I. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
an impossible job/task
▪
He faced the impossible task of paying back huge debts.
an urgent task/job
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I’ve got some urgent tasks to finish before I leave tonight.
arduous task/work
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the arduous task of loading all the boxes into the van
assign sb a task/role
▪
I’ve been assigned the task of looking after the new students.
carry out a task/job
▪
He was unable to carry out simple tasks.
carry out a task/job
▪
He was unable to carry out simple tasks.
daunting task
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He’s got the daunting task of following in Ferguson’s footsteps.
do a job/task
▪
On Saturdays I usually do a few jobs around the house.
domestic tasks (= small jobs at home such as cleaning and washing )
▪
How many hours do you spend on domestic tasks each week?
face the task of doing sth
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He faced the task of preparing a three-course meal for 50 people.
formidable task/challenge
▪
the formidable task of local government reorganization
hopeless task
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Getting your work published often seems a hopeless task .
keep your mind on the job/task in/at hand
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Making notes is the best way of keeping your mind on the task at hand.
laborious process/task/business etc
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Collecting the raw materials proved a long and laborious task.
▪
the laborious business of drying the crops
onerous task
▪
an onerous task
perform a task/job/duty etc
▪
What skills do you need to perform this task?
repetitive work/tasks/jobs
▪
repetitive tasks like washing and ironing
straightforward matter/task/process etc
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For someone who can’t read, shopping is by no means a straightforward matter.
task force
▪
a task force on health care reform
thankless task/job/chore etc
▪
Cooking every day is a thankless task.
undertake a task/project
▪
Every task he undertook was tackled with great determination.
unenviable task/job etc (of doing sth)
▪
the unenviable task of informing the victim’s relations
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
arduous
▪
The arduous task of legging through a long tunnel like that under Castle Hill at Dudley could take over 3 hours.
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They've already begun the arduous task of carrying their plants half a mile across town to their new home.
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You have a self-disciplined and energetic approach to life now that should help you get even the most arduous and onerous tasks done.
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We asked her why she has given herself such an arduous task .
complex
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This is a complex task in the midst of implementing other aspects of the national curriculum.
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Mixing development and washes is a complex task .&038;.
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These systems are going to become more and more simple, to accomplish more and more complex tasks .
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With their hierarchical authority and functional specialization, they made possible the efficient undertaking of large, complex tasks .
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It is nowhere near as good as OS/2 at managing complex tasks , like getting computers to co-operate across a network.
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While performing more complex tasks , however, they make fewer mistakes and are less likely to dose off.
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Given the nature of the building, the provision of ducts is a very complex task .
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They discovered just how complex an analytic task they faced when they began to recognize how diverse their subordinates were.
difficult
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This proved a difficult task as the story was completely false.
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In some ways the managers were faced with an especially difficult supervisory task .
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Interpreting the new rules could prove a very difficult task in a political culture where the limits of secrecy are never defined.
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In tackling this difficult task , some governments have been trapped in their own demagogic schemes.
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Managing paperwork One of the most difficult tasks is to manage paperwork.
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In theory it ought not to be too difficult a task .
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It is a difficult task that may be impossible.
domestic
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However as she grows older, and perhaps re-enters the labour market, domestic tasks are shared more equitably.
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When that was too much like work there were all the domestic tasks to catch up on.
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Even this minor domestic task was apparently beyond his powers.
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It is not uncommon to hear of old women who are cross when asked to perform domestic tasks in residential care!
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Some residents enjoy being useful and helping out with domestic tasks , and a good Home encourages this.
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Similarly, the husband is playing a greater part in domestic tasks associated with the house and children.
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Freeing teachers from time consuming domestic tasks such as tidying, cleaning and repairing equipment?
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The effect of women's work on the distribution of domestic tasks within households will be a further important focus on research.
formidable
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A distillation of the riches of the existing law would be a most formidable task .
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The new managers obviously had their work cut out for them: learning how to be a manager was a formidable task .
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As with care within the household, the provision of care from outside can be a formidable task .
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How to tantalize our lower-middle-class students was a formidable task .
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Making money and turning out literate graduates are themselves formidable tasks , made none the easier when burdened with idealistic moral baggage.
important
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The Division has a particularly important task in promoting training courses for industry and commerce.
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Audio focuses the senses on sound and voice intonation, important for subtle tasks like detecting lying.
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It is important that the tasks agreed upon are absolutely clear.
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An important task , in the realm's defence.
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The guardian is given the important task of assessing whether this degree of understanding has been achieved.
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Don't go when there are important tasks which only you can do.
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Proper financial reward should go to those who undertake this important task .
impossible
▪
But was that really her fault - or was I presenting her with an impossible task ?
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The market permits people to make decisions and to act without going through the impossible task of collecting all the relevant information.
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However, the new minister on arrival soon found that he was faced with a seemingly impossible task .
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An impossible task , the priests told him.
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But that, as they suggest, is a well-nigh impossible task at this distance in time.
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Under the block-grant funding system, this was an almost impossible task .
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It is of course an impossible task to examine the record of Marxism in such a short space as I have available.
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Dropping a combined 76 tons in a city the size of Philadelphia is hardly an impossible task .
main
▪
These objectives and a brief summary of the main tasks are given below.
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Having said that, the main task up to 200 remains a gathering task.
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His main task was tastefully to accommodate as many wedding presents into their new homes as was practicable.
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Make a list of main tasks .
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It is the main task of the trade union movement to create this unity.
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Still much to do, but main task done.
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He highlighted the reduction of inflation and the stimulation of economic growth as its two main tasks .
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Yet its main task was to comprehend and destroy daemons.
routine
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Automatic equipment meant that many of the relatively routine tasks could be done more quickly and more accurately.
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When the first tourists of the morning arrive, he joins other workers below for the routine tasks of the day.
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I have little patience with routine tasks such as washing up, filling in forms, etc. 2.
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At the same time, routine legal tasks have become increasingly computerized, allowing companies to substitute paralegals for actual lawyers.
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A good forward planner, he delegates detailed and routine tasks .
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He had to devote all his attention to the routine task of driving, finally pulling over to recover.
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Driving instructors say most of the time they spend in cars with students is occupied by routine tasks .
simple
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You find yourself doing the strangest things that can only be because you are no longer capable of doing the simplest tasks .
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There is good evidence for that as part of a simple learning task in sea slugs.
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They may become apathetic, unable to do even the simplest task .
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Where keeping house and cooking were not female chores but simple tasks of pleasure and survival.
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In his opinion, while the Smalltalk syntax is very simple , its simplicity obscures simple programming tasks .
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It was no simple task to complete; one workman, thrown into the raging rapids below almost lost his life.
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Voeller could not believe his luck and had the simple task of tapping the ball into an empty goal.
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Moving a carrier from one coast to another is no simple task , Roulstone said.
specific
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Having given Tam and Richie some very specific tasks I went off the following morning in search of a joiner.
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A typical pin might be the result of many individual workers, each with a specific task to do.
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The specific tasks allotted to each chapter, and the material included, also lead to different approaches.
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One is identification of the specific tasks confronting each of the four learners.
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This chapter reviews the considerations that must be taken into account when selecting a parser for a specific task .
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The two team leaders will decide on how the specific tasks will be divided between the two subgroups.
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A great deal of time was spent haggling over prices for specific tasks .
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Homework tasks may centre around the client achieving specific behavioural tasks.
unenviable
▪
The Prague impresario Guardasoni was given the unenviable task of getting one together.
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And we have a new secretary, Kirsty Rawlings, who has the unenviable task of organising me!
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The doctor and Chief Superintendent Coffin stood aside as the photographer moved in to start his unenviable task of recording the remains.
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Policing this activity to ensure submission of the reports is an unenviable and thankless task .
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Richard of Gloucester has a difficult task - an unenviable task, some might say.
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This man has the unenviable task of telling hungry women and children queueing for food that they're waiting in vain.
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The residential staff are presented with an unenviable task .
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They already have the unenviable task of supervising some of the most dangerous prisoners in the country.
■ VERB
accomplish
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In particular, they provide means for accomplishing certain tasks .
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There is no reason why a robot equipped with multiple cameras and manipulators could not accomplish the tasks Alvin can do.
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You have what you need to accomplish your given task .
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The Army attempted to accomplish contradictory tasks with camps and perimeters of all sizes.
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The promise is that evaluation, particularly self-evaluation, can accomplish these tasks .
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Rather, the two skiing miles have been accomplished , a task done.
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Your Manager will probably also want to comment on how you prepare for, accomplish and present completed tasks .
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You can create similar macros to accomplish any task performed by a sequence of keystrokes.
assign
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Each member was assigned a task which would draw on their skills.
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Restoring faith in government requires assigning tasks to the right village.
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The computer is not used as a genius assigned moronic tasks of accumulating data for the sheer electronic thrill of it.
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In the next we assign each task a number.
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Other men assigned the task suffered similar fates.
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Some are assigned different tasks , partly to prevent the work from becoming monotonous.
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So, why not have the princess assign Simpleton his tasks ?
complete
▪
As Chapter 4 showed, the need to complete a task within a set period may produce a negative attitude towards it.
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After completing the first task , the roles will switch and the group will work with Card 2 and then Card 3.
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When he refused he was sent home, with lavish presents, to complete his task .
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Again and again, Ishmael is faced with the impossibility of successfully completing his task .
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Hdtest takes a long time to complete its task .
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If you congratulate a subordinate for completing a task on schedule, you may generate a feeling of pride and accomplishment.
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There are over 7,200 drawings extant and it has taken Claudie Judrin ten years to complete the task .
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Now, the United States has a chance to complete its task .
face
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Analysts said Mr Muawad faced the task of uniting militia leaders who have been fighting each other for 14 years.
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On Worldwide Plaza the team faced design tasks beyond the construction of the building.
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It sees government as faced with the same task of managing and controlling spending as any large business.
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Meanwhile, Giap faced the task of forming guerrilla bands, which would ultimately become the core of an army.
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They are therefore faced with the task of overcoming it.
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This time, Republicans may face a tougher task in the House than in the Senate because of substantial turnover.
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Meditation for those facing odious tasks Dear Lord, History in the making is often clear only in retrospect.
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Hunting still faces an uphill task but, backed by a yield of 7.6 p.c., the shares are worth staying with.
perform
▪
Of course people are paid to perform a particular task .
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One involves focus groups, where a representative customer is selected and asked to perform a task by following the enclosed directions.
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It is not uncommon to hear of old women who are cross when asked to perform domestic tasks in residential care!
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In other States, specially trained counselors perform this task .
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Strangely enough, people were able to perform this bizarre task without difficulty.
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Broadly speaking, as in a State today, performing all the tasks of administration and justice.
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They assumed the state would know how to perform this task .
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However, Sean performed poorly on tasks that required him to use a pencil or pen to perform copying assignments.
set
▪
With this setting , Jeremiah's task would prove difficult, dangerous and often an unrewarding one.
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So the league set up a second task force, to examine the quality issue.
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Warnie was a natural historian, and he set himself the task of putting all these documents into chronological order.
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Using the pen he had bought from the deaf mute, he set about his task with diligence.
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The Government has set up a task force to survey mental health services over the next two years.
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We first see him as a gentle jolly fellow set against the perilous task of killing whales from a small oar-manned boat.
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They set themselves the task of creating a full-scale replica of it using the original Roman techniques.
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They set themselves the difficult task of disentangling this cosmic dust from the earthly sort.
undertake
▪
As I walked around that charming town, I undertook the task of solving the puzzle she had set for me.
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All I could say was, with what special materials does he propose to undertake this great task ?
▪
I do not mean to suggest that Tillyard or Olivier simply undertook their tasks as part of some officially orchestrated propaganda.
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Alternatively, they may employ an independent third party, such as a relocation company, to undertake this task .
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If the subordinate has to be so elaborately controlled the supervisor might just as well undertake the task .
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As a consequence of the suggestion Laureen Williamson was approached and readily agreed to undertake the daunting task .
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Proper financial reward should go to those who undertake this important task .
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Members of these units are legal combatants and undertake legitimate military tasks .
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
an uphill struggle/battle/task etc
▪
However, each parlor faces an uphill battle because the city hired a financial consulting firm to review the applications.
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It proved to be an uphill struggle, and was far from successful.
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Kopp said he faced an uphill battle in winning approval for the bill.
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Rehabilitation will be an uphill struggle.
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Smith said gay-rights advocates still believe they are fighting an uphill battle in opposing the bill.
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Unless you have a goal your learning will be an uphill struggle.
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Voice over Police are hoping to trace original owners but admit it's an uphill task.
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While critics of his decision gained momentum Thursday, the record shows they face an uphill battle.
be unequal to the task/job etc
▪
The country is in such disorder that a successor may be unequal to the task of putting it right.
have no stomach for a fight/task etc
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They proved to have no stomach for a fight with only Steve Regeling showing any semblance of spirit.
no mean feat/achievement/task etc
▪
But that was no mean achievement.
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For an immigrant boy this marital alliance was no mean achievement.
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Given that there are some 20,000 such fastenings in a boat of this size, this is no mean feat.
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In particular the notion that nurse training is for the young and for women only must be dispelled; no mean task.
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In this case it was no mean task.
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On Tuesday Invergordon Distillers reported a marginal improvement in underlying profits, no mean feat given the difficulties facing the whisky sector.
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This is no mean feat as the statute has 108 sections divided into 12 separate parts, together with 15 schedules.
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This is no mean task, especially if they have not been doing any recruitment for the past few months.
no small degree/achievement/task etc
▪
A large body of theory and no small degree of controversy exist relative to the treatment of uncertainty.
▪
The idea suggests alignment of individual goals and group purposes, no small achievement.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
By 2001, we had begun the task of collecting the materials and information needed for the study.
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Many older people need help with daily tasks like dressing and eating.
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Most of the workers did not have the skills required to perform the most basic tasks.
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One of the first tasks Eva set herself was learning the local language.
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Our main task is to improve the economy.
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Recovery crews continued the grim task of retrieving bodies from the wreckage.
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The massacre was never fully investigated because the police were incapable of carrying out the task .
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The UN Peacekeeping Force faces an almost impossible task .
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This is one of the most difficult and complex tasks we face.
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We knew what had to be done, but it wasn't an easy task .
▪
Who on earth would volunteer for such a thankless task ?
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
A skill description relates to how a task is performed and what is achieved rather than what actions are taken.
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Each task should be identified and its position in the overall project established.
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Few people are more suited to the task .
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The Division has a particularly important task in promoting training courses for industry and commerce.
▪
This question helps us identify the ideal person for the task from an attitudinal perspective.
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Tony Gauci explained that the overhaul of engines of this age was a very specialised task .
II. verb
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
Ad hoc task forces will be put together to solve tough problems.
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But to take us to task generally makes no sense.
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However, his flip dismissal of a child is far more damaging and something he should be taken to task over.
▪
Meanwhile, the Derechos Humanos Coalition is taking the police to task for the Gallegos shooting.
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Recognizing and controlling the feelings that produce the negative behavior is a long, hard task .
▪
The executives who participated in the Iberian Motors task forces, for example, may or may not have soured on change.
▪
Why, then, should lawyers be called to task for protecting the rights of the accused under the Constitution?