Vocabulary - Advanced [1]

towaway zone :
an area where cars are not allowed to park, and from which they can be taken away by the police.

I had stupidly parked in a towaway zone and came back to find my car had gone!

Common Errors [3] : Broken

Broken :

The car could not stop because its brakes were broken.*
The car could not stop because its brakes were not working.

I turned on the radio but it was broken.*
I turned on the radio but it wasn't working.

- broken = physically damaged: 'a broken windscreen'
- not working = not functioning properly: 'I can't ring him because his phone's not working.'

Common Errors [2] : By and Near

By :

I am staying in a small town by Oxford.*
I am staying in a small town near Oxford.

- by = next to or very close to something:
'I've been sitting by the phone all morning waiting for her to ring.'
'I'll meet you on the corner, by the bank.'

- When talking about the position of towns, cities, countries etc, use [near]:
'I spent the first month in a little village called Farchant, near Garmen-Partenkirchen.

The Bathroom

Common Errors [1] : Cameraman

Cameraman :

Shotaro Akiyama is a famous Japanese cameraman.*
Shotaro Akiyama is a famous Japanese photographer.

- cameraman = a person who is employed by a television or film company to operate a camera:
'The cameraman had never shot a car chase before and needed the director's advice.'


- photographer = a person who takes (or whose job is to take) photographs:
'She is one of the world's leading fashion photographers.'