Vocabulary Related to Life Milestones

Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. Life is full of memorable moments – finishing school, starting a job, moving to a new place, or celebrating an anniversary. We refer to these important stages in life as milestones. Vocabulary Related to Life Milestones

Being able to talk about them clearly is useful not only in everyday conversations, but also in English exams like B2 First and C1 Advanced, where personal experiences are common topics.

In this lesson, we will look at collocations, phrasal verbs, and set expressions to help you talk about life milestones with confidence.

Collocations for Life Milestones

Collocation Meaning Example Sentence
Reach adulthood to become an adult (legally or in maturity) In many countries, you reach adulthood at 18.
Graduate from university to complete a degree and receive a diploma She graduated from university with honours.
Start a family to begin having children They decided to start a family after buying their own home.
Tie the knot (informal) to get married They tied the knot last spring in a small ceremony.
Buy your first home to purchase your own property for the first time Buying your first home is a huge achievement.
Land your first job to get your first employment He landed his first job straight after graduating.
Mark an occasion to celebrate or commemorate a special event They marked the occasion with a lovely dinner.
Throw a party to organise a social gathering They threw a party for their parents’ anniversary.
Hit retirement age to reach the official age to stop working She hit retirement age and moved to the countryside.
Celebrate an anniversary to remember a date of a past event They celebrated their 10th anniversary in Paris.

Vocabulary Related to Life Milestones

Phrasal Verbs for Talking About Life Changes

Phrasal Verb  Meaning Example Sentence
Grow up to become older and more mature I grew up in a small seaside town.
Settle down to live a quieter, more stable life After travelling for years, he finally settled down in London.
Look back on to think about the past She looked back on her wedding day with joy.
Move out to leave the home you share with others He moved out of his parents’ house when he was 20.
Move in              to start living in a new home They moved in together after getting engaged.
Look forward to to feel excited about something in the future I’m really looking forward to my graduation.
Pass away to die (polite form) Her grandfather passed away last year.
Carry on to continue After the big move, they carried on with their normal routines.
Take up to start a new hobby or activity She took up gardening after she retired.
Pay off to bring good results after effort Years of study finally paid off when he got his dream job.

Vocabulary Related to Life Milestones

Set Expressions for Life Stages

Expression  Meaning  Example Sentence
The next chapter a new stage in life Graduation marked the start of the next chapter in her life.
A turning point an event that changes life significantly Moving abroad was a turning point in his career.
A big step something important and sometimes difficult to do Starting your own business is a big step.
A new beginning the start of something different and positive The birth of their child was a new beginning for the couple.
Major life event an important happening that changes life Buying a house is a major life event for many people.
Once-in-a-lifetime experience something you will probably only do once Their honeymoon in the Maldives was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Life-changing decision a choice that has a big impact Accepting that job offer was a life-changing decision.
Important stage a significant point in development Learning to drive is an important stage for many teenagers.

Vocabulary Related to Life Milestones

Your Turn

Think about your own life milestones.

  • Which was the happiest?

  • Which was the most challenging?

  • What are you looking forward to in the future?

Try to write a short paragraph using at least 5 expressions from today’s lesson.

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