University Admission/Job Prep : Some English Phrases & Meanings

Achieving success in all types of competitive exams including university admission or recruitment tests quite depends on the performance of English segment. Phrase is an important part of the subject English. Therefore one needs to have a good command on this aspect of the language for their success not only in exams, but in life also.

Let us get knowledge on some frequently used phrases, their meanings & uses in this lesson :

a. Sanguine About (something) :
Meanings : Feeling Cheerful and confident about something or having confidence that things will happen the way they want them to. See the examples below :

1. Japanese investors are sanguine about business potential in Bangladesh, says the country’s Ambassador to Dhaka.
2. My younger brother is sanguine about the outcome of his admission test for Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

b. Olive Branch :
Meanings : An offer of reconciliation. Look at the examples below :

1. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman has offered an olive branch that Riyadh is willing to rekindle its cool relationship with Tehran.
2. The two rival groups are looking at an olive branch offered by a third party to solve long standing issues between them.

c. Fret Over Something :
Meanings : To worry so much about something. Look at the sentences provided below :

1. Foreign players fret over their safe return to respective countries following the suspension of IPL due to the covid-19 pandemic.
2. Majority of university admission seekers fret over their exam performances.

d. Throw One’s Weight Behind (someone or something) :
Meanings : Provide all-out support to something or someone. See the examples below :

1. Turkey has thrown its weight behind Palestinian government amidst the ongoing unrest with its occupying neighbor Israel over the issue of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

e. Cold Feet :
Meanings : Loss of nerve or confidence. Look at the examples below :

1. Every bride and groom gets cold feet ahead of their marriage.
2. I just got cold feet seeing such a beautiful girl at JFP yesterday.

f. Jump On The Bandwagon :
Meanings : Join others in doing something fashionable or something likely to be successful. See the examples provided below :

1. More and more banks are jumping on the bandwagon in introducing mobile financial services in the country.
2. Do not jump on the bandwagon in running online platform, just for financial gains.

Final Words : Be it university admission test or competitive exam, learning English will definitely bring success for you. Moreover, English will shape the future that you cherish for in the long run. Learn the language by practicing each and every single aspects of it, be it vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, article, preposition and so on. But regular learning is the key. So spend some time on English and shape the future.