improve

verb

ADVERB

▪ considerably, dramatically, drastically, greatly, immeasurably, immensely, materially, radically, really, remarkably, significantly, substantially, tremendously, vastly

▪

The situation has improved dramatically during the last few months.

▪

This legislation will vastly improve the quality of life of New Zealanders.

▪ markedly, noticeably

▪

My ability to read French has improved markedly.

▪ measurably

▪ certainly, definitely

▪ potentially

▪ marginally, modestly, slightly, somewhat

▪ ultimately

▪ quickly, rapidly

▪ gradually, slowly, steadily

▪ consistently, constantly, continually, continuously

▪ generally

▪

Working and living conditions have generally improved.

VERB + IMPROVE

▪ continue to

▪

The weather should continue to improve over the weekend.

▪ strive to, try to

▪

They are trying to improve the working conditionsin their factories.

▪ help to

▪ be designed to

PHRASES

▪ aimed at improving sth

▪

measures aimed at improving government efficiency

▪ an attempt to improve sth, an effort to improve sth

▪ an incentive to improve sth

▪

Workers need to be given an incentive to improve their performance.

▪ much improved

▪

We now offer a much improved service to our customers.

▪ new and improved

▪

the new and improved version of the website

Improve is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑circumstance, ↑condition, ↑economy, ↑fortune, ↑health, ↑hearing, ↑mood, ↑morale, ↑patient, ↑productivity, ↑prospect, ↑quality, ↑rating, ↑ratio, ↑relation, ↑reliability, ↑sale, ↑service, ↑situation, ↑symptom, ↑temper, ↑thing, ↑weather

Improve is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ability, ↑accountability, ↑accuracy, ↑amenity, ↑appearance, ↑atmosphere, ↑attendance, ↑balance, ↑balance sheet, ↑base, ↑capability, ↑chance, ↑circulation, ↑clarity, ↑climate, ↑command, ↑communication, ↑condition, ↑confidence, ↑consistency, ↑control, ↑cooperation, ↑coordination, ↑defence, ↑delivery, ↑design, ↑detection, ↑digestion, ↑economy, ↑education, ↑effectiveness, ↑efficiency, ↑endurance, ↑environment, ↑facility, ↑finance, ↑fitness, ↑flavour, ↑flexibility, ↑flow, ↑footwork, ↑fortune, ↑fundamentals, ↑game, ↑grade, ↑handling, ↑health, health service, ↑image, ↑knowledge, ↑level, ↑liaison, ↑likelihood, ↑literacy, ↑management, ↑manuscript, ↑margin, ↑marketing, ↑method, ↑mood, ↑morale, ↑motivation, ↑neighbourhood, ↑nutrition, ↑odds, ↑outlook, ↑penetration, ↑per cent, ↑perception, ↑performance, ↑point, ↑posture, ↑practice, ↑precision, ↑production, ↑productivity, ↑profile, ↑profitability, ↑prospect, ↑quality, ↑rate, ↑rating, ↑ratio, ↑record, ↑recovery, ↑relation, ↑relationship, ↑reliability, ↑reputation, ↑return, ↑safety, ↑score, ↑security, ↑service, ↑situation, ↑skill, ↑soil, ↑spelling, ↑squad, ↑stability, ↑stamina, ↑standard, ↑standing, ↑status, ↑strength, ↑supervision, ↑survival, ↑symptom, ↑system, ↑taste, ↑technique, ↑technology, ↑temper, ↑tolerance, ↑understanding, ↑utility, ↑ventilation, ↑viability, ↑visibility, ↑vision, ↑welfare, ↑well-being, ↑writing