(1) a guide to English pronunciation
(2) There is more than one pronunciation of ‘garage ’.
(3) Your pronunciation is excellent.

(1) the month of August
(2) We're moving house next month .
(3) She earns $1 000 a month .

(1) This command deletes files from the directory.
(2) (British English)Mr/Mrs/Ms ( delete as appropriate )
(3) [不可数名词, 可数名词]He made several deletions to the manuscript.

(1) I'd like to reserve a table for three for eight o'clock.
(2) I've reserved a room in the name of Jones.
(3) These seats are reserved for special guests.

(1) a child abuser
(2) He had abused his own daughter (= had sex with her) .
(3) The boy had been sexually abused.

(1) We can chalk that win up to a lot of luck.
(2) a piece/stick of chalk
(3) drawing diagrams with chalk on the blackboard

(1) When you watch him in training, you realise that this lad is the business.
(2) Thousands of firms could go out of business.
(3) We are not in the business of subsidising scroungers.

(1) Choose whichever brand you prefer.
(2) Pensions should be increased annually in line with earnings or prices, whichever is the higher.
(3) whichever of you gets here first will get the prize.

(1) to travel around the world
(2) I go to bed early if I'm travelling the next day.
(3) I love travelling by train.

(1) suspension from school
(2) The two players are appealing against their suspensions.
(3) These events have led to the suspension of talks.

(1) She can count up to 10 in Italian.
(2) to count from 1 to 10
(3) The diet is based on counting calories.

(1) pen and ink
(2) a new book from the pen of Martin Amis
(3) a sheep pen

(1) They've gone down the pub for a drink.
(2) a pub lunch
(3) the landlord of the local pub

(1) a sudden change
(2) Don't make any sudden movements.
(3) His death was very sudden.

(1) I completely misunderstood her intentions.
(2) Don't misunderstand me─I am grateful for all you've done.
(3) I thought he was her husband─I must have misunderstood.

(1) I looked along the shelves for the book I needed.
(2) Houses had been built along both sides of the river.
(3) You'll find his office just along the corridor.

(1) It's only a small improvement, but at least it's a step in the right direction .
(2) Support came from an unexpected direction.
(3) Let us approach the subject from a different direction.

(1) It happened─whether by accident or design ─that the two of them were left alone after all the others had gone.
(2) The tiles come in a huge range of colours and designs.
(3) a course in art and design

(1) a square room
(2) The book had rounded, not square, corners.
(3) square shoulders

(1) to do the housework
(2) Will they do the housework?
(3) She was tied up with the housework all day.

(1) ...the gnarled trunk of a birch tree.
(2) …toadstools growing on fallen tree trunks.
(3) I wear these trunks because they have a streamline effect in the water.

(1) a basement flat/apartment
(2) Kitchen goods are sold in the basement.
(3) They live in a basement flat in North London.

(1) My funny drawings amused the kids.
(2) This will amuse you.
(3) It amused him to think that they were probably talking about him at that very moment.

(1) Keep off the grass. (= on a sign)
(2) Don't walk on the grass .
(3) to cut/mow the grass

(1) hibernation may last several days or weeks depending on species, ambient temperature, and time of year.
(2) Bears wake up in the spring after a winter of hibernation.
(3) Putting the computer into hibernation or Standby may stop the playback. Do you want to continue?

(1) We pushed and pushed but the piano wouldn't move.
(2) push hard when I tell you to.
(3) She pushed at the door but it wouldn't budge.

(1) I stuck the stamp on and ran to the postbox.
(2) Whole streets were dug up, with a postbox buried up to its neck , still functioning.
(3) Adopt in furniture such as drawer lock cabinet lock, window locklock and postbox lock etc.

(1) the chief cause/problem/reason
(2) one of the President's chief rivals
(3) the chief Education Officer

(1) The watch was a gift from my mother.
(2) Thank you for your generous gift.
(3) a free gift for every reader

(1) We have to make a small charge for refreshments.
(2) Light refreshments will be served during the break.
(3) She toasted slices of bread for refreshments.

(1) Churchill telegraphed an urgent message to Wavell...
(2) 'Please,' he telegraphed, 'just leave it alone.'...
(3) The commission telegraphed its decision earlier this month by telling an official to prepare the order.

(1) They lived in fear of their master.
(2) She was no longer master of her own future.
(3) a master of disguise

(1) St Paul's cathedral
(2) (British English)a cathedral city
(3) ...St. Paul's cathedral.

(1) Looking at the crowds out shopping, you could be forgiven for thinking that everyone has plenty of money.
(2) The government has agreed to forgive a large part of the debt.
(3) forgive my interrupting but I really don't agree with that.

(1) the battle of Waterloo
(2) to be killed in battle
(3) a gun battle

(1) the Christmas/Easter/summer vacation
(2) (British English)the long vacation (= the summer vacation)
(3) They're on vacation in Hawaii right now.

(1) We shouldn't blame ourselves for what happened.
(2) Let's just relax and enjoy ourselves.
(3) We'd like to see it for ourselves.

(1) What do you like to do in your spare time?
(2) The statue has been dated as 5 th century BC.
(3) Older boys put them up to painting the statue red.

(1) We drove through red traffic lights, the horn blaring.
(2) The traffic lights were on amber.
(3) traffic lights have been placed at all major intersections.

(1) As he sang, he strummed his guitar.
(2) Do you play the guitar ?
(3) She plays guitar in a band.