collocation in use 1-2 Flashcards
collocation
a pair or group of words that are often used together.
Fast car NOT quick car
Fast food NOT quick food
a quick glance NOT a fast glance
a quick meal NOT a fast meal
keep to / stick to the rules
make an effort NOT do an effort
powerful engine NOT strong engine
ancient monuments NOT antique monuments
made a mistake
compounds
units of meaning formed with two or more words.
car park, post office, narrow-minded, shoelaces, teapot
idioms
group of words in a fixed order that have a meaning that cannot be guessed by knowing the meaning of the individual words.
pass the buck
to pass responsibility for a problem to another person to avoid dealing with it oneself.
‘strictly forbidden’ is more natural than ‘strongly forbidden’.
‘bitterly cold’ is more natural than ‘very cold’.
‘pitch dark’ is more natural than ‘very dark’.
‘poverty breeds crime’ is more natural than ‘poverty causes crime’.
‘a substantial meal’ is more natural than ‘a big meal’.
give someone a lift to somewhere
To provide transportation for someone.
ex: my father gave me a lift to my school.
make someone’s way
travel or proceed in a particular direction or to a particular place:
ex: I made my way to the hotel.
lead a life
To “lead a life” means to live a life characterized by a certain quality, condition, or style
desperately jealous
spend time
take care of someone
get divorced
make demands on somebody or something
Expect something from someone or something.
give a call
run a bath
to fill a bath with water so that it is ready to use
sharp pain
a sudden, short, strong pain
ease the pain
reduce pain
a sharp rise/increase/drop
a sudden and very large increase or reduction in something
a sharp contrast/difference/distinction
a very big and noticeable difference between two things
a sharp bend/turn
a sudden large change in the direction you are travelling
have access to
piece of advice
find a way to …
learn the hard way
to do or learn something by experiencing a lot of problems or difficulty
get in your way
give way to …
to allow other vehicles to go past before you move onto a road
try every possible way
lead into/to/towards
If a path or road leads somewhere, it goes there:
ex: That path leads to the beach.
lead sb to do sth
to make someone do or think something:
ex: What led you to think that?
ex: I was led to believe that breakfast was included.
lead an expedition (a long, carefully organized journey to dangerous or unfamiliar places)
ex: he led an expedition to the Amazon in 1887
lead the discussion
ex: she led the discussion very skillfully.
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
to accept unpleasant behaviour or an unpleasant situation, although you do not like it.
a wise decision
to be older and wiser
to be wise after the event
a wise guy (informal)
to run a bussiness
to run smoothly
buses run regularly
to run for political office
to compete as a candidate in an election for a position of authority and responsibility in a government or other organization:
ex: She is considering running for office.
