Advanced English Collocations in Use | Unit 5

Note nine collocations in this text from a newspaper.

As a newly qualified teacher at comprehensive school in Wiltshire, every day Joe faces the challenge of gaining the respect of a class of 15-year-olds. Joe, 26, admits it is a tough challenge but thinks he is winning the battle. Joe, who teaches English and media studies and coaches a school football team, will qualify fully in July, pending the results of his lesson assessments. With this milestone passed, and the increased financial stability it will bring, Joe will turn his thoughts to buying his first home.

As a newly qualified teacher at comprehensive school in Wiltshire, every day Joe faces the challenge of gaining the respect of a class of 15-year-olds. Joe, 26, admits it is a tough challenge but thinks he is winning the battle. Joe, who teaches English and media studies and coaches a school football team, will qualify fully in July, pending the results (as long as he achieves successful results) of his lesson assessments. With this milestone passed, and the increased financial stability it will bring, Joe will turn his thoughts to buying his first home.

Note four collocations in this text from a film review.

The Interpreter

She has a gift for languages, which brings her to the UN. She wants to make a difference. She is idealistic in that single-minded, dedicated manner associated with freedom fighters. Silvia (Nicole Kidman) remains an enigma. When Tobin Keller (Sean Penn) begins to investigate her, he is faced with a blank sheet. She is beautiful, blonde, lissom and lithe. She lives alone, has no lover, rides a Vespa throughout New York and works all day, providing simultaneous translation for delegates. She has an odd accent, which, like everything else about her, is difficult to pin down.

She has a gift for languages, which brings her to the UN. She wants to make a difference. She is idealistic in that single-minded (very determined to achieve something), dedicated manner associated with freedom fighters. Silvia (Nicole Kidman) remains an enigma. When Tobin Keller (Sean Penn) begins to investigate her, he is faced with a blank sheet. She is beautiful, blonde, lissom (attractively thin and able to move quickly and smoothly) and lithe (young, healthy, attractive, and able to move and bend smoothly). She lives alone, has no lover, rides a Vespa throughout New York and works all day, providing simultaneous translation for delegates. She has an odd accent, which, like everything else about her, is difficult to pin down (hard to fix or place).

Note seven collocations in this text from a website for London tourists.

Entertaining children in London

Covent Garden's buskers and jugglers provide no-cost entertainment in a car-free setting, and you've always got the chance of being plucked from the crowd to help out with a trick. Don't underestimate the value of London's public transport as a source of fun, either. The #I I double-decker from Victoria, for instance, will trundle you past the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and the Strand on its way to St Paul's Cathedral for a modest sum. The driverless Docklands Light Railway is another guaranteed source of amusement - grab a seat4 at the front of the train and pretend to be the driver, then take a boat back to the centre of town from Greenwich.

Covent Garden's buskers and jugglers provide no-cost entertainment in a car-free setting, and you've always got the chance of being plucked (selected) from the crowd to help out with a trick. Don't underestimate the value of London's public transport as a source of fun, either. The #I I double-decker from Victoria, for instance, will trundle (move slowly) you past the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and the Strand on its way to St Paul's Cathedral for a modest sum. The driverless Docklands Light Railway is another guaranteed source of amusement - grab a seat at the front of the train and pretend to be the driver, then take a boat back to the centre of town from Greenwich.

Which adjective collocates with ‘translation’ and ‘equation’? Are they strong or weak collocations?

• simultaneous translation

• simultaneous equation

(They are strong collocations because they are very closely associated with each other.)

Which adjective collocates with ‘the outcome’, ‘the response’ and ‘the results’? Are they strong or weak collocations?

pending = waiting to happen, to be decided or approved

• pending the outcome

• pending the results

• pending the response

(They are strong collocations because they are very closely associated with each other.)

Which noun collocates with ‘practical’, ‘sentimental’, ‘novelty’, ‘assess something’ and ‘place great’? Are they strong or weak collocations?

• practical value

• sentimental value

• novelty value

• place great value

• assess something’s value

(They are weak collocations because they are made up of words that collocate with a wide range of other words.)

Which noun collocates with ‘reliable’, ‘valuable’, ‘cheap’, ‘rich’, ‘of funding’, ‘of income’ and ‘of entertainment’? Are they strong or weak collocations?

• reliable source

• valuable source

• cheap source

• rich source

• source of funding

• source of income

• source of entertainment

(They are weak collocations because they are made up of words that collocate with a wide range of other words.)

Complete the sentence using a collocation.

Tania has always had a … so I'm not surprised she wants to study Chinese at university.

(a) gift for languages

Complete the sentence using a collocation.

At high tide the sea covers the causeway and the only way to get to the island is to … .

take a boat

Complete the sentence using a collocation.

It's very crowded in this cafe. You … and I'll get our drinks.

grab a seat

Complete the sentence using a collocation.

Once my exams are over I'll … planning a holiday.

turn my thoughts to (sth)

Complete the sentence using a collocation.

Far more people these days manage to … against cancer.

win the battle (against sth)

Complete the sentence using a collocation.

Most politicians say they enter politics because they want to … .

make a difference

Complete the sentence using a collocation.

Try not to … having good friends. Ultimately, friendship is far more important than work.

underestimate the value of (sth)

Complete the sentence using a collocation.

He's got the job - … a successful … in his driving test tomorrow.

pendging (a succesful) result (in sth)

Complete the collocations. The first letters are given to help you. Use a dictionary if necessary.

• to j _ _ _ at t chance

• to p _ _ _ up the chance

• to g _ _ the chance

• to s _ _ _ _ a chance

• to be in w _ _ _ a chance

• to jump at the chance (to accept it with eagerness: She jumped at the chance of a trip to Paris.)

• to pass up the chance (to fail to take a chance: I can't believe she passed up the chance to go to South America.)

• to get the chance (to have an opportunity to do something: I would have liked to meet him, but I never got the chance.)

• to stand a chance (to have a chance of success: She stands a good chance of passing her exam if she works hard.)

• to be in with a chance (have the possibility of success or victory: You're definitely in with a chance of getting the job.)

Complete the collocations. The first letters are given to help you. Use a dictionary if necessary.

• to f _ _ _ a challenge

• to p _ _ _ a challenge

• a d _ _ _ _ _ challenge

• to r _ _ _ to the challenge

• a s _ _ _ _ _ _ challenge

• to face a challenge

• to pose a challenge (to present an obstacle: Poor roads pose a challenge in rural areas, requiring more effort to travel.)

• a direct challenge

• to rise to the challenge (to be able to deal with something that needs great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully and therefore tests a person's ability: It's going to be a difficult job but I'm sure she'll rise to the challenge.)

• a serious challenge

Which is a collocation, learn by head or learn by heart?

learn by heart

Which is a collocation, miss a chance or lose a chance?

miss a chance

Here is one student's plan for work on collocations. Complete the gaps, using a dictionary if necessary. Then choose the ideas you can use yourself.

1. (a) ... an effort to notice collocations in any English text I read.

2. (b) … hold of a good dictionary to check other collocations for words that I want to learn.

3. Write down at least three collocations for each new word I want to (c) … to memory.

4. Look back over old homework to see where I have (d) … mistakes with collocations and (e) … my best to (f) … those mistakes in future.

5. (g) … a point of using good collocations when I have to write or speak in English.

6. Read and listen as much English as (h) … because that will expose me to natiral collocations.

7. Every week revise the collocations I have (i) … a note of in my vocabulary file.

1. (a) Make an effort to notice collocations in any English text I read.

2. (b) Get hold of (to find someone or obtain something) a good dictionary to check other collocations for words that I want to learn.

3. Write down at least three collocations for each new word I want to (c) commit to memory (to make certain that you remember something).

4. Look back over old homework to see where I have (d) made mistakes with collocations and (e) do my best to (f) avoid those mistakes in future.

5. (g) Make a point of (to always do something) using good collocations when I have to write or speak in English.

6. Read and listen as much English as (h) possible because that will expose me to natiral collocations.

7. Every week revise the collocations I have (i) made a note of in my vocabulary file.