B1 vocabulary growth is less about new words and more about collocations — which words live together. Technology is where weak collocation shows fastest, because you talk about it daily.
What you can do after this lesson
You can replace vague all-purpose verbs (use, do, make) with the verbs English actually pairs with technology and media.
The lesson
Verbs that collocate with devices and accounts:
- charge / unplug a phone · back up / delete / download files
- set up / log into / deactivate an account · reset a password
- stream music or a match · scroll through a feed · post / share / upload a photo
- browse the internet · search for information (never search informations)
Media nouns worth owning: headline, coverage, source, breaking news, clickbait, notification, subscription, data (uncountable!).
Talking about problems: the connection drops out; the app crashes; the screen freezes; you run out of data; a site is down.
Learn these in chunks, not single words — say "my data ran out" twenty times and it becomes automatic.
Examples
- Weak: I used my phone to see the news. → Strong: I scrolled through the headlines on my phone.
- Weak: The internet was bad. → Strong: The connection kept dropping out, so the video froze.
- Weak: I made an account. → Strong: I set up an account and reset the password.
Common mistakes
- ✗ informations, datas → ✓ information, data (uncountable).
- ✗ open/close the phone → ✓ turn on / turn off (or unlock/lock for the screen).
- ✗ I entered to the website. → ✓ I went on / visited the website; for accounts, I logged into the site.
Self-check — what can I do now?
Say your answers aloud in full sentences:
- What do you do when an app stops responding? (Force-close it / restart the phone — did you say "it crashed" or "it froze"?)
- Describe your morning phone routine using at least four collocations from this lesson.
- What is the difference between posting and sharing?
If your sentences used precise verbs without pausing, this set is in your active vocabulary.