(1) government/public/personal finances
(2) It's about time you sorted out your finances.
(3) Moving house put a severe strain on our finances.

(1) the electronic edition of ‘The Guardian ’
(2) Tonight's edition of ‘Panorama ’ looks at unemployment.
(3) The dictionary is now in its sixth edition.

(1) The book's virtues far outweigh its faults.
(2) The system, for all its faults , is the best available at the moment.
(3) a major fault in the design

(1) On one side of the main entrance there's a red plaque.
(2) ...a photograph with me in the centre and Joe and Ken on each side of me.
(3) We put a notice on the side of the box.

(1) I changed the ink cartridges in my ballpoint pen.
(2) You can buy the ballpoint pen anywhere.
(3) Can you give me two refill of each color for the ballpoint pen?

(1) One has to ask oneself what the purpose of the exercise is.
(2) One cannot choose freedom for oneself without choosing it for others.
(3) It is difficult to make oneself concentrate for long periods.

(1) People were working in the fields.
(2) a ploughed field
(3) a field of wheat

(1) a tennis/rugby/chess, etc. player
(2) a game for four players
(3) a midfield player

(1) You seem to be on very familiar terms with your tutor.
(2) After a few drinks her boss started getting too familiar for her liking.
(3) Are you familiar with the computer software they use?

(1) It starts at 10 a.m.
(2) The program starts at 9 a.m.
(3) The risk factors, he added, " are correctable and need to be corrected before treatment or concurrently. "

(1) an outstanding player/achievement/success
(2) an area of outstanding natural beauty
(3) the outstanding features of the landscape

(1) He fastened the papers together with a paper clip.
(2) The dog fastened its teeth in his leg.
(3) His hand fastened on her arm.

(1) We got the bus back to Tange for 30 cents...
(2) Great clouds of black smoke were rising for several hundred feet or so.
(3) We drove on for a few miles...

(1) I gave you specific instructions.
(2) ‘I'd like your help tomorrow. ’ ‘Can you be more specific (= tell me exactly what you want) ? ’
(3) children's television programmes aimed at a specific age group

(1) Please make sure all mobile phones are switched off during the performance.
(2) Installation of Motorola's mobile phone Tools may affect the performance of this driver.
(3) Whatever you chose to do, enjoy this little application for your mobile phone.

(1) She was only a few pounds overweight.
(2) overweight baggage
(3) Being even moderately overweight increases your risk of developing high blood pressure.

(1) We have very similar interests.
(2) My teaching style is similar to that of most other teachers.
(3) The two houses are similar in size.

(1) Did I want to use to use his laptop, asked the helpful new zealander.
(2) new zealander Alastair Galpin sought eternal eccentric fame for wearing the most socks on one foot.

(1) My sight is failing, and I can't see to read any more...
(2) I use the sense of sound much more than the sense of sight.
(3) I faint at the sight of blood...

(1) (British English)a single honours degree (= for which you study only one subject)
(2) He sent her a single red rose.
(3) a single-sex school (= for boys only or for girls only)

(1) a slice of bread
(2) Cut the meat into thin slices.
(3) Our firm is well placed to grab a large slice of the market.

(1) sour apples
(2) a sour flavour
(3) to turn/go sour

(1) a spiritual experience
(2) spiritual development
(3) a lack of spiritual values in the modern world

(1) I didn't give Reid all the details yet — I'll fill him in...
(2) He filled her in on Wilbur Kantor's visit.
(3) Vice-presidents' wives would fill in for first ladies.

(1) Just as the teacher plays the role of leader in the classroom, so does the headteacher play a leadership role in the school.
(2) The children's unruly behaviour incurred the headteacher's wrath.
(3) The headteacher of the school reserves a veto over management - board decisions.

(1) The weatherman predicted a freeze for tonight.
(2) The weatherman suggested that people not use Highway 7.
(3) The weatherman reports a high moving in.

(1) a fantastic beach in Australia
(2) a fantastic achievement
(3) The weather was absolutely fantastic.

(1) We could see the stars through an opening in the roof.
(2) The movie has an exciting opening.
(3) the opening of the Olympic Games

(1) a shopping/sports/leisure/community centre
(2) the centre for Policy Studies
(3) Children like to be the centre of attention .

(1) She slipped over on the ice and broke her leg.
(2) As I ran up the stairs, my foot slipped and I fell.
(3) His hat had slipped over one eye.

(1) a pencil drawing
(2) I'll get a pencil and paper.
(3) She scribbled a note in pencil .

(1) a big fat man/woman
(2) You'll get fat if you eat so much chocolate.
(3) He grew fatter and fatter.

(1) The average age of the women interviewed was only 21.5.
(2) ...the population of this town...
(3) Would you say what you felt was a feeling of betrayal?...

(1) I've seen him somewhere before.
(2) Can we go somewhere warm?
(3) I've already looked there─it must be somewhere else .

(1) We weighed anchor (= pulled it out of the water) .
(2) the anchor of the family
(3) We anchored off the coast of Spain.

(1) She managed to snatch the gun from his hand.
(2) Gordon snatched up his jacket and left the room.
(3) Hey, you kids! Don't all snatch!

(1) I could no longer ignore the fact that he was deeply unhappy.
(2) Despite the fact that she was wearing a seat belt, she was thrown sharply forward.
(3) Due to the fact that they did not read English, the prisoners were unaware of what they were signing.

(1) Chop the onions finely.
(2) French onion soup
(3) Will you chop an onion up for me?...

(1) the Democratic and Republican Parties in the United States
(2) She belongs to the Labour party.
(3) the ruling/opposition party

(1) the outer layers of the skin
(2) I walked along the outer edge of the track.
(3) the outer suburbs of the city