APPEASE (verb) uk /piz/ us /piz/ FORMAL PEEP (verb) uk /pip/ us /pip/

DISAPPROVING (LOOK) to secretly look at something for a short time, usually through a hole: I
to prevent further disagreement in arguments or war by giving to the other side saw her peeping through the curtains/into the room.
an advantage that they have demanded: She claimed that the government had
only changed the law in order to appease their critics. PLUMP (adjective) uk /plmp/ us /plmp/
1. having a pleasantly soft, rounded body or shape: a nice plump chicken /
APRON (noun) uk /e.prn/ us /e.prn/ plump juicy grapes / a child with plump rosy cheeks
(CLOTHING) a piece of clothing that you wear over the front of other clothes to 2. polite word for fat: He's got rather plump since I last saw him.
keep the clothes clean while you are doing something dirty, such as cooking or
cleaning SCARCELY (adverb) uk /skes.li/ us /skers.li/
1. (ONLY JUST) almost not: I was scarcely able to move my arm after the
BOUND (verb) uk /band/ us /band/ accident. / I could scarcely believe it when she said she wanted to marry me.
1. (JUMP) to move quickly with large jumping movements 2. used to say that something happened immediately after something else
2. (BORDER) to mark or form the limits of: The town is bounded on one side by happened: I had scarcely sat down/Scarcely had I sat down to eat when the
a river. phone rang.
3. Synonym: barely / hardly
BOUND (noun) uk /band/ us /band/
(JUMP) a quick, long jump: With one bound the dog was over the fence. SCARCELY (adverb)
1. (NOT) certainly not: I'd scarcely have done it if I didn't think it was absolutely
CRAFTY (adjective) uk /krf.ti/ us /krf.ti/
necessary! / He's only two - you can scarcely blame him for behaving badly.
1. (CLEVER) clever, especially in a dishonest or secret way: I have some crafty
ideas for getting around the regulations. / She was a crafty old woman. SEEK (verb) uk /sik/ us /sik/ sought, sought FORMAL
2. craftily (adverb) uk /krf.tl.i/ us /krf.tl.i/ 1. (SEARCH) to try to find or get something, especially something that is not a
physical object: "Are you actively seeking jobs?" she asked. / Hundreds of
FETCH (verb) uk /fet/ us /fet/ MAINLY UK
dissidents are seeking refuge/asylum in the US embassy.
1. (GET) to go to another place to get something or someone and bring it, him,
2. to ask for advice, help, approval, permission, etc.: Legal advice should be
or her back: Could you fetch me my glasses/fetch my glasses for me from the
sought before you take any further action.
other room, please? / I have to fetch my mother from the station.
3. (TRY) [ I + to infinitive ] to try or attempt: They sought to reassure the
2. (SELL) to be sold for a particular amount of money: The paintings fetched
public.
over a million dollars. / The house didn't fetch as much as she was hoping it
would.
SNIP (noun) uk /snp/ us /snp/
3. (HIT) old-fashioned informal to hit someone with the hand: I fetched him a
(CUT) a quick, short cut with scissors: Give it a snip with the scissors.
smart blow on the ear!
SPRING (verb) [I usually + adv/prep]
LATCH (noun) uk /lt/ us /lt/
1. a device for keeping a door or gate closed, consisting of a metal bar that fits (APPEAR SUDDENLY) informal to appear suddenly: "Where did you spring
into a hole and is lifted by pushing down on another bar from? - I didn't see you come in!"
2. on the latch UK: closed but not locked: Don't forget to leave the front door
SUNBEAM (noun) uk /sn.bim/ us /sn.bim/
on the latch if you go to bed before I get back.
a beam of light from the sun that you can see
MERRY (adjective) us uk /mer.i/
(HAPPY) old-fashioned happy or showing enjoyment: the merry sound of UNEASY (adjective) uk /ni.zi/ us /ni.zi/
laughter / She's a merry little soul. 1. slightly worried or uncomfortable about a particular situation: I feel a little
uneasy about asking her to do me such a big favour.
MOUTHFUL (noun) uk /ma.fl/ us /ma.fl/ 2. used to describe a situation or condition that makes people slightly worried,
(AMOUNT) an amount of food or drink that fills your mouth, or that you put into often because it may not continue successfully: Who can predict how long this
your mouth at one time: He only ate a few mouthfuls of meat. uneasy peace between the two countries will last? / She has a slightly uneasy
relationship with her mother-in-law.
NOSEGAY (noun) /nz.e/ /noz-/
a small bunch of cut flowers WHITHER (adverb) uk /w.r/ us /w./ OLD USE
to where: Whither are they going?
Wh-questions begin with what, when, where, who, whom, which, whose, why and how. Adding emphasis to wh-questions
We use them to ask for information. The answer cannot be yes or no:
We can add emphasis to wh-questions in speaking by stressing the auxiliary verb do.
A: When do you finish college? / B: Next year.
We usually do this when we have not already received the information that we
A: Who is your favourite actor? / B: George Clooney for sure!
expected from an earlier question, or to show strong interest.
When the wh-word is the object of the sentence, the do auxiliary is stressed to make it
Forming wh-questions
more emphatic:
A: How was your weekend in Edinburgh?
With an auxiliary verb
B: I didnt go to Edinburgh.
We usually form wh-questions with wh- + an auxiliary verb (be, do or have) + subject A: Really. Where did you go?
+ main verb or with wh- + a modal verb + subject + main verb: B: We decided to go to Glasgow instead.

Be: When are you leaving? Whos been paying the bills? When the wh-word is the subject of the sentence, we can add the auxiliary do to make
it emphatic. We stress do:
A: Ronald Price lives in that house, doesnt he?
Do: Where do they live? Why didnt you call me? B: No. He moved out.
A: So who does live there? (non-emphatic question: So who lives there?)
B: Actually, his son is living there now.
Have: What has she done now? What have they decided?

Negative wh-questions
Modal: Who would she stay with? Where should I park?
When we ask negative wh-questions, we use the auxiliary verb do when there is no
other auxiliary or modal verb, even when the wh-word is the subject of the clause:
Without an auxiliary verb
Affirmative with no auxiliary Negative with auxiliary do
Warning:
When what, who, which or whose is the subject or part of the subject, we do not use
the auxiliary. We use the word order subject + verb: Who wants an ice cream? Who doesnt want an ice cream?
What fell off the wall? Which horse won?
Who bought this? Whose phone rang?
Which door opened? Which door didnt open?
Compare

Who is the subject of the sentence and Adding a wh-word at the end of a statement to make a
Who owns this bag? this bag is the object. We use no question
auxiliary verb.
Spoken English:
In speaking, we can sometimes turn wh-questions into statement questions:
Who is the object of the sentence and Whats todays date? or Todays date is what?
Who do you love most? you is the subject. We use the auxiliary
verb do. We do this especially when we are checking information that we have already been
given or when we want to quickly check a particular detail. These are less formal than
full wh-questions:
Responding to wh-questions
A: So were all going to be there at eight?
B: Right, Im travelling with Larry.
Wh-questions ask for information and we do not expect a yes-no answer to a wh- A: Youre travelling with who? (more formal: Who are you travelling with?)
question. We expect an answer which gives information: B: With Larry. Were actually going on our bikes.
A: Wheres the coffee machine? (We expect an answer about the location of the A: Is your sister here too or just your mother?
coffee machine.) B: Just my mother.
B: Its in the room next to the reception. A: And shes here until when? (more formal: And when is she here until? or
A: How old is your dog? (We expect an answer about the age of the dog.) even more formal: Until when is she here?)
B: Shes about five. Im not very sure.
Intonation and wh-questions
The intonation of wh-questions is normally falling. The falling intonation is on the
most important syllable:
Where are the keys to the back door?
Why are the lights red?

When we ask wh-questions to check or clarify information that has already been
given, we may use rising or fall-rising intonation:
What did you say the time was? (I know youve told me before but Ive
forgotten.)
Who paid for the meal?

Prepositions and particles with wh-questions

Spoken English:
In informal styles, especially in speaking, the preposition may be separated and
placed at the end of the question clause:
What will I talk to her about?
Who should we send the invitation to? (informal)
Whom should we send the invitation to? (formal)
To whom should we send the invitation? (more formal)
For what reason did she leave him? (formal: preposition + wh-phrase)

When we make questions shorter, we usually put the preposition and its complement
together:
A: Were all meeting up tonight.
B: At what time?
Not: What time at?

When we ask questions using verbs consisting of a main verb + particle, e.g. get up,
set out (phrasal verbs), we do not separate the verb from the particle or preposition:
When did you wake up this morning?
Not: Up when did you wake?