English Collocations in Use Intermediate_Starting and finishing

Look up the words begin, start, end and finish in a good learner's dictionary and note d o w n any other interesting collocations that you find there... Make a note of any other interes

Starting and finishing

Starting

PROMISING START FOR AMBROSE E A R L Y S T A R T TO HOLIDAY

Sally Ambrose, Britain's best hope in this year's E u r o t e n n i s t o u r n a m e n t , m a d e a

promising start when she won her first

match today against Sweden's Ulla Hemvik

Research shows that absolute beginners

have a better chance of learning a language well than those w h o start

w i t h some knowledge

Finishing

CLOSE FINISH IN SPANISH RALLY

Pedro Macarro emerged the winner of today's Spanish

Grand Prix in a very close finish Macarro was just 0.5

seconds ahead of Finland's Pekka Hirvonen

NEW CONSTITUTION

Ministers met today

to put the finishing

The Glasgow Arts Festival got off to a

good start this week, attracting more than

120,000 visitors during its first three days

TREATY B R I N G S CIVIL WAR T O A N E N D

T h e 12-year civil w a r in Collocania was finally b r o u g h t t o a n e n d yesterday

w h e n t h e t w o sides signed a p e a c e treaty

R0UX JUST WINS

Claude Roux won the championship

yesterday in a naif-biting finish

M o r e c o l l o c a t i o n s f o r s t a r t i n g a n d f i n i s h i n g

T h e invention of television marked the beginning of the end for popular radio shows

I studied h a r d for a whole m o n t h and the end result w a s t h a t I g o t a g r a d e 'A' in the exam The meal we had on o u r last evening in Istanbul was a perfect end to our holiday

It's t w o o'clock Let's make a start / get started, shall we? Then we can finish by five

As my time at university came to an end, I knew I had to start looking for a job

T h e meeting drew to a close at 5.30, after a long discussion

W i t h o u t a n y w a r n i n g , he w a s fired from the newspaper in 2 0 0 4 It w a s an abrupt end to his

5 1 1 W h a t are the opposites of the underlined phrases in these sentences?

1 We can m a k e a late start t o m o r r o w if you like

2 T h e competition has got off to a disappointing start as far as the British are concerned

3 M e e t i n g Josh on the beach on the last day w a s a horrible end to my holiday!

4 T h e meeting came to an unsatisfactory close

5 1 2 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences

1 It w a s such a near finish that no one was quite sure w h o had w o n

2 I've just got to put the ending touches to my painting a n d then you can see it

3 I expect the meeting will go to an end at a b o u t 5.30

4 Everyone is here, so I think we should do a start now

5 We all h o p e that the negotiations will succeed in taking the strike to an end

6 E-mail m a r k e d the start of the end for the fax machine

7 O u r journey finished — as it had begun — in C a i r o

8 H a v e you heard yet w h a t the finish result of the talks was?

5 1 3 Put the w o r d s in order to m a k e sentences

1 meeting / I / will soon / close / a / hope / d r a w / the / to

2 Town Hall / excellent reception / T h e conference / good / got / with / in / off / a / start /

t o / an / the

3 didn't / As / k n o w / a single w o r d / beginners' / D a n / w a s put / class / he / Japanese /

absolute / an / of / in

4 as a politician / T h e / end / scandal / Jackson's / b r o u g h t / a b r u p t / to / career/ an

5 w o n / nail-biting / a / Lance A r m s t r o n g / finish / cycle / the / race / in

5 1.4 M a t c h the questions on the left with the responses on the right

Do you think we should get started

soon?

^A N o , it's a complete mystery to me

| Did you already k n o w some F r e n c h ! b ( N o , I w a s looking forward to

^ \ w h e n you started your course? ^ t university

Was the race exciting?

[ Were you sad w h e n your school

^t days c a m e to an end?

f Do you k n o w why their relationship

^ t came t o such a n abrupt end?

Yes, it m a d e the perfect end to a lovely day

Look up the words begin, start, end and finish in a good learner's dictionary and note d o w n any

other interesting collocations that you find there

5 2 Talking a b o u t success a n d failure

speak French there

James has done very well this year, passing his exams without any problems If he continues to work hard, his success next year is guaranteed

James has made good progress with his geography this year, gaining good marks in the end-of-year exam

James's history project was a great success His use of original sources was highly effective He makes useful contributions in class and has the ability to

explain difficult ideas clearly to less able pupils

James found some effective ways of working with natural materials this year and his self-portrait was a brilliant success

James has been training hard and, as a member of the First Football Team, is now

able to enjoy the fruits of his hard work Playing for the school has certainly brought out the best in him and he has rightly won the respect of all his team-mates

O ' C o n n o r ' s first play was a great success but his second play flopped, [failed to attract audiences]

H o p e s that the play would enjoy a long run in L o n d o n were dashed, [hopes have h a d to be

a b a n d o n e d ] Unfortunately, m o r e pupils t h a n ever are said to be failing their final e x a m s

T h e mountaineer's attempt to climb Mt Everest w e n t badly w r o n g Everyone agrees that the peace talks are d o o m e d to failure, [are certain to fail]

H o p e s were initially high for the new project but it has proved to be a dismal failure, [a total failure]

A couple of major companies in the area went out of business last m o n t h , [stopped doing business]

I think the new plans for cutting railway costs are a recipe for disaster, [will certainly lead

5 2 1 Look at A C o m p l e t e these speeches congratulating people on various types of success

Over the years, Henry has (1) the respect of his colleagues, and now, as he retires, we all hope he can enjoy the (2) of his m a n y years of hard w o r k His career has been a (3) success, and he has (4) an &^$

e n o r m o u s contribution to our profession T h a n k you from all of us

As H e a d Teacher I am p r o u d to say the school has had a great year 8 7 % of students (5) their exams with grades B or higher, while the remaining 1 3 % (6) good or very good m a r k s T h e school rugby team has done well; its (7) achievement was winning the regional c h a m p i o n s h i p for the third year running We believe that Garfham School (8) o u t the best in o u r boys a n d girls, and this year is no exception Well done everyone!

O u r research team has (9) a b r e a k t h r o u g h this year, and I think we can say the success of the project is n o w (10) It has been a (11)

achievement We must n o w (12) a d v a n t a g e of the excellent progress

we have (13) and find m o r e (14) ways of persuading

the public of the i m p o r t a n c e of o u r w o r k I k n o w we (15) the ability to do this successfully, but we shall need all your s u p p o r t in this

I am delighted to present our a n n u a l school Language prize to Tom Linton Tom n o w has an excellent (16) of five major languages, which will certainly (17) in useful as he plans to w o r k a b r o a d Tom w a s not always a brilliant language learner, but his w o r k s h o w e d a (18)

i m p r o v e m e n t last year, a n d his success has continued Well d o n e , Tom

5 2 2 M a t c h the beginning of each sentence on the left with its ending on the right

6 O u r political campaign failed

7 His plans are a recipe for

8 A year later he went out of

9 She seemed to miss the

10 His latest novel w a s a

f i n a l e x a m s

my nerve a n d couldn't get back on

5 2 3 Correct the six collocation errors in this text

I was always a dismal fail at school I completely passed the point of maths and I failed sadly at most other subjects Only the drama teacher managed to bring off the best in me and gave me a part in the school play However, I lost

my courage on the day of the performance and my hopes of a career on the stage were smashed

Talking a b o u t cause and effect

D i f f e r e n t 'cause' verbs

topic

negative events, situations and feelings

positive and negative changes

positive and negative situations and feelings sudden, often negative, events reactions f r o m people

results and effects

t r a n s f o r m a t i o n in medical science

The events brought about t h e downfall/collapse of the government His book helped c r e a t e awareness of inner-city poverty

Your presence on the committee is c r e a t i n g p r o b l e m s for all of us

The announcement sparked off r i o t s / d e m o n s t r a t i o n s in the cities His wife's absence sparked off r u m o u r s in the media

His book has a t t r a c t e d a lot of c r i t i c i s m / i n t e r e s t The charity appeal a t t r a c t e d s u p p o r t f r o m a wide range of people

My comments p r o d u c e d t h e opposite effect to what 1 intended His research has not yet p r o d u c e d any results, but we must wait

Causes a n d effects

The i m m e d i a t e cause of the problem was an

oil leak

The government hopes to r e d u c e / m i n i m i s e t h e

i m p a c t of the new taxes

The new measures had an u n e x p e c t e d /

u n f o r e s e e n o u t c o m e The positive/beneficial effects of the changes

were soon apparent

The crisis was the d i r e c t / i n e v i t a b l e result of bad

economic planning

The underlying cause of the problem was a lack

of funds over many years

The support she got f r o m the Prime Minister

strengthened/increased the i m p a c t of her report The new tax led to the p r e d i c t a b l e / i n e v i t a b l e

o u t c o m e that many people became poorer The negative/adverse effects of the changes

were not noticed immediately

O n e i n d i r e c t / u n f o r e s e e n result of the new laws

has been a rise in unemployment

C o m m o n expressions f o r everyday events

T h e book caused an uproar in the United States, [made a lot of people complain angrily]

If you m a k e him angry, you'll have to suffer the consequences

The accident had a huge effect on her life

Latino singers have had a major impact on p o p music this year

Remember that it makes/creates a bad impression if you're late

T h e drug companies have a lot of influence on doctors

Their love affair caused a sensation

To affect means *to have an influence on someone/something, or to cause them to

change* (Her death affected everyone deeply.) To effect means ' t o achieve something

/ make something happen' (We are trying to effect a change in the way people think

about their diet.) The noun effect(s) refers to the result(s) of something (His stressful

life has had an effect on his health.)

W A R N I N G

I 10 English Collocations in Use

5 3 1 Complete each sentence with a verb from A Use each verb once only

1 T h e film has a lot of criticism, b o t h positive a n d negative

2 T h e extra w o r k Olga's had to do has her a lot of stress

3 T h e e x p e r i m e n t d i d n ' t the results w e ' d expected

4 David Line w r o t e an excellent article on the factors that

collapse of the Soviet U n i o n

5 T h e rise in the price of fuel has a series of protests

5 3 2 C h o o s e the correct collocation

the

I've j u s t b e e n r e a d i n g t h e very i n t e r e s t i n g b i o g r a p h y o f

Rhoda Legge, an early star of silent f i l m s She isn't g e n e r a l l y

w e l l - k n o w n n o w b u t she caused a(n) (1) impression I

sensation I outcome in t h e 1920s w h e n she h a d an a f f a i r

w i t h a m i n o r m e m b e r of a E u r o p e a n royal f a m i l y This t u r n e d

o u t to have a (2) major I principal I chief i m p a c t on her

career At first she was very distressed by t h e (3) effect I

influence I uproar it caused in t h e press H o w e v e r , u l t i m a t e l y ,

she d i d n o t s u f f e r t h e n e g a t i v e (4) results I consequences J

outcomes she i n i t i a l l y f e a r e d O n t h e contrary, t h e a f f a i r h a d

an (5) unpredicted I unknown I unexpected o u t c o m e The

(6) good I advantageous I positive effects of t h e a f f a i r s o o n

b e g a n t o m a k e themselves f e l t a s she b e g a n t o b e o f f e r e d all

sorts of i n t e r e s t i n g n e w roles T h e a f f a i r (7) affected I

effected I infected t h e w a y p e o p l e t h o u g h t a b o u t her The

r e l a t i o n s h i p d i d n o t last m o r e t h a n a f e w m o n t h s b u t i t

(8) produced I attracted I caused a sensation t h a t (9) had I

did I got a h u g e i m p a c t on her m o v i e career

5 3 3 C h o o s e an ending from the b o x to complete each sentence below

some changes in the way the college is structured

the development of personality very deeply

the impact of the tragedy on o u r children

result of the huge tax rises

a considerable influence on his choice of career

cause of the fire was

the impact of the new measures

results which no one could have predicted

a good impression at a job interview

causes of crime

1 T h e enquiry aims to establish w h a t the immediate

2 Henry's g r a n d m o t h e r had

3 T h e changes had some unforeseen

4 Criticising your previous boss doesn't create

5 We must do all we can to minimise

6 W h a t h a p p e n s in childhood affects

7 M a n a g e m e n t is trying to effect

8 T h e TV coverage they have received h a s strengthened

9 T h e government should do something a b o u t the underlying

10 T h e riots were an inevitable

i Look up the words influence, effect, impact and consequence in a good learner's dictionary Make a note of any other interesting collocations that you find

R e m e m b e r i n g and sensing

R e m e m b e r i n g

Notice all the m e m o r y collocations in this dialogue between

t w o old school friends

I saw Terry last night Do you remember her? We were at school together

N o , my long-term memory1 is terrible these days C o m e to think of it, my short-term

m e m o r y2 isn't t h a t brilliant either And I used to have such a good m e m o r y ! Anyway, give me a clue3

She was the one with long black hair and glasses You always used to say that she reminded you strongly of that singer you used to like

O h , yes I vaguely r e m e m b e r her now She used to be friends with J o , didn't she? Yes I'd clean forgotten4 a b o u t her t o o She ran over to me in the street and said hello My mind went blank5 I could r e m e m b e r her face but I'd completely forgotten her n a m e But once we started talking, the memories came flooding back6 My earliest m e m o r y of her is that we all went to the beach with her parents one weekend when we were a b o u t 12

Oh yes N o w you're stirring up memories7 for me I can distinctly remember being stung by a jellyfish in the water

I can see why you w a n t e d to blot out that memory8!

I can vividly remember it n o w though Actually, the whole weekend w a s an unforgettable experience We told ghost stories all night if I remember rightly

Oh yes, that's right N o w I remember it well It's terrible h o w memories fade9 as time passes, isn't it! M i n d you, I'm happy to lose some of my more painful memories

I couldn't remember anything

lots of memories returned making old memories come back avoid remembering something unpleasant memories get less clear

I've forgotten my homework I left it at home N O T I've forgotten my h o m e w o r k at home

Sensing

Read these problem letters from a magazine and notice the collocations relating to sensing

When I first met my n e w boss, 1 had/got the impression that he might be a difficult person to work for I sensed some tension b e t w e e n us Now

I have a feeling that he is trying to make things difficult for m e I d o n ' t know whether I should trust

my intuition 1 a n d h a n d in my resignation Or am I

just being ridiculously over-sensitive?

feel confident that my instinctive feelings are correct

For the last f e w weeks I've b e e n m u c h more

sensitive to heat a n d sensitive to light than I used

to b e I've always h a d sensitive skin a n d sensitive teeth but this is m u c h worse than ever before My hands h a v e also started going numb 2 if I get at

all c o l d I used to have an acute sense of smell

a n d acute hearing but I d o n ' t any more

losing all feeling 3 acute = sharp, very good

E R R O R

W A R N I N G

Remember the difference between a sensitive p e r s o n [a person w h o is easily upset]

and a sensible person [a person with good judgement]

I 12 English Collocations in Use

54.1

54.2

54.3

54.4

T h e s e people are all talking a b o u t their memories of childhood Use w o r d s from A opposite

to complete the collocations T h e w o r d s in brackets give t h e m e a n i n g of the w o r d you need

/ Well, my {first) m e m o r y is of sitting in o u r garden on my

1 mother's lap I (not very clearly) r e m e m b e r that there wai

a cat or d o g there t o o , but I can't r e m e m b e r much else

I used to have a memory when I w a s young, but I'm 82

now, and as you get older your m e m o r y (memory for things that happened long ago) is very clear, but your memory (memory for things that happened recently) is less good Sometimes I

^ can't remember what happened yesterday But I c a n (very -~~1 clearly) remember my first day at school as a child

My mother sometimes tells me things I did or said w h e n I w a s little

but which I've (totally) forgotten O n e e m b a r r a s s i n g

m e m o r y which I'd rather o u t (avoid remembering) is

^1 w h e n I t o o k some scissors a n d cut my o w n hair It looked awful!

Seeing schoolchildren often up all kinds of memories

(makes old memories come to the surface) for me I w a s n ' t h a p p y at school a n d I have some (unpleasant) memories of being

forced to do sports, which I hated Sometimes, w h e n 1 hear certain

songs, memories c o m e back (lots of memories return)

C o m p l e t e the collocations connected with remembering

1 It w a s a nightmare T h e m o m e n t I looked at the e x a m paper my mind went

2 Her name's Lyn, and she w o r k e d with Nick a few years ago, if I remember

3 Let me see if I can remember where we met Give me a

4 It w a s a wonderful trip to India It w a s a(n) experience

C o m p l e t e each sentence using a w o r d f r o m the b o x

intuition sensitive numb acute impression sensible over-sensitive sensed

1 Do you ever get the that Jane is a little mad? She says some very odd things

2 I a bit of tension between M a r k and Pauline I wonder if they've had a row?

3 Usually I can trust my to tell me if s o m e o n e is lying or not

4 You're ridiculously ! You treat everything I say as a personal attack on you

5 It w a s so cold and I had no gloves on My h a n d s w e n t as I rode my bike

6 He uses a special face cream and t o o t h p a s t e as he has skin and teeth

7 Dogs have hearing and smell, and are often used to rescue disaster victims

8 Paul is a very person; you can trust him n o t to do anything foolish

C h o o s e the correct collocation

1 I distinctly I strongly I rightly remember that we agreed to meet at the gym

I made I had I took the impression t h a t you d i d n ' t like Molly

You must wear gloves in this cold or your fingers will do I have I go n u m b

I usually find t h a t I can trust I rely I depend my intuition

come to / reach a compromise

settle a dispute / your differences

agree to differ [agree to have different opinions]

example

1 go a l o n g w i t h y o u r v i e w that crime and poverty are linked

We a r e in c o m p l e t e a g r e e m e n t over the question of drug abuse in

athletics

1 t e n d to agree that parents often blame teachers f o r problems which

start within the family

1 share y o u r opinion that sport is over-commercialised

1 a p p r e c i a t e your p o i n t of view, but 1 still think you are overstating

the problem

1 can see y o u r point; I've never thought of it in that way before

I'd prefer n o t to e n t e r i n t o an a r g u m e n t over the war in Collocania Differences exist / have arisen between the unions and the

management over how to solve the problem

We disagree over what to do, but I'm sure we can c o m e to / reach a

c o m p r o m i s e The management and the union have finally s e t t l e d t h e i r pay dispute I'm sure we can settle o u r differences without damaging our friendship

1 don't think we will ever agree w i t h each other We'll just have to agree

fundamentally/

totaJly/strongly

example

1 e n t i r e l y agree with you on the question of nuclear waste

1 a g r e e up to a point, but 1 also think there are other important

factors

The t w o philosophers disagreed f u n d a m e n t a l l y over the effect of

the environment on behaviour

A d j e c t i v e a n d n o u n collocations f o r disputes a n d s t r o n g disagreements

IVe often disagreed strongly with N a n c y but I've never had such a h e a d - o n clash with her before, [disagreement where t w o people confront each o t h e r directly)

T h e bitter dispute between the t w o g r o u p s finally led to violence

We had a very heated a r g u m e n t a b o u t immigration the other day

Jeff and I had a fundamental disagreement over w h o should be the next Chair of the club

F u r t h e r collocations f o r a g r e e i n g a n d disagreeing

T h e Regional Education C o m m i t t e e has reached a u n a n i m o u s agreement on a new system

of exams for secondary schools

Controversy continues to exist/rage over the a p p o i n t m e n t of the new Director

A conflict of opinion within the N a t i o n a l Olympic Association is threatening to delay the building of a new stadium

14 English Collocations in Use

55 f Look at A M a k e collocations by matching w o r d s from the circle on the left with w o r d s

from the oval on the right

5 5 2 Put the expressions from the b o x into the appropriate category below

a controversy rages a head-on clash a heated argument

settle a dispute come to a compromise differences exist

reaching agreement disagreeing

5 5 3 Rewrite each sentence using the w o r d in brackets, so that it keeps the same m e a n i n g

1 I d o n ' t completely agree with w h a t you say. (POINT)

2 I a m in total agreement with you. (ENTIRELY)

3 T h e r e w a s n o disagreement a m o n g the committee members, (UNANIMOUS)

4 T h e r e will always be differences of opinion even between friends (ARISE)

5 J a m e s and Brian had a big disagreement over the question of climate change, (STRONGLY)

6 T h e project has been delayed because of the different opinions a m o n g the members of the

7 1 find it difficult t o agree with such an idea, (ALONG)

8 We are in total disagreement a b o u t most things, (FUNDAMENTALLY)

5 5 4 Answer these questions a b o u t the collocations o n the opposite page

1 Which collocation suggests that a disagreement is like a high temperature?

2 Which t w o collocations suggest that a disagreement is like a fight or a war?

3 Which collocation suggests that controversy is like anger?

4 W h y do you think the w o r d bitter is used to refer to quarrels a n d disputes as well as to

taste?

5 Which collocation suggests that understanding someone's opinion is like using your eyes?

English Collocations in Use I 15

Talking a b o u t beliefs and opinions

Speaking a b o u t beliefs and opinions

I firmly believe

t h a t young people should have the right to vote at 16

z~~v—

I share your opinion on the issue of hunting

I'm a great believer

We are poles

a p a r t2 in o u r attitudes to life

It's a m a t t e r of

o p i n i o n whether men are better drivers than

w o m e n

are completely different

what many people think

disagreement 4 J'm beginning to thin

M o r e f o r m a l ways of discussing beliefs

Look at this extract from a student essay and notice the collocations referring to beliefs

The writer seems to make assumptions based on an unshakeable belief in the superiority of his own value system He seems to be unaware of the extent to which his own set of beliefs has coloured his judgement 2 His research leads him

to conclude that military action was justified However, his evidence is based on one single document and attaches too much importance to this I do not trust his judgement Moreover, other documents cast doubt on 3 his conclusions Opinions on the issue are divided 4 and my own considered opinion 5 is that the writer is not to be trusted I have serious misgivings about 6 his research and I have doubts about the accuracy of some of his facts

1 thinks or says things are true w i t h o u t enough evidence

2 affected his judgement suggest something may be w r o n g with

4 people have different opinions

5 o p i n i o n after much thought

6 I have serious d o u b t s about

S o m e e r r o r warnings

T h e expressions in this table are collocations that learners often have difficulty with

collocation

1 h o p e you'll c o m e to my party

They've given up h o p e of any survivors

We need to think h a r d about this problem

1 wish they would just leave me alone

Many people hold t h e v i e w / o p i n i o n that

He has s t r o n g opinions on many subjects

5 6 1 Look at A C o m p l e t e the collocations in these letters to a newspaper

Sir/Madam, Sir/Madam, Sir/Madam,

I (1) the According to popular While I (7)

opinion of your correspondent (4) , the war believe in the right of everyone to

that the EU has brought peace between Gronbia and Karzkut own a car, I am also a great

to Europe, but I cannot agree started with a (5) (8) in that a single currency for all of opinion over how best to keeping fit and healthy The

of Europe is necessary It is a preserve the beautiful mountain government tells us we must take

(2) of opinion environment on both sides of the exercise but I have a

be maintained with one countries were apparently that they are afraid of saying we

currency, and there ,s (6) apart on s h Q u | d s e | | o u f ^ b e c a u $ e

(3) to believe how to approach the issue, and , , ,,

)J, ,- \s, , would lose billions in road taxes

that some European economies war resulted If this is indeed y

were more stable before they true, how stupid can human '

joined the euro beings become? A bignklist

Yours, Yours sincerely,

A Tory B Leaver

5 6 2 Correct the seven collocation errors in this text

I wish we can solve a big problem we have regarding our student committee Opinions are

separated about how to approach the issue and, naturally, some members have very heavy

opinions Some of their views are based on their unstirred belief that they are always right and

that no one can challenge their group of beliefs My o w n t h o u g h t f u l opinion is that we should

have new elections, but I know that others have quite a different meaning

5 6 3 M a t c h each verb in the b o x with its noun collocation in the table below T h e n write one

sentence for each collocation

cast colour attach make have trust

doubt on serious misgivings doubts

5 6 4 M a k e seven collocations using the w o r d s in the b o x Use each w o r d once only

apart belief believe cast

sneaking strong suspicion

think firmly doubt poles

hard opinions popular

Paul

« r > n

Dear Carl,

You've probably heard that the management have taken the decision to close the Madrid office There was a lot of

discussion, but apparently it was a unanimous decision in the end There's always been a degree of uncertainty

surrounding the future of the Madrid office, but let's just hope this will now be seen as a wise decision by everyone Jane

e ^ > ^

Dear Mary,

After weeks of hesitating, it seems Archie has arrived at a decision about the research fund He's going to increase it by

£10,000.1 think that's a sensible decision that combines generosity and sound judgement But he's also defending his decision to close down the San Antonio project, which is losing a lot of money However, he's reserving judgement on the Berlin project until he gets more reliable information

Nick

Choices, o p p o r t u n i t i e s , advice

Tim: I'm going to have to m a k e a choice soon about next year

I've been given the chance of going on a six-month

expedition to South America and I've been offered a job

in a b o o k s h o p here

Laura: Wow! South America! T h a t sounds like the o p p o r t u n i t y

of a lifetime! H o w could you say no?

Tim: Well, believe it or not, I d o n ' t have a b u r n i n g desire to

see the w o r l d , I'd much prefer just to stay at h o m e

Anyway, I'm going to consider all the options before I decide

Laura: Well, I k n o w you never take my advice but I w o u l d strongly advise you to think of

the future Overseas experience is much more useful than w o r k i n g in your home

t o w n You're lucky to have a choice, a lot of people stay at h o m e because they have no o p t i o n

Tim: I know, I know, but it's a tough choice You w o u l d n ' t u n d e r s t a n d

Laura: Well I think you're just taking the soft option if you choose the b o o k s h o p I can't

believe you're going to pass up the o p p o r t u n i t y of a trip to South America

Tim: Well, we all face difficult choices n o w and then

Laura: Difficult! You're m a d ! Look, just d o n ' t reject South America o u t of h a n d Promise

me you'll think a b o u t it

Tim: Yes, yes, I already said I'm going to weigh up the options and c o m e to a decision

1 Horoscopes often focus on choices and decisions in people's lives Read horoscopes in English and note any new collocations connected w i t h decisions and choices

Collocations in Use

5 7 1 Using collocations from section A on t h e opposite page, complete B's r e m a r k s in these

conversations so that B agrees with w h a t A says

1 A: I still d o n ' t k n o w whether to take the job or not But I'll have to decide soon

B: Yes, you can't go on putting the decision for ever

2 A: It was good that absolutely everyone agreed in the end, w a s n ' t it?

B: Yes, I'm glad it w a s a decision

3 A: I think I'd prefer to wait and see w h a t h a p p e n s before judging the new system

B: Yes, I think it's best if we all judgement till we see the results

4 A: I said I would join the committee but n o w I'm n o t so sure

B: M m , it's obvious y o u ' r e having t h o u g h t s

5 A: I felt he was hesitating a little bit before deciding, didn't you?

B: Yes, I definitely detected a hesitation on his part, you're right

5 7 2 C o m p l e t e each sentence using a w o r d from the b o x

degree come wise take sound defend give tough arrive weigh

57.3

1 She has always been respected for her judgement in financial m a t t e r s

2 Do you think it was a decision to sell off the c o m p a n y ' s Dublin branch?

I think it was a mistake

3 I think we should up the o p t i o n s before deciding

4 It t o o k the committee a whole day to at a decision

5 T h e r e seems to be a of uncertainty as to w h e t h e r they will sign the

contract

6 I d o n ' t think we can our decision to exclude some of the children from the competition Everyone thinks it's very unfair

7 It was a choice, but we had to m a k e it, even though we hated doing so

8 I think you should your father's advice and say n o

9 I wish s o m e o n e would me the chance to prove h o w good I a m

10 H a v e you to a decision yet a b o u t your university course?

Read these r e m a r k s by different people, then answer the questions

R h o d a : I think I'll choose the s u p e r m a r k e t job; the job at the children's hospital seems

like very hard w o r k I w a n t something easy

Z u b a y a : I've decided to say no to the offer to join the conservation team in C a n a d a

Kim: I desperately w a n t to see the world; I'll take any job if it means I can travel

Archie: I d o n ' t w a n t to sell my flat but I have no other way of getting money

M a b e l : M e , work in a zoo? Never, absolutely not! I'm not even prepared to consider it! Elaine: I've been offered a job singing on a cruise ship It's fantastic! I'll never get an

offer like this, ever again

1 W h o is going to do something because they have no option?

2 W h o has been given the opportunity of a lifetime?

3 W h o wants to take the soft option?

4 W h o is rejecting something o u t of hand?

5 W h o has decided to pass up an opportunity?

6 W h o has a burning desire to do something?

name

Claiming and denying

M a k i n g accusations

A government minister is today facing accusations of taking bribes

There have been heavy hints' about this for some time An article in

The Moon last week clearly implied2 that a top political figure was

involved in a scandal and dropped a number of broad hints 3 as to

w h o it was A leaked document 4 published in today's Moon y however, makes a n u m b e r of

serious allegations 5 , which openly accuse the Minister of corruption The Minister has issued a statement 6 , saying the claims are unfounded7 He claims that he has been wrongly

accused by The Moon because of its long-running battle8 with the government

strong suggestions

2 suggested clearly but indirectly

3 made a number of obvious suggestions

4 an official document unofficially given

to the press

P u t t i n g f o r w a r d a p o i n t o f v i e w

makes serious claims of criminal behaviour

6 made a formal statement

7 the claims are untrue, have no basis in reality

an argument that has been going on for a long time

Jones puts f o r w a r d an interesting theory1 of language learning, backing up2 his argument w i t h t h o r o u g h data Fully accepting the fact t h a t different learners f i n d different methods useful, Jones makes the point3 t h a t motivation is the key factor in most learners' success Although this has been widely acknowledged4 in general terms for some time, Jones is more precise than most, stating clearly that motivation is more important than all other factors, and substantiating5 this claim w i t h impressive data

1 proposes a theory 2 supporting

presents an argument supporting

D e n y i n g

collocation

strongly deny deny charges / an accusation deny a r u m o u r / an allegation disclaim responsibility

reject an idea / a suggestion run contrary t o

contradictory evidence/advice

example

The PM strongly denied claims of corruption made against him

Despite the evidence against him, the accused d e n i e d t h e charges The pop star has d e n i e d all t h e r u m o u r s about her marriage The hotel disclaims all responsibility for guests' vehicles

A n n r e j e c t e d all Joe's suggestions about how to decorate their flat The research findings r u n c o n t r a r y to popular belief

C o n t r a d i c t o r y evidence made it hard for the jury to reach a verdict

E R R O R

W A R N I N G

Note these collocations: deny/reject a claim, deny a rumour / an allegation /

an accusation but reject an idea / a suggestion and refuse an invitation/offer.You deny/reject/refuse something You deny that something is true.You can also refuse

to do something (in the future) but deny doing something (in the past)

I 20 English Collocations in Use

5 8 1 C o m p l e t e the sentences, using collocations from A

1 A provided the press with information a b o u t the

government's secret plans

2 M a n a g e m e n t has been having a with trade u n i o n

representatives over a n u m b e r of aspects of employees' rights

3 I'm going to get my son an iPod for his birthday He's been d r o p p i n g

a b o u t w h a t he w a n t s for some time

4 At the end of the three-day meeting a spokesperson will

to inform the press a b o u t any agreements t h a t have been signed

5 A front-page article in today's paper is m a k i n g some

a b o u t the behaviour of some t o p international bankers

6 T h e article did not n a m e anyone directly but it w h o w a s involved

5 8 2 Fill each g a p in this extract from a scientific article

In his latest article on the free market (4) as an important

Milton King puts (1) some contribution to economic thought The

original theories He (2) data from his research (5)

earlier ideas which up until now most up his theories and help to

economists have accepted without (6) his claim that modern question He (3) some economies would benefit from major

fascinating points based on his own reforms

extensive research which is widely

5 8 3 Replace the underlined w o r d s with an a p p r o p r i a t e form of either deny, reject or refuse to

give the sentences the opposite meaning

1 T h e politician agreed that the allegations m a d e against him were true

2 I think we should accept Jill's invitation to their N e w Year's Party, d o n ' t you?

3 Hill accepts the theories put forward by J a c k s o n

4 Katie agreed t h a t she had been present at the meeting

5 I h o p e they will accept my offer of help

5 8 4 Rewrite each sentence using the w o r d in b r a c k e t s , so that it keeps the same m e a n i n g

1 We are not responsible for valuables that are not left in the hotel safe, (DISCLAIM)

2 T h e p o p star insisted that there was no basis to the claims made against him. (UNFOUNDED)

3 Jones's views do not accord with the facts, (RUN)

4 T h e n e w s p a p e r clearly suggested w h o the actor's n e w lover w a s (DROPPED)

5 Paul insisted t h a t w h a t people were saying a b o u t him w a s u n t r u e , (DENIED)

6 W h a t e v e r idea I suggest, Jim says it is n o good, (REJECTS)

7 I d o n ' t k n o w w h a t to d o , as everyone keeps suggesting I do something different

(CONTR ADICTO RY)

8 T h e student is being accused of cheating in his e x a m , (FACING)

9 In his new b o o k the writer presents an interesting theory of art. (FORWARD)

10 Recent research supports Mclntyre's theory (UP)

59 Liking and disliking

A S t r o n g s t a t e m e n t s : nouns and adjectives

1 have a p a r t i c u l a r liking for quiet, relaxing music

She had a genuine liking for her cousins

His g r e a t love of nature can be seen in his paintings

Her passionate love of the sea inspired her to sail round the w o r l d

1 have always had the g r e a t e s t r e g a r d for her

She has the highest r e g a r d for her teacher

1 will never forget the sheer e n j o y m e n t of listening to the children singing

We get g r e a t e n j o y m e n t o u t of o u r little cottage in the mountains

It's been a g r e a t pleasure meeting you 1 hope we meet again

It was such a huge pleasure to be able to relax and do nothing for a week

W h e n asked, many people expressed a clear p r e f e r e n c e for organic food

I've always had a s t r o n g p r e f e r e n c e for short stories rather than novels

1 have an intense dislike of rock music that is played t o o loud

She t o o k an instant dislike to Mr Peabody, but she did n o t know why

He has always had a huge aversion to hard w o r k of any kind

Most people have a s t r o n g aversion to excessive violence on TV

She had a d e e p h a t r e d of politicians, especially c o r r u p t ones

The d e e p - r o o t e d h a t r e d between the t w o tribes led to a bloody civil war

1 a feeling of strong dislike or a lack of willingness to do something

Verbs and nouns

These people are talking a b o u t their favourite airlines

I think Globe Air are pretty good You can state your preference for a special low fat menu, or seafood or vegetarian They have great in-flight e n t e r t a i n m e n t t o o - they try to cater for everyone's tastes They seem to take pride in their service

I do a lot of long-distance flying and I don't relish the thought1 of a twelve-hour flight with no leg-room, so I usually fly with Arrow They give you a lot of space, even in economy And they seem to t a k e pleasure in looking after you

don't like to think that it is going to happen

1 think most people take offence2 if they're just treated like a number I have no sympathy for airlines that lose customers because they're too lazy to give them a w a r m w e l c o m e when they step on board Visa Airlines are always very friendly

2 become upset because someone has insulted or disrespected them

O t h e r useful collocations f o r likes and dislikes

I like most James Bond Films, but Goldfinger is my absolute/all-time favourite

I've always been a great lover of M o z a r t ' s operas

She's a(n) ardent'/dedicated fan of American football, ['showing strong feelings]

I'm a keen admirer of President Futral of Collocania He is such a strong leader

My wife's father always filled me with a d m i r a t i o n He achieved so much during his life

It always gives me pleasure when I see my children doing well at school

122 English Collocations in Use

5 9 1 L o o k at A Rewrite each sentence using the w o r d in b r a c k e t s , so that it keeps the same

meaning

1 In the survey most people said they m u c h preferred coffee t o tea. (PREFERENCE)

2 Karl really dislikes people using mobile phones in restaurants, (AVERSION)

3 T h e staff all think very highly of their m a n a g i n g director, (REGARD)

4 Fve enormously enjoyed getting to k n o w you (PLEASURE)

5 Suzie genuinely likes c o w b o y films, (GENUINE)

6 M y p a r e n t s absolutely detest most m o d e r n architecture, (HATRED)

8 Rex knew at once t h a t he could never like his new secretary, (INSTANT)

5 9 2 M a r k the statements w i t h + if they are a b o u t liking and - if they are a b o u t disliking

1 I have no sympathy for anyone w h o takes such foolish risks

2 J a n e Austen is my all-time favourite writer

3 I'm a dedicated fan of Robin Williams

4 I d o n ' t relish the t h o u g h t of a holiday with all my cousins

5 It gives me no pleasure to have to say this to y o u

6 I take pride in doing my w o r k as neatly as I can

7 I must say I rather t o o k offence at w h a t she said to me

8 I'm a great lover of the open air life

9 I've always been a keen admirer of Nelson M a n d e l a

5 9 3 C h o o s e the correct collocation

I went to a new Italian restaurant last night It claimed to ( I ) cater I cook J feed for everyone's tastes I went there with my brother We both have a (2) large I heavy I strong preference for

Italian food We also both have a (3) peculiar I special I particular liking for sitting out-of-doors and this restaurant had a lovely garden Unfortunately, the food did not (4) make I give J pass

us quite so much pleasure Although the staff gave us a very (5) warm I hot I boiling welcome when we arrived, they didn't seem to (6) take I do I make much pride in their service or their cooking I certainly don't much relish the (7) suggestion I proposal J thought of going there again

5 9 4 Answer these questions

1 Does it give you m o r e pleasure to give a present or to receive a present?

2 Are you m o r e likely to take an intense dislike to a person or a place?

3 If you are asked to state your preference for a w i n d o w or an aisle seat on a plane, w h a t

do you normally go for?

4 Which singer is your absolute favourite?

5 N a m e one person w h o has filled you with a d m i r a t i o n in the last five years

6 Do you take more pride in y o u r w o r k or y o u r home?

7 N a m e three people or things that you feel great love for

8 Do you get m o r e pleasure from reading or from listening to music?

Praising and criticising

P r a i s i n g

R e a d t h i s r e v i e w o f a t h e a t r e p r o d u c t i o n f r o m a l o c a l n e w s p a p e r

I have n o t h i n g b u t p r a i s e for this production of we must also w a r m l y c o n g r a t u l a t e the

Dogs and offer my c o n g r a t u l a t i o n s to all the producer He has r e c e i v e d critical acclaim1

cast The t h u n d e r o u s a p p l a u s e at the end of many times in the past He j u s t l y d e s e r v e s all last n i g h t ' s p e r f o r m a n c e was r i c h l y d e s e r v e d the r a v e r e v i e w s2 he will undoubtedly receive The actors had managed to p u t on a simply from many others as well as myself We must also

d a z z l i n g p r o d u c t i o n James King, in particular, g i v e c r e d i t to t h e production's wardrobe

g a v e an o u t s t a n d i n g p e r f o r m a n c e Of course, department I am sure they will also w i n a lot of the cast cannot t a k e full c r e d i t for its success; p r a i s e for their original and exciting costumes

strongly, thoroughly severely

wholesale, universal [both mean by (almost) everyone]

strongly, strenuously [with a lot of effort]

example

The play came in for some h a r s h c r i t i c i s m The writer is s h a r p l y critical of our political system

He was r o u n d l y c r i t i c i s e d for his rudeness

Actors fear him because he is such an o u t s p o k e n critic

Collocations in Use

6 0 1 Complete these extracts from TV p r o g r a m m e s w h e r e the speakers are praising people

60.2

60.3

60.4

I For this y o u n g violinist, N u r i a Shilov, her performance ends with a (1) ovation a n d (2) applause

Her playing has received critical (3) in the last year in her h o m e country, and n o w her talent has been recognised

by an international audience

N o w the President of the National Badminton Federation (4) congratulates Wang Shih-Ping on his (5) deserved victory

in this year's t o u r n a m e n t His skilful playing has (6)

a lot of praise from commentators, though he personally refuses to (7) full credit for his achievements, and

(8) credit instead to his manager, Karla Ennaise

Well, the team manager is ecstatic and is at this moment making a speech (9) the praises of the captain, Blake Samson, and the rest of the team And there is no doubt that they

(10) deserve all this praise for such a remarkable victory

So, at the end of this week's quiz, the blue team have w o n Let me (11) my congratulations to y o u all You'll be coming back next week And let's give the losers a (12) of applause T h e red team also played a great game

Circle T (True) or F (False) after each statement If you circle F, say why

1 If you speak highly of someone, you praise t h e m T F

2 If you have nothing but praise for s o m e o n e , you do not a p p r o v e of w h a t they d o T F

3 If you criticise someone roundly, you criticise them only slightly T F

4 If you heartily approve of something, you are in favour of it T F

5 If you counter criticism, you just accept it T F

6 If someone gives their blessing to something, they are against it T F

7 If you give someone a clap, it is usually because you like w h a t they have d o n e T F

8 If you give constructive criticism, you normally have a positive intention T F

Put the w o r d s in order to m a k e sentences

1 lot / He / in / for / criticism / a / of / came

2 criticism / the / responded / of / to / disapprove / h o w / I / t h o r o u g h l y / she

3 him / c o n d e m n e d / lying / for / severely / judge / T h e

4 disapproval / my / behaviour / of / w a n t / I / express / to / her

5 o u t s p o k e n / were / but / dismissed / critics / he / T h e / criticisms / their

6 c o m m e n t s / c o n d e m n a t i o n / His / universal / received

7 objected / plan / We / and / strenuously / the / to / were / critical / it / highly / of

8 always / a / g o v e r n m e n t / been / I /critic / of / have / c o r r u p t / h a r s h

C o m p l e t e the collocations in this text

This is the last exercise in this book M a y we give you a pat on the for getting

to this point Indeed, you deserve a clap We have

but praise for you a n d would like to you our w a r m congratulations!

Key I.I

2 car and food

3 narrow-minded, teapot and car park

4 idioms

m a k e mistakes powerful engine have breakfast

m a k e an effort watch TV ancient m o n u m e n t substantial meal bitterly cold pitch d a r k strictly forbidden

O t h e r possible collocations are: m a k e breakfast, substantial breakfast

w e l l b e u n d e r s t o o d i f y o u use

p r o b a b l y w i s h t o s o u n d

compound

teapot key ring checkpoint

less n a t u r a l c o l l o c a t i o n s b u t y o u w i l l n o t s o u n d a s y o u

collocation

make a mistake heavy snow valid passport bitterly disappointed live music

idiom

pull somebody's leg

a s t o r m in a tea cup

1.5 T h e most useful collocations to learn are underlined here

W h e n I left university I m a d e a decision to t a k e up a profession in which I could be creative I could play the guitar, but I'd never written any songs Nonetheless I decided to become a singer-songwriter I m a d e some recordings but I had a rather heavy cold so they didn't sound g o o d I m a d e some m o r e , and sent them to a record c o m p a n y and waited for them to reply So, while I was waiting to become famous I got a job in a fast-food restaurant T h a t was five years a g o I'm still doing the same job

Unit 2

2 1 All of the underlined phrases are strong collocations

My friend Beth is desperately worried a b o u t her son at the m o m e n t He w a n t s to enrol

on a course of some sort but just can't m a k e a decision a b o u t w h a t to study I gave Beth

a ring and we had a long chat a b o u t it last night She said he'd like to study for a degree but is afraid he w o n ' t meet the requirements for university entry Beth thinks he should

do a course in M a n a g e m e n t because he'd like to set up his o w n business in the future I agreed t h a t t h a t w o u l d be a wise choice

126 English Collocations in Use

5 She's doing her duty / [informal] She's doing an e x a m

In the morning I made did some w o r k in the garden then I spent had a rest for a b o u t an

hour before going o u t to have do some shopping in t o w n It w a s my sister's birthday a n d I

wanted to 4© m a k e a special effort to cook a nice meal for her I gave had (or took) a look

at a new Thai cookery book in the b o o k s h o p and decided to buy it It has some totally

very/quite/extremely easy recipes a n d I managed to de m a k e a g o o d impression with my

very first Thai meal I think my sister utterly thoroughly/really enjoyed her birthday

1 lead IcoNTROLi Q /li:d/ verb U or Tl (led, led) to control a I

group of people, a country, or a situation: / think we've

chosen the right person to lead the expedition, o Vve

asked Gemma to lead the discussion, o Who will be

lead-ing the inquiry into the accident?

• lead sb by the nose INFORMAL to control someone and

m a k e t h e m do exactly what you want them to do

Possible new sentences:

1 He led an expedition to the A m a z o n in 1 8 8 7

2 She led the discussion very skilfully

3 T h e Prime Minister appointed a senior judge to lead the inquiry into the scandal

Follow up

Here are some possible good collocations for the w o r d s suggested You may choose to record them in different ways, of course T h e i m p o r t a n t thing is that they are recorded as collocations in a phrase or sentence that will help you to u n d e r s t a n d their meaning and to remember them

desperately ill; desperately busy; desperately keen; desperately in love with

an acute pain; a sudden pain; to relieve the pain; to put up with pain (see also Unit 3)

a wise decision; to be older a n d wiser; to be wise after the event; a wise guy (informal)

to run a business; to run smoothly; buses run regularly; to run for political office

Unit 3

1 It puts t h e m in bold

2 in pain, c o n s t a n t pain, ease the pain, a s h a r p pain, aches and pains

3 It can take you to a lot of information about a word or about types of w o r d very quickly

4 You are s h o w n a list of other ways in which the relevant w o r d is used

5 By writing I N F O R M A L after the relevant use of the w o r d

6 If your dictionary does not indicate g o o d collocations either by putting them in bold or

by using them in example sentences, then you should seriously consider getting a n o t h e r dictionary that will help you in this way It will be very useful w h e n y o u are writing English compositions as well as helping you to improve your vocabulary

7 Your answer will depend on your o w n dictionary

8 Your answer will depend on y o u r o w n dictionary

making others experience pain

3 3 You might find these collocations:

aches and pains

5.1 1 Cyclists should dismount before crossing the footbridge (F)

2 N e v e r dispose of batteries and similar items by t h r o w i n g them o n t o a fire (F)

3 T h e students were all bored stiff by the lecture (I)

4 Passengers must alight from the bus t h r o u g h the rear door (F)

5 T h e grass badly needs cutting (I)

6 Please place all used tickets in the receptacle provided as you leave the building (F)

5 2 1 slash prices, p u m p prices, major companies

2 detectives quiz, missing teenager, prime suspect

3 floods hit, battling against floods

4 axe (200) jobs, m a d e r e d u n d a n t , job losses, falling profits

5 3 Suggested answers:

1 H a v e you heard? T h e oil companies are bringing d o w n / putting d o w n / lowering / reducing their prices

2 Have you heard? Detectives have interrogated/questioned/interviewed a business man

a b o u t the missing teenager, or Detectives are interrogating/questioning/interviewing

3 H a v e you heard? Floods are affecting / there are floods in the Central region

4 H a v e you heard? T h e Presco car firm is getting rid of 2 0 0 jobs (or staff/people) / is making 2 0 0 w o r k e r s (or staff/people) r e d u n d a n t / is laying off 2 0 0 people (or

workers/staff)

5 4 1 We raised capital to e x p a n d the business

2 They submitted a tender for the new stadium

3 They went into partnership to develop a new range of p r o d u c t s

4 We started up a business to supply sports e q u i p m e n t to schools

poses

e x p a n d e d pride tears pride happily gently softly

6 3 The incorrect collocations are:

1 strongly love 4 absolutely tired

2 highly exhausted 5 deeply successful

3 bitterly regard

6 4 Everyone w a s complaining bitterly w h e n they heard a b o u t t h e n e w plan People were

deeply shocked to hear that children w o u l d be strictly forbidden to use the sports g r o u n d and most people were strongly opposed to the new rules Even people w h o normally

never expressed an opinion were utterly appalled by the proposals

d o make make

3 m a k e ; do

Unit 8

1 They can go bald / They can go grey

2 You can go red

3 Your face / You can go white If the news is a great shock your hair might go/turn white

4 They can go yellow

8 2 1 Dinosaurs became extinct

2 I'd like to have lots of children

3 Janet b e c a m e depressed

4 d r e a m t of becoming famous

5 Would you be interested in becoming involved

6 M o r e people have b e c o m e homeless

7 My sister had a baby

8 My grandfather had/suffered a heart attack

8 3 As you g r o w older, you'll begin to understand your parents better Becoming angry with them all the time doesn't help You may not w a n t to go to s u m m e r c a m p w h e n none of your friends will be there, but your parents k n o w you will soon m a k e new friends there You would all have gone on a family holiday together if your g r a n d m o t h e r h a d n ' t fallen ill, but surely you can understand w h y they don't w a n t to leave her You'll feel much more sympathetic to your p a r e n t s ' feelings when you have a child of your o w n !

1 Could you have a look at this letter before I send it?

2 Did you have an a r g u m e n t / a row?

3 W h a t happened? Did you have an accident?

4 H o w was the holiday? Did you have fun / have a good time*?

5 Shall we have a break for half an h o u r or so?

6 Nice bike! Can I have a go/try (on it)?

7 When you're free, could I have a c h a t with you a b o u t next year?

8 W h a t ' s the matter? Are you having difficulty / problems / a problem reading it?

9 3 N e x t time you t a k e a trip to the coast, w h y n o t take the train?

W h y suffer endless delays in long traffic jams? And why t a k e risks when you're travelling

- take a train and arrive safely What's more, if you decide to t a k e a holiday in the capital city, you'll have a m o r e relaxing time if you take a train Or w h y not pay a surprise visit to

an old friend during an off-peak time? Call n o w and take advantage of o u r special offers

4 finished; end 8 end

130 English Collocations in Use

5 ancient 10 elderly

1 0 3 1 Were many people injured in the earthquake?

2 Single parents raising children w i t h o u t a partner's s u p p o r t are entitled to financial help

from the g o v e r n m e n t

3 My mobile isn't w o r k i n g I need to charge the battery

4 She has a lot of beautiful antique jewellery

5 W h e n we moved house, t w o men helped us to load the van

6 That's not news - it's ancient history!

7 I d o n ' t k n o w h o w to load a gun, let alone fire one

8 I've never been very successful at growing plants

I 0 4 Possible answers:

1 They're loading a ship

2 She's growing plants

3 He's studying ancient history

4 T h e chair is d a m a g e d

5 He's raising sheep

6 He has injured his leg or He is injured

I 1.2 1 The w o m a n is wearing a coat

2 She's carrying an umbrella and a mobile p h o n e

3 She's using her mobile p h o n e

4 T h e m a n is wearing a suit

5 He's carrying a briefcase and an umbrella

6 He's using his umbrella

I 1.3 Last year I got a new job and started e a r n i n g / m a k i n g a lot more money I realised I

could afford to spend more money on my holiday t h a n I usually do and decided to spend

a m o n t h in Australia I knew it would be hot there and so I w o u l d n ' t need to take w a r m

clothes with me In fact, I wore a t-shirt and jeans all the time I w a s there I wore a hat all the time t o o , of course, to protect me from the sun It w a s fantastic there I spent a

week sightseeing in Sydney and then spent the rest of the time travelling r o u n d the

country I even achieved my lifelong ambition of stroking a koala