· 25 lists · 862 words

Work, travel, school

Where you stop naming things and start arranging them.

What holds these lists together

The areas in which naming things is no longer enough and you have to arrange, book, complain and cancel: at the bank, at the garage, at school, in a job application, and further on at the port, on the railway and on the airfield. That is why these lists hold so many fixed phrases, and why the verb in them is so often not the one English would pick. You do not make an appointment, you take one: prendre rendez-vous. Passer un examen is to sit an exam, not to pass it; passing is réussir. And apprendre serves both sides of the classroom: elle apprend le français aux enfants means she teaches it.

The 25 lists

A2Appointments and arrangementsFixing a time, moving it, and apologising for being late.50 words A2Things and workThe desk, the tool, the job.42 words A2Travel and transportGetting there, getting a bed, and what to do when it is cancelled.37 words A2Shopping and moneyFrom the size to the receipt.35 words A2School and learningThe lesson, the exam, the word for the word.39 words B1Bank and post officeThe counter, the transfer, the parcel that will not fit.38 words B1Car and garageThe tank, the test, the noise that was not there yesterday.33 words B1Work and applying for a jobThe advert, the interview, the contract and what is on it.32 words B1Room, stay and extrasWhat is in the room, and what the stay costs.31 words B1Sport and trainingThe club, the match, the injury, the way back.38 words B1At the airportFrom check-in to the carousel.32 words B1Higher education and trainingEnrolling, sitting exams, and the paper at the end.32 words B1Offices and paperworkThe form, the queue, the proof they ask for.32 words B1Telephone and appointmentsRinging, waiting, and agreeing a time.32 words B1Insurance and provisionThe policy, the excess, the claim.30 words B1Science and researchThe sample, the finding, the footnote.30 words C1Seafaring and the portThe ship, the channel, the quay, and the papers that travel with the load.44 words C1CyclingFrom tyre pressure to the stolen bike — kit, repairs, gradients and theft.35 words C1Learning to driveFrom the biting point to the test, in the words the examiners use.34 words C1Buying a used carWhat to look at before you hand over any money.35 words C1Aviation and flight operationsFrom lift to ground handling, cockpit and apron.43 words C2Road constructionA structure everyone takes for flat.25 words C2Railway operationsHow a network of single-track ways turns into a timetable.25 words C2Dangerous goodsGoods that travel under more rules on the road than they live under once they arrive.35 words C2Commercial vehiclesVehicles measured in tonnes rather than in seats.23 words

Spread across the levels

The category runs across the levels — it is an area, not a difficulty. If you practise it, you can also choose a level at the top of the practice page and then get only the part that sits there.

Level	Words	Share
A1	1	0 %
A2	197	23 %
B1	365	42 %
C1	191	22 %
C2	108	13 %

Practise this category

Multiple choice and gaps, across all 25 lists and all 862 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.