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

Collocations with phrasal verbs
Review Units 5-8

Come and get it

There are many collocations which are formed with phrasal verbs, or which use a verb that is always followed by a preposition. For these collocations, you need to learn the verb, the particle (or particles) and the noun that goes with them.

1 Complete the sentences with prepositions to form collocations made with phrasal verbs. Note that two of the phrasal verbs have two prepositions. Use a dictionary to help you if necessary, and make sure you understand the meaning of the whole collocation.

1 Taking up running has been great for my health. It stops me putting on weight, and I'm finding it much easier to get sleep at night.

2 As soon as doctors found he had the disease, they asked him to draw ... a list of everyone he had come … contact with over the past month.

3 Our new boss arrived at the company determined to bring ... a change. Even though many people disagree with her, she expects everyone to carry ... her orders without question.

4 I wish my mum would take more care of herself. She still wears clothes that went ... fashion years ago, and although she used to be really fit and sporty, these days she can barely break ... a run if she's late for her train.

5 I've been offered a weekend job in a clothes shop. I really like sleeping in late on Saturdays, but the money would definitely come ... handy, because I'm a student and I've already run ... a lot of debts.

2 Rewrite the sentences using the collocations in brackets. Make sure you use the correct form of the verbs.

1 I wrote down the names of everyone I wanted to invite to the party. (draw up a list)

2 Our boss expected us to do what he told us without asking any questions. (carry out orders)

3 I borrowed a lot of money when I was starting my business. (run up debts)

4 I became much fatter when I lived in Italy because the food was so good. (put on weight)

5 I wasn't very tired, but I eventually fell asleep at around midnight. (get off to sleep)

6 When he saw his mother, he started running. (break into a run)

7 In my job, I meet people from all over the world. (come into contact)

8 Floor-length skirts have become less fashionable. (go out of fashion)

9 A big hat would be useful - it's very hot there. (come in handy)

10 Life is very hard for us, but we are optimistic that a new government will make things different. (bring about a change)

Study tip

Notice that some phrasal verbs can be separated, i.e. the object can come after the whole phrasal verb or between the verb and the particle. For instance, we can say that someone has put on weight or put weight on. Check in a dictionary if you are not certain.

3 Complete the sentences with verbs from the box. Make sure you use the correct form of the verb.

come • go • get • bring • draw • run

1 Improved education has ... about a real change in this area.

2 It was past midnight before I ... off to sleep.

3 These hats seem to have ... out of fashion now.

4 When I was travelling in India, I ... into contact with a lot of interesting people.

5 I have ... up a list of all the jobs that need to be done.

6 While he was living in Paris, he ... up huge debts.

4. Use the collocations you have learned above to complete the web posts. Then listen to the recording to check your answers.

1. Debt advice

Recently I've been finding it very difficult to 1... at night. I think it's because I'm so stressed about money. I really love skiing, and - stupidly - I've 2... going on expensive holidays and buying lots of new gear. The trouble is that on these holidays I 3... with a lot of wealthy people, and I can't help wanting to live like them.

Roger

2 Family fitness

My kids are really unfit, and I know I need to do something to 4... before it's too late. I've been trying to interest them in playing tennis, but they hate it - they seem to get exhausted as soon as I force them to 5... . They prefer to spend all their time in front of a computer screen, and all three of them have started to 6... . Does anyone have any tips?'

Gemma

3 Budget fashion

I have a very limited budget for clothes, so I always make sure I buy things that won't 7... . Each season, I 8 ... of things I really need, and I buy the best quality I can afford. This season I've treated myself to a really chic raincoat, which is bound to 9... if the weather continues like this! Olivia

5 Listen again to the web posts in Exercise 4. Are the statements true (T) or false (F)?

1 Roger can afford to go skiing as often as he likes.

2 Roger is having sleep problems.

3 Roger finds it hard to accept that other people have more money to spend than him.

4 Gemma wants to make her children more active.

5 Gem mas children are keen to get fit.

6 The whole family enjoys playing tennis.

7 Gemma's children are beginning to get fat.

8 Olivia buys very fashionable clothes.

9 Olivia always buys the cheapest things she can.

10 It has been raining a lot recently where Olivia lives.

Classroom extra

Ask students to make up three questions using the collocations they have learned, e.g. When was the last time you broke into a run?Then ask them to move around the class, interviewing each other.

Tell me how you feel

The collocations in these exercises are formed with phrasal verbs and are connected to people's emotions.

6 Match the collocations 1-8 with the meanings a-h.

1 pour your heart out    a to make yourself eager to do something

2 burst out laughing    b to suddenly start crying

3 pluck up the courage   c to make yourself brave enough to do something

4 bottle up your feelings   d to still think that something good might be true

5 burst into tears     e to not tell anyone about your emotions

6 go to pieces     f to suddenly start laughing

7 work up the enthusiasm   g to tell someone all your problems and feelings

8 hold out hope     h to be so upset that you cannot deal with life

7 Read the texts and complete the answers to the questions with the collocations from Exercise 6. Make sure you use the correct form of the verbs.

1 Rosa has been having a terrible time. She has lost her job and her boyfriend has left her, but when her friends try to talk to her about it, she simply says she's fine. What is Rosa doing?

She's bottling up her feelings ... .

2 Laura's dog Elvis went missing more than a month ago. Laura has put up posters everywhere. Every day she expects a phone call telling her he is safe.

Does Laura think Elvis will be found?

Yes, she still ... .

3 Roberto hasn't seen his best friend Jan for nearly a year. During that time he has had a lot of problems and he hasn't been able to talk to anyone. Jan is coming to see him next week and he's really looking forward to having a friend to talk to. What is Roberto likely to do to Jan?

He is likely to ... .

4 There's something about other people having hiccups that Jonas finds extremely funny. If he hears someone hiccup, he always starts to laugh.

What would Jonas do if someone near him started to hiccup?

He would ... .

5 Christa has been invited to a party and her host has encouraged her to bring a friend. There's a boy she really likes, and she'd love to ask him, but she's very shy. What does Christa need to do?

She needs to ... .

6 George was invited to play tennis with a group of friends. He said he might, but when the day came he was quite tired, and he didn't feel at all keen to play. Why didn't George go to play tennis?

He couldn't ... .

7 Daniel never coped well with life. The slightest problem upset him. When his wife died, his friends were worried. They arranged to take turns to stay with him. What did Daniel's friends think might happen if he was left alone?

They thought he might ... .

8 Barbara gets so emotional at weddings. She always starts crying as soon as she sees the bride.

What does Barbara do when she sees a bride?

She ... .

Study tip

Check you understand how to use phrasal verbs correctly. Look them up in a dictionary.

8 Complete the sentences with the collocations you have learned above. Make sure you use the correct form of the verbs. Then complete the crossword.

Across

2 I'm taking my driving test this June, but I don't hold out much hope of passing.

6 It took me ages to pluck up enough ... to dive into the water.

7 He'd been bottling up his ... of anger for years.

8 I couldn't manage to work up the ... for a swim.

Down

1 I know I'd go to ... if I didn't have my parents to support me.

3 When we saw what he was wearing, we all burst out ... .

4 Over dinner, she poured her ... out to me.

5 When she saw that the vase was broken, she burst into ... .

9 Rewrite the sentences, replacing the underlined parts with the collocations you have learned.

2 When her husband died, she suddenly stepped being able to cope with life.

3 I saw Kylie Minogue getting out of a taxi. I really wanted her autograph, but I was too nervous to speak to her.

4 When he saw the gift they had bought him, he was so moved that he started to cry.

5 I was supposed to be going to a party tonight, but I can't be bothered now.

6 There have been so many peace talks that have failed, I don't think they will succeed this time.

7 The teacher's hat blew off, and all the children started to laugh.

8 If you never tell anyone how you are feeling, nobody will be able to help you.

Classroom extra

In pairs, students choose three words from the collocations in this unit and make mini crosswords like the one in Exercise 8. They then write their own gap-fill clues and swap them with another pair.