“This might sound sexist, but I do believe a woman should stay home and take care of the children.”

You're in a discussion with some friends about women who are focused on their careers. You hold pretty traditional ideas about women working. You want to state your opinion, but you know that some of the people listening won't agree with it. You say:

This might sound sexist, but I do believe a woman should stay home and take care of the children.

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“I hear you're considering going into medicine.”

You're a doctor. Your friend tells you that her daughter, who's a high school student, has started to say that she might want to be a doctor when she grows up. When you see your friend's daughter, you say:

I hear you're considering going into medicine.

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“Most importantly, you've got to be passionate about it.”

You're a successful doctor. You're giving advice to a high school student who thinks she might want to become a doctor. You're telling her what qualities are important for becoming a doctor. The first thing you say is:

Most importantly, you've got to be passionate about it.

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“I want to do something meaningful with my life.”

You're frustrated with your job. You feel like it's stressful, and you're only doing it to make money, not to help other people. You're talking to your friend about it, and you want to explain what kind of job you want to have. You say:

I want to do something meaningful with my life.

something (adjective)

You use this phrase, "something (adjective)" to mean "something that is (adjective)":

I'm in the mood for something light.

She said something mean to me as I was walking by.

You can use "anything" in the same way:

Don't buy anything expensive.

meaningful

When you describe something as "meaningful", you usually mean that it's good, in a way that helps other people, makes a friendship stronger, improves the environment, follows your religious beliefs, etc. You can use "meaningful" to talk about things like:

• a meaningful conversation
• making a meaningful contribution to society (doing things to help society)
• meaningful song lyrics

do something meaningful with (one's) life

You may sometimes hear this phrase. People often talk about "doing something meaningful with" their lives. This usually means that they want to have a job that makes them feel happy, makes them well-known and respected, and gives them a chance to help people. For example, you can say to someone who's doing interesting medical research:

I envy you. You're actually doing something meaningful with your life.

“Actually, I'm looking to switch careers.”

You are talking with someone you just met at a party. You're talking about your career. You've told her about your current job, but you want to get a totally different job. You tell her:

Actually, I'm looking to switch careers.

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“My long-term goal is to open my own restaurant.”

Memorize

You are talking to a person you just met at a party. You're telling him about your job and your career goals. You say:

My long-term goal is to open my own restaurant.

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