List of the top English common nouns (b)

baby

The baby was born at 03:30 in the city hospital.

This baby submarine can carry two people to depths of 500 metres.

back

He injured his back in a sports accident.

The two students sat at the back of the class hoping that the teacher would ignore them.

bank

She went to the bank to deposit some cheques and withdraw some cash.

bar

He said that Vancouver is the best city bar none. (

basis

On the basis of 5 litres per person, he calculated the group would need 50 litres of water per day.

bed

They stayed in bed and breakfast accommodation because it was comfortable and cheap.

The hotel offered us a room with a double bed or two single beds.

behaviour

The hooligans behaviour was totally unacceptable.

Psychologists study human behaviour and make associations between stimuli and responses.

benefit

I cannot see any benefit in allowing this dangerous activity to take place.

bill

He stayed so long in the hotel that his bill amounted to over 500 dollars.

bird

The bird swooped from high in the sky and plucked a fish from the lake.

bit

That ancient college has a royal charter and coat of arms - a bit like a logo, really!

blood

The blood sample was taken to the laboratory for analysis.

They gave their blood fighting fot the independence of their country.

board

The board of directors ordered all employees to be more efficient and give better service to customers.

body

Her body is healthy but her brain is damaged.

Human communication is affected by body language and tone of voice as well as the actual words spoken.

book

I read the book from cover to cover.

The film is not a patch on the book (colloquial; not as good as).

box

I asked at the theatre box office but they said that no seats were available.

He put the present into a large box and wrapped it carefully before posting.

boy

The boy and his sister played together in the garden.

The boy stood on the burning deck, complaining of the heat. So he stood on his hands and tried to cool his feet.

They have two children - a boy and a girl.

brother

He gave his brother and two sisters presents when he returned from vacation.

budget

Our budget is too small to allow luxury expenditure.

We need to budget for further expansion and increased advetising expenditure.

building

business

The abolition of restrictions encourages business expansion.

What business is it of yours?

There was a conflict of interest between his business investments and his job as minister.

Money laundering is used to transfer money from drugs, smuggling and other crimes into legitmate business accounts.

She has a good reputation as a business leader.

His business affairs are kept separate from his political position.

The business students argued about the difference in meaning between

Her university degree is in Business Administration.