be1 auxiliary verbbe2 verb
bebe1 /bi; strong biː/ ●●● S1 W1 auxiliary verb (past tense was, were, past participle been, present participle being, first person singular am, second person singular and plural are, third person singular is) 
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Christ is risen from the dead.
- Fees are to be paid before classes begin.
- He is more to be pitied than feared.
- His arrival may have been delayed by snow.
- I'll be leaving in about half an hour.
- I was shown a copy of the contract.
- It was to be one of the most important judgments the court made.
- Smoking is not permitted on this flight.
- Talks were to have begun two weeks ago.
- The children are to go to bed by 8 o'clock.
- Walker was nowhere to be found.
Longman Language Activatorto be something
· Sacramento is the capital of California.· Laurence Olivier was the greatest actor of his generation.· The state of the economy is our biggest problem.· The Somme was the bloodiest battle of the First World War.· When it's finished, it will be the biggest office development in Europe.
: represent an improvement/an obstacle/a challenge etc formal used to say that something, especially something important or serious, should be thought of as a particular thing: · There is no doubt that this new type of tyre represents a major advance in road safety.· Einstein's theory represented a significant departure from previous theories.
if something forms something else, it has physical qualities that gives it a particular purpose or makes it have a particular effect: · The river formed a natural boundary between the two countries.· Oils produced by the skin form a protective barrier against infection and disease.
to have the necessary qualities to be a particular thing or a particular type of person: · He'll make a good father.· This sofa doesn't make much of a bed.· You're quick but you'll never make a football player.
formal if actions or behaviour constitute something, they are officially or legally considered as being that thing: · The local authority decided that the present housing conditions constituted a risk for the mother and baby.· The spread of international crime and corruption constitutes a major threat to the global economy.
when a group of people or things form something together to be part of a particular group of people or to be the thing on which something else is based: · The six states that make up New England are Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.· These seven people made up the entire population of Oakminster.· The results of these studies formed the basis of state education policy in the 1960s.
formal if a number of people or things together constitute something, they are the parts that together form that thing: · Alaska is the largest of the fifty states that constitute the USA.· It is sometimes difficult to believe that the different groups living within our borders constitute a single society.· Because journalists don't think the congressman constitutes much of a threat, they don't write or broadcast stories about him.
if a group of different things add up to something, together they are that thing or they provide what is needed for the thing to exist: · Good wine, excellent food, and interesting company - it all added up to a splendid evening.· It adds up to a recipe for financial disaster.
to form a particular part or amount of something to be a particular amount or part of something: · In Japan, firms employing over 1000 people accounted for 50% of total employment.· This project alone represents half of the department's budget.· Women now represent 48% of the workforce.
to be a particular part of something - use this especially to talk about scientific or official facts and figures: · Children constitute four out of every ten poor people in the United States.· Nitrogen constitutes 78% of the earth's atmosphere.
to feel happy/frightened/bored etc: be happy/frightened/bored etc · Don't be scared -- the dog won't bite.· Hazel was furious when I lost her camera.feel happy/frightened/bored etc · She's feeling a little nervous about the wedding.· I couldn't help feeling a little sad when he left.· You shouldn't feel guilty - it wasn't your fault.
formal to feel a strong emotion such as joy, pride, or sorrow: · I experienced a great sense of loss when my father died.· When she was younger, my mother experienced a depression so severe she had to be hospitalized.
to feel an emotion such as sadness or disappointment so strongly that you are unable to remain calm or think clearly: · When Diana met the starving children she was overcome with pity and outrage.· Suddenly, I was overcome by a feeling of panic.· Receiving the prize in honour of her dead father, she was overcome with emotion.
: be burning with curiosity/desire/anger etc to have an emotion that is so strong that it is very difficult to control: · Martha was burning with curiosity but realized that now wasn't the time to ask questions.
to let a strong emotion show or affect you, especially after you have been trying not to feel it or show it: · Giving way to her grief, Anna burst into tears.· He was ashamed to have given way to such feelings of self-pity.
British /harbor American to have feelings, especially bad ones, in your mind for a long time: · Parker is believed to harbor political ambitions.· Some commuters still harbor resentment toward the protesters for blocking traffic and creating chaos.harbour a grudge: · Taylor denied harbouring a grudge against his former boss.
formal: nurse resentment/anger/a grievance/a grudge to have angry feelings for a long time but not express them: · Police believe the suspect nursed a grudge against women.· She never nurses a grievance or plans revenge.
to feel hot/tired/hungry etc: feel/be tired/hot/hungry etc · I was very tired and I just wanted to sleep.· Stop the car - Ben feels sick!· I know you're hungry but you'll just have to wait until dinner.· If you're feeling hot, go ahead and open the window.feel well/better · "How do you feel?" "I feel much better now I've had some sleep."
formal to have a feeling of pain, sickness etc: · He said that he had never experienced such pain before.· Many cancer patients experience nausea following chemotherapy.
British informal: come over all funny/weak/dizzy etc to suddenly feel weak, tired, ill etc: · I was standing at the bus stop when suddenly I came over all dizzy.· I'm sorry. I missed what you said. I just came over all funny for a minute.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
We searched everywhere but the ring was nowhere to be found (=could not be found).COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES After the operation her condition was described as comfortable. The youth is described as being 18 to 19 years old. Have you ever been to (=have you ever travelled to) Japan? I have been to (=have travelled to) Germany several times. The company’s always been very good to me. Much of the groundwork has already been done. At last we’ve won our freedom but it’s been a long bitter haul. I know Ian said he liked her singing, but he was only being polite. Workers who broke the strike risked being attacked when they left the factory. It has been suggested that the manager will resign if any more players are sold. A good meal promotes a feeling of well-being. the physical and emotional well-being of the children We are now concerned for the economic well-being of the country.
We searched everywhere but the ring was nowhere to be found (=could not be found). After the operation her condition was described as comfortable. The youth is described as being 18 to 19 years old. Have you ever been to (=have you ever travelled to) Japan? I have been to (=have travelled to) Germany several times. The company’s always been very good to me. Much of the groundwork has already been done. At last we’ve won our freedom but it’s been a long bitter haul.· The breakfast program improves the health and well-being of the children.
· He accused me of being a liar.
· There’s been a misunderstanding about what I meant.
(=used to say that something is strange because it has never happened before) Max had never been known to leave home without telling anyone.
Max had never been known to leave home without telling anyone. I know Ian said he liked her singing, but he was only being polite. Workers who broke the strike risked being attacked when they left the factory.· We’ve been driving since six this morning.
· She had been waiting since five o’clock.
It has been suggested that the manager will resign if any more players are sold. A good meal promotes a feeling of well-being. the physical and emotional well-being of the children We are now concerned for the economic well-being of the country.PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► be to do something► was/were to do somethingPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► look as if you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards► I’m not being funny (but)► somebody has been had► (it’s been) nice meeting/talking to you
1used with a present participle to form the continuous(4) tenses of verbs: - A comparable tendency is to be found in the theatre.
- A similar situation is to be found in other regions of the world.
- Further comments on attaching priorities to different subjects and to different levels of material are to be found in Chapter 3.
- He was to be found lurking in the band's dressing room whenever they ventured into Mancunian territory, which was often.
- It was to be found in the libraries of other leading Virginians: Lord Botetourt, Thos.
- She and two of the Aussies then proceeded to the next floor where guest bedrooms were to be found.
- The only reference to sustainable development was to be found in paragraph two hundred and thirteen.
- These words, in his own hand, are to be found, framed, inside the hall.
- I've been around the block a few times, and I think I know when someone's trying to cheat me.
- When you've been around as long as I have you realize some things aren't worth getting upset about.
- Armies are the main conventional weapon and have been around for over five millennia in various forms.
- Demos have been around as long as computer games.
- Most of them have been around a lot longer.
- Neural networks used for robotics and control applications have been around for a relatively long time.
- Some have been around a long time, others are of more recent origins.
- The usual suspects are labor unions, which have been around for a century.
- They have been around, practically unchanged, for at least 200 million years.
- Though I must have been around just at that time, I think.
- Mr. Bell denied being drunk and disorderly and denied being in breach of the bail condition.
- Once, in about 1985 I think, for being drunk and disorderly.
- Reportedly, two Houston police officers arrested a black woman for being drunk and disorderly.
- All other things being equal, schools where parents are highly involved are more likely to run effectively.
- Both snail genes and fluke genes stand to gain from the snail's bodily survival, all other things being equal.
- But all other things being equal, the gay and lesbian community has responded well to examples of perceived corporate goodwill.
- But all things being equal, most movie makers would like their facts to be right.
- It shows the quantities of a product which will be demanded at various prices, all other things being equal.
- Significant improvements in clarity and stereo imaging are amongst the more obvious benefits of such parity, all other things being equal.
- The bright chestnut is considered the most characteristic colour and, all other things being equal, the one to be preferred.
- And in that moment she wished with every fibre of her being that it really was possible for her to stay away.
- What she was sure of, though, was that she wanted him with every fibre of her being.
- He can continue to appeal, or go to some other level, until he feels justice has been done.
- He has successfully persuaded the crowd that justice has been done.
- Mr Townsend says he feels justice has been done.
- Mrs Alliss' solicitor says justice has been done.
- Finally new businesses do not spring into existence simply because taxes are reduced in a given area.
- Here, a fast, sparkling fresh stream springs into existence, fords a lane and runs parallel to a wooden pathway.
- It may be possible to think of a universe springing into existence out of nothing at all.
- Louis, have sprung into being.
- The nurse's soft, slightly damp touch faded and darkness sprang into being inside Chesarynth's head.
- His arguments struck us as completely ridiculous.
- Mr. West struck me as a very good businessman.
- Alan and I used to fight - but that was just little boys striking out.
- It all struck Tish as an exciting ride.
- It did strike me as somewhat odd that Ellen would wait so long in life to discover her true orientation.
- Jocasta struck him as a typical Hollywood brat, neglected, indulged, selfish and forced to grow up too fast.
- She struck me as being a horror in the play.
- Surely these folks were great pals but that strikes me as a strange way to show it.
- They hoped that the very talk of a general strike would act as a restraining influence on militarism.
- Thus the strike came as no surprise to those involved.
- Both snail genes and fluke genes stand to gain from the snail's bodily survival, all other things being equal.
- But all things being equal, most movie makers would like their facts to be right.
- But all other things being equal, the gay and lesbian community has responded well to examples of perceived corporate goodwill.
- It shows the quantities of a product which will be demanded at various prices, all other things being equal.
- Significant improvements in clarity and stereo imaging are amongst the more obvious benefits of such parity, all other things being equal.
- The bright chestnut is considered the most characteristic colour and, all other things being equal, the one to be preferred.
- Although the government aims to encourage private enterprise, around one third of the economy will remain under state control, for the time being.
- Bob's keeping his car in our garage for the time being.
- For the time being, Mrs Gilman's classes will be taken by other teachers.
- But for the time being, at least, stick an asterisk next to this season.
- But for the time being, one has to be realistic.
- Certainly, it rules out an easing for the time being.
- The villagers' resistance has led to the plan being postponed for the time being.
- This will, hopefully, shift his focus from writing to acting, at least for the time being.
- Tom is retired for the time being.
- We both know that the burden for the time being is going to be on him and his paintings.
- When it asks which formats it should play, let it take over everything for the time being.
Don’t disturb me while I’m working. Gemma was reading. They’ve been asking a lot of questions. That guy’s always causing trouble. We’ll be starting in about an hour. He isn’t leaving, is he?2used with past participles to form the passive: Smoking is not permitted. I was told about it yesterday. The house is being painted. She’s been invited to a party. The flames could be seen several miles away. The police should have been informed about this.3be to do something formal a)used to talk about arrangements for the future: Audrey and Jimmy are to be married in June. Two men are to appear in court on charges of armed robbery. b)used to give an order or to tell someone about a rule: You are to wait here in this room until I return. All staff are to wear uniforms. c)used to say or ask what someone should do or what should happen: What am I to tell her? He is not to be blamed. d)used to ask how something can be done: How are we to get out of the present mess?4be to be seen/found/heard etc used to say that something can be seen, found, or heard somewhere: A large range of species are to be seen in the aquarium. We searched everywhere but the ring was nowhere to be found (=could not be found). The only sound to be heard was the twittering of the birds above us.5was/were to do something used when talking about a time in the past to say what happened later: This discovery was to have a major effect on the treatment of heart disease.6 a)used in conditional1(2) sentences about an imagined situationwere somebody to do something/if somebody were to do something Even if England were to win the next two matches, Germany would still be three points ahead. Were we to offer you the job, would you take it? b)used in conditional sentences to introduce an aim when you are saying what must be done in order to achieve itif somebody/something is to do something If we are to succeed in this enterprise, we shall need to plan everything very carefully.7old use used instead of ‘have’ to form the perfect3 tense of some verbs: The hour is come.be1 auxiliary verbbe2 verb
bebe2 ●●● S1 W1 verb WORD ORIGINbe2
Origin:
Old English beonVERB TABLE
be
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | am, are |
| he, she, it | is | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | was, were |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been |
| he, she, it | has been | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am being |
| he, she, it | is being | |
| you, we, they | are being | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was being |
| you, we, they | were being | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been being |
| he, she, it | has been being | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been being |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be being |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been being |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- ""What colour is your car?'' ""It's black.''
- "I like your new shirt - how much was it?" "It was only fifteen pounds."
- "That's not your coat" "Yes, it is!"
- Be careful!
- A saw is for cutting wood.
- Before becoming a writer, Schwarz had been a cook, a cab driver and a door-to-door salesman.
- Can you tell me where the station is?
- Christie is my girlfriend.
- Christmas will be on a Saturday next year.
- Dinner is at eight, so come at about half past seven.
- Don't be so rude!
- Egypt is in North Africa.
- Hi, it's me.
- Horses are animals.
- I can't remember how much the flight cost. I think it was around $400.
THESAURUS
to have a particular price: · The book costs $25.· A new kitchen will cost you a lot of money.· It’s a nice dress and it didn’t cost much.
especially spoken to cost a particular amount of money: · These shoes were only £5.
to have a particular price – used when giving the exact price that a shop or company charges for something: · Tickets are priced at $20 for adults and $10 for kids.
to be sold in shops at a particular price – used especially in business: · The scissors retail at £1.99 in department stores.
used for saying what people usually pay for something: · Houses in this area sell for around £200,000.
used for saying what people pay for something, especially at a public sale: · The painting fetched over $8,000 at auction.· A sports car built for Mussolini is expected to fetch nearly £1 million at auction.
informal to cost someone a lot of money: · A good set of speakers will set you back around £150.
if a bill comes to a particular amount, it adds up to that amount: · The bill came to £100 between four of us.
Longman Language Activatorto be something · Sacramento is the capital of California.· Laurence Olivier was the greatest actor of his generation.· The state of the economy is our biggest problem.· The Somme was the bloodiest battle of the First World War.· When it's finished, it will be the biggest office development in Europe.
: represent an improvement/an obstacle/a challenge etc formal used to say that something, especially something important or serious, should be thought of as a particular thing: · There is no doubt that this new type of tyre represents a major advance in road safety.· Einstein's theory represented a significant departure from previous theories.
if something forms something else, it has physical qualities that gives it a particular purpose or makes it have a particular effect: · The river formed a natural boundary between the two countries.· Oils produced by the skin form a protective barrier against infection and disease.
to have the necessary qualities to be a particular thing or a particular type of person: · He'll make a good father.· This sofa doesn't make much of a bed.· You're quick but you'll never make a football player.
formal if actions or behaviour constitute something, they are officially or legally considered as being that thing: · The local authority decided that the present housing conditions constituted a risk for the mother and baby.· The spread of international crime and corruption constitutes a major threat to the global economy.
when a group of people or things form something together to be part of a particular group of people or to be the thing on which something else is based: · The six states that make up New England are Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.· These seven people made up the entire population of Oakminster.· The results of these studies formed the basis of state education policy in the 1960s.
formal if a number of people or things together constitute something, they are the parts that together form that thing: · Alaska is the largest of the fifty states that constitute the USA.· It is sometimes difficult to believe that the different groups living within our borders constitute a single society.· Because journalists don't think the congressman constitutes much of a threat, they don't write or broadcast stories about him.
if a group of different things add up to something, together they are that thing or they provide what is needed for the thing to exist: · Good wine, excellent food, and interesting company - it all added up to a splendid evening.· It adds up to a recipe for financial disaster.
to form a particular part or amount of something to be a particular amount or part of something: · In Japan, firms employing over 1000 people accounted for 50% of total employment.· This project alone represents half of the department's budget.· Women now represent 48% of the workforce.
to be a particular part of something - use this especially to talk about scientific or official facts and figures: · Children constitute four out of every ten poor people in the United States.· Nitrogen constitutes 78% of the earth's atmosphere.
to behave in a particular way the way someone behaves is the things that they do and say, and the effects these things have on other people: · How does Sam behave at school?behave towards: · William was behaving very strangely towards me.behave well/badly/unreasonably etc: · I'm not going to talk to him until he starts behaving reasonably.behave like: · Oh, be quiet! You're behaving like a two-year-old.behave as if: · The next time I saw him, Frank behaved as if nothing had happened.
to behave in a particular way, especially in a way that seems unusual, surprising, or annoying to other people: act like: · He has been accused of acting like a dictator.act as if: · She acts as if she owns the place and we're her servants.act strangely/strange/stupid etc: · Tina's been acting very strangely lately.· You're acting stupid and I don't want to talk to you anymore.
: be rude/helpful/silly etc to behave in a rude, helpful, silly etc way: · Don't be so rude!· The waiter was really friendly and helpful.· Stop being silly!· Why is she being so nice to us?
to behave in a particular way, especially in a situation where people will notice and judge the way you behave: · Public figures have a duty to conduct themselves responsibly, even in their private lives.· By the end of the course, you should be able to conduct yourself with confidence in any meeting.
to say or do something because of what another person has said or done, or because of something that has happened: · How did she react when you told her the news?react angrily/violently/calmly: · Ned reacted angrily to Bill's comments.
to be a particular colour: be red/green etc · The Japanese flag is white with a red circle in the middle.· Frogs are green, toads are brown. That's how you tell the difference.· "What colour is your car?'' "It's black.''
British /colored American having one or more colours and not black or white: · The front door was painted blue and had a coloured glass panel in it.· You can make Christmas decorations from almost anything -- beads, colored ribbons, sea shells -- anything.brightly coloured: · The cages were full of brightly- coloured tropical birds.
glass that is tinted has a slight colour, so that people cannot see through it, so that light does not shine too brightly through it: · The limousine had tinted windows, so we couldn't see who was inside.blue-tinted/green-tinted etc: · She wore a pair of pink-tinted glasses.
ways of saying or asking how much something costs if something costs £10, $100 etc, that is what you have to pay in order to buy it: · How much does a house like that cost in America?cost £10/$20/a lot etc: · Tickets for the show cost £15 or £20.cost somebody £10/$20 etc: · I stayed in a hotel in Paris which cost me $150 a night.cost a fortune informal (=cost a lot of money): · Look at Frank's new Mercedes - it must have cost a fortune.it costs £10/$20/a lot etc to do something: · The Department of Education estimates that it will cost $17 billion to build the new schools.
spoken say how much to ask what the price or cost of something is: · That's a beautiful rug -- how much did you pay for it?· By the way, how much does it cost to use the swimming pool?
if something is £100, $1000 etc, that is how much it costs - use this especially when you are asking or replying to a question about the cost of something: · "I like your new shirt - how much was it?" "It was only fifteen pounds."· I can't remember how much the flight cost. I think it was around $400.
if something is done, sold etc at a cost of a particular amount, that is how much it costs - used especially in news reports: · Surveys are being conducted in 10 European States at a cost of £50 million.
if something that you buy sets you back a particular amount of money, usually a large amount, that is how much it costs, especially when you think that it is very expensive: set somebody back £200/$400 etc: · A good quality saxophone will set you back at least £1000.set somebody back: · If she's hoping to buy a new sportscar, it's going to really set her back!
if a product is priced at a particular price that is how much the person who makes or sells it has decided it should cost: · The book, which is priced at £38, will be available in the shops from September.· I watched a demonstration of their new cordless phone, priced at $350.
to cost a particular amount of money - use this especially when you think this is more than it is worth: sell for £400/$600 etc: · Clothes with designer labels sell for ridiculous prices nowadays.· Houses in this area are selling for over $400,000.go for £100/$250 etc: · Watches like that are going for about £15 in the market.go to somebody for £100/$250 etc: · The painting finally went to a private collector for $60 million.
if something fetches a particular price, it is sold for that price or someone receives that amount of money by selling it, especially at a public sale: fetch £40/$500 etc: · It's a very old car, but I'm still hoping it'll fetch around £200.· Van Gogh's "Sunflowers' was expected to fetch more than $20 million.
British spoken use this to ask what the total cost of something is, especially a job someone has already done for you or something you have already received: · "The mechanic's just about finished working on your car, sir." "Thanks, and what's the damage?"·
to happen · The accident happened at two o'clock this afternoon.· What's happened? Why are you crying?· The strangest thing happened when I was in Singapore.· Before I realised what was happening, the man had grabbed my bag and run off with it.anything can/could/might happen (=used to say that it is uncertain what will happen) · You mustn't go there alone at night. Anything might happen!
to happen - use this about events, performances, ceremonies and other things that have been planned to happen: · The wedding will take place at St Andrew's church.· Police are trying to prevent the demonstration from taking place.
if there is an event, accident, change etc, it happens: · There's a concert at the school next Saturday.· There has been a major accident on the Santa Monica Freeway.· I'll let you know if there's any change in our plans.
if a planned event is at a particular time or place, it happens or is arranged to happen at that time or place: · Dinner is at eight, so come at about half past seven.· Christmas will be on a Saturday next year.· Last year's degree ceremony was in the main university building.
formal to happen - use this especially about things that have not been planned or that people do not expect: · Major earthquakes like this occur very rarely.· The court will have to decide exactly what occurred on the night Mellor died.
to happen, especially as a result of earlier events or decisions: · Our problems came about because we ignored the advice of experts.· A number of educational reforms have come about as a result of the report.come about through: · The decrease in the number of salmon has come about through commercial overfishing.how did it come about that: · How did it come about that she married an awful man like that?
informal if something such as a problem crops up , it happens suddenly and unexpectedly: · A couple of problems cropped up while you were away.· If anything crops up, give me a call.· You have to learn to deal with difficult situations when they crop up.
if something, especially a problem or a chance to do something comes up , it happens unexpectedly: · He rang to say he would be late home -- something had come up at the office.· There are job vacancies from time to time. I'll let you know if anything comes up.· When the opportunity to go to the States came up, Dora took it at once.
if a planned event is coming up , it will happen soon: · Don't forget you've got exams coming up in a couple of weeks' time.· Our 12th annual Folk Festival is coming up again soon.
if something such as a job or a chance to do something turns up , it happens or becomes available, especially through good luck: · Ben's been looking for a job for two months, but nothing good's turned up.· I'd almost given up hope of finding a house I liked, and then suddenly this one turned up.
formal if a problem or difficult situation arises , it happens and comes to your attention: · It would be best to deal with these issues at once, before a crisis arises.arise over: · Several problems have arisen recently over questions of pay.arise from (=as a result of something): · The conflict arose from tensions between the different ethnic groups.
if something unpleasant strikes , it suddenly happens: · It is always devastating when this illness strikes.· Most people were fast asleep when the hurricane struck at 4.05 pm.
someone or something that you care a lot about if something is important to you, you care a lot about it, and it has an important influence on the way you think and behave: · Which is more important to you - your family or your career?be important to somebody: · While I was a student, my parents' support and encouragement were very important to me.the important thing (=the only important thing): · At least the children are safe - that's the important thing.
if you care about something or someone, you think they are important and you pay attention to them, consider their feelings etc: · Thousands are dying from disease and starvation and yet no one seems to care.care about: · Of course I care about the homeless and the unemployed, but what can I do?care what/who etc: · We make a range of natural, additive-free foods for people who really care what they eat.
especially spoken if someone or something means a lot to you, you care about them or think about them a lot, and your happiness depends on them: · You mustn't discourage her - this job means a lot to her.mean everything to somebody (=to be more important than anything else): · Karen trained day and night - winning the gold medal meant everything to her.
if something or someone is your whole life , they are so important to you that life would seem to have no meaning without them and you would be very unhappy: · I could never consider another career -- making films is my whole life.· Paul loves you very much. You are his whole life.
if you live for something or someone, they are the most important or enjoyable thing in your life: · Margot lived for ballet and was completely dedicated.· Bob lives for just two things -- his daughters and his music.
especially British if someone is or means (all) the world to you, they are more important to you than anyone else because you love them so much: · My son means all the world to me. If anything happened to him I'd never forgive myself.
the thing that someone considers to be the most important thing in their life - use this when you think that they are wrong to think that it is the most important thing: · Going to university isn't the be all and end all, you know.
to be a particular size, length etc to be a particular size, length, height, weight etc: · He's going on a diet. He's over two hundred pounds.· Our present altitude is 30,000 feet, and our speed is 500 miles per hour.be 10 cms long/wide/deep/high/tall: · The room's about six metres long and four metres wide.be 10 cms in length/ in depth/in width etc: · At the shallow end, the pool's less than one metre in depth.
to have a particular length, height, width, or depth, especially when it is known exactly: · The yacht measures eighty-four feet and is fitted out to the highest standards.· Surgeons use a laser with a beam measuring less than the width of a human hair.
to have a particular weight: · The blue whale is a vast creature, weighing up to 30 tons.· Our portable computer weighs 7 pounds and costs about $4000.· Allen is a fast runner, despite weighing 325 pounds and having a chest like a barrel.· How much do you weigh?
when an object is in a particular place · Do you know where my keys are?be in/on/near/there etc · The television is in the living room.· Your supper's in the oven.· There's a letter for you on the table.
to be in a particular place in an upright position: · The linoleum was dented where a washer and dryer once stood.stand in/on/near/there etc: · A single tall candle stood in the middle of the table.· A Christmas tree stood near the fireplace.
to be in a flat position on a surface - use this about paper, clothes, books, or other things that can be placed flat: lie in/on/near/there etc: · Several letters were lying on the table.· The children's clothes were lying all over the bedroom floor.· Her packed suitcase was lying near the door.
when a country, town, company etc is in a particular place: be in/on/near/there etc · Egypt is in North Africa.· The bank is on the next corner.· Can you tell me where the station is?
if a building is located/situated in a particular street, town, or area, it is in that place. Be located/situated is more formal than be .: be located/situated in/at/near/there etc: · The bookshop is located at 120 Charing Cross Road.· A U.S. Air Force Base is located nearby.· The Duke's home is situated in an attractive part of central London.conveniently/pleasantly/ideally situated: · a new hotel, conveniently situated close to the airportconveniently/pleasantly/ideally located: · The two fisheries are ideally located between major markets in New York and Boston.
if a building or structure stands somewhere, it is in that place: · There is a parking lot now where the old school once stood.stand in/near/on there etc: · The house stood next to a church.
if a company or organization is based in a place, its main offices are there: be based in/at: · The United Nations is based in New York.· More than 200 aircraft will be based at Miramar Air Force Base.London-based/Tokyo-based etc: · a London-based insurance company
to do a job that you get paid for · I haven't worked since I had my first child seven years ago.· His illness eventually prevented him from working.· Four teachers agreed to work without pay until things were settled.work for · For nineteen years, my father worked for the General Electric Corporation.· The company Jack worked for gave him fully paid leave during his wife's illness.work in/on/at · I'd never worked in a lab before I came here.· Five mornings a week, she worked on campus.· Over the years, I'd gotten used to all the perks of working at a posh downtown Miami law firm.work as a consultant/secretary/builder etc · He's changed his job and is now working as a consultant for a German firm.· Her father was an artist who sometimes worked as a salesman and labourer.work somewhere · Sorry, Bethany doesn't work here any more.· Where do you work?work long hours/Sundays/nights/full-time etc · He only works three days a week now.· There's always someone in -- I'm working nights so I'm here in the days.· I was working full-time, so I didn't see much of my girlfriend.· Are you prepared to work longer hours occasionally, to get the work done?work hard · My staff work hard, and they trust me. That's important.
if someone is a teacher, farmer, doctor etc, that is their job: · "What do you do?" "I'm a journalist."· She was a teacher for over twenty years.· Before becoming a writer, Schwarz had been a cook, a cab driver and a door-to-door salesman.
: go into teaching/nursing/politics/journalism etc to start working as a teacher, nurse etc, because you have decided that this is the job you would like to do: · Janet says she'd like to go into teaching after she finishes college.· Mills was wealthy even before he went into politics.· Snyder went into business for herself as an independent consultant.
British /practice American to work in a professional job as a doctor, lawyer, dentist etc: · Although he is a qualified dentist, he ceased to practice several years ago.· Kingsley has been practising from the London Hydrotherapy Centre since 1960.practise medicine/law etc: · I graduated from Manchester Law school and practised law with the firm of Arthur & Madden of Birmingham.practise as: · A small proportion of those who complete their training do not practise as doctors.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES After the operation her condition was described as comfortable. The youth is described as being 18 to 19 years old. Have you ever been to (=have you ever travelled to) Japan? I have been to (=have travelled to) Germany several times. The company’s always been very good to me. Much of the groundwork has already been done. At last we’ve won our freedom but it’s been a long bitter haul. I know Ian said he liked her singing, but he was only being polite. Workers who broke the strike risked being attacked when they left the factory. It has been suggested that the manager will resign if any more players are sold. A good meal promotes a feeling of well-being. the physical and emotional well-being of the children We are now concerned for the economic well-being of the country.
After the operation her condition was described as comfortable. The youth is described as being 18 to 19 years old. Have you ever been to (=have you ever travelled to) Japan? I have been to (=have travelled to) Germany several times. The company’s always been very good to me. Much of the groundwork has already been done. At last we’ve won our freedom but it’s been a long bitter haul.· The breakfast program improves the health and well-being of the children.
· He accused me of being a liar.
· There’s been a misunderstanding about what I meant.
(=used to say that something is strange because it has never happened before) Max had never been known to leave home without telling anyone.
Max had never been known to leave home without telling anyone. I know Ian said he liked her singing, but he was only being polite. Workers who broke the strike risked being attacked when they left the factory.· We’ve been driving since six this morning.
· She had been waiting since five o’clock.
It has been suggested that the manager will resign if any more players are sold. A good meal promotes a feeling of well-being. the physical and emotional well-being of the children We are now concerned for the economic well-being of the country.PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► look as if you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards► I’m not being funny (but)► somebody has been had► (it’s been) nice meeting/talking to you
1[linking verb] used to say that someone or something is the same as the subject of the sentence: - "Everyone knows it was your idea." "Be that as it may, we can present it together."
- Be that as it may, all of us need order.
- Be that as it may, blood-sharing in vampire bats seems to fit the Axelrod model well.
- Be that as it may, Driesch concluded that Weismann was wrong, at least in part.
- Be that as it may, his depiction was so convincingly done as to restore belief in the existence of centaurs!
- Be that as it may, I shall attempt to explain the spiritual aspect in my own terms.
- Be that as it may, terrible things clearly happened.
- Be that as it may, the truth is plain: this is an exercise of arrogant power which stinks.
- Be that as it may, Woolridge had his suspicions.
- And the sacrificial victim is yourself.
- He was counting on her redshirting even more than Karen was herself.
- Henry Ford's assertion that history was bunk was itself bunk: theology seemed to me a much better candidate.
- It seems to me questionable that Ruether is herself theistic.
- The language needed to describe unity is itself divisive, each word an island proclaiming its difference from every other.
- They can be themselves, be, relate, create in their own way.
- They made us able to come with our own identity and our own image, to try to be ourselves.
- It would not be itself a thing.
- Is food and comfort the be-all and end-all?
- However, it was said that looking at the employee's base was not the be-all and end-all.
- However, weight is not the be-all and end-all and you must keep a check on your general shape and fitness.
- Is there life on other planets?
- I didn't know there was Chinese restaurant in your neighborhood.
- There's no evidence to prove that Gray is the murderer.
- Because the teachers are so friendly there is a good atmosphere for getting on with your work.
- But there is another, more essential respect for nature itself, which we dishonour at our peril.
- Don't give them a sales pitch because there is nothing more irritating.
- In Britain there is a preference for a tactical step-by-step approach against a background of traditional consensus.
- Smokeless powder, for which there are many formulas, is used in modern ammunition.
- The effect of the order is that even though youths are being sentenced, there is no room for them.
- While this may not mean they are preventable, there is at least the possibility of fortifying the individual against their effects.
- I've been around the block a few times, and I think I know when someone's trying to cheat me.
- When you've been around as long as I have you realize some things aren't worth getting upset about.
- Armies are the main conventional weapon and have been around for over five millennia in various forms.
- Demos have been around as long as computer games.
- Most of them have been around a lot longer.
- Neural networks used for robotics and control applications have been around for a relatively long time.
- Some have been around a long time, others are of more recent origins.
- The usual suspects are labor unions, which have been around for a century.
- They have been around, practically unchanged, for at least 200 million years.
- Though I must have been around just at that time, I think.
- Mr. Bell denied being drunk and disorderly and denied being in breach of the bail condition.
- Once, in about 1985 I think, for being drunk and disorderly.
- Reportedly, two Houston police officers arrested a black woman for being drunk and disorderly.
- All other things being equal, schools where parents are highly involved are more likely to run effectively.
- Both snail genes and fluke genes stand to gain from the snail's bodily survival, all other things being equal.
- But all other things being equal, the gay and lesbian community has responded well to examples of perceived corporate goodwill.
- But all things being equal, most movie makers would like their facts to be right.
- It shows the quantities of a product which will be demanded at various prices, all other things being equal.
- Significant improvements in clarity and stereo imaging are amongst the more obvious benefits of such parity, all other things being equal.
- The bright chestnut is considered the most characteristic colour and, all other things being equal, the one to be preferred.
- And in that moment she wished with every fibre of her being that it really was possible for her to stay away.
- What she was sure of, though, was that she wanted him with every fibre of her being.
- He can continue to appeal, or go to some other level, until he feels justice has been done.
- He has successfully persuaded the crowd that justice has been done.
- Mr Townsend says he feels justice has been done.
- Mrs Alliss' solicitor says justice has been done.
- Finally new businesses do not spring into existence simply because taxes are reduced in a given area.
- Here, a fast, sparkling fresh stream springs into existence, fords a lane and runs parallel to a wooden pathway.
- It may be possible to think of a universe springing into existence out of nothing at all.
- Louis, have sprung into being.
- The nurse's soft, slightly damp touch faded and darkness sprang into being inside Chesarynth's head.
- His arguments struck us as completely ridiculous.
- Mr. West struck me as a very good businessman.
- Alan and I used to fight - but that was just little boys striking out.
- It all struck Tish as an exciting ride.
- It did strike me as somewhat odd that Ellen would wait so long in life to discover her true orientation.
- Jocasta struck him as a typical Hollywood brat, neglected, indulged, selfish and forced to grow up too fast.
- She struck me as being a horror in the play.
- Surely these folks were great pals but that strikes me as a strange way to show it.
- They hoped that the very talk of a general strike would act as a restraining influence on militarism.
- Thus the strike came as no surprise to those involved.
- Both snail genes and fluke genes stand to gain from the snail's bodily survival, all other things being equal.
- But all things being equal, most movie makers would like their facts to be right.
- But all other things being equal, the gay and lesbian community has responded well to examples of perceived corporate goodwill.
- It shows the quantities of a product which will be demanded at various prices, all other things being equal.
- Significant improvements in clarity and stereo imaging are amongst the more obvious benefits of such parity, all other things being equal.
- The bright chestnut is considered the most characteristic colour and, all other things being equal, the one to be preferred.
- Although the government aims to encourage private enterprise, around one third of the economy will remain under state control, for the time being.
- Bob's keeping his car in our garage for the time being.
- For the time being, Mrs Gilman's classes will be taken by other teachers.
- But for the time being, at least, stick an asterisk next to this season.
- But for the time being, one has to be realistic.
- Certainly, it rules out an easing for the time being.
- The villagers' resistance has led to the plan being postponed for the time being.
- This will, hopefully, shift his focus from writing to acting, at least for the time being.
- Tom is retired for the time being.
- We both know that the burden for the time being is going to be on him and his paintings.
- When it asks which formats it should play, let it take over everything for the time being.
My name is Susan. These are my favourite pictures. He’s my brother. The problem is finding the time to get things done. Our aim was to reduce the number of accidents.2[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] used to say where something or someone is: Jane’s upstairs. Are my keys in the drawer? The principal’s in his office. How long has she been here?3[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] used to say when something happens: The concert was last night. The party is on Saturday.4[linking verb] used to describe someone or something, or say what group or type they belong to: The sky was grey. Spiders are not really insects. Mr Cardew was a tall thin man. She wants to be a doctor when she leaves school. Her dress was pure silk. I’m not ready yet.5there is/are used to say that something exists or happens: There’s a hole in your trousers. There was a loud explosion. ‘I thought there was going to be a party.’ ‘No, there isn’t.’ Is there a problem?6[linking verb] to behave in a particular way: He was just being rude. Don’t be silly. You’d better be careful.7[linking verb] used to say how old someone is: His mother died when he was 20. Rachel will be three in November.8[linking verb] used to say who something belongs to: Whose is this bag? It isn’t mine and it isn’t Sarah’s.9[linking verb] used to talk about the price of something: ‘How much are the melons?’ ‘The big ones are £2 each.’► see thesaurus at cost10[linking verb] to be equal to a particular number or amount: 32 divided by 8 is 4.11be that as it may formal used to say that even though you accept that something is true, it does not change a situation: ‘He was only joking.’ ‘Be that as it may, silly remarks like that can do a lot of harm.’12[intransitive] formal to exist: What was once a great and powerful empire has effectively ceased to be.13be yourself to behave in a natural way, rather than trying to pretend to be different: Don’t try too hard – just be yourself.14not be yourself to be behaving in a way that is unusual for you, especially because you are ill or upset: Sorry – I’m not myself this morning.15the be-all and end-all the most important part of a situation or of someone’s lifebe of For Jim, making money was the be-all and end-all of his job.GRAMMAR: Linking verbsBe is a linking verb. This type of verb links the subject of the sentence with an adjective or noun: · The water was cold.· Leeds is a city in the north of England.