PTE academic; Collocations 01 - Overview and exercise

COLLOCATION

Overview                                                                                         Collocation is a way in which some words are often used together, and sound natural together. This also refers to restrictions on how words may beused together, such as which verbs and nouns can be used together, and which prepositions and verbs can be used together.

For Example: We often say heavy rain, or light rain, instead of strong rain or mild rain, heavy goes well with rain, whereas strong does not. This sort of language behaviour is called collocation. There are many cases in English when it is difficult to know which words go well with the word you want to use, because there are no clear rules. Some words just sound right together, while others do not

Verbs that  Collocate with Nouns                                               When you use a noun in a sentence, you need to know which verbs go well with it. Learners often make mistakes with these verbs. For example:

•   Instead of saying do a bath; you say take a bath

•   Instead of  do an effort; you say make an effort

•   Instead of  do a crime; you say commit a crime

•   Instead of  say a joke, you say tell a joke, make a joke, or crack a joke

Adverbs that  Collocate with Adjectives                                     For example, there are a number of intensifying adverbs that can be used instead of very or extremely with adjectives, such as:

•   highly controversial (= very controversial)

→ highly = adverb & controversial = adjective

•   deeply offended (= very offended)

•   bitterly disappointed (= very disappointment)

Often it is difficult to predict which adverb will be used with a particular adjective. Some adverbs occur quite often before some adjectives, e.g. perfectly normal (= very normal) andgrossly misleading (= very…)

•   bitterly ashamed / disappointed / cold             NOT   bitterly successful

•   highly successful / accomplished                    NOT   highly divided / grateful

•   deeply divided/ grateful / unpopular                NOT   deeply developed

Adjectives that Collocate with Nouns                                       When you want to describe a noun, there is often a range of adjectives you can use, e.g. you can say a  strong, real, or  distinct possibility when something is very possible, or

a remote or faint possibility if something is not very likely.

Practice Exercise                                                                          

Exercise 1: Choose which one of the following verbs (Miss, Get, Do and Make) goes well with the expressions below:

a)........... a goal                                   j)...........  progress

b)........... peace                                   k)...........someone's help

c)..........  lost                                       l) ...........nothing

d)...........a home                                 m) ..........an effort

e)...........an appointment                    n) ...........one's best

f)........... a lesson                               o) ...........furniture

g)...........homework                            p) ...........the shopping

h)...........the cooking                          q)............trouble

i)........... ready                                    r)...........  someone a favour

Exercise 2: Decide which word or phrase completes the sentence.

1. He didn't know anything about business, so starting his own business was          

a)  a leap into the clouds          b)  a leap in the dark                 c)  a leap into the whole

2. I hate the way he criticises everybody. It really rattles              

a)  my back                               b)  my bones                             c)  my cage

3. When her business crashed, she had to pick up              and start again.

a)  the fragments                       b)  the pieces                            c)  the stones

4. She felt sad when she realized that she had lost her watch. It wasn't expensive but it had sentimental             .

a)  expense                               b)  price                                     c)  value

5. I used to go to church under false         . I never wanted to go but my mother made me. a)  agreements                          b)  feelings                                c)  pretences

6. One minute they were just talking and then all hell broke              and everybody started screaming and shouting.

a)  free                                      b)  loose                                    c)  over

7. He never cheats or tricks anybody when he plays. He always goes by the              . a)  book                                     b)  instructions                          c)  principles

8. Don't tell Mary your plans or she'll tell everybody. She is always              her mouth off. a)  shooting                               b)  speaking                              c)  talking

9. Tom might be able to help with your problem. He has friends in high              who might be able to change the decision.

a)  jobs                                      b)  places                                  c)  spots

Answers

Exercise 1:
a) make	b) make	c) get	d) get	e) make	f) get
g) do	h) do	i) get	j) make	k) get	l) do
m) make	n) do	o) get	p) do	q) make	r) do

Exercise 2:

1.  b        2. b    3. b    4. c    5. c    6. b    7. a    8. a    9. b



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 For Collocation 02 click Here