Rule

enforce rules

There is no point in having rules unless they are enforced.

stipulate rules

In the UK school rules often stipulate that no pupil is allowed out of school during school hours.

come into effect rules

The new rules for handling meat products come into effect from Monday next week.

change rules

The proposal to change the rules was narrowly defeated by 403 votes to 410. Things will remain as they were.

set of rules

When our daughter started at her new school, she had to learn a whole new set of rules.

violation of rules

The investigation showed that the pilot of the crashed plane had bot broken any rules or regulations. In particular, there had been no violation of air safety rules.

exceptions of rules

There are always exceptions to grammar rules, but maybe that means there’s something wrong with the rules!

adherence of rules

The new manager’s strict adherence to the rules made him unpopular. Sometimes you have to bend the rules a little!

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There are stiff fines for breaking the rules.

If competitors do not follow the rules, their team will lose points.

Safety rules are routinely flouted on the building site. It’s dangerous to disregard them.

I’m sorry, madam, but we have to go by the rules. I can’t change them just for you.

Staff must abide by the new rules. Those who refuse to comply with them will be dismissed.

Do we have to stick rigidly to the rules? Can’t you bend them just a little?

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ground rules

Before we can even begin to settle this dispute, we need to agree the ground rules first. Without these basic rules in place, we’ll get nowhere!

present rules

Under the present rules, you can bring 1,000 cigarettes into the country. A few years ago you were only allowed 200.

bard and fast rules

There are rules which are not official, but which people accept and obey. For example, you can wear what you like to my work. There’s no bard and fast rule that says you can’t wear jeans. It’s just that most people don’t.

strict rules

Orthodox Jews will only eat kosher food which has been prepared according to very strict rules.

petty rules

The students complain that they are subjected to too many petty rules. For example, many think that having to walk u steps one at a time is mad!

first rules

The first rule of good management is – learn to delegate!

 

Notes

• Note the expression ‘as a rule’:

We don’t travel business class – as a rule – but it depends on the length of the flight.

• Workers who ‘work to rule’ do what they must do, but nothing extra. For example:

The work-to-rule by postal workers has meant that some delivers are not taking place as part of their action.

It means there is an overtime ban.

• If you ‘bend’ or ‘stretch’ the rules, you do something that is not normally allowed:

 I might be able to bend the rules just this one time and because it’s you. I wouldn’t do it for anyone else, you know!