Using Collocations for Natural English - Elizabeth Walter, Kate Woodford 2010
Collocations for personality
Review Units 9-12
The problem with people ...
The collocations in this unit focus on ways to talk about people's qualities and characteristics.
1 Complete the problem page letters with words from the box.
bored • company • fiery • way • speak • tendency • sense • painfully • impression • likes
Study tip
When you learn these collocations, think about which ones are positive and which are negative.
Dear Muriel
I'd like your advice on the best way to help my daughter, who is 1... shy. I don't know why she feels like this, because all we see is a talented and lovely girl. She's very musical and she has a real 2... with words. She writes beautiful poetry - the problem is that it's yet another hobby she does shut away on her own. When she relaxes, she has a good 3... of humour too, but around girls of her own age she is always anxious. If I try to talk to her about it, she just says I'm being silly and she 4... her own company.
MollyP
Dear Muriel
Please help me. I knew before I married my husband that he had a 5... temper, but recently he's been getting angry over tiny things. He's always had a 6... to be critical, but now he complains every day about my cooking, the way I dress, and even the way I talk. Sometimes he gives the 7... that he'd rather be on his own again. What should I do?
Susie R
Dear Muriel
My father came to stay with us after an illness four years ago, and he's still here! We love him dearly, and he can be very good 8... at times, but he puts quite a strain on my family. He's easily 9... and always wants someone to entertain him - just like a child, really. At the same time, he disapproves of a lot of things my teenagers do, and he never hesitates to 10... his mind, which leads to a lot of arguments. He could easily manage on his own again and just come to us for visit, but I don't know how to suggest it without sounding cruel.
Ricky A
Classroom extra
Ask students to discuss what advice they would give the three people in Exercise 1.
2 Rewrite the sentences using the collocations in brackets.
1 Chris was a lovely companion on the trip - it's fun spending time with him.
(good company)
Chris was a lovely companion on the trip - he's good company.
2 I've noticed that Sam often exaggerates. (have a tendency to)
3 Carine says what she thinks and that doesn't always make her very popular.
(speak your mind)
4 I think Melissa is fine living on her own - she enjoys spending time alone.
(like your own company)
5 He's always found it very difficult to talk to people - parties and other social situations are a nightmare for him. (painfully shy)
6 I don't know him very well but he makes me think he is rather arrogant.
(give the impression)
7 My older brother gets angry very easily - he flies into a rage over very little things sometimes. (fiery temper)
8 Paul is quite quiet but he likes to joke with other people. (good sense of humour)
9 My younger son is clever at using words well and writes marvellous stories.
(have a way with words)
10 Tom gets bored very quickly - he never does one activity for any length of time. (easily bored)
3 Rewrite the sentences so that they mean the opposite, using the collocations you have learned.
1 Yolanda rarely gives an opinion. Yolanda always spears her mind.
2 She hates spending time on her own.
3 Diana doesn't express herself very clearly.
4 Michael never laughs at anything and he never makes me laugh.
5 My husband is very calm and never gets angry.
6 Lola is very confident with people.
7 She's happy doing the same thing every day.
8 No one enjoys spending time with Yan.
4 Caroline and Anton have decided it's time to meet each other's friends. Use the collocations you have learned to complete their descriptions. Listen to the recording to check your answers.
ANTON
Of all my friends, I suppose I'd have to call Brendan my best mate. We were at school together and we've stayed close all these years. I usually see him at least once a week. He's funny and interesting - really 1... . I'm not too keen on his girlfriend Kitty, though. We'd be happy to sit chatting all evening, but / she's 2... and always wants to be doing something new. She gets cross if we go out without her too.
Then there's Geoff, someone I know from uni. He's great, although he has a really 3... - sometimes he gets furious about the tiniest things. We're fairly used to it, and we know that he'll usually calm down fairly soon, but unfortunately he 4... to get into arguments with complete strangers too, which can be embarrassing. If Kitty's there, she usually tells him to stop being so stupid - she's not afraid to 5 ... .
Classroom extra
Ask your students to describe some of their friends to each other.
CAROLINE
I can't wait to introduce you to Miriam. When you first meet her, she 6... of being a bit serious, but actually she has a brilliant 7... — she always sees the funny side of everything, and we have a real laugh together.
Deb is probably the cleverest of my friends. Her dad was in the diplomatic service, so she's lived in lots of different countries, so she knows loads about different cultures, and she's fascinating to talk to. She's a journalist. At the moment she's specialising in Asian affairs, and there's talk of her moving to Hong Kong - I hope she won't! I'm not surprised she's doing so well in that job though - she has a real 8 ... .
Paul is my next-door neighbour. He was 9... when I first met him. In fact, it took about six months before he'd even say hello! But over the years we've become good friends. He doesn't socialise much, though - he says he 10... too much!
Just the person for the job
Study tip
Think about which are positive and which are negative characteristics. Remember something that might be positive for someone's job performance might not make them a nice person!
The collocations in these exercises describe personality traits that are important in a work situation.
5 Two interviewers, Ian and Aisha, are discussing three candidates for the job of salesperson, Antonio, Michelle and Mario. Match the collocations in bold to the definitions 1-8.
WANTED
Experienced salesperson to join young, dynamic team. Must have experience in
Ian: I was very impressed by Antonio. He has a very strong personality which
I think he would need in this job. I imagine he has quite a ruthless streak which is a good thing in a salesperson.
Aisha: Yes, he certainly gives the impression of being supremely confident. I'm just a bit concerned that he is too confident and that the existing team might find him difficult to work with. Personally, I preferred Michelle. She has a very nice outgoing personality and I thought she would fit in with the team.
Ian: Yes, she was certainly friendly and likeable but I didn't sense that she had a burning ambition to work for this company. You see, I think in this role we need a risk taker - someone who's not afraid to do things a little differently if it increases sales. I think we've played safe for too long.
Aisha: Well, let's invite both Antonio and Michelle back for a second interview. I'm assuming you were not impressed by Mario?
Ian: Absolutely not. I find it incredible that someone so shy and retiring works in sales. I suppose on the positive side, he seems to have an eye for detail but apart from that, I think he has nothing to offer us.
Aisha: I agree.
1 completely sure about your own abilities
2 nervous about meeting new people and quiet
3 a character that is confident and determined
4 a very strong desire to achieve something
5 an ability to notice small things or single pieces of information
6 a part of someone's character that does not care about upsetting other people
7 someone who will do dangerous things or things that may cause something bad to happen in order to achieve something good
8 a friendly character, showing interest in other people
6 Read the dialogue in Exercise 5 again. Are the statements true (T) or false (F)?
1 Aisha liked Antonio best of all the candidates.
2 Both interviewers thought that Antonio would not care about upsetting others in order to achieve his goals.
3 Aisha thought that Antonio might have problems with other members of the sales team.
4 Michelle was quite shy.
5 Ian thought Michelle was not keen enough on doing the job.
6 Ian is looking for someone who will always choose the safest course of action.
7 Both interviewers thought that Mario would probably be careless in his work.
8 Mario is going to be given another interview.
How driven are you? Answer these questions by choosing a, b or c and our life coach Guy Grounded will tell you!
How driven are you?
1 Would you describe yourself as a risk taker?
a Absolutely! It excites me to take risks.
b Now and then I take risks when I think it will pay off.
c No, I never take risks. I don't even like ordering a new dish on a menu.
2 How sociable are you?
a Extremely sociable. I have what you would call an outgoing personality.
b I like spending time with my friends but I like my own company too.
c I'm not at all sociable - quite shy in fact.
3 How confident are you?
a I'm supremely confident in most situations.
b I'm fairly confident in some situations and not so confident in others.
c I wouldn't describe myself as confident at all.
4 Do you think anyone has ever described you as shy and retiring?
a Are you joking?
b I doubt it -1 can be shy sometimes but I would say I'm fairly sociable.
c Quite possibly. I'm generally not comfortable in social situations.
5 Do you have an eye for detail?
a No, not at all - I'm interested in the bigger picture.
b I don't know if I have but I know that details are important.
c Definitely.
6 Would other people describe you as ruthless?
a Possibly, depending on the situation in which we've met.
b I doubt it, though they might say I have a ruthless streak.
c I sincerely hope not.
7 Do you have any burning ambitions?
a Too many to list.
b I have ambitions but I don't think I have burning ambitions.
c No - no burning ambitions.
8 Which of these statements best describes your character?
a I have a strong personality.
b I have my own ideas about how to do things but I listen to other people's ideas too.
c I am gentle person and I don't like to upset people.
MOSTLY A'S
It would take a brave person to get in your way, you alpha male/ female! Your drive is to be admired (and feared!). Just remember that a little self-doubt is a good thing and that family and friends do matter.
MOSTLY B'S
Clever you! You have ambitions but you have friends. You want to achieve things but you like to help other people to achieve their goals too. You have found the middle way!
MOSTLY C'S
You may not have a marvellous career or a huge circle of friends but you have an army of admirers. Take courage - you are so much better than you think you are!
8 Complete the e-mail with the collocations you have learned above.
You should see my boss, Grace. The moment she walks into a room, everyone feels it. She has a very 1... - you certainly can't ignore her! The dresses she designs are absolutely amazing, and she has a real 2... - every stitch must be perfect. In meetings, she never shows the slightest nervousness. She's always 3... of her designs and of her business sense. She says that to succeed in fashion, you have to be a 4... - nobody is interested in safe, boring clothes. Last week she sacked two of her junior designers because she said their work wasn't creative enough. They were really upset, but she didn't seem to care at all - she certainly has a 5...!
Classroom extra
If this is being done in class, ask students to interview one another, rather than doing the questionnaire individually.