Using Collocations for Natural English - Elizabeth Walter, Kate Woodford 2010

Formal and informal collocations
Review Units 5-8

I'd like to make a complaint

Just as with general vocabulary, collocations vary in how formal or informal they are, and it is important to use them in appropriate situations. It would not be appropriate to use very informal language in a job application, or very formal language when chatting to friends. These exercises focus on formal and informal collocations and show you how to use them.

1 Read the texts and match phrases from the box to the collocations in bold.

a letter saying that something is correct • bad luck • write someone a letter • not do what was promised • ask someone to promise something✵ extremely anxious • say that you are not pleased • very upset • complain very forcefully • promise forcefully that something is true

1

Dear Mr Evans

I regret to inform you that the completion of your new office block has been delayed because of the recent bad weather. We are currently trying to seek assurances from the builders that they will finish by the end of the month.

asr someone to promise something

2

It's your responsibility to get to the station on time. If you miss the train, that's your hard luck - we won't be able to wait for you.

3

Really looking forward to seeing you in Paris next week. The children kicked up a fuss when I told them we'd be visiting lots of museums, but it'll do them good, won't it?!

4

I have therefore decided to withold payment, since your company has clearly failed to deliver the service I was expecting.

Yours sincerely,

Malcolm Greene.

5

The only way to stop these damaging plans is to make your voice heard. Register your dissatisfaction with the government's proposals by writing to your MP today.

6

Have u seen Harry? He hasn't been home for 2 days and his mum's worried sick.

7

Many of the stolen items were found at the thief's house. However, Mrs Taylor was deeply distressed to discover that treasured photographs of her grandchildren had been damaged.

8

If you require written confirmation that your short story has been received, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope.

9

Dear Bella

Arrived safely in singapore - it's incredibly hot here! I'll drop you a line when i know my new address.

Love, Dillon.

10

Just wondered if you'd heard the gossip about Jamie and Emma? Emma swears blind there's nothing going on, but I spotted them in a cafe today, looking very cosy together.

Study tip

As well as learning the correct grammar of collocations, it is important to understand the proper context. Is the situation formal or Informal?

2 Look again at the collocations in Exercise 1 and write them in the correct column in the table.

3 John Williams had a terrible holiday. Put the sentences in the correct order to make two letters: a formal letter of complaint and a chatty postcard to a friend.

1 Dear Sir/Madam

a Despite receiving written confirmation of this, when we arrived at the resort we were given a fifth-floor apartment in a block with no lifts.

b As your company has therefore clearly failed to deliver the holiday it promised, we will expect a substantial refund on the price.

c I am writing to register my dissatisfaction with our recent holiday, booked through your company.

d My wife was deeply distressed, as it was very difficult for her to leave the apartment.

e My wife has a disability which makes climbing stairs difficult, so I phoned your office both prior to booking and shortly before departure, to seek assurances that our holiday apartment would be on the ground floor.

Yours faithfully

John Williams

2

Classroom extra

Ask your students to imagine a situation where they have been disappointed by something such as a holiday, concert, or other event. They should write a letter of their own, using some of the collocations they have learned.

What seems to be the problem?

It is common for professionals to use rather formal language in the course of their work, while their customers, clients or patients may use more informal terms.

4 Complete the conversation between Holly and her doctor with nouns from the box. Then listen to the recording to check your answers.

stomach • treatment • symptoms • specialist • flu • antibiotics • hospital • cough • bug • disease • headache • fever

Holly: I seem to have picked up an awful 1 ... while I was on holiday.

Doctor: Ah, so you think you may have contracted a 2 ... abroad? Can you describe how you're feeling?

Holly: I've got an upset 3... and a hacking 4... .

Doctor: I see. When did you first start to develop these 5...? Was it while you were there or since you got home?

Holly: Well, a couple of days before we left, I started to feel as though I was going down with 6... I had a splitting 7... on the flight back, so I went to bed as soon as I got home, and then woke up in the night with a raging 8... .

Doctor: Your chest certainly sounds bad - I think you've got some sort of infection. I'll put you on a course of 9... . If it's a normal bacterial infection, it should respond to 10... in a few days.

Holly: What if it doesn't?

Doctor: Well, if it's a viral infection, it probably won't, so do ring me again if you're not feeling any better in two or three days. Considering where you've been, I'd probably have to refer you to a 11... in tropical medicine.

They may even need to admit you to 12... for a few days to find out what it is. But don't worry yet - the most likely thing is that the antibiotics will cure it. Good luck!

5 Look at the collocations in Exercise 4 and find:

1 three verbs which mean get.

2 three adjectives which mean very bad, used to add emphasis to a noun meaning a symptom of an illness.

6 Use the collocations you have learned to answer these questions.

1 Did Holly become ill at home?

2 What symptoms does Holly have now?

3 How was Holly feeling on her flight home?

4 Does the doctor give Holly any medicine?

5 What should happen to her illness if it is a bacterial infection?

6 What will the doctor do if Holly doesn't get better soon?

Sound natural

Learning collocations often gives you more interesting words for common words you already know. Repeatedly using words such as get can sound unsophisticated and imprecise.

7 Sasha often picks up leaflets offering health advice from her doctor's surgery. Her Aunt Ida also offers Sasha advice. Look at the sentence halves 1-12 and decide which come from a leaflet and which come from Aunt Ida. Then match them with sentence halves a-1.

1 Sorry to hear you've been ill, dear, but you do eat all the wrong things, you know. If you have an upset stomach,

2 You young people are far too free and easy with strangers. If you want to avoid picking up bugs,

3 There can be many reasons for skin complaints, ranging from allergies to psychological problems. Talk to your doctor first. If your doctor is not sure what is causing the problem,

4 Stay away from tablets - they're a waste of money and you should trust your body to know what it's doing, I say. A raging fever

5 Earache is often associated with fever and pain. Always get your child checked out by a doctor. If they have an ear infection,

6 My old mum always told me the best thing for a hacking cough

7 If you are travelling, you may be exposed to illnesses that do not occur here. Therefore, if you contract a disease abroad,

8 It is very rare for this medication to have side effects. However, if you develop symptoms such as chest pain and difficulty breathing,

9 Occasionally, problems with the joints cannot be solved with exercise and manipulation alone. If physiotherapy fails to restore complete movement to the joint,

10 I know it's a bit smelly, but the best way to get rid of a splitting headache

11 You need to take care of your health at this time of year, dear. If you feel as if you're going down with flu,

12 Scientists have discovered some links between skin conditions and the consumption of particular foods, so if your eczema does not respond to treatment with creams,

a he or she may refer you to a specialist.

b you may be admitted to hospital for minor surgery.

c put three drops of lavender oil in your bath and drink plenty of orange juice.

d you shouldn't eat anything at all for at least three days.

e is a drink made from stewed nettles and lemon juice - it tastes horrid, but it really works.

f is to eat lots of raw garlic.

g you may be advised to make changes to your diet.

h you should never shake hands with anyone you don't know.

i a course of antibiotics will usually be prescribed.

j it is important to tell your doctor where you have been.

k is just your body's way of burning up germs.

I you should call an ambulance at once.

8 In four of the sentences below, the verb form is wrong. Find the errors and correct them.

1 Her asthma did not responded to treatment.

2 I contracted the disease when I was in the tropics.

3 I gone down with flu the day before the concert.

4 I realised that I was develop symptoms of lung disease.

5 I asked to be referred to a specialist.

6 She was admitting to hospital and treated for shock.

Classroom extra

Ask students to discuss whether the advice in Exercise 7 is good or bad, and whether they have any better advice to offer.