Collocations

Question 1

from dawn to / till dusk

Answer 1

from early morning until night:

We worked from dawn to dusk, seven days a week.

This month, we fast from dawn to dusk.

As a young man, he was completely dedicated to basketball and played from dawn to dusk in parks all over town.

Question 2

come to the point / get to the point

Answer 2

to get to the important part of sth

He has been talking a long time. I wish he would come to the point.

We are talking about money, Bob! Come on, get to the point.

Question 3

well and truly (independent)

Answer 3

completely

After months of training, she was well and truly ready for the marathon.

The storm had passed, and the streets were well and truly flooded.

The company was well and truly bankrupt, with no hope of recovery.

The children were well and truly exhausted after a long day of playing.

The team had well and truly won the championship, with a dominant performance in the final.

The project was well and truly underway, with all of the necessary resources in place.

Question 4

distinctly remember.

Answer 4

I distinctly remember locking the door.

Question 5

fully aware

Answer 5

I’m fully aware of the fact that many people won’t agree with me

Question 6

full well

Answer 6

You know full well how much this costs. (Very well, exceedingly well, as in …)

Question 7

strongly believe

Answer 7

I strongly believe that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Question 8

absurdly easy.

Answer 8

My test this week is quite challenging in places but the one I got last week was absurdly easy.

Question 9

painfully slow

Answer 9

There were some exciting moments in the second half of the film but the first ninety minutes were painfully slow in places.

Their progress - carrying heavy packs through the tussock grass and over the soft, rainsoaked terrain - was painfully slow.

Question 10

utterly appalled

Answer 10

I am utterly appalled by the thoughtless attitude of people who needlessly endanger other people’s lives by using mobiles

Question 11

irresistibly attractive

Answer 11

This holiday offer does seem irresistibly attractive but I think we are going to have to pass on it because of the (astronomically) high cost.

Question 12

prohibitively expensive.

Answer 12

Internet access is either unavailable or prohibitively expensive.

Question 13

astronomically high

Answer 13

The house of a new house in the UK has become astronomically high over the last few years.

Question 14

bitterly disappointed

Answer 14

After all her hard work, Martha was bitterly disappointed when she got a grade B in her CAE exam

Question 15

blatantly unfair.

Answer 15

To award a man like Thomas Green with the greatest lifetime achievement award seems blatantly unfair.

Question 16

potentially fatal

Answer 16

The drug company should not have put a new product on the market with potentially fatal side-effects.

Question 17

unpredictably cold.

Answer 17

After a warm start to the month, the weather in the second June of May was unpredictably cold.

Question 18

widely believed

Answer 18

Hugh Tomlinson is widely believed to be the best director of his generation in Hollywood at the momento.

Question 19

break

Answer 19

break a leg, break a promise, break a habit, break the ice, break the law

Question 20

do

Answer 20

do nothing, do business, do the cooking / the housework / the shopping, do the washing up, do your best,

Do a favour — Do me a favour, stop pestering me with your problems
Do one’s best (try very hard to achieve smth.) — I did my best and we won
Do the dishes/cleaning/laundry — Have some tea, I have to do the dishes
Do one’s hair (to comb, wash, arrange hair) — I want my hair done
Do damage/harm — Last night’s storm did much damage to the house
Do an experiment — They have done some experiments on animals

Question 21

catch

Answer 21

catch a bus, catch a chill, catch a cold, catch a thief, catch fire, catch sight of
catch someone’s attention, catch someone’s eye, catch the flu.

Catch a cold (get or suffer from cold) — He forgot his cap and caught terrible cold last night
Catch a taxi/bus/train — Hurry up or we wont be there in time to catch out train!
Catch smb red-handed (catch committing crime) — The robbers were caught red-handed by the police
Catch sight of smb (notice someone) — I caught sight of your yesterday evening in the mall
Catch smb’s eye (to attract attention) — The girl by the arcade machine really caught my eye

Question 22

come

Answer 22

come close(r), come on time, come right back, come second.

Question 23

have sympathy

Answer 23

have sympathy (for/with)

I don’t have much sympathy for her - I think she’s brought her troubles on herself.

I have absolutely no sympathy for people who get into debt by overspending.

George was a wonderful man - you have my greatest sympathy.

Question 24

keep

Answer 24

keep a diary, keep a promise, keep a secret, keep an appointment, keep calm, keep in touch, keep quiet, keep the change.

Question 25

make

Answer 25

make a difference, make a mess, make a mistake, make an effort, make money, make progress

Make a fuss (to cause argument, commotion) — She made a fuss over the fact that the waitress didn’t smile at her
Make noise — The noise her rusty old car was making could was terrible
Make a choice — The choice had to be made as soon as possible
Make a mistake — Making such mistakes is unacceptable
Make a phone call — She has to make a few calls before noon
Make a decision — Making this decision wasn’t easy for either of us
Make an effort (to attempt, to try to do something) — They made an effort to reach out to them

Question 26

pay

Answer 26

pay a fine, pay attention, pay cash, pay interest, pay someone a compliment,
pay someone a visit, pay the bill, pay the price, pay your respects.

pay by credit card

Question 27

save

Answer 27

save electricity, save energy, save money, save one’s strength, save someone’s life, save space, save time, save yourself the trouble.

Question 28

take

Answer 28

take a break, take a chance, take a look, take a rest, take a seat, take a taxi, take an exam, take notes, take someone’s place, take someone’s temperature.

Question 29

come

Answer 29

come to a decision, come to a compromise, come to an agreement, come to an end, come to a standstill, come to terms with

Question 30

go

Answer 30

go on foot, go out of business, go to war.
go bad, go bald (be balding vi. lose your hair), go deaf, go mad, go missing (to be lost), go quiet, go blind, go crazy, go online

Question 31

run out

Answer 31

We had to return home because we had run out of money.

Question 32

filled with / burst into

Answer 32

At first her eyes filled with horror, and then she burst into tears.

Question 33

drive

Answer 33

Their behaviour was enough to drive anybody to crime.

Question 34

place gently

Answer 34

She placed her keys gently on the table and sat down.

Question 35

whisper softly

Answer 35

Mary whispered softly in John’s ear.

Question 36

vaguely remember

Answer 36

I vaguely remember that it was growing dark when we left.

Question 37

go

Answer 37

go astray vi + adj (become missing, lost), (figurado). Have you seen my hat, it’s gone astray again? (de nuevo se perdió?)

Go hiking/jogging/sightseeing — Would you like to go jogging with me early in the morning?
Go to bed — After the army I go to bed at 10 pm sharp
Go missing (to get lost) — The lady went missing two days ago
Go abroad (go to another country) — We don’t go abroad very often
Go mad (become crazy) — There’s something wrong with Jack, I think he went completely mad
Go quiet (become silent) — Suddenly, the street went completely quiet

Question 38

Business idioms

Answer 38

annual turnover
bear in mind
break off negotiations
cease trading
chair a meeting
close a deal
close a meeting
come to the point
dismiss an offer
draw a conclusion
draw your attention to
launch a new product
lay off staff
go bankrupt
go into partnership
make a loss
make a profit
market forces
sales figures
take on staff

Question 39

Wholeheartedly Agree

Answer 39

to agree wholeheartedly

She threw herself wholeheartedly into her work.

This is a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with

I wholeheartedly believe in the mission of this organization and will do everything I can to support it.

She gave her wholehearted approval to the plan, saying she thought it was an excellent idea.

The fans wholeheartedly embraced the new album, and it quickly became a chart-topping success.

Despite his initial reservations, he threw himself wholeheartedly into the project and ended up doing an excellent job.

She accepted the challenge wholeheartedly, eager to prove to herself and others that she could succeed.

Question 40

Respectfully disagree

Answer 40

I respectfully disagree with your views on education

Question 41

Extol the virtues

Answer 41

to praise somebody/something very much
extol somebody/something

Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat.

extol somebody/something as something

She was extolled as a genius.

Question 42

Forge relationships

Answer 42

to make or produce something, especially with some difficulty:

The accident forged a close relationship between the two families.

The UK must forge relationships with new trade partners

She forged a new career for herself as a singer.

Question 43

Inextricably linked

Answer 43

if two things are inextricably linked, etc., it is impossible to separate them

Europe’s foreign policy is inextricably linked with that of the US.

She had become inextricably involved in the campaign.

Question 44

Render speechless

Answer 44

render somebody/something + adj. (formal) to cause somebody/something to be in a particular state or condition

His lack of empathy rendered me speechless

She was rendered speechless by his lovely comments

The unexpected news rendered her speechless for a moment.

The beauty of the scenery was so breathtaking that it rendered us speechless.

His thoughtful gesture of buying her a new car left her completely rendered speechless.

The sheer audacity of his proposal rendered everyone in the room speechless.

The overwhelming support and gratitude from the community rendered the charity workers speechless

Question 45

Scathing attack

Answer 45

criticizing somebody or something very severely in a way that shows no respect

SYNONYM withering

a scathing attack on the new management

Her father gave her a scathing look.

scathing about somebody/something

He was scathing about the government’s performance.

Question 46

Blissfully unaware

Answer 46

in a way that makes you extremely happy or that prevents unpleasant things from affecting you

blissfully ignorant/unaware

Many people are blissfully unaware of how the poorest societies in the world live

Question 47

Rekindle passion / love

Answer 47

rekindle something to make a feeling or relationship become active again

SYNONYM reawaken

to rekindle feelings/hopes

The sight of her after so many years rekindled his passion.

After years of being apart, the couple decided to rekindle their relationship.

The therapist suggested that the best way to rekindle their marriage was to go on a romantic getaway.

She hoped that the trip to their hometown would rekindle fond memories of her childhood.

The author’s latest book has helped rekindle my love for reading.

The new CEO’s vision for the company has rekindled hope among the employees

Question 48

Spare change

Answer 48

a small amount of money that someone does not need

The beggar asked us if we had any spare change.

Therefore, she and her children survived off the customers spare change or food left as a token of appreciation.

Unfortunately, I had no spare change for a call

Question 49

Get

Answer 49

Get upset — He got upset because of your behaviour
Get better (to recover e.g. from illness) — Our dog is getting better
Get angry — You shouldn’t get angry at him, he’s too young
Get married — Nowadays people get married in their thirties
Get permission — I got the permission to leave from my boss
Get drunk — Last Friday we got so drunk I don’t remember anything
Get up (to wake up or to stand up) — Get up, it’s time to go
Get lost (to lose one’s way) — Once she got lost in the woods there
Get away (to run away or to remain unpunished) — I don’t understand how does he manage to get away with his behaviour

Question 50

Fascinated by/with

Answer 50

“Fascinated with/by”



Fascinated with or fascinated by?

Both “fascinated with” and “fascinated by” are commonly used expressions in English, but they have slightly different meanings and uses.

“Fascinated with” is typically used to describe a feeling of being captivated or engrossed by something, often with the implication that the person has a strong interest or affinity for the subject. For example, “I’m fascinated with the idea of space exploration” suggests that the person is intrigued by the subject and wants to learn more about it.

On the other hand, “fascinated by” is typically used to describe a feeling of being intrigued or curious about something. It often implies a more passive or detached interest in the subject, rather than a strong personal connection or affinity. For example, “I’m fascinated by the history of ancient Egypt” suggests that the person finds the subject interesting, but may not have a deep personal connection to it.

Question 51

take stock

Answer 51

The team took stock of their progress and set new goals.

As the end of the year approaches, it’s a good time to take stock of your accomplishments and set new goals for the coming year.

After a long day at work, it’s important to take stock of your emotional state and make time for self-care if necessary.

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, it’s crucial for local officials to take stock of the damage and assess the resources needed for recovery.

As a business owner, it’s important to regularly take stock of your inventory to ensure that you have enough stock to meet customer demand.

When faced with a difficult decision, it can be helpful to take stock of your values and priorities to determine the best course of action.

When starting a new project, it’s important to take stock of your available resources and determine the best approach for achieving your goals.

In a fast-paced work environment, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day tasks and forget to take stock of the bigger picture.

When dealing with a challenging situation, it’s important to take stock of your options and weigh the potential risks and rewards of each.

ChatGPT Feb 13 Version. Free Research Pr

Question 52

Whip up:

Answer 52

The chef whipped up a delicious meal in no time.

I’m going to whip up a quick breakfast before work. How about some scrambled eggs and toast?

We have some guests coming over tonight, so I need to whip up a batch of my famous chocolate chip cookies.

If you’re feeling thirsty, I can whip up a delicious smoothie with berries and yogurt.

My mom can whip up a homemade pizza in no time. She’s an expert at making the dough from scratch.

I wasn’t expecting company, but I managed to whip up a tasty pasta dish with some leftover vegetables and cheese.

to encourage or cause people to have strong feelings about something:

She criticized the organization for trying to whip up anti-immigrant prejudice.

He was trying to whip up some enthusiasm for the project.

Question 53

Make headway

Answer 53

to begin to succeed:

Has the city made any headway in attracting new businesses?

Despite her initial setbacks, the new CEO was finally starting to make headway in turning the company around.

The research team had been working tirelessly for weeks, but they were finally making headway in their quest for a breakthrough.

It was slow going at first, but with each passing day, the construction crew was making headway on the new building.

The negotiations had stalled for months, but finally, the two sides were making headway towards a deal.

The athlete had been struggling to improve his performance, but with a new training regimen, he was finally making headway.

Question 54

Hold sway (over)

Answer 54

to have power or a very strong influence:

Fundamentalist beliefs hold sway over whole districts, ensuring the popularity of religious leaders.

Despite being a relatively new player in the industry, their innovative ideas and forward-thinking approach hold sway over their competitors.

The charismatic politician’s speeches held sway over the crowd, convincing many to support his agenda.

The traditions of the old ways still hold sway in this small village, despite the influence of modernization.

The CEO’s opinions held sway in the boardroom, ultimately deciding the company’s direction.

The beautiful and imposing castle still holds sway over the surrounding countryside, reminding all who see it of its historical significance

Question 55

keep tabs on

Answer 55

to watch something or someone carefully:

I like to keep tabs on my bank account so that I don’t spend too much.

I always keep tabs on my spending by tracking my expenses in a spreadsheet.

The manager likes to keep tabs on his employees’ progress by holding weekly meetings.

I try to keep tabs on the news by reading the newspaper every morning.

The detective was keeping tabs on the suspect’s movements by monitoring his phone calls and internet activity.

The coach kept tabs on his players’ performance by watching game tapes and analyzing their stats.

My friend likes to keep tabs on her social media followers by checking her accounts multiple times a day.

The teacher kept tabs on her students’ homework by collecting and grading assignments regularly.

Question 56

nip something in the bud

Answer 56

to stop something before it has an opportunity to become established:

Many serious illnesses can be nipped in the bud if they are detected early enough.

It’s important to nip this kind of bullying in the bud.

We need to nip this problem in the bud before it becomes too serious.

The coach had to nip the player’s bad attitude in the bud before it spread to the rest of the team.

If we don’t nip this conflict in the bud, it could escalate into a full-blown war.

I noticed my bad habit of procrastination and decided to nip it in the bud before it became a bigger problem.

It’s important to nip any rumors in the bud before they spread and cause damage.

Question 57

at (your) leisure

Answer 57

when you want to and when you have time to:

You can take the documents home and study them at (your) leisure.

You can complete the report at your leisure; there’s no rush.”

“Feel free to browse the store at your leisure and let me know if you need any assistance.”

“You can take the exam at your leisure, but it needs to be submitted by the deadline.”

“We’ve reserved the cabin for the entire weekend, so you can enjoy the lake and the surroundings at your leisure.”

Question 58

uphill struggle

Answer 58

uphill struggle

Without this development the composing curriculum will continue to be an uphill struggle.

It had been an uphill struggle to achieve what she had wanted.