Objective Proficiency p 51. Keys and Vocabulary

Phrase spot
KEY

a. exception to 
Take exception to something: to object strongly to something; to be angry about something. Sp. Ofenderse por algo. E.g. I take great exception to the fact that you told my wife before you told me. No one could possibly take exception to his comments.


b. notice 
take notice - observe with special attention. E.g. Take notice of the great architecture



c. place
take place to happen, especially after previously being arranged or planned. E.g.  The film festival takes place in October. We may never discover what took place that night.


d. part
take part (in something) to be involved in something. Participate. E.g. to take part in a discussion/ demonstration/ fight/ celebration. How many countries took part in the last Olympic Games?

Proceedings: an event or a series of actions. Sp. Reunión, acto, evento. E.g. The Mayor will open the proceedings at the City Hall tomorrow. We watched the proceedings from the balcony.

Take a back seat: to allow somebody else to play a more active and important role in a particular situation than you do. E.g. Many managers take a back seat and leave recruitment to specialists.
Backseat: an inferior position. E.g. have a backseat role. 



e. the view 
Take the view that: believe that. Sp. Considerar que. E.g. I take the view that education should be available to all.



f. account of: to take into consideration. E.g. You should take account of what he said.



g. issue
take issue with somebody (about/on/over something) (formal) to start disagreeing or arguing with somebody about something. E.g. I must take issue with you on that point.

Stick to: 1. to continue doing something despite difficulties. E.g. She finds it impossible to stick to a diet. 2. to continue doing or using something and not want to change it. Ceñirse a E:g. He promised to help us and he stuck to his word (= he did as he had promised). ‘Shall we meet on Friday this week?’ ‘No, let's stick to Saturday.’ She stuck to her story.

Pledge: a serious promise. Commitment. E.g.  a pledge of support. Will the government honour its election pledge not to raise taxes? Management has given a pledge that there will be no job losses this year.  



h. advantage
take advantage of something/somebody
1 to make use of something well; to make use of an opportunity. E.g. She took advantage of the children's absence to tidy their rooms. We took full advantage of the hotel facilities. 
2 to make use of somebody/something in a way that is unfair or dishonest. Exploit. E.g. He took advantage of my generosity (= for example, by taking more than I had intended to give).






i. by surprise
take somebody by surprise to happen unexpectedly so that somebody is slightly shocked; to surprise somebody. E.g. His frankness took her by surprise.



j. second place 
If one thing takes second place to another, it is considered to be less important and is given less attention than the other thing.E.g. My personal life has had to take second place to my career



k. into account/ consideration 



l. for granted
take somebody/something for granted to be so used to somebody/ something that you do not recognize their true value any more and do not show that you are grateful. E.g.  Her husband was always there and she just took him for granted. We take having an endless supply of clean water for granted.



m. a stand
Take a firm line/ (firm) stand (on/against something): to make your beliefs known and to try to make others follow them. Sp. Adoptar una postura. E.g. We need to take a firm line on tobacco advertising. They took a firm stand against drugs in the school. The government has taken a firm line on illegal immigration. We have to take a stand against racism.