English in a Minute Series 4

Intermediate level

Verbs to use with 'strategy'

Episode 250610 / 10 Jun 2025

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Introduction

A strategy is a plan of action which you can use to achieve goals that take a longer period of time to complete. There are words that often go together – these are called collocations. Listen to Beth to learn some of the verbs that we often use with the noun 'strategy'.

Common collocations with 'strategy'

have a strategy
If you have strategy, you know what your long-term plan is.

  • I have a strategy for improving my English.

map out a strategy
If you map out a strategy, you make a more detailed, long-term plan to see all the tasks you need to complete to achieve your goal.

  • I have mapped out my strategy and my first step is to join an English conversation class.

set out a strategy
If you set out a strategy, you make a formal proposal or presentation of the plan to other people.   

  • My teacher set out her strategy to help the class learn common English phrases.

revise a strategy
If you revise a strategy, you look at your plan again and make changes where you need to.

  • When the teacher realised her students were already quite advanced, she revised her strategy to include more complex English topics.

a strategy consists of
A strategy consists of all the smaller tasks that must be completed to achive the overall goal.

  • Now our class strategy consists of learning phrasal verbs, completing listening exercises and practising our conversation skills with classmates.

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TRANSCRIPT

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Beth
Do you have a strategy for improving your English?
 
You can have a strategy, but first you need to map out a strategy. This means make a plan for what the strategy looks like.
 
I learn visually, so I'm going to map out this strategy using notes on small pieces of coloured paper.
 
If you set out a strategy, you suggest or propose it to others. This is quite formal.
 
I'll set out the strategy in the meeting, and then we can make a plan to implement it.
 
If you revise a strategy, you go over it again and make changes.
 
Let's revise this strategy. There's no way we'll meet the deadline otherwise.
 
A strategy can consist of many things. These are the parts that make the strategy complete.
 
My strategy for learning a language consists of practising speaking, and studying grammar and vocabulary with podcasts.

Latest English in a Minute Series 4