The Top 10 Uncountable Noun Mistakes An uncountable noun is a noun such as furniture, music, health or happiness that has no plural form and is not a singular noun.. sb’s best / closes
Trang 1[EH13] common mistakes
Common mistakes
[EH13]
The following pages show you the type of
mistakes that advanced learners of English
make when they write exam papers All our
information on the type of mistakes that
students make in writing comes from the
Cambridge Learner Corpus The Cambridge
Learner Corpus (CLC) is based on a large
collection of exam papers that have been
written by students taking Cambridge ESOL
English exams At the moment this corpus
contains nearly 28 million words of English
written by learners and it is growing all
the time
The mistakes below have been grouped into
different types, for example a learner may have
spelled a word wrongly, or they may have used
a regular tense for an irregular verb Many of
these mistakes are well-known to teachers
The Cambridge Learner Corpus has been
developed in partnership with Cambridge
ESOL, whose exams are taken by students
all over the world
The Top 10 Spelling Mistakes
The list below shows you the ten words that
advanced students most often spell wrongly
in the Cambridge Learner Corpus The bold
letters in these words show you which parts
of the words learners most often get wrong
To help you spell these words correctly, pay
special attention to these letters in the correct
spellings:
Correct spelling
1 accommodation
2 which
3 government
4 beginning
5 definitely
6 successful
7 environment
8 advertisement
9 believe
10 colleague
Spelling words in English can be difficult for learners because sometimes a word is very similar to a word in their own language but
is not spelled the same This is why French
learners of English, for example, spell success with only one ‘s’, or colleague without an ‘a’
Another thing that makes spelling difficult
is that some words in English do not sound exactly as they are spelled In the word
definitely, for example, the second ‘i’ sounds
more like an ‘a’ It is important that students
of English learn these differences.
The Top 10 Uncountable Noun Mistakes
An uncountable noun is a noun such as
furniture, music, health or happiness that
has no plural form and is not a singular noun
Because uncountable nouns have no singular
or plural form, they cannot be used with a,
an, many, few, several etc At an entry for an
uncountable noun in this dictionary you will see the grammar code [ U ] and at an entry for
a countable noun, you will see the grammar code [ C ] At an entry for a noun that can be both countable and uncountable, you will see the grammar code [ C or U ] For examples of these, see the entries below:
"adjective with special permission not to do or pay something: Goods exempt from this tax include books and children’s clothes.*Pregnant women are exempt from dental charges under the current health system
Word partners for exercisehealthy activity do/get/take exercise be good exercise daily/
regular exercise strenuous/vigorous exercise gentle/light/moderate exercise a form of exercise an exercise class/programme/routine
Word partners for exercisepractice perform/take part in an exercise the aim/object/
point/purpose of the exercise a futile/pointless exercise a useful/worthwhile exercise an exercise
in sth
exercise/"ek.s@.saIz/ /-s -/
"nounhealthy activityk1.E [C or U] physical activ-ity that you do to make your body strong and healthy:
Swimming is my favourite form of exercise.*You really should take more exercise.*I do stomach exercises most days.practicek2.E [C] an action or actions intended
to improve something or make something happen:
Ships from eight navies will be taking part in an exercise
in the Pacific to improve their efficiency in combat.*It would be a useful exercise for you to say the speech aloud several times.*an exercise in public relations 3.E [C] a short piece of written work which you do to practise something you are learning: The book has exercises at the end of every chapter.usek4 [U] formal the use of something: The exercise of restraint may well be difficult
ceremonyk5 exercises [plural] us formal a ceremony which includes speeches and usually traditional music
or activities: graduation exercises Common mistake: exercise Warning: Check your spelling!
Exercise is one of the 50 words most often spelled wrongly by learners
"verbdo healthy activityk1.I [I or T] to do physi-cal activities to make your body strong and healthy: She exercises most evenings usually by running.*A work-out
in the gym will exercise all the major muscle groups 2 [T]
If you exercise an animal, you make it walk or run so that it stays strong and healthy: Now he’s retired he spends most afternoons exercising his dogs.usek3.A
[T] formal to use something: I exercised my democratic right by not voting in the election.*Always exercise cau-tion when handling radioactive substances * We’ve decided to exercise the option(= use the part of a legal agreement) to buy the house we now lease
"idiom exerciseyour mind formal to worry you: The whole situation is exercising our minds greatly
Lexercise Kbikenoun [C] a machine for taking exercise which looks similar to and is used like a bicycle but does not move from one place
exert/Ig"z3;t/ /-"z ;t/verbusek1 [T] to use something such as authority, power, influence, etc in order to make something happen: If you were to exert your influ-ence they might change their decision.*Some managers exert considerable pressure on their staff to work extra hours without being paid.make an effortk2 exert yourself [R] to make a mental or physical effort: I was too tired to exert myself
exertion/Ig"z3;.S@n/ /-"z ;-/nouneffortk1 [C or U] when you make a lot of mental or physical effort: I get out of breath with any kind of physical exertion.*We were exhausted after our exertions.usek2 [U] when you use something such as authority, power, influence, etc
in order to make something happen: the exertion of influence over who was appointed to the job
exfoliant/eks"f@U.li.@nt/ /-"foU-/noun [C or U] a sub-stance with which you exfoliate
exfoliate/eks"f@U.li.eIt/ /-"foU-/verb [I or T] to remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, in order to improve the appearance exfoliation/eks%f@U.li"eI.S@n/ /-%foU-/noun [U]
ex gratia /eks"greI.S@/adjective, adverb formal An ex gratia payment is not necessary, especially legally, but
is made to show good intentions: Ex gratia payments were made to all those who had been affected by the spil-lage
exhale/eks"heIl/ /" /verb [I or T] formal to send air out
of your lungs: Take a deep breath in then exhale into the mouthpiece cCompare inhale exhalation
/%eks.h@"leI.-S@n/noun [C or U]
exhaust/Ig"zO;st/ /-"zA;st/
"verb [T]tirek1.A to make someone extremely tired: The long journey exhausted the children.* I’ve exhausted myself with all that cleaning.usek2 to use something completely: How long will it be before the world’s fuel supplies are exhausted?* I’m afraid he’s exhausted my patience.*We seem to have exhausted this topic of conversation(= we have nothing new to say about it)
"noun [U] the waste gas from an engine, especially a car’s, or the pipe the gas flows through: Car exhaust is the main reason for the city’s pollution c See picture The Car on page P20
exhausted/Ig"zO;.stId/ /-"zA;-/adjective.I extremely tired: Exhausted, they fell asleep *By the time they reached the summit they were exhausted
exhaustible /Ig"zO;.stI.bl0/ /-"zA;-/adjective describes supplies of something which can be used completely
so there are none left: It is clear that many of the Earth’s resources are exhaustible
exhausting/Ig"zO;.stIN/ /-"zA;-/adjective.I making you feel extremely tired: I’ve had an exhausting day
exhaustion/Ig"zO;s.tS@n/ /-"zA;-/noun [U].A when you are extremely tired: She felt ill with/from exhaustion
exhaustive/Ig"zO;.stIv/ /-"zA;-/adjective complete or thorough: an exhaustive study/report exhaustively
/Ig"zO;.stIv.li/ /-"zA;-/adverb The survey was exhaus-tively documented
exLhaust Kpipenoun [C](us usually tailpipe) the pipe at the back of a vehicle through which waste gas escapes from the engine
exhibit/Ig"zIb.It/
"verb [I or T].A to show something publicly: He fre-quently exhibits at the art gallery.*In the summer the academy will exhibit several prints which are rarely seen
*He exhibited great self-control considering her rude-ness
"noun [C]1 an object such as a painting that is shown
to the public: The museum has a fascinating collection of exhibits ranging from Iron Age pottery to Inuit clothing
2 legal a thing used as evidence (= proof that some-thing is true) in a trial: Is exhibit C the weapon which you say was used?
exhibition/%ek.sI"bIS.@n/
"noun [C or U].I when objects such as paintings are shown to the public, or when someone shows a partic-ular skill or quality to the public: The photographs will
be on exhibition until the end of the month.*There’s a new exhibition of sculpture on at the city gallery.*The athlete’s third, and winning, jump was an exhibition of skill and strength
"idiom make an exhibition ofyourself disapproving to do something stupid in public: I hope I didn’t make an exhibition of myself last night
exhibitionism/%ek.sI"bIS.@n.I.z@m/noun [U]1 disapproving behaviour which tries to attract attention: It’s exhibi-tionism to flaunt wealth so blatantly 2 formal when someone shows their sexual organs in public
exhibitionist/%ek.sI"bIS.@n.Ist/noun [C]1 someone who tries to attract attention to themselves by their
488
ger and cooler: The wind is expected to freshen as it
moves in from the east.drinkk3 [T](also freshen up)
mainly usIf you freshen someone’s especially alcoholic
drink, you add more to it: Here, let me freshen your
drink
"phrasal verbs freshen(sb/sth) up [M] to make
some-one or something clean and pleasant: Would you like to
freshen up after your journey?*[R] I’m just going to have
a shower to freshen myself up
freshensth up [M] to make something different and
more interesting or attractive: The Prime Minister has
freshened up her Cabinet with a few new faces
fresher/"freS.@r/ /- /noun [C] uk informal a student
who has recently started studying at a college or
uni-versity
fresh-faced/"freS.feIst/adjective looking young:
fresh-faced 18- and 19-year-old soldiers
freshly/"freS.li/adverb recently done: freshly baked bread
*freshly made sandwiches*freshly washed hair
freshman/"freS.m@n/noun [C] us1 (informal frosh) a
stu-dent in the first year of high school, college, or
uni-versity: He’s a freshman at Harvard.*Greg and Jody
met in their freshman year at college and married soon
after they graduated 2 someone who has recently
started any particular job or activity: a freshman in
Congress*a freshman football player
freshwater/"freS%wO;.t@r/ /-%wA;.8 /adjective [before
noun] living in or containing water that is not salty:
freshwater fish*a freshwater lake/river cCompare salt
water
fret/fret/
"verb [I] (-tt-) to be nervous or worried: Don’t fret - I’m
sure he’s OK.*She spent the day fretting about/over
what she’d said to Nicky
"noun [C] any of the small raised metal bars across the
long thin part of a stringed musical instrument such as
a guitar, that show you where to put your fingers on the
strings in order to produce different notes c See picture
Music on page P25 fretted/"fret.Id/ /"fre8-/adjective
Guitars and lutes are fretted musical instruments
fretboard/"fret.bO;d/ /-bO;rd/noun [C] a fingerboard
(= long strip of wood on a stringed musical instrument
against which the strings are pressed) with frets such as
on a guitar c See picture Music on page P25
fretful/"fret.f@l/adjective behaving in a way that shows
you are unhappy, worried or uncomfortable: By
mid-night the children were tired and fretful(= complaining
a lot because they were unhappy) fretfully/"fret.f@l.i/
adverb
fretsaw /"fret.sO;/ /-sA;/ noun [C] a saw for cutting
curves and inside corners in wood
fretwork/"fret.w3;k/ /-w ;k/noun [U] decorative open
patterns especially cut out of wood or metal or made in
embroidery
Freudian/"frOI.di.@n/ adjective relating to the ideas or
methods of Sigmund Freud, especially his ideas about
the way in which people’s hidden thoughts and feelings
influence their behaviour
KFreudian Lslipnoun [C] something which you say by
acci-dent which is different from what you intended to say,
and which seems to show your true thoughts
FRG/ef.A;"gi;/ /-A;r-/noun [U] abbreviation for (the
country which used to be called the) Federal Republic
of Germany
Frinoun written abbreviation for Friday
friable/"fraI.@.bl0/adjective specialized easily broken into
small pieces
friar/fraI@r/ /fraIr/noun [C] a man belonging to one of
several Roman Catholic religious groups, whose
mem-bers often promise to stay poor
friary/"fraI@.ri/ /"fraI i/noun [C] a building in which friars live
fricassee/"frIk.@.si;/noun [C or U] a dish made of pieces
of meat, especially chicken or veal (= meat from young cows) cooked and served in a white sauce
friction/"frIk.S@n/noun [U]forcek1 the force which makes it difficult for one object to slide along the sur-face of another or to move through a liquid or gas:
When you rub your hands together the friction produces heat.disagreementk2 disagreement or unfriendliness caused by people having different opinions: There’s a lot of friction between my wife and my mother.*Politics
is a source of considerable friction in our family.*Border clashes have led to increased friction between the two countries frictional/"frIk.S@n.@l/adjective
Friday/"fraI.deI/noun [C or U] (written abbreviation Fri)
.E the day of the week after Thursday and before Saturday: Shall we go to the theatre on Friday?*I love Fridays because I leave work early
fridge/frIdZ/noun [C](also refrigerator, us old-fashioned ice-box).A a piece of kitchen equipment which uses electricity to preserve food at a cold temperature: Don’t forget to put the milk back in the fridge c See picture In the Kitchen on page P1
fridge-freezer /%frIdZ"fri;.z@r/ /-z / noun [C] (us usually refrigerator-freezer) a piece of kitchen equip-ment divided into two parts which are used to keep food fresh, one of which is a fridge and the other a freezer
Lfridge Kmagnetnoun [C] a small decorative magnet used for fastening messages and notes to a fridge
fried/fraId/adjective cooked in hot oil or fat: a fried egg Word partners for friend
have / find / make friends be / become friends with
sb sb’s best / closest / oldest friend
friend/frend/
"noun [C]person you likek1.E a person who you know well and who you like a lot, but who is usually not
a member of your family: She’s my best/oldest/closest friend - we’ve known each other since we were five.*He’s
a family friend/friend of the family.*This restaurant was recommended to me by a friend of mine.*We’ve been friends for years.*Jose´ and Pilar are (good) friends
of ours.*We’re (good) friends with Jose´ and Pilar.*She said that she and Peter were just (good) friends(= they were not having a sexual relationship).*I’ve made a lot
of friends in this job.* He finds it difficult to make friends cSee also befriend 2someone who is not an enemy and who you can trust: You don’t have to pretend anymore - you’re among friends now.person giving moneyk3 someone who gives money to a theatre, other arts organization or charity in order to support it: The Friends of the Royal Academy raised £10 000 towards the cost of the exhibition
"idioms A friend in need (is a friend indeed) saying This means that a friend who helps you when you really need help is a true friend have friends in high places
to know important people who can help you get what you want What are friends for? (also That’s what friends are for.) saying said to a friend who has thanked you for doing something special for them With friends like you, who needs enemies? humorous saying said to or about someone who says he or she is your friend but who is treating you very badly
Common mistake: friend Warning: Choose the correct verb!
To talk about starting a friendly relationship with someone, don’t say ‘meet/find/get friends’, say make friends:
If you don’t speak English, it’s hard to meet friends
If you don’t speak English, it’s hard to make friends
Important words to learn:.E Essential.I Improver.A Advanced friend
F
573
obj +-ingverb] I sit by the
window and watch people
walking past.*[+
question word] Just watch
how he slides that ball in
past the goalkeeper
*Bonner watched
helplessly as the ball
sneaked in at the near
post.*She’ll pretend that
she hasn’t seen us - you
watch 2.A [T] to stay with something or someone
such as a child for a short time to make certain that
they are safe: If you want me to watch the kids for a
couple of hours while you go out, just let me know
*Could you watch my bags for me, while I go to the toilet?
be carefulk3.A [T] to be careful of something: I have
to watch my weight(= be careful not to become too
heavy) now I’m not doing so much sport.*Watch your
language(= Do not use rude words) in front of ladies,
young man!*[+ (that)] Watch (that) you don’t get glue
on your fingers, won’t you?*[+ question word] Watch
what you’re doing with that knife, Jim, it’s sharp.*You
want to(= You should) watch him - he’s a bit of a strange
character
"idioms watchyour back to be careful of the people
around you, making certain that they do nothing to
harm you: I have to watch my back at work - there are a
lot of people who would like my job watch your step to
be very careful about how you behave: He’ll have to
watch his step if he wants to keep that job of his!
watch it informal used to tell someone to be careful:
Watch it, you nearly knocked my head off with that plank!
watch paint dry informal humorous used to refer to an
activity that you consider extremely boring: "So you
don’t want to watch the football?" "To be honest I would
rather watch paint dry" watch the clock disapproving to
often notice the time and wish that it was later,
espe-cially when you are doing work that you do not like
watch the world go by to look at people as they go
past: I love sitting in outdoor cafes watching the world
go by watch this space If someone says watch this
space, they mean that there will very soon be an
excit-ing change in their situation
"phrasal verbswatch out.I used to warn someone of
danger or an accident that seems likely to happen:
"Watch out!" he shouted, but it was too late - she had
knocked the whole tray of drinks on the floor
watch out forsb/sth to be careful to notice someone or
something interesting: Watch out for his latest movie,
which comes out next month
watch oversb to protect someone and make certain that
they are safe: The prince has two bodyguards watching
over him every hour of the day
"nounsmall clockk1.E [C] a small clock which is
worn on a strap around the wrist or, sometimes,
con-nected to a piece of clothing by a chain: My watch seems
to have stopped - it says 10:15 but I’m sure it must be later
*He glanced nervously at his watch.lookingk2.A [S
or U] when you watch or give attention to something or
someone, especially to make certain nothing bad
hap-pens: Once your name has been linked with a drug
offence, the police keep a close watch on you.*The
sol-diers slept at night, except for one who stayed awake on
watch/to keep watch 3 [S] a person or group of soldiers
or guards whose duty is to protect a person, place or
thing from danger or attack 4 [C] a fixed period of time
during which a person or a group of soldiers or guards
has the duty of protecting and warning of danger
"idiom a watch out when you watch carefully and look
for someone or something: Keep a watch out for Nicki
and Steve - they should be here somewhere
watchable/"wQtS.@.bl0/ /"wA;.tS@-/adjective informal
approving describes a television programme or film
that is entertaining: It’s not the most profound series I’ve ever seen but it’s very watchable
watchdog/"wQtS.dQg/ /"wA;tS.dA;g/noun [C] organi-zationk1 a person or organization responsible for making certain that companies obey particular stan-dards and do not act illegally: The Countryside Commis-sion was set up as the government’s official watchdog on conservation.dogk2 us for guard dog
-watcher/-wQtS.@r/ /-wA;.tS /suffix used with nouns
to describe a person who is interested in and enjoys watching a particular thing: Royal-watchers have once again been speculating on the health of the princess
watcher/"wQtS.@r/ /"wA;.tS /noun [C] a person who watches television or films: The new channel is certainly good news for the movie watcher cSee also viewer
watchful/"wQtS.f@l/ /"wA;tS-/adjective paying careful attention and ready to deal with problems: Under the watchful eye of their mother, the two boys played on the shore.*She keeps a watchful eye on her husband to see that he behaves himself watchfully /"wQtS.f@l.i/
/"wA;tS-/ adverb watchfulness /"wQtS.f@l.n@s/
/"wA;tS-/noun [U]
watchman/"wQtS.m@n/ /"wA;tS-/noun [C] a person who is employed to guard a building or several build-ings
watchstrap/"wQtS.str&p/ /"wA;tS-/noun [C] mainly uk (us watchband) a strip of leather or other material or a metal chain which fastens a watch onto your wrist
watchtower /"wQtS%taU@r/ /"wA;tS%taUr/ noun [C] a tower built especially around the edges of prisons and army camps, the top of which provides a good position from which to see anyone who is coming close
watchword/"wQtS.w3;d/ /"wA;tS.w ;d/noun [C usually singular] (a word or phrase which represents) the main ideas or principles directing the way that someone behaves or the way that something is done: And remem-ber, let caution be your watchword
water/"wO;.t@r/ /"wA;.8 /
"noun1.E [U] a clear liquid, without colour or taste, which falls from the sky as rain and is necessary for animal and plant life: a bottle/drink/glass of water
*bottled/mineral/tap water*hot/cold water*Can I have a drop of water in my whiskey, please?*Is the water hot enough for a bath? * The human body is about 50% water 2.E [U] an area of water, such as the sea, a lake or a swimming pool: The water’s much warmer today - are you coming for a swim?*I like swim-ming but I don’t like getting my head under(= in) water
*Dad, I swam a whole length of the pool under water (= with the whole head and body below the surface of the water)! 3 [U] the level of an area of water: High water this morning at Portsmouth is at 11.17 a.m 4 waters [plural]a the area of sea near to and belonging to a particular country: St Lucia depends on its clean coastal waters because fishing and tourism provide much of its income bthe water contained in a particular lake, river
or section of sea: In the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, oil rigs attract shoals of fish, and fishermen too
c uk (us water) the liquid that surrounds a baby inside a pregnant woman’s womb: At 3 a.m her waters broke, and the baby was born soon after 5 the waters [plural] old usewater from a spring, especially when used for drinking or swimming in, in order to improve the health: People used to come to this city to take (= drink and swim in) the waters
"idioms water off a duck’s back mainly disapproving cri-ticisms of or warnings to a particular person that have
no effect on that person: I’ve told him that he’s heading for trouble, but he doesn’t listen - it’s just water off a duck’s back water under the bridge problems that someone has had in the past that they do not worry about because they happened a long time ago and can-not now be changed: Yes, we did have our disagreements
Important words to learn:.E Essential.I Improver.A Advanced water
W
1639
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 3rd edition
© Cambridge University Press 2008
Trang 2Here are some examples of typical mistakes
that students make with uncountable nouns,
followed by the correct way to say each
sentence:
He gave me an advice.
✗
He gave me
✓ some advice
*He gave me
✓ a piece of advice
He gave me a lot of advices
✗
He gave me many advices.
✗
He gave me
✓ a lot of advice.
*Note that you can make some of these nouns
countable by adding a phrase such as ‘piece
of ’ or ‘item of ’ before the noun, e.g She gave
me two very useful pieces of advice
The words numbered 1–10 below, taken from
the Cambridge Learner Corpus, are the ten
uncountable nouns that advanced students
most often use wrongly as if they were
countable
Uncountable noun
1 information pieces of information
3 transport methods of transport
4 equipment pieces of equipment
5 behaviour* types of behaviour
6 research* pieces of research
7 training
8 knowledge
9 software pieces of software
10 accommodation
*These words also have meanings that can be
made plural See the main dictionary for these.
Although a lot of languages have words that
do not have a plural form, these are not always
the same words in different languages The
words for furniture in German, Russian and
Italian, for example, all have a plural form
Therefore it is easy for learners of English to
make mistakes with uncountable nouns
The Top 10 Mistakes Using Nouns
With Irregular Plurals
To make most countable nouns plural in
English, you usually add an ‘s’ at the end, for
example, dog – dogs However, some nouns
do not follow this rule and have an irregular plural form The following list shows the ten nouns with irregular plural forms that cause the most difficulty for advanced learners
of English The words on the left show the singular form of the noun and the words on the right show the correct plural form:
Singular Plural
Note that in this dictionary an entry for a noun with an irregular plural form will show the plural form at the start of the entry:
Lchewing Kgumnoun [U].A a sweet that you keep in your
mouth and chew to get its flavour, but which you do not
swallow: Would you like a piece/stick of chewing gum?
chewy/"tSu;.i/adjective describes food that needs to be
chewed (= crushed with the teeth) a lot before it is
swallowed: The meat was tasteless and chewy
chi/tSi;/noun [U](also ch’i, or qi) in some systems of
Chinese medicine and exercise, the most important
energy that a person has
chiaroscuro/ki%A;.r@"skU@.r@U/ /-%A;r.@"skjUr.oU/noun
[U] specialized the use of areas of light and darkness in a
painting: Caravaggio is famous for his use of chiaroscuro
chic/Si;k/adjective stylish and fashionable: I like your
haircut - it’s very chic.*a chic restaurant chic noun
[U] British politicians are not renowned for their chic
chicane/SI"keIn/noun [C] specialized a piece of road with
severe bends like an ‘S’, which forces drivers to go more
slowly, especially in motor racing
chicanery/SI"keI.n@r.i/ /-n -/noun [U] formal clever,
dishonest talk or behaviour which is used to deceive
people: The investigation revealed political chicanery
and corruption at the highest levels
Chicano/tSI"kA;.n@U/ /-noU/noun [C] (pluralChicanos)
informalsomeone living in the US who was born in
Mexico or whose parents came from Mexico
chichi/"Si;.Si/adjective informal disapproving trying too
hard to be decorated in a stylish or attractive way and
therefore having no real style or beauty: They live in a
rather chichi part of town
chick/tSIk/noun [C]birdk1 a baby bird, especially a
young chickenwomank2 slang a young woman This
word is considered offensive by many women
chicken/"tSIk.In/
"nounbirdk1.E [C or U] a type of bird kept on a farm
for its eggs or its meat, or the meat of this bird which is
cooked and eaten: A male chicken is called a cock and a
female chicken is called a hen.*We’re having roast/fried
chicken for dinner.personk2 [C] informal a coward
(= person who is not brave): Jump, you chicken!
"idioms a chicken and egg situation informal a situation
in which it is impossible to say which of two things
existed first and which caused the other one play
chicken slang to play dangerous games in order to
dis-cover who is the bravest
"adjective [after verb] child’s word not brave; cowardly:
Why won’t you jump? Are you chicken?
"phrasal verb chicken out slang disapproving to decide
not to do something because you are too frightened: I
was going to go bungee jumping, but I chickened out
chickenfeed/"tSIk.In.fi;d/noun [U] informal a small and
not important amount of money: They’re losing $200
000 on this deal, but that’s chickenfeed to/for a company
with yearly profits of $25 million
chickenpox/"tSIk.In.pQks/ /-pA;ks/noun [U] an
infec-tious disease that causes a slight fever and red spots on
the skin: Chickenpox is common among children
chickenshit/"tSIk.In.SIt/noun [C], adjective us slang
dis-approving forchicken(PERSON)(= a person who is not
brave) C’mon, don’t be such a chickenshit - just go up and
ask her to dance
Lchicken Kwirenoun [U] netting (= material in the form
of a net) made of metal wire, which was originally used
to make closed areas for chickens
Lchick Kflicknoun [C] informal humorous a film about
rela-tionships, romance, etc that attracts mainly women
Lchick Klitnoun [U] informal humorous stories written by
women, about women, for women to read
chickpea/"tSIk.pi;/noun [C] uk(us garbanzo bean) a hard
pale brown round bean which can be cooked and eaten
chicory/"tSIk.@r.i/ /- -/noun [U]1 (us also endive,
aus-tralian also witlof) a vegetable with white leaves that
taste bitter and are eaten raw in salads 2 a powder made from the root of this plant and added to or used instead of coffee
chide /tSaId/ verb [T] formal to speak to someone severely because they have behaved badly: She chided him for his bad manners
chief/tSi;f/
"adjective [before noun]most importantk1.I most important or main: The chief problem we have in the area now is the spread of disease.*The weather was our chief reason for coming here.person in chargek2 highest in rank: the chief fire officer/accountant
"noun [C].A the person in charge of a group or orga-nization, or the ruler of a tribe: a police chief*A new chief of the security forces has just been appointed.*[as form of address] uk humorous Can you sign this form for
me, chief?
"idiom too many chiefs and not enough Indians informal too many managers and not enough people to do the work
Kchief Lconstablenoun [C usually singular] in Britain, the police officer in charge of the police in a particular area
Kchief exLecutivenoun [C usually singular] the person with the most important position in a company: She’s the chief executive of one of the country’s largest charities
the KChief ELxecutivenoun [S] us the president of the United States
Kchief eKxecutive Lofficernoun [C](abbreviation CEO) the person with the most important position in a company
Kchief Ljusticenoun [C usually singular] the most impor-tant judge of a court of law, especially a very imporimpor-tant court in a country
chiefly/"tSi;.fli/adverb mainly: The island chiefly attracts upmarket tourists.*magazines intended chiefly for teen-agers
Kchief of Lstaffnoun [C] one of the highest-ranking offi-cers in the armed forces
chieftain/"tSi;f.t@n/noun [C] the leader of a tribe
chiffon/"SIf.Qn/ /SI"fA;n/
"noun [U] a very thin, almost transparent cloth of silk
or nylon
"adjective [before noun] us describes food which is made light, especially by adding the clear part of eggs which have been beaten: lemon chiffon pie
chignon/"Si;.njQ/ /-njA;n/noun [C] a woman’s hair-style where the hair is arranged in a knot or roll at the back of her head
chihuahua/tSI"wA;.w@/noun [C] a very small dog with large eyes and smooth hair
chilblain/"tSIl.bleIn/noun [C] a painful red swelling on the toes or fingers, caused by cold weather
child/tSaIld/(pluralchildren)
"noun [C]1.E a boy or girl from the time of birth until
he or she is an adult, or a son or daughter of any age: an eight-year-old child*As a child I didn’t eat vegetables
* A small group of children waited outside the door
*Both her children are now married with children of their own.*Jan is married with three young children
* They campaign for the rights of the unborn child cSee also brainchild 2 disapprovingan adult who behaves badly, like a badly behaved child: He’s such a child if he doesn’t get his own way 3 a child of sthsomeone who has been very influenced by a particular period or situa-tion: Me, I’m a child of the sixties
"idioms be child’s play informal to be very easy: Using computers nowadays is child’s play compared to how dif-ficult they were to use twenty years ago Children should
be seen and not heard saying said to emphasize that you think children should behave well and be quiet (great) with child old use (very) pregnant
234
The Top 10 Irregular Verb Mistakes
The following list from the Cambridge Learner Corpus shows the ten irregular verbs
that cause the most difficulty for advanced
students of English The bold letters in this
list show you the letters in these verbs forms that students most often get wrong:
Verb Correct inflection
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 3rd edition
© Cambridge University Press 2008
Trang 3Writing essays
Note that in this dictionary an entry for an irregular verb will show the irregular forms at the start of the entry.
feel excited Lglue Ksniffing noun [U] Drugs, glue sniffing
and under-age drinking are prevalent amongst the older
teenagers
gluey/"glu;.i/adjective (gluier, gluiest) covered with glue
glum/glVm/adjective (glummer, glummest) informal 1
dis-appointed or unhappy, and quiet: You look glum What’s
up?*He’s very glum about the company’s prospects
glumly/"glVm.li/adverb "I’ll never find another job at
my age," she said glumly glumness/"glVm.n@s/noun
[U]
glut/glVt/noun [C] a supply of something that is much
greater than can be sold or is needed or wanted: The fall
in demand for coffee could cause a glut on/in the market
*The current glut of graduates means that many of them
will not be able to find jobs glut verb [T often passive]
(-tt-) Higher mortgage rates and over-building left some
markets glutted with unsold houses
gluten/"glu;.t@n/ /-8@n/noun [U] a protein which is
contained in wheat and some other grains: a
gluten-free diet
glutinous/"glu;.tI.n@s/ /-8I-/ adjective sticky:
Short-grain rice turns into a soft glutinous mass when cooked
glutton/"glVt.@n/ /"glV8-/disapproving
"noun [C] a person who regularly eats and drinks more
than is needed
"idioms be a glutton forsth to like something very
much: Sophie is a glutton for books be a glutton for
punishment to be someone who seems to enjoy doing
something that you consider unpleasant: He’s a real
glutton for punishment, taking on all that extra work
without getting paid for it
gluttonous/"glVt.@n.@s/ /"glV8-/adjective disapproving
eating and drinking more than you need gluttonously
/"glVt.@n.@.sli/ /"glV8-/adverb
gluttony/"glVt.@n.i/ /"glV8-/noun [U] disapproving when
people eat and drink more than they need to: They treat
Christmas as just another excuse for gluttony
glyKcemic Lindexnoun [S](abbreviation GI) a system for
listing foods according to how quickly they increase the
level of sugar in your blood
glycerine, us also glycerin/"glIs.@r.i;n,-In/ /- rIn/
noun [U] a colourless sweet thick liquid which is used
in making explosives and medicines and for making
foods sweet cCompare nitroglycerine
glycerol/"glIs.@.rQl/ /-rA;l/noun [U] specialized
glycer-ine
glycogen/"glaI.k@U.dZ@n/ /-koU-/noun [U] specialized a
substance found in the liver and muscles which stores
carbohydrate and is important in controlling sugar
levels in the blood
gmnoun written abbreviation for gram
GM /%dZi;"em/ adjective [before noun] abbreviation for
genetically modified
KGM Lfoodnoun [C or U] genetically modified food: food
from crops whose genes have been scientifically
chan-ged: Agricultural companies have failed to convince
con-sumers that GM foods are safe
GMO /%dZi;.em"@U/ /-"oU/ noun [C] abbreviation for
genetically modified organism: a plant or animal
whose genes have been scientifically changed
GMT/%dZi;.em"ti;/noun [U] abbreviation for Greenwich
Mean Time
gnarled/nA;ld/ /nA;rld/adjective rough and twisted,
especially because of old age or no protection from bad
weather: a gnarled tree trunk*The old man drew a long
gnarled finger across his throat
gnat/n&t/noun [C] a very small flying insect that bites
animals and people
gnaw/nO;/ /nA;/
"verb [I + prep;T]bitek1 to bite or chew something
repeatedly, usually making a hole in it or gradually
destroying it: Babies like to gnaw hard objects when they’re teething.*A dog lay under the table, gnawing
on a bone.feel worriedk2 to make you feel worried
or uncomfortable: The feeling that I’ve forgotten some-thing has been gnawing at me all day
"phrasal verb gnaw away atsth to gradually reduce or spoil something: Bad debts are continuing to gnaw away
at the bank’s profits
gnawing /"nO;.IN/ /"nA;-/ adjective continuously uncomfortable, worrying or painful: I’ve had gnawing doubts about this project for some time.*After three days, we felt an agonizing, gnawing hunger
gneiss/naIs/noun [U] specialized a type of metamorphic rock that contains light and dark bands formed of minerals such as quartz and mica
gnocchi/"njQk.i/ /"njA;.ki/plural noun small round balls made from potato or wheat flour mixed with water, that you eat in soup or with sauce
gnome/n@Um/ /noUm/noun [C]1 an imaginary, very small, old man with a beard and a pointed hat, in tradi-tional children’s stories 2 a model of a gnome used as a garden decoration: I don’t think garden gnomes are in very good taste 3 the gnomes of Zurich literarythe powerful bankers (= people who own or control banks) from Switzerland who control a lot of money, much of it belonging to foreign governments
gnomic/"n@U.mIk/ /"noU-/adjective formal describes something spoken or written that is short, mysterious and not easily understood, but often seems wise: Peter
is always coming out with gnomic utterances/pronounce-ments
GNP /%dZi;.en"pi;/ noun [U] specialized abbreviation for Gross National Product: the total value of goods and services produced by a country in one year, including profits made in foreign countries cCompare GDP
gnu/nu;/noun [C] (pluralgnu or gnus) a large African animal with a long tail and horns that curve to the sides, which lives in areas covered with grass
go/g@U/ /goU/
"verb (going, went, gone)
move/travelk1.E [I usually + adv/prep] to travel or move to another place: We went into the house.*I went
to Paris last summer Have you ever been there?*We don’t go to the cinema very often these days.*Wouldn’t it
be quicker to go by train?*Does this train go to New-castle?*Where do you think you’re going? Shouldn’t you
be at school? 2.E [I usually + adv/prep] to be in the process of moving: Can’t we go any faster?*We were going along at about 50 miles an hour.*to go down the road*to go up/down stairs*to go over the bridge*to
go through a tunnel*figurative I’ve got a tune going around/round in my head (= I am continually hearing it) and I just can’t remember the name of it 3.E [I] to move or travel somewhere in order to do something:
[+-ingverb] We go shopping every Friday night.*I’ve never gone skiing.*They’ve gone for a walk, but they should be back soon.*[+toinfinitive] She’s gone to meet Brian at the station.* There’s a good film on at the Odeon Shall we go? 4 where has/have sth gone?.A
said when you cannot find something: Where have my keys gone?
leavek5.E [I] to leave a place, especially in order to travel to somewhere else: Is it midnight already? I really must go/must be going.*She wasn’t feeling well, so she went home early.*mainly uk What time does the last train to Bath go?*I’m afraid he’ll have to go(= be dis-missed from his job) - he’s far too inefficient to continue working for us.*This carpet’s terribly old and worn - it really will have to go(= be got rid of) 6 to go.A mainly
usIf you ask for some food to go at a restaurant, you want it wrapped up so that you can take it away with you instead of eating it in the restaurant: I’d like a cheeseburger and strawberry milk shake to go, please
612
Collocation Mistakes
A collocation is a combination of two or more words that are frequently used together In this dictionary, collocations are shown in the example sentences that come after the definitions You will see them clearly because
they are shown in bold letters:
tions, trains, etc: a railway station/timetable/siding, etc
*Thomas Grant worked on the railway(s) for fifty years
raiment/"reI.m@nt/noun [U] old use clothes
rain/reIn/
"noun [U]1.E drops of water from clouds: Rain is forecast for tomorrow.*Come inside out of the rain
*We had heavy/light rain all day.*We got caught in pouring/torrential (= a lot of) rain without either rain-coats or umbrellas.*There will be showers of rain/rain showers (= short periods of rain) in the east.*It looks like rain (= as if rain is going to fall) 2 the rains [plural] the season of the year in tropical countries when there
is a lot of rain: Villagers are now waiting for the rains to come so that the rice will grow.*This is the third year in
a row that the rains have failed
"idiom come rain or shine whatever happens: Come rain or shine, I’ll see you on Thursday
"verb [I].E If it rains, water falls from the sky in small drops: I think it’s starting to rain.*It’s raining hard/
heavily (= a large amount of rain is falling)
"idioms It never rains but it pours uk(us When it rains,
it pours.) saying said when one bad thing happens, fol-lowed by a lot of other bad things, which make a bad situation worse It’s raining cats and dogs! old-fash-ionedsomething that you say when it is raining heavily rain on sb’s parade to do something that spoils some-one’s plans: I’m sorry to rain on your parade but you’re not allowed to have alcohol on the premises
"phrasal verbs rain(sth) down to fall in large amounts,
or to direct something in large amounts, usually force-fully or violently: Bombs rained down on the besieged city.*Her attacker rained down blows on her
rainsth off uk(us rain sth out) If an event is rained off, it cannot start or continue because it is raining: His hockey match was rained off
rainbow/"reIn.b@U/
/-boU/noun [C].A an arch (= curved shape) of different colours seen in the sky when rain is falling and the sun is shining: The tropical butterfly’s wings were shimmering with all the colours of the rainbow
Lrain Kcheckus
"noun [C]1 a piece of paper that you are given by a shop when something which is advertised for sale at a certain price is not available This piece of paper allows you to buy the product at the advertised price when it becomes available 2 a ticket that allows you to see an event at a later time if bad weather stops that event from happening
"idiom take a rain check (onsth) informal used to tell someone that you cannot accept their invitation now, but would like to do so at a later time: Mind if I take a rain check on that drink? I’ve got to work late tonight
raincoat/"reIN.k@Ut/ /-koUt/noun [C] a coat which protects the wearer against rain: a plastic raincoat
raindrop/"reIn.drQp/ /-drA;p/noun [C] a single drop of rain
rainfall/"reIn.fO;l/ /-fA;l/noun [U] rain, or the amount
of rain that falls: Heavy rainfall ruined the match.*The average annual rainfall in this region: 750 mm
rainforestmainly uk, mainly us rain forest/"reIn.fQr.Ist/
/-fO;r-/noun [C or U].A a forest in a tropical area which receives a lot of rain: a tropical rainforest
Lrain Kgaugenoun [C] a device for measuring how much rain falls
rainstorm/"reIn.stO;m/ /-stO;rm/noun [C] a weather condition with strong wind and heavy rain
Lrain Kwaternoun [U] water that has fallen as rain, rather than water which has come from a tap
rainy/"reI.ni/
"adjective raining a lot: We had three rainy days on holi-day, but otherwise it was sunny
"idiom save/keep money for a rainy day to save money for a time when it might be needed unexpectedly: Luck-ily she had saved some money for a rainy day
raise/reIz/
"verb [T]liftk1.E to lift something to a higher posi-tion: Would all those in favour please raise their hands?
*He raised the window and leaned out.*Mary Quant was the first fashion designer to raise hemlines increa-sek2.E to cause something to increase or become bigger, better, higher, etc: The government plan to raise taxes.*I had to raise my voice(= speak more loudly) to make myself heard over the noise.*The inspector said that standards at the school had to be raised.*Our little chat has raised my spirits(= made me feel happier)
existk3.E to cause to exist: Her answers raised doubts/fears/suspicions in my mind.*This discussion has raised many important issues/problems * The announcement raised a cheer/laugh.*I want to raise (= talk about) two problems/questions with you.* I want to start my own business if I can raise(= obtain) the money/cash/capital/funds.*formal The chapel was raised(= built) as a memorial to her son.developk4.E
to take care of a person, or an animal or plant, until they are completely grown: Her parents died when she was a baby and she was raised by her grandparents.* The lambs had to be raised by hand(= fed artificial milk by people) when their mother died.* The farmer raises (= breeds) chickens and pigs.*The soil around here isn’t good enough for raising(= growing) crops.card gamesk5 If you raise another player in a game of cards, you risk more money than that player has risked: I’ll raise you.*[+ two objects] I’ll raise you $50.stopk
6 formal to end or stop: They agreed to raise the trade embargo if three conditions were met.*After three weeks the siege was raised.communicatek7 to communicate with someone, especially by telephone or radio: I’ve been trying to raise Jack/Tokyo all day
"idioms raise (a few) eyebrows to cause surprise or shock: Jemma’s miniskirt raised a few eyebrows at the board meeting raise your game to make an effort to improve the way that you do something: They’re going
to have to raise their game if they want to stay in the Premiership this season raise your hand to/against sb
to hit someone: Never raise your hand to a child
"noun [C] us for rise (= increase in pay) She asked the boss for a raise
-raiser/-reI.z@r/ /-z /suffix a person or thing that causes the stated thing to exist or be obtained: a money-raiser*These new taxes are designed to be a rev-enue-raiser
raisin/"reI.z@n/noun [C] a dried black grape
raison d’eˆtre/%rez.A~;"det.r@/ /%reI.zA;n-/noun [C usually singular] (pluralraisons d’eˆtre) a reason for existence: Her job is her raison d’eˆtre
the Raj/D@"rA;dZ/noun [S] the period of British rule
in India: the days of the Raj
rajah/"rA;.dZ@/noun [C] a male Indian ruler cSee also rani
rake/reIk/
"noun [C]toolk1 a garden tool with a long handle and long pointed metal parts sticking out
in a row at the bottom, used for making the earth level or for collecting leaves, etc.mank2 old-fashioneda man,
1172
As well as the collocations that you see in the example sentences, you will find collocations
in small blue boxes in the main dictionary
These blue boxes have the words ‘Word partners for ’ at the top Here is an example
of a Word partner box for the word house:
night)?*He returned in the early/small hours(= at night, after midnight) 4 work long/regular/unsocial, etc hours used to describe how many hours in the day you work or what part of the day you work: She’s a nurse so she often works unsocial hours *He’s paid well but he works long hours 5 for hours (and hours)
.I informalfor a very long time: I waited for him for hours 6 at all hours (of the day and night) disapproving repeatedly during the day and the night: They keep ring-ing me up at all hours (of the day and night)
"idioms after hours after the usual hours of work hour after hour.A for many hours without stopping: I sat by her bedside for hour after hour your hour has come literaryIf you think your hour has come, you think you are going to die: I thought my hour had come when
he pointed his gun at me (from) hour to hour If some-thing changes from hour to hour, it is different every hour in sb’s hour of need literary when someone urgently needs help: She helped me in my hour of need
out of hours mainly uk (us after hours) If you drink in a bar out of hours, you drink alcohol at a time when it is not allowed by law till all hours disapproving very late:
He stays up drinking till all hours
hourglass/"aU@.glA;s/
/"aUr.gl&s/noun [C]
a glass container filled with sand that takes one hour to move from an upper to a lower part through a narrow opening in the middle, used especially in the past to measure time
Lhourglass Kfigurenoun [C usually singular] If a woman has an hourglass figure, she has a very small waist
Lhour Khandnoun [C usually singular] the part on a clock or watch which points to the hours It is shorter than the minute hand
hourly/"aU@.li/ /"aUr-/
"adjective1.A done or happening every hour: There’s
an hourly bus service into town.*Take two tablets at hourly intervals 2 hourly fee/rate, etc.the amount that
is charged or earned every hour
"adverb.A once every hour: Trains call here hourly
Word partners for house build / buy / rent / sell a house a beautiful / fine / derelict / rambling house a terraced / semi-detached / semi-detached house
house
"noun/haUs/(pluralhouses/"haUzIz/)
homek1.E [C] a building which people, usually one family, live in: a detached/semi-detached house*to buy/
rent a house*house prices*She lives in a little house uk in/us on Cross Street cSee also farmhouse; roadhouse
2 [C usually singular] all the people living in a house: Try not to wake the whole house when you come in! 3 [C] a building where animals are kept: the monkey/lion house
at the zoo*a hen house 4 [C] a building or part of a building which is used for a special purpose: the Sydney Opera House*Broadcasting House
businessk5 a business or organization of the stated type, especially one that produces books or designs clothes: a publishing house* a fashion house*uk a curry house(= South Asian restaurant)
musick6 [U](also house music) popular dance music with a fast regular beat, usually produced on electronic equipment: House music first appeared in the late 1980s
school groupk7 [C] uk any of a small number of groups which the children in a school are put in for
sports and other competitions: an inter-house football match
familyk8 [C] an important family, especially a royal one: The British Royal Family belong to the House of Windsor
politicsk9 [C] an organization which makes laws, or its meeting place 10 the House the members of the organization which makes laws: The House began sit-ting at 3 p.m./rose at 2 a.m 11 [S] the group of people who suggest a subject for a debate: The motion for tonight’s debate is, "This house believes that capital pun-ishment should be abolished."
theatrek12 [C] the people watching a performance, especially in a theatre: The opera played to a full/packed house
"idioms get on like a house on fire informal If two peo-ple get on like a house on fire, they like each other very much and become friends very quickly: I was worried that they wouldn’t like each other but in fact they’re get-ting on like a house on fire get/put your own house in order to solve your own problems: You should put your own house in order before you start telling me what to do! go (all) round the houses uk to waste time doing or asking something in a very complicated way house of cards a complicated organization or plan that is very weak and can easily be destroyed or easily go wrong on the house If you have something on the house, it
is given to you free by a business: All the drinks were on the house
"verb [T]/haUz/to give a person or animal a place to live, or to provide space for something: It will be difficult
to house all the refugees.*The museum houses the big-gest collection of antique toys in Europe
Lhouse arKrestnoun under house arrest legally forced to stay in your house as if it were a prison: The opposition leader has just been put/placed under house arrest
houseboat/"haUs.b@Ut/ /-boUt/noun [C] a boat which people use as their home, often kept in one place on a river or canal
housebound/"haUs.baUnd/adjective unable to leave your home, especially because you are ill: She’s been house-bound since the accident
housebreaker/"haUs%breI.k@r/ /-k /noun [C] a person who illegally enters a house in order to steal something housebreaking/"haUs%breI.kIN/noun [U]
housebroken/"haUs%br@U.k@n/ /-%broU-/ adjective us forhouse-trained
housebuyer/"haUs%baI.@r/ /- /noun [C usually plural] a person who wishes to buy, or is buying a house or other form of place to live in
Lhouse Kcallnoun [C] when a doctor or other health worker comes to your home, usually to give treatment
LHouse ComKmittee noun [C] in the US, a group of people chosen by the House of Representatives to consider a particular matter: He appeared before the House Committee on Space, Science and Technology
housefly/"haUs.flaI/noun [C] a small common fly often found in houses
houseful/"haUs.fUl/noun a lot of people or things in your house: We’ve got a houseful of visitors at the moment
houseguest/"haUs.gest/noun [C] mainly us a person who stays at someone else’s house for one or more nights
household/"haUs.h@Uld/ /-hoUld/noun [C;+ sing/pl verb].A a group of people, often a family, who live together: By the 1960s, most households had a TV
*household chores*household expenses
householder/"haUs%h@Ul.d@r/ /-%hoUl.d /noun [C] the person who owns or is in charge of a house
Khousehold Lnamenoun [C] a famous person that most people know of: He was a household name in the 1950s
700
If you use common collocations when you are writing and speaking, your English will sound more natural and be easier to understand
Remember that collocations exist in all languages, but different words go together in different languages In some languages you
‘do a mistake’, but in English, you ‘make a mistake’ On the other hand, while in some languages you ‘make your homework’, in English you ‘do your homework’ Use the lists below to learn how to avoid the most common mistakes with collocations.
1 Verb + noun
This list shows you the ten mistakes that advanced students most often make when they choose a verb to go with a noun In most cases it is clear what the student means, but the problem is that the combination of verb + noun that they have used is not a collocation, does not sound natural, and is considerd to be incorrect In each case, a more natural verb + noun combination with the same meaning is shown under the incorrect combination. Noun
1 : experience
Example:
✗ I know several people who have made the same experience
✓ I know several people who have had the
same experience.
Noun:
2 friend
Example:
✗ I found it difficult to find friends and felt very lonely
✓ I found it difficult to make friends
and felt very lonely.
Noun:
3 research
Example:
✗ It is impossible to make any research without the Internet
✓ It is impossible to do any research
without the Internet.
Noun:
Example:
✗ Francesca makes her work very efficiently
✓ Francesca does her work very
efficiently.
Noun:
Example:
✗ People often do the same mistakes
✓ People often make the same mistakes.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 3rd edition
© Cambridge University Press 2008
Trang 4Example:
✗ I made a survey of the level of job
satisfaction in our department
✓ I carried out/did a survey of the level
of job satisfaction in our department.
Noun:
7 effort
Example:
✗ It is worth doing an effort to live a
healthier life
✓ It is worth making an effort to live a
healthier life.
Noun:
8 child/children/baby
Example:
✗ They married young, got two children,
and led an ordinary life
✓ They married young, had two
children , and led an ordinary life.
Noun:
9 business
Example:
✗ I spent two days in the office making
business by phone
✓ I spent two days in the office
conducting /doing business by phone.
Noun:
10 change
Example:
✗ They suggested doing some changes to
the schedule
✓ They suggested making some changes
to the schedule.
2 Adjective + Noun
This list, from the Cambridge Learner Corpus,
shows the ten mistakes that students make
most often when they choose an adjective
to go with a noun In most cases it is clear
what the student means, but the problem is
that the combination of adjective + noun that
they have used does not sound natural and
is considered to be incorrect In each case, a
more natural adjective + noun combination
with the same meaning is shown under the
incorrect combination.
1 Noun: number/amount/quantity
Example:
✗ a big number of tourists/students/
customers etc
✓ a large number of tourists/students/
customers etc.
✗ a big amount of money/food/
information etc
✓ a large amount of money/food/
information etc.
✗ In my country we eat a big quantity of pasta
✓ In my country we eat a large quantity
of pasta.
2 Noun: choice
Example:
✗ They offer only a little choice of cold snacks
✓ They offer a limited/narrow choice of
cold snacks.
3 Noun: range/variety/choice
Example:
✗ There is a big range of study materials available
✓ There is a wide range of study
materials available.
✗ They provide a big variety of hot meals every day
✓ They provide a wide variety of hot
meals every day.
✗ They offer a bigger choice of meals
✓ They offer a wider choice of meals.
4 Noun: noise
Example:
✗ Suddenly there was a big noise
✓ Suddenly there was a loud noise.
5 Noun: pressure
Example:
✗ I am already overworked and under high pressure
✓ I am already overworked and under
great/a lot of pressure
6 Noun: importance
Example:
✗ This fact is of very big importance to me
✓ This fact is of very great importance
to me.
7 Noun: amount
Example:
✗ They earn a high amount of money
✓ They earn a large amount of money.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 3rd edition
© Cambridge University Press 2008
Trang 58 Noun: tree/building/person
Example:
✗ It is a high building
✗ He is not very high
✓ It is a tall building
✓ He is not very tall.
9 Noun: progress
Example:
✗ I have made quite big progress in
speaking English
✓ I have made great/a lot of progress in
speaking English.
10 Noun: decrease
Example:
✗ There was a little decrease in profits in
the second year
✓ There was a slight decrease in profits
in the second year.
The Top 10 Verb + Verb
Combination Mistakes
This list shows the ten mistakes that advanced
students most often make when they put one
verb after another verb In each case the form
of the second verb is incorrect.
1 Main Verb:suggest
✗ suggest (sb) to do sth
✗ I suggest to send our colleagues
on a similar course
✓ suggest (that) sb do sth
✓ I suggest (that) we send our colleagues
on a similar course.
2 Main Verb:recommend
✗ recommend to do sth
✗ I recommend to employ a part-time
assistant
✓ recommend doing sth
✓ I recommend employing a part-time
assistant.
3 Main Verb:look forward to
✗ look forward to do sth
✗ I look forward to hear from you
✓ look forward to doing sth
✓ I look forward to hearing from you.
4 Main Verb:need
✗ need do sth; need doing sth
✗ We need resolve a lot of other important
problems
✓ need to do sth
✓ We need to resolve a lot of other
important problems.
5 Main Verb:consider
✗ consider to do sth
✗ I would like you to consider to refund at least some of my money
✓ consider doing sth
✓ I would like you to consider refunding
at least some of my money.
6 Main Verb: want
✗ want do sth
✗ If you want have the body you have always dreamed of, you must join a gym
✓ want to do sth
✓ If you want to have the body you have
always dreamed of, you must join a gym.
7 Main Verb:be used to
✗ be used to do sth
✗ You should be used to work in teams and
be computer literate
✓ be used to doing sth
✓ You should be used to working in
teams and be computer literate.
8 Main Verb:(would) like
✗ would like do sth
✗ I would like thank the families for their help
✓ would like to do sth
✓ I would like to thank the families for
their help.
9 Main Verb:can
✗ can to do sth
✗ We need to find new markets where we can to sell our products
✓ can do sth
✓ We need to find new markets where we
can sell our products.
10 Main Verb:help
✗ help (sb) doing sth
✗ My job was to help operating the roller-coaster
✓ help (sb) to do sth; help (sb) do sth
✓ My job was to help (them) to operate the roller-coaster.• My job was to help (them) operate the roller-coaster.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 3rd edition
© Cambridge University Press 2008