I.
noun
1 special interest/attention
ADJECTIVE
▪ central , main , major , primary , prime , principal , real
▪ important , special
▪ particular , specific
▪ greater , increased
▪ new , renewed
▪ clear , intense , sharp , strong
▪
The restructuring is designed to give a sharper ~ on key markets.
▪ narrow , tight
▪
I found the ~ of the debate too narrow.
▪ broad
▪ exclusive , single , sole
▪ single-minded
▪ media
▪
The media ~ has now shifted onto something else.
▪ mental
VERB + FOCUS
▪ act as , become , remain , serve as
▪
Cities have always acted as the principal ~ of political life.
▪ give sb/sth , provide (sb/sth with)
▪ have
▪
The problem with your plan is that it doesn't have a clear ~.
▪ keep , maintain
▪ change , move , shift , switch
▪
The legal team tried to shift the ~ onto the victim.
▪ narrow , sharpen
▪ broaden , expand
▪ lose
▪ lack
▪ bring sth into
▪
This case has brought the problem of drug abuse in schools into sharp ~.
▪ come into
▪
The question of compensation comes into ~.
▪ direct , place , put , turn
▪
I've directed my ~ towards/toward developing my skills.
FOCUS + VERB
▪ be on sb/sth , remain on sb/sth
▪
Our primary ~ this term will be on group work.
▪ shift , turn to sth
▪
The ~ has now shifted towards/toward the problem of long-term unemployment.
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ for
▪
She became a ~ for all his anger.
▪ ~ of
▪
the ~ of my research
▪ ~ on
▪
an increased ~ on younger people
PHRASES
▪ a change of ~ , a shift of ~
▪ the ~ of attention
▪
He found he was now their main ~ of attention.
2 point/distance at which sth is clearly seen
ADJECTIVE
▪ sharp
▪ soft
▪
soft-focus shots of baby animals
VERB + FOCUS
▪ come into
▪
When I got glasses suddenly the whole world came into ~.
PREPOSITION
▪ in ~
▪
The binoculars were not in ~.
▪ out of ~
▪
The children's faces are out of ~ in the photograph.
II.
verb
1 give attention to sth
ADVERB
▪ especially , heavily , largely , mainly , mostly , particularly , primarily , principally
▪ completely , entirely , exclusively , only , solely , totally
▪
The study ~es exclusively on schools.
▪ increasingly
▪ fully
▪ firmly
▪
The attention of the news media was firmly ~ed on the elections.
▪ specifically
▪ clearly
▪ directly
▪ closely , intensely , sharply
▪ narrowly
▪ initially
VERB + FOCUS
▪ need to
▪ try to
▪ decide to
▪ tend to
▪ help (to)
▪
Think of some questions that will help ~ the discussion.
PREPOSITION
▪ on , upon
▪
We need to ~ upon the main issues.
PHRASES
▪ highly ~ed , tightly ~ed
▪
The department undertakes highly ~ed research.
▪ narrowly ~ed
▪
The study was criticized for being too narrowly ~ed.
2 adjust your eyes
ADVERB
▪ hard , intently
▪ automatically
VERB + FOCUS
▪ try to
▪
She blinked and tried to ~.
PREPOSITION
▪ on , upon
▪
The eye will automatically ~ on the small group in the foreground.
Focus is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ attention
Focus is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ attention , ↑ beam , ↑ binoculars , ↑ camera , ↑ effort , ↑ energy , ↑ eye , ↑ gaze , ↑ mind , ↑ spotlight , ↑ strategy