Independent of

We need a central bank that is independent of the government.

The research center is on Harvard's campus, but is independent of the university.

9. Inspire - to encourage someone by making them feel confident and eager to do something:

We need someone who can inspire the team.

Inspire somebody to do something

He inspired many young people to take up the sport.

Inspire somebody to something

I hope this success will inspire you to greater efforts.

Inspired by the sunny weather, I decided to explore the woods.

10. Modernism - a style of art, building etc that was popular especially from the 1940s to the 1960s, in which artists used simple shapes and modern artificial materials ➔ post-modernism:

the rise of modernism in Paris

Modernism was especially popular from 1940s to the 1960s.

11. Owe - to feel that you should do something for someone or give someone something, because they have done something for you or given something to you:

He asked for help from a colleague who owed him a favour.

owe somebody a drink/letter etc

I owe Shaun a letter; I must write soon.

Thanks a lot for being so understanding about all this - I owe you one (=used to thank someone who has helped you, and to say that you are willing to help them in the future)!

owe somebody (=be in a position in which someone has helped you, so that you should help them)

Let's go and see Joe - he owes me!

You owe him an apology.

- to need to pay someone for something that they have done for you or sold to you, or to need to give someone back money that they have lent you ➔ borrow, lend

owe somebody money/£10 etc

I owe my brother $50.

owe somebody for something

I still owe you for the taxi.

How much do I owe you (=often used to show that you want to pay for something)?

owe something to somebody

the money owed to credit card companies

12. Personal - belonging or relating to one particular person, rather than to other people or to people in general

somebody's (own) personal view/opinion

My personal view is that we shouldn't offer him the job.

personal taste/preference

Style and colour are a matter of personal taste.

Everyone has a personal responsibility to carry out their duties in accordance with these standards.

personal possessions/property/belongings

When I went to her room all her personal belongings had gone.

After Alan's death, his mother received his personal effects (=small possessions, clothing, documents etc).

I know from personal experience that you can't trust Ralph.

The car is for personal use only.

On a personal level he felt sympathy for them, but he had a job to do.

Such behaviour does not contribute to personal survival.

The greatest obstacle to his effectiveness and personal happiness is impatience.

(it's) nothing personal (=used to tell someone that you are not criticizing them)

It's nothing personal, I just have to go home now.

personal friend of

Apparently the director is a personal friend of hers.

13. Project - a carefully planned piece of work to get information about something, to build something, to improve something etc:

The project aims to provide an analysis of children's emotions.

a three-year research project

The scheme will now be extended after a successful pilot project (=a small trial to test if an idea will be successful).

project to do something

a project to develop a substitute for oil

The project is funded by Wellcome plc.

a project manager

We're doing a project on pollution.

14. Theme - the main subject or idea in a piece of writing, speech, film etc:

The book's theme is the conflict between love and duty.

main/central/major etc theme

Franklin D. Roosevelt emphasized the same central theme.

Nature is a recurrent theme (=a theme that appears repeatedly) in Frost's poetry.

on a theme

A lot of art has been produced on the theme of war.

Most of Kurt's other pictures were variations on the same theme.

Students generally choose a series of modules with the same underlying theme (=a subject that forms the basis of something).

15. Timeline - a plan for when things will happen or how long you think something will take:

The timeline for the project is optimistic.

16. Universal - involving everyone in the world or in a particular group:

These stories have universal appeal.

a topic of universal interest

a democracy based on universal suffrage (=when every adult has the right to vote)

Throughout the twentieth century, the United States moved toward the idea of universal access to higher education.

- true or suitable in every situation:

a universal truth

universally adverb:

The theory was universally accepted in the nineteenth century.

17. Village - a very small town in the countryside:

a little fishing village