Using Collocations for Natural English - Elizabeth Walter, Kate Woodford 2010
What are collocations?
Study tip
The collocations in this part of the unit are often used in news reports. Try to lookout for other collocations when you read the newspaper or watch the news on TV.
Collocations in the news
Collocations are words that go together, often in ways that we do not expect. Collocations go together more than they would by chance: they belong together. In the following exercises, we look at the way we choose word partners to help us make natural sounding sentences.
1 Find two words in each box that form collocations with the words 1-10 in bold. Use a dictionary to help you if necessary.
Classroom extra
Divide your students into groups and ask them to come up with collocations they already know. If necessary, prompt them with simple collocations e.g. drive a car, clean your teeth, a sunny day. You could turn this into a competition by giving the class a set time to do this. The group with the most collocations wins.
2 Match the collocations in Exercise 1 to the definitions 1-10.
1 to be something that may cause danger or difficulty pose a threat
2 to start to criticise or harm someone
3 bad damage to someone's body
4 to listen when someone tells you that something bad might happen
5 to make cars, lorries, etc., take a different route
6 a very serious danger or difficulty
7 a very violent act which hurts someone
8 to be physically harmed
9 a lot of cars, lorries, etc.
10 not to listen when someone tells you something bad might happen
3 Find the collocations you have learned above in newspaper articles 1-4 and underline them.
1 Girl attacked
Police are hunting for two youths they believe may be responsible for a brutal attack on a teenage girl last week. Amy Whitehead was repeatedly punched in the face and sustained inj uries that needed hospital treatment. A police spokesperson said, 'It is astonishing that an attack like this can happen in daylight, in a busy street. These people pose a threat to the public and must be caught.'
2 Green campaigners say no to cheap flights
Environmental campaigners yesterday launched an attack on airline companies for offering cut-price flights to popular holiday destinations. One of them told us, 'We have seen how fast the ice caps are melting. If we ignore these warnings for the sake of a cheap holiday, our children and grandchildren will suffer.' Holiday makers disagreed. 'The weather here is so miserable, we need to get away!' said one.
3 Flood drama in local village
Residents in the village of Little Brook who failed to heed warnings of flooding found themselves trapped yesterday when more than six inches of rain fell in just three hours. Police had to divert traffic after roads were closed by the floods, and many home owners battled to keep the water out of their houses. A woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries when a tree fell on the car she was driving.
4 Тraffic threat to shopping street
Shopkeepers say that heavy traffic is putting off visitors to the picturesque village of East Chipping. Three hundred people have signed a petition asking for a bypass. 'We want people to enjoy shopping in a pleasant and peaceful environment,' said Glyn Evans, owner of a shop selling fishing equipment. 'The current levels of traffic are a major threat to our businesses.'
4 Complete the sentences using the collocations you have learned above. Make sure you use the correct form of the verbs.
1 Two youths carried out a ... on Amy Whitehouse.
2 She had to go to hospital because of the ... she ... .
3 While the youths who attacked Amy are free, they ... a ... to all of us.
4 Green campaigners have ... an ... on companies who encourage people to fly more.
5 There may be terrible consequences if we ... about global warming.
6 Some people in Little Brook were trapped in their homes because they did not ... about the floods.
7 Police ... around Little Brook because some of the roads were flooded.
8 When a tree fell on a car in Little Brook, the driver sustained ... .
9 People do not want to shop in streets where there is ... .
10 Heavy traffic is a ... to shops in East Chipping.
Make it more interesting
Collocations can often be used as more interesting alternatives for very common words. Using simple single words may sometimes sound rather unsophisticated, whereas choosing collocations will show that you have a good knowledge of English.
Sound natural
Next time you want to use a word such as very, really, big, etc., think about the collocations you know. Can you express it differently?
5 Read the e-mails and look at the collocations in bold. Match one of the words in each collocation to one of the common words 1-9.
1 bad: nasty negative 6 very: ...
2 big: ... 7 new: ...
3 get: ... 8 very well: ...
4 complete: ... 9 improve: ...
5 take: ...
From: Camilla Deschamps
To: Brendan Flowerdew
Subject: Office space
Hi Brendan
I've just heard that there's some office space free near the Victoria Road roundabout. Do you know it? As far as I can see, it's ideally suited to our needs, and I know Steve's been worried sick about what we're going to do when the new development team starts. The person who told me about it says it's well furnished and spotlessly clean. Would you be free to come with me to take a look this afternoon?
Cheers
Camilla
From: Camilla Deschamps
To: Olga Strauss
Subject: staff matters
Dear Olga
Could we meet some time tomorrow to discuss yesterday's incident with the customer support team? I must say that seeing it splashed all over the local paper was a very nasty surprise, as I would have expected you to have reported the matter to me immediately. As a company, we have worked hard to earn a reputation for professional service, and I'll be expecting a full explanation when we meet. Unless I hear from you, I'll see you at 11 a.m. in my office.
Yours
Camilla
From: Camilla Deschamps
To: Dilip Patel
Subject: Training courses
Dear Dilip (if I may)
Thanks for your brochure which arrived last week. You certainly offer a wide range of training courses, and some of them look ideal for our needs. We always like to make sure that our staff are highly trained, and are constantly trying to find ways to enhance the quality of our work. Could you ring me to discuss dates and prices, please?
Best wishes
Camilla
From: Camilla Deschamps
To: Stephen Goss
Subject: Olga Strauss
Dear Stephen
Just a note to tell you that I'm seeing Olga tomorrow about the customer support issue. To be honest, I'm not sure she's really up to the job of managing such an important team. She has allowed some very negative attitudes to develop, and they don't seem to be able to seize opportunities for sales in the way they did when Kelly was in charge. I'm wondering if we should think about making a fresh start with a new manager.
Best
Camilla
6 Are the statements true (T) or false (F)?
1 Camilla doesn't think the offices near the Victoria Road bridge are suitable.
2 There is already plenty of office space for the new development team.
3 The local paper had an embarrassing article about Camilla's company.
4 Olga Strauss wrote a report on the incident in her department.
5 Camilla wants to book some training for her staff.
6 Camilla thinks it is important to train staff properly.
7 Camilla thinks that Olga is a good manager.
8 Camilla is thinking of removing Olga from her job.
7 The sentences below are from three adverts, but they are mixed up. First, replace the underlined part of each sentence with the collocations you have learned above. Then put the sentences in the correct order to complete the adverts.
Molly’s Mechanics
1 That’s understandable - there's nothing worse than the unpleasant shock of an enormous bill for repairs you don t understand.
2 That’s why our all-female gang of mechanics has become well known for good work and honest prices.
3 Does your car need servicing? Are you very anxious about the cost?
4 No need to worry any more: we will give you a complete explanation of what needs doing to your car and how much it will cost, before we do the work.
1. Most importantly, all our chefs have had a lot of training, so whatever your event, the food will be delicious.
2. From dinner for two to a feast for two hundred, we are the best people to supply all your catering needs.
3. And finally, all the food is prepared in our extremely clean kitchens and brought direct to you - no fuss, no preparation, no mess.
4. In addition, there is a large selection of menus, so that everyone can find dishes they like.
John Oram: Life coach
1 This can be done by learning to reject bad ideas about everything and concentrate on positive thoughts and actions.
2 How? I can help you unlock your mind and take the chances that life offers.
3 Spend an hour with me and improve your life.
4 So, if you want to leave your problems behind and start again, call me today!
Classroom extra
Ask students to write an advert of their own using some of the collocations they have learned or other collocations they know or can find in a dictionary.