Unit 6 at work: job satisfaction
Words Transcription Meaning / Example
1. job s atis fa ctio n a feel i ng that your job i s worth doi ng a nd ful fil s you
2. run-of-the-mi l l ordi nary, not s peci al or exci tin g
3. fin a nci al reward money gai ned
4. mora l e /məˈmɒn.ɪk/rɑːtˈfəʊ.li.əʊ/l/ a mount of confid ence fel t by a pers on or group
5. job s tabi l i ty not l i kel y to cha nge
6. work-l i fe ba l ance amount of time spent working compared to the amount of time spent doing other things
7. dyna mi c contin uous l y devel opi ng
8. demotivated feel i ng l es s enthus i a s tic about work
9. s eeki ng a ca reer i n l ooki ng to work i n…
10. materni ty l eave tim e a wa y from work becaus e of a ba by (woma n)
11. Paterni ty l eave tim e a wa y from work becaus e of a ba by (ma n)
12. adoptio n l eave tim e a wa y from work to prepare for new baby
13. (extra) benefits extra thi ngs apart from s al a ry (perks of the job)
14. hol i da y entitl ement number of da ys you ha ve the ri ght to take a s hol i day.
15. i ncrements i ncreas es /ri s es (formal )
16. performa nce-rel ated dependi ng on how wel l you do on your job
17. annual bonus Extra money pai d once a year, us ua l l y ba s ed on good performa nce
18. vol untary redundanci es peopl e l os i ng thei r jobs (by offe ri ng to do s o)
19. compul s ory redundanci es peopl e l os i ng thei r jobs (by ha vi ng no choi ce)
20. s kel eton s ta ff the mi ni mum number of workers needed to keep operatin g
21. i ntervi ew pa nel the group of peopl e i ntervi ewi ng s omeone for a job.
