Subject

talk about subject

Can we talk about a different subject please? I really don’t like talking about other people behind their backs.

drop subject

When I asked him about his job, he just dropped the subject like a hot potato!

get onto subject

How did we get onto the subject of your mother? I thought we were discussing holidays.

deal with subject

His poems often deal with the subject of death.

change subject

I asked Richard about the money he owed me, but he just changed the subject and started talking about his health problems.

come up subject

We didn’t intend talking about his divorce. The subject just came up in conversation.

taboo subject

Death is a taboo subject in many western societies. People tend not to talk openly about it.

cheerful subject

Can we talk about a more cheerful subject? Funerals aren’t a very happy thing to talk about.

pet subject

Once he gets onto his pet subject of football hooligans, there’s no stopping him. So don’t encourage him or he’ll talk for hours.

touchy subject

I can’t understand why the break-up of her marriage is still such a touchy subject. Surely she can talk about it now without getting upset.

chosen subject

In the examination, each candidate has to talk for two minutes on their chosen subject.

complex subject

Whether scientists should be free to experiment on human embryos is very complex subject.

compulsory subject

Everybody has to take English. It’s a compulsory subject in our school system.

favorite subject

Chemistry and biology are my favorite subjects.

core subject

You have to take six core subjects and two optional ones.

nothing on the subject

I have nothing further to say on the subject of your wedding. As far as I’m concerned, the matter is closed.

briefly on the subject

We only touched briefly on the subject of salaries during the meeting.

views on the subject

The Pope’s views on the subject are well known.

authority on the subject

She’s the leading authority on the subject of South American butterflies. She knows pretty well everything there is to know on the subject.

information on the subject

I’ve read every scrap of information I can find on the subject.

holidays on the subject

Oh, on the subject of holidays, have you thought where we could be going this summer?

be the subject of debate

The Minister’s controversial views on immigration have been the subject of much debate in the media.

be the subject of discrimination

We encourage any employee who has been the subject of discrimination to report it immediately.

be the subject of speculation

Her private life is the subject of much speculation is the press at the moment.

be the subject of concern

The huge number of heavy vehicles passing through the village has been a subject of concern this year.

 

Notes

• Note these verbs used to introduce a subject:

By tacit agreement, the subject was never mentioned.

At some point we’ve got to discuss money but I don’t know quite how to broach the subject with him.

Don’t blame me. It was you who brought up the subject, not me.

I’m glad you raised the subject of safety. I think it is very important.

• If you ‘know your subject’, you are an expert on it.