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Cool & contemporary vocab: holidays

The amount of holiday entitlement varies between countries and even between companies and organisations within the same country. In some places it can be just 2 weeks, while in others much longer. There are also public or national holidays which are normally not included in a person’s annual leave. These often coincide with religious festivals or historic days of importance and also differ greatly between countries.

It is now widely accepted that employees need time off to rest and relax so they can be more productive when they are at work. Some people prefer to do as little as possible when they’re on holiday, while others like to keep busy by doing lots of fun activities.

How do you like to spend yours? Try using some of the following words and expressions next time you’re discussing your holiday plans or sharing a travel anecdote.

holiday image

Vocabulary

 

  • to be on leave / holiday
  • meaning = to have some time away from your place of work

    example = “I’ll be on leave for the last two weeks in August so we could meet up then.”

  • to have/take time off
  • meaning = to have days or weeks away from your place of work, as paid or unpaid holiday

    example = “I’m taking next Friday off as unpaid leave so that I can have a long weekend away.”

  • to get/be in the holiday spirit
  • meaning = to be happy because it is the Christmas holiday

    example = “I only get in the holiday spirit once we put up our Christmas tree.”

  • a city break
  • meaning = a short stay in a major city

    example = “We had a fantastic city break last weekend in Berlin.”

  • budget accommodation
  • meaning = a very cheap hotel or other low-cost accommodation

    example = “When we were students our only option was budget accommodation.”

  • (to travel) on a shoestring (budget)
  • meaning = with very little money / on a very tight budget

    example = “After graduating, I managed to travel around south-east Asia on a shoestring.”

  • to travel light
  • meaning = with very little baggage

    example = “I always travel light. That way I don’t have to check in any bags at the airport.”

  • a package holiday / an all-inclusive
  • meaning = a holiday arranged by a travel company at a fixed price which can include hotel, transport, food & entertainment

    example = “We always went on package holidays when I was a kid. I guess it was a lot easier for my parents.”

  • a last-minute deal
  • meaning = an airfare, hotel booking or package holiday which is booked a few days/hours in advance, usually at a cheaper price

    example = “I saved 50% off my holiday because I got an amazing last minute deal the week before we left.”

  • a staycation (stay + vacation)
  • meaning = a holiday spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.

    example = “With the current exchange rate, we found it cheaper to have a staycation this year.”


Phrasal verbs

 

  • to snap up (a good deal)
  • meaning = to buy a plane ticket, hotel or package deal quickly because it has a very low price

    example = “I snapped up a good deal on a holiday to Turkey and saved lots of money.”

 

  • to set off (on a journey)
  • meaning = to leave

    example = “I set off for the airport early, but there was lots of traffic so i still got delayed.”

 

  • to soak up (the sun)
  • meaning = to sunbathe

    example = “My parents love to sit on the beach and soak up the sun.”

 

  • to rent out
  • meaning = to make your flat/apartment/house available for a holiday rental

    example = “A lot of people rent out apartments or even their spare rooms on Airbnb these days.”

Comments

You can use these expressions to answer the Part 1 questions in this IELTS practice test:

Practice Test 4 - Tourism


If you’d like professional feedback on your interview skills, sign up for our IELTS speaking course and get 3 skype sessions with an iPass tutor.

By Jenny Bedwell on 2016 10 20

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