Adjective + noun collocations

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

Adjective + noun collocations

Man and nature

Adjective + noun collocations are among the very first collocations you learn, because they help you to form precise descriptions. As your English improves, they allow you to describe things in interesting and varied ways.

1 Complete the sentences with adjectives from the box.

budding • torrential • heavy • lasting • brisk • regular • complete • gentle • favourable • natural • enviable • close

1... snow had fallen overnight and many of the roads were closed.

2 It is very dangerous to ski off-piste because avalanches are a ... occurrence around here.

3 I did some French at school, but it was so long ago that I decided I should start again in a class for ... beginners.

4 Luckily, the floods didn't do any ... damage to the buildings.

5 We stayed inside all weekend because of the ... rain.

6 He says he doesn't want to go to the party, but really he just needs a little ... persuasion.

7 A ... walk will help us get over that huge lunch.

8 The Barrier Reef is an area of great ... beauty.

9 Our town has ... links with a town in Germany.

10 From everything he told me in his letters, I formed a very ... impression of his family.

11 I have to fit in my training around my job, but Joe is in the ... position of not having to work because he inherited a lot of money from an uncle.

12 Friends have been watching the ... romance between Zoe and Zac with interest.

2 Match the collocations in Exercise 1 to the sentences below.

1 If you get this, the snow will be deep.

2 If you are in one of these, people think you are lucky.

3 If you have these with an organisation, you are strongly connected with them.

4 If this happens, something cannot be repaired.

5 If someone tries this, they try gently to make you do what they want.

6 If you have one of these, you are starting to fall in love.

7 If you are one of these, you have never done something before.

8 If a place has this, it is beautiful in a way that has nothing to do with people.

9 If you get this, a lot of rain falls.

10 If you have this, you think that something seems good.

11 If something is one of these, it happens often.

12 If you go on one of these, you walk fast and with energy.

3 Read these students' reports on school trips in the school magazine. Rewrite the reports using the collocations in the boxes.

lasting damage • regular occurrence • complete beginner • heavy snow

Skiing in the alps, by archie leys

We could hardly believe our luck! There had been a lot of (eavy) snow the previous week, and - even better - we found ourselves treated to a week of bright sunshine. (heavy) Mid-morning hot chocolate in an outdoor cafe in just our T-shirts became a habit, and many of us came home with suntans. A few people had skied before, but most of us had never skied at all. Inevitably, there were a few bumps and bruises, but happily nobody had any long-term injuries, and a great time was had by all!

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close links • enviable position • favourable impression • budding romance

Exchange trip to france, by tomas tse

Lower Heath school has been strongly connected with the lycee in Paris for many years, and this July, forty of us set off on coaches to meet the students who have been our penfriends all year. I immediately decided that I liked my host family when I found a large box of chocolates on my bed! We went out a lot, to museums, shops and to the cinema. I must admit that my penfriend enjoyed the film more than I did, being in the lucky situation of speaking French much better than me! Everyone enjoyed a week of cultural exchange, language learning, and (in some cases) starting to fall in love a little!

natural beauty • gentle persuasion • brisk walk • torrential rain

Geography trip to the lake district, by aisha malik

As I looked out of the hostel window at the rain lashing down outside, I wondered what on earth had made me decide to do geography. Still, after some encouraging words from the teachers, we put on our wet weather gear and headed off for a fast, energetic hike up Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England. It was a lot further than it looked to the top, but when we got there we had our reward - the rain stopped, the clouds disappeared, and we could see why people say the Lake District is an area where nature's beauty is so great.

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Study tip

Next time you do a piece of writing, look at it critically. Can you improve the style?

4 Answer the questions about the school trips, using the collocations in brackets.

1 Was there plenty of snow for the skiers? (heavy snow)

2 Had everyone been skiing before? (complete beginner)

3 Were the students eager to go outside into the rain? (gentle persuasion)

4 What impressed them about Scafell Pike? (natural beauty)

5 Had Lower Heath school had any connection with the lycee before? (close links)

6 Why did Tomas's penfriend enjoy the film more than he did? (enviable position)

Classroom extra

In pairs, ask your students to write an answer to the following questions.

1 Describe a time when you have had to use gentle persuasion.

2 Describe someone who is in an enviable position and say why.

3 Describe someone who made a favourable impression on you and say why. Ask some of them to read out their answers.

Two sides to the story

The adjective + noun collocations in these exercises are often found in news reports. The language is 'official' rather than informal or colloquial.

Image5 George Petradis is a company director whose company premises were set on fire. Mark Lee is the main suspect. Read what they both say, paying particular attention to the collocations in bold. Match the collocations to definitions 1-10. Then listen to the recording.

George Petradis

'I got a phone call on Sunday afternoon, telling me that there'd been a fire in my offices. I assumed a piece of equipment had been left on over the weekend and over-heated or that there had been an electrical fault. Apparently, when the fire crew arrived, they realised straight away that it was a deliberate attempt at arson, and they called the police.

It took nearly two hours to put the fire out, and when I saw the full extent of the damage, I was really shocked. It was obvious that whoever did it had some prior knowledge of the premises. They knew just where to pour their petrol, and had even had a key to one of the offices. I immediately had my suspicions - I'd had to sack one of my employees a while ago. He'd been very unhappy about it and made a big fuss.

A major breakthrough came when a woman contacted the police and gave a detailed description of a man she had seen near the premises on the afternoon of the fire. Her description matched my ex-employee. The police managed to get fingerprint evidence and even a baseball cap with the DNA of this guy on it, and he is due in court soon:

Mark Lee

'Of course I didn't do it. After all, who in their right minds would go and set fire to an office in broad daylight? All they've really got is anecdotal evidence from my ex-boss about how we didn't get on. It's true that he was a nightmare to work for, but that doesn't mean I'd burn the place down, does it?

Anyway, they haven't got any conclusive proof. I mean, I worked there so it's not surprising they found my fingerprints. That baseball cap was probably there from when I worked there too. It's ridiculous. Now I have to put up with a load of malicious gossip from people, and my kids are getting teased at school. And worse, there's a strong possibility that I'll end up in prison for something I didn't do:

1 a very important piece of progress

2 a statement describing all the small details of something

3 unpleasant talk about someone

4 the complete amount of something

5 when someone tries to do something on purpose

6 the time when it is light

7 proof which is only based on what people have said about someone or something

8 things that show for certain what is true

9 knowing about something before the present time

10 when something is very likely

Study tip

The next time you read or listen to a news report, particularly about a crime, listen out for the collocations being used and make a note of them in your vocabulary book.

Classroom extra

Ask your students to discuss whether they think Mark Lee is innocent or guilty. They should give reasons, using the collocations they have learned where possible.

6 Rewrite the sentences using the collocations in brackets.

1 After the fire was put out, Petradis saw how much damage there was. (full extent)

After the fire was put out, Petradis saw the full extent of the damage.

2 Lee says the police have no real evidence that he is guilty. (conclusive proof)

Lee says the police ... .

3 It is quite likely that Lee will go to prison. (strong possibility)

There is ... .

4 The office was set on fire in the daytime. (broad daylight)

The office was ... .

5 Lee says that the case against him is based on stories. (anecdotal evidence)

Lee says that the case against him ... .

6 Lee complains about the nasty things that people are saying about him in the village. (malicious gossip)

Lee complains about ... .

7 The woman told the police exactly what the man looked like. (detailed description)

The woman gave the police ... .

8 The woman's description was very useful for the police. (major breakthrough)

The woman's description was ... .

9 Someone had tried to burn down the office on purpose. (deliberate attempt)

Someone had made ... .

10 The police said he knew a lot about the premises already. (prior knowledge)

The police said he had ... .

7 Use the collocations you have learned above to complete the newspaper articles.

New cancer hope

Scientists are celebrating a 1... in the fight against cancer. A new treatment has shown extremely positive results in tests. The 2 ... ... of patients' improvement will not be known for six months, when all the data has been collected and analysed and a 4... ... of the drug's effects can be published. However, doctors say there is a 4... ... that this treatment will become standard within two years.

Singer's photo fury

Singer Jay Jordan has no love for journalists. Since being photographed kissing and cuddling a mystery blonde in Central Park in 5... ..., the married father-of-three has hit back at the papers. 'There has been a lot of 6 about my private life. It's a 7... ... to blacken my name. My marriage is rock solid.'

Minister makes good start

Although the minister arrived in her post with little or no 8... ... of the defence industry, insiders say she has made an impressive start. 9... ... suggests that she is well-liked in the department. She is known to be consulting widely, and more 10... ... of her ability will come next week, when she is due to give her first major speech as minister.