Core words by topic

Community and people
neighbor, citizen, resident, visitor, volunteer, leader, youth, elderly, family, household, population, diversity, equality, safety

Culture and media
tradition, festival, custom, museum, library, art, music, film, social media, news, headline, reporter, public opinion

Public services
school, university, hospital, clinic, police, fire service, post office, city council, transport, road, park, waste collection

Law and order
rule, law, crime, theft, fine, punishment, court, judge, police officer, emergency, report, protect

Environment and city life
pollution, traffic, noise, air quality, green space, recycling, clean water, housing, rent, cost of living

Economy and work
job, wage, salary, price, market, business, company, tax, public money, budget, growth

Participation
vote, election, rights, responsibility, campaign, petition, meeting, survey, feedback

High value collocations

• diverse community, safe neighborhood, public space
• cultural festival, local tradition, public library
• public transport, traffic jam, road safety
• law and order, report a crime, pay a fine
• recycling program, clean energy, climate action
• job market, living wage, cost of living
• vote in an election, join a campaign, give feedback

Model lines

• Our city runs a recycling program and builds more green spaces.
• Many residents use public transport to avoid traffic jams.

Phrasal verbs for society

• take part in = join. Many students take part in the festival.
• speak up = express an opinion. Please speak up at the meeting.
• look after = care for. Neighbors look after the elderly.
• cut down on = reduce. We cut down on plastic bags.
• set up = start. Volunteers set up a food drive.
• deal with = manage. The council will deal with the noise problem.
• put up with = tolerate. People should not put up with crime.

Useful sentence frames

Stating a fact

• Our neighborhood has few parks but many schools.

Giving an opinion

• In my opinion, the city should invest in public transport.

Making a suggestion

• The council could set up a new recycling center.

Describing a problem and solution

• The area has heavy traffic at rush hour. A new bus lane would help.

Asking for information

• Could you tell me where to submit this form

Common mistakes and fixes

• ❌ People is facing many problems.
  ✅ People are facing many problems. People takes a plural verb.
• ❌ The government should make free education for all.
  ✅ The government should provide free education for all.
• ❌ There have a lot of crimes in my area.
  ✅ There are a lot of crimes in my area.
• ❌ He did a campaign about reading.
  ✅ He ran a campaign about reading.
• ❌ We must follow to the rules.
  ✅ We must follow the rules.

Small grammar notes

• Uncountable in society: information, advice, traffic, pollution, equipment, research. Use some or a lot of.
• Prepositions: invest in transport, pay for services, responsible for safety, comply with rules, access to education.
• Quantifiers: many crimes but much crime in formal style, many jobs, much traffic.
• Articles: the police, the government, the public. Use the when the group is specific.

Mini dialogues

A. At the council desk

• Resident: I want to report a broken street light.
• Clerk: Thank you. Please fill out this form. We will fix it within two days.

B. Community meeting

• Leader: What is the main issue in your area
• Resident: Noise at night.
• Leader: We will increase patrols and share a hotline number.

C. Health campaign

• Nurse: Please drink clean water and wash hands often.
• Parent: Could you share a leaflet in our language

Quick practice with answers

A. Choose the best option

1. Many residents (take part in or take off) the street clean up.
2. The council will (set up or set out) more recycle bins.
3. People should (speak up or look up) when they see a problem.
4. We want to (cut down on or cut off) plastic use.
5. The city should (deal with or deal out) traffic noise.

Answers

1. take part in
2. set up
3. speak up
4. cut down on
5. deal with

B. Complete the collocation
6) public ______ → transport or library
7) living ______ → wage
8) climate ______ → action
9) cost of ______ → living
10) report a ______ → crime or problem

C. Fix the sentence
11) The government provide free vaccine for citizens.
12) There is many traffic in the city center.
13) She suggested to join the survey.

Suggested answers
11) The government provides free vaccine for citizens.
12) There is much traffic in the city center.
13) She suggested joining the survey.

Writing frames you can reuse

Email to city council
Subject: Request for a pedestrian crossing
Dear Council,
Many students cross the road near Green School. I request a marked crossing and a lower speed limit. This change would improve safety for children and parents. Please let me know the process and timeline.
Kind regards,
Name

Short opinion paragraph
Public transport should be cheaper because it reduces traffic and pollution. If more people use buses and trains, the city will be quieter and safer. The council can add bus lanes and run services more often during rush hour.

Ten minute drills

• Make ten collocations with community, transport, or safety.
• Write five sentences that use take part in, speak up, set up, deal with, cut down on.
• Record a sixty second summary of a local problem and one solution.
• Create eight flashcards: term on the front, definition and example on the back.

Seven day review plan

• Day 1 community and culture words
• Day 2 public services and law words
• Day 3 environment and city life
• Day 4 economy and participation
• Day 5 phrasal verbs and sentence frames
• Day 6 error correction and pronunciation
• Day 7 write a 120 word community report using 12 target items