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CAMBRIDGE

How words work

together for fluent
and natural English

Second Edition

Advanced
Con te nts

Acknowledge ments 3

Using this book 4

Learn ing about collocations

0 What is a collocation?
II Stro n g, fixed and wea k co llocations
U Gra m m atica l categories of co llocati o n
D Fi n d i n g a n d work i n g o n collocations i n texts
0 Register

Varieties of collocatio n s
II Meta phor foot the bill, heavy burden, run into trouble
0 I ntensifyi ng and soften i n g adverbs deeply offensive, spotlessly clean, wildly inaccurate
II Make a n d verbs that m e a n make make a contribution, make a habit of, turn a profit
IJ Com m u n icating generally speaking, talk business, get a message across
l!!J Collocations with phrasal verbs take up office, work up an appetite, see off an intruder

Topics: work and stu d y

m Work i n g life make a living, take up a post, move up the ladder
m New e m ployment fit the job description, land a new job, menial tasks
m Thoughts and ideas bear in mind, widespread belief, jump to conclusions
m Business reports fierce competition, stimulate growth, hike in prices
m M a rket i n g consumer demands, product development, market share
m Custom e r services fit for purpose, kick up a fuss, grounds for complaint
m Stu dent l ife gifted child, mature student, thirst for knowledge
IEJ Writing essays, assign m en ts and reports working hypothesis, confront issues, critical analysis

Topics: leisu re and lifestyle

m Socia l life call for a celebration, social whirl, play host to
fl!'J Ta lking juicy gossip, broach the subject, opening gambit
m l n the n ews declare independence, reach agreement, bow to pressure
fD Cu rrent a ffa irs refuse point-blank, decline to comment, gauge reaction
m Festiva ls and celebrati o n s date back to, movable feast, propose a toast
m Cosmetics and fashion flawless complexion, set the trend, fashion victim
m Com m uting traffic gridlock, rail network, lengthy tailbacks
m Travel and adventu re get itchy feet, off the beaten track, leg of the journey
m Sport keep in shape, reach fever pitch, score an own goal
m Pla n s a n d decisions toy with an idea, tentative suggestion, deciding factor
@J Film a n d book reviews star-studded cast, glowing reviews, hold one's attention

English Collocations in Use Advanced 1

 Topics: the mode rn world
m Regu lations a n d a uthority minimise danger, grant permission, faceless bureaucrats
m The environment dump waste, searing heat, offset carbon emissions
m Town and cou ntry life back of beyond, rural idyll, urban regeneration
m Personal fi n a nce clear one's debts, agreed credit limit, identity theft
m The economy curb inflation, safeguard one's interests, plummeting profits
m Soci a l issues antisocial behaviour, dysfunctional family, unfit for human
habitation
m Science and tec h n o logy harness technology, cutting-edge design, Wi-Fi hotspots
m Hea lth and m e d i c i n e build up resistance, adverse reaction, shake off a cold
m Criminaljustice custodial sen tences, trumped-up charges, beyond
reasonable doubt
m W a r a nd peace deploy troops, pre-emptive strike, collateral damage

Topics: people
II!J Friendship lifelong friends, platonic relationship, moral support
m Youth and age child prodigy, go through a midlife crisis, senior moment
m Celebrities a n d heroes lavish lifestyle, meteoric rise to fame, heap praise on
m N egative opinions a bout people bone idle, poison the atmosphere, nasty piece of work
m Refe rences act as a referee, accumulate experience, financial acumen
Ill Personality a n d beh aviour stubborn streak, boundless energy, act one's age

Basic concepts
GISI Space and time cramped conditions, waste of space, go down in history
m Sound husky voice, incessant noise, let out a cry
IEJ M a king thi ngs easier viable options, simplicity itself, take the easy way out
GD D i ffic u lty severe blow, hinder progress, encounter difficulties
mm Qua ntity and size finite number, endless supply, unknown quantity
m C h a nge sweeping changes, would make a change, sudden shift

Functions
m Stopping and sta rti ng bring a halt to, close off a street, dispel rumours
m C a use and effect root cause, provoke an outcry, dire consequences
m Describing gro u ps a nd amounts swarm of bees, flurry of activity, stroke of genius
m C o m paring a n d contrasting bear little resemblance to, polar opposites, draw a
comparison between
m M a king an effort give it one's best shot, abortive attempt, hard slog
m Social English not lose any sleep, to be brutally honest, be on the go
m D iscussing issues make a commitment, give a straight answer, miss the point
m N egative situ ations a nd feel i n gs nasty shock, take exception to, suffer at the hands of
m!J Positive situ ations and feelings sense of achievement, state of euphoria, derive pleasure from

Key 126

I ndex 160
2 English Collocations in Use Advanced
 Usi n g th is boo k

What is a collocation?
Col location means a natura l co m b i n ation of words; it refers to the way E n glish words a re c losely
associated with each other. For exa m p le, pay a n d attention go together, as do commit a n d crime;
blond goes with hair and heavy with rain .

Why learn collocations?

Yo u n eed to lea rn col locations beca use they will h e l p you to spea k a n d w rite English i n a more
natu ra l and accu rate way. Peo ple w i l l probably u n d ersta nd what you mea n if you ta l k a bout making
a crime or say there was very hard rain this morning, but your language w i l l sound u n natura l and
might perhaps co nfuse. Did you mea n that there was a lot of ra i n o r perh a ps that there was a
h a i lstorm?
Lea r n i n g collocations will a lso h e l p you to increase you r range of E n glish voca bulary. For exa mple,
you ' l l fi nd it easier to avoid word s l i ke very or nice or beautiful or get by choosing a word that fits the
context better and has a more p recise meaning. This is particula rly usefu l if you a re ta k i n g a written
exa m in English a n d wa nt to m a ke a good impression on the exa m i ners. I n advanced level exa ms,
m a rks a re ofte n specifica lly awarded for the a p p ro p riate handling of collocations.
At an advanced level a n appreciation of collocation can a lso be helpfu l i n terms of a p p reciating
oth e r writers' use of language. Skil led users of the l a n guage may ch oose to create effects by varyi n g
the n o rmal patte rns o f collocation, w i t h t h e a i m of either startling o r a m u s i n g thei r a u d ience. This
tec h nique is pa rticu la rly pop u l a r with poets, j o u r n a lists and advertisers. From a n appreci ation of
the way in which creative writers p l ay with langu a ge, you may then even want to move on to use
words in more origi n a l ways you rse lf. You are m o re li kely to be a ble to d o this effectively if you have
ass i m i lated the sta n d a rd patterns of la ngu age use p resented in this book.

How were the collocations in this book selected?

The collocations p resented in this book were m a i n ly selected from those identified as sign ificant by
the CANCO DE co rpus of spoken E n glish, developed at the U n iversity of N ottingham i n association
with Cam bridge U n iversity Press, a n d the Cambridge International Corpus of written a n d spoken
E n glish (now k n ow n as the Cambri d ge E nglish Corpus). We a lso made extensive use of the
Cambridge Learner Corpus, a corp u s of student l a n guage which sh owed u s what kind of collocation
erro rs learners tend to make.
These corpo ra show that there a re m a ny thousa n d s of collocations in E n glish. So how could we
select which ones would be most u sefu l for yo u to work on in this book?
Fi rstly, of course, we wa nted to c hoose ones that you might want to use in you r own w ritten and
s p o ken Englis h . So, i n the unit Health and medicine we include, for exa m p le, shake off a cold
and
respond well to treatment but not grumbling appendix, which is a stron g col locati o n , but one
w h i c h - we hope - most of you w i l l n ot feel the n eed for.
Second ly, we decided it would be m ost usefu l for you if we focused o n those col locations which a re
pretty girl, a modern car to buy a ticket
n ot i m med iately o bvious. A or a re all collocati ons, but
they a re co m b i n ations which you ca n easily u n d e rsta nd and p roduce you rself without a ny problems.
flatly contradict
So we deal here with less obvious word co mbinatio ns, for insta n ce, ( n ot strongly
contradict) a n d bitter enemies ( n ot 5ffiBtts e n e m i es) .
Some of you may h ave already u sed o u r English Co/locations in Use ta rgeted at intermedi ate lea rners.
In genera l, we h a ve tried to avoid focusing on co l locations that we dealt with in that book. An
exception is with col locations that the Cambridge Learner Corpus highlighted as ca usi n g freq uent
p ro blems for stu d ents, even in advanced level exa m s. We felt that it would be usefu l to d raw
attention to such col locations a ga i n , even if we h a d dealt with them p reviously.
I d i o m s ca n be seen as one type of col location. We deal with them sepa rately in English idioms in Use,
a n d so do not foc u s on them here.

4 English Co/locations i n Use Advanced

H ow is the book organ ised ?
T h e book has 60 two-page u n its. The left-hand page presents the collocations that a re focused on i n
t h e u n it. You w i l l usua lly fi nd exa m p les o f collocations i n typical contexts with, wh ere a ppropriate,
a n y special notes a bout their mea n i n g and thei r usage. The right-h a n d page checks that you have
u n derstood the i nfo rmation on the left-hand page by giving you a series of exercises that practise the
m ateri a l just presented.
The u n its are orga n ised i nto d i ffere nt sections. Fi rst we start with i m p o rtant inform atio n relati n g
t o learning a bout col locations i n general. T h e n there is a section foc u s i n g o n diffe rent types of
co llocation. The rest of the book deals with collocations that relate to p a rticular topics such as
Student life or Film and book reviews, concepts such as Sound or Difficulty a n d fu n ctions such as
Cause and effect o r Comparing and con trasting.
T h e book has a key to all the exercises and an i n d ex which lists all the collocations we deal with, and
i n d i cates the u n its where they can be fou n d.

H ow shou ld I use this book?

It is strongly reco m mended that you work through the six introdu ctory u n its first, so that you
b ecome fa m i l i a r with the nature of col locations a n d with how best to study them. After that, you
m a y work on the u n its in any order t h at su its you .

W h at else d o I need in o r d e r t o work with t h i s book?

You need a notebook or fi le in which you can write d own the col locations that you stu d y in this book,
as well as any others that you com e across elsewhere.
You a lso need to h ave access to a good d ictionary. At this level we stro n gly recommend the
Cam bridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary as this gives exactly the kind of i n formation that you n eed
to have about co llocations. It d oes t h i s both through the exa mples provided for each word entry
a n d through special col locations boxes or m i n i-pane ls. You r teacher, however, may a lso be able to
reco mmend other d i ctionaries that you will fi nd u sefu l.
Good modern learn ers' dictiona ries i nclude exa m p le sentences which m a ke a point of ill ustrating
each word's most frequent collocatio n s. Enormous data bases of l a n g u a ge, known as corpora, a re
u sed to ana lyse s peech and text to identify which words col locate m ost frequently. Look u p the word
abject in the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary a n d you will fi n d the entry below. Notice how
freq uent co llocations are used in the exam ple sente n ces.

abject /'reb.d3ekt/ adjective FORMAL EXTREMEe 1 abject

misery/poverty/terror, etc. when someone is extremely
unhappy, poor, frightened, etc: They live in abject pov­
erty. o This policy has turned out to be an abject f ailure.
NOT PROuoe 2 showing no PRIDE or respect for your­
self: an abject apology o He is almost abject in his
respect for his boss. • abjectly /'reb.d3ekt.li/ adverb

For more information a bout C a m b ri d ge d ictio naries a n d to do o n l i n e sea rches you cou ld go to:
http ://diction a ry.cam bridge.org
So, a study of co l location is highly recommended (Unit 7} if you want to i m press people with you r
n a t u ra l and accurate use o f language a n d to gain more marks (Unit 1 ) i n E nglish exa ms. Above all,
we hope both that this book gives you a thirst for knowledge (Unit 17) a bout English collocations
a n d a lso that you will thoroughly e njoy (Unit 7} worki n g through the u n its in English Co/locations in
Use Advanced.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 5

 1 Wh at i s a co llocati o n?

What are collocations?

A collocation is a combi nation of two or more words which frequently occur together. I f
someone says, 'Sh e's got yellow hair', they wou ld probably b e u n derstood, b u t it i s not
what would o rd i n a ri ly be said in E n glish. We'd say, 'She's got blond hair'. I n other words,
yellow doesn't col locate with hair in everyday E n glish. Yellow co llocates with, say, flowers
or paint.
Collocations a re not just a matter of how adjectives combine with nou ns. They can refer
to any kind of typical word co m b i n ation, for exa m p le verb+ n o u n (e.g. arouse someone's
interest, lead a seminar), adverb+ adjective (e.g. fundamentally different), a d verb+
verb (e.g. flatly contradict), nou n+ noun (e.g. a lick of paint, a team of experts, words of
wisdom). There is much more a bout different g ra m matical types of collocation i n U n it 3.
P h rasal verbs (e.g. come up with, run up, adhere to) and com po u n d nouns (e.g. economy
drive, stock market) a re sometimes described as types of col locations. I n this book
we consider them as i ndivid u a l lexical items a n d so usua lly include them here o n ly in
combination with something else, e.g. come up with a suggestion, run up a bill, adhere
to your principles, go on an economy drive, play the stock market. However, it is
not a lways easy to separate col locations and com pounds a n d , where they a re usefu l for
learners as an i m porta nt part of the voca bulary of a topic, we i n clude some com pou nds i n
t h i s book too.
It can be d iffic u lt for learners of E n glish to know w hich words collocate, as natura l
col locatio n s a re not a lways logical or guessa b le. T here is, for exa m p le, n o obvious reason
why we say making friends rather than� friends or heavy rain, not 5fFeRfj ra i n .
Learners a l s o need t o know w h e n specific col locations are a p p ro priate. T h i s is usua lly
referred to by l i n guists as know i n g which register to use. Alight from a bus is a form a l
col location used i n notices a n d other official contexts. I n everyday situations we would, of
cou rse, a lways talk a bout getting off a bus. T h ere is more a bout register and col location
in U n it 6.

Why is it i m po rtant to learn collocations?

An a ppreciation of col location w i l l help you to:
•
use the words you know more accurately
In other words, you'll make (NOT oo) fewer mistakes.
• sound more n atura l when you s peak and w rite
By sayi n g, fo r exa m ple, of great importa nce, rather tha n of big or high importance, you
won't j ust be u n d erstood, you will - qu ite rightly - sou nd l i ke a fluent user of E n glish.
• va ry you r s peech and, probably more importa ntly, your writi ng
I n stead o f repeati ng everyday words like very, good or nice, you will be a b le to exploit
a wider ra n ge of la nguage. You would gai n m o re ma rks in an exa m, for i nsta n ce, for
writi n g We had a blissfully happy holiday in a picturesque little village surrounded by
spectacular mountains than for We had a very happy holiday in a nice little village
surrounded by beautiful mountains, even t h o u gh both sentences a re perfectly correct.
• understa n d when a skilfu l writer departs from n orma l patterns of collocati on
A journ a list, poet, advertiser o r other inventive user of language often creates a n effect
by not c h oosing the expected collocation. For exa mp le, a travel a rticle about the Italian
ca pita l m ight be entitled No place like Rome, a reference to the popular expression
There's no place like home.

6 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

1.1 M atch the two parts of these collocations.

1 ad here to ra i n
2 arouse d i fferent
3 blond of wisdom
4 co me up with you r principles
5 flatly an eco nomy d rive
6 fu ndamenta l ly a seminar
7 go on someone's i nterest
8 heavy contra d ict
9 lead hair
10 a lick the stock ma rket
11 play of p a i nt
12 words a s uggestion

1.2 Correct the u n derlined collocation errors with words from the advice in B. Be ca reful,
you might fi nd the words in the text, as well as in the examples.
1 Exam ca n d i d ates often m a ke fa u lts in their u se of verbs like do, make, go a n d get.
2 Try to use a lo nger range of language when you write.
3 Exam ca n d i d ates who use co llocations well gather better ma rks.
4 You have to know what norm a l col location patterns are before you can lose them.
5 The writer u sed colloq u i a l l a n g u a ge to form a n effect.

1.3 Look at these sentences from a hotel brochure. Improve the style b y replacing the
words in italics with the word i n brackets that forms the best collocation. (Use each
word only once.)
1 Our new fa m i ly hotel is set i n a nice location and all the rooms have nice fu rnishi n gs and nice
views over the surrounding co u ntryside. (stylish I secluded I breathta king)
2 Visitors w i l l e njoy the good atmosphere in either of our good d i n i n g rooms, both serving good
food to both residents and non-resid ents. (delicious / relaxi ng / s p acious)
3 We orga n i se tou rs to beautiful s u rro u n d i n g villages where yo u ' l l h ave the opport u n ity to
take some beautiful photogra p h s a n d sample the beautiful loca l c u isi ne. (mouth-watering I
picturesq u e I stu nni ng)

1.4 Write F (formal), I (i nformal) or N ( neutral) in the brackets at the end of each
sentence. In each pair of sentences, there is one neutral sentence and one formal or
i nformal sentence. Underline the collocations that are noticeably formal or i nformal.
1 a Passengers must not a light from the bus w h i le it is in motio n . ( )
b Passengers m ust not get off the bus w h i le it is movi ng. ( )
2 a Let's grab a bite before we get d own to work. ( )
b Let's h ave someth ing to eat before we start work. ( )
3 a SFTS has the right to bring the agreement to a n end with thre e months' notice. ( )
b SFTS reserves the right to term i n ate the agreement with three m o nths' n otice. ( )
4 a She thi n ks her boyfriend is p l a n n i n g to pop the question to n ight. ( )
b She thi n ks her boyfriend is p l a n n i n g to ask her to marry h i m to n i ght. ( )

1.5 Correct the four collocation errors in this paragraph.

The yellow-haired boy said he had joi n ed the English class to get some new fri e nds.
H e a lso said that he wanted to learn a bout collocations beca use it wou ld be of big
i m portance in helping him to d o fewer mistakes when writi ng i n E nglish.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 7

 2 Stro n g, fixed a nd wea k co llocatio ns

Stro n g collocations
A stron g collocation is one in which the words are very closely associated with each other.
For exa m p le, the adjective mitigating a l m ost a lways collocates with circ u m stances or
factors; it rarely collocates with any other word. Although she was found guilty, the jury felt
there were mitigating circumstances. [factors or circumstances that lessen the blame]
Here a re some other exa m p les of stro ng col locations.

collocation I comment
Inclement weather was (very formal) = u n pleasant weather
expected. Inclement collocates almost exc l u sively with weather.

She has auburn hair. Auburn collocates only with words con nected with hair (e.g. curls,
tresses, l ocks).

I felt deliriously happy. = extremely h ap py

Strongly associated with happy. N ot used with glad, content, sad, etc.

The chairperson adjourned = have a pause or rest during a m eeti ng/trial

the meeting. Adjourn is very strongly associated with meeting a n d trial.

Fixed collocations
Fixed collocatio ns are collocations so stron g that they ca n n ot be changed in a n y way. For
exa m p le, you can say I was walking to and fro ( meaning I was walking in o n e d i rection
and then i n the opposite d i rection, a repeated n u mber of times). No other w o rds can
repla ce to or fro or and in this col location. It is completely fixed. The mea n i n g of some fixed
collocations can not be gu essed from the i n d ividual words. T h ese collocatio n s a re called
idioms a n d a re focused on in the book English Idioms in Use.

Weak co llocations
Wea k collocations are made up of words that col locate with a wide ra nge o f other
words. For exa m p le, you can say you are i n b road agreement with someone [generally in
agreement with them]. H owever, broad can a lso be used with a n u mber of oth e r words -
a broad avenue, a broad s mile, broad shoulders, a broad accent [a strong a ccent], a
broad hint [a strong hi nt] a n d so on. These a re weak collocations, in the sense that broad
collocates with a broad range of different n o u ns.
Stron g col locations and wea k co llocations form a conti n u u m , with stronger o nes at one
end and wea ker ones at the other. Most co l locations lie so mewh ere between the two. For
exam p le, the (formal) adjective picturesque col locates with village, location a n d town, and
so a ppea rs near the middle of the conti n u u m .
stronger+- ------- -+ weaker
inclement weather picturesque village broad hint
picturesque location b road accent
broad smile

Types of collocations i n this book

The collocations in this book a re all freq uently used in modern E nglish. We used a corpus
(a d ata base of language) to check this. We h ave also selected the collocati o n s w hich wi ll
be u sefu l to you as an adva n ced lea rner. W e pay most attenti o n to those that a re not
pred icta ble. A broad avenue, fo r exam ple, w o u ld be predicted by any stu d e n t who knows
broad a n d avenue. However, the use of broad to mean strong as in a broad a ccent is more
d i ffic u lt to pred ict.

8 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

2.1 Complete the collocations using the words in the box. You will need to use some
words more than once.

a dj o u rn a u b u rn broad deli ri ously i nclement mitigati n g pictu resque

1 a ........................................ ....... accent

2 in ... .................................. ......... agreement
3 . .. . . . .. . .
. . . . . . . . . ... circu msta n ces
. . . . . ... . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . .

4 . factors
........... ........... ......... . . ...... . . . . . . .

5 . hair
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....................... . . . . . . .

6 . ... . . . . ..... happy

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .

7 a ................................................ smile
8 a .............. . ................. locatio n
9 .. . . . ..... . . a meeti n g
....... . . . ................ . .

10 a ... ..................... . ............. town

11 . . a tria l
............ ... ............ .......

12 ................................ ....... weather

2.2 Rewrite each sentence using a collocation from 2.1.

1 M elissa has q u ite a strong Scottish a ccent.
2 Bad weather led to the ca ncellati o n of the President's ga rden pa rty.
3 We were all very h a p py when we h e a rd we'd won the award .
4 T h e i r new home w a s i n a very p retty location.
5 Beca use there were circu msta n ces t h at made the t heft less serious, the ju dge let h i m off
with a wa r n i n g.
6 I t h i n k we should stop the meeti n g n ow and conti n u e it tomorrow.
7 She had a big s m i le on her face w h e n she arrived.
8 She has lovely red d ish-brown h a i r.
9 I t h i n k we're genera l ly in agreement as to what s h o u ld be done.
2.3 Think of as many collocations as you can for each word. Then look in a dictionary
such as the Cambridge Online Dictionary for other suitable words. Write W (weak)
!MA.., Cambridge or S (strong) next to each group d epending on how many words you found.
T [)ictionary
1 extremely .................................................................................................................................................................................... .

dictionary.cambridge.org
2 .. . .
.. .. .. . ..................... .......................................................... a n effort
. . . . . . . . ................. . ............... . . . . . . . . ..................................

3 ca n cel ..................................................................................................................................... ........................... ....................... .

4 deliver . ......................... . . .
. . . ......... ................. ..... .......... . . . . . . .....................................................

5 .
. . . . . . . . . . . . ..... . . . . .. . . . a living
... .................... . . . . . . . .... . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .

6 . . . a meeting
.............................. ............................ .................................................... . . . . . . . . . ........................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . ... .......

7 feature
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... . .......................... . . . .............................. ................................................ ..................... .............

8 engage ........................................................................................................... ...................... .

9 b right ......................................................................................................................... .

2.4 How useful do you think the collocations you have worked on i n 2.2 and 2.3 are for
you personally? C hoose which collocations are most important to you and make
sentences with them.

Over to _

�"!.''''�·-�;v�2:1¥l'l<
":lll
:i:

Choose an English-language text that you have worked on recently. U nderline

five collocations in it. Are t hese collocations wea k, strong or fixed?

English Collocations in Use Advanced 9

 3 Gra m m atica l categories of co llocatio n

Ve rb + noun
verb noun example meaning of verb
d ra w u p a list Our lawyer drew up a contract for us to sign. p repare somethi ng,
a contract usually official, in writing

pass up a chance pass up the chance

I d i dn't want to of seeing fa i l to take advantage of
an opportunity Hong Kong, so I agreed to go on the trip.

withstand pressure The police officer's vest can withstand the bear
the impact impact of a bullet.
N o u n + verb

o p portunity arise Anopportunity arose for me to work in China, so I went a n d spent a year there.
sta nd ard s slip People feel ed ucational standards slipped when the government cut fina nces.

N o u n + noun
•
Nou n + noun collocations used to d escribe groups or sets:
T h e re's been a spate of attacks/thefts in our a rea recently. [unusua lly la rge number
h a p pening in close succession]
T h e m i n ister had to put up with a barrage of q uestions/insults from t h e a ngry
a u d ience. [unusua lly large number, h ap pening at the same time]
•
Nou n + noun collocations used with u n counta ble nou ns:
By a stroke of luck I fou n d my keys i n the rubbish b i n ! [sudden, unexpected piece of luck]
S h e gave me a snippet of information which is top secret. [small piece of i n formation]

Adjective + noun
T h i s i s not an idle threat; I w i l l ca l l the police if this happens aga i n ! [simply a threat]
He wa ited i n the vain hope that the m i n ister wou ld m eet h i m. [unlikely to be fu lfilled hope]
T h e re is mounting concern/criticism/fury over the decision . [growing concern, etc.]
The simple/plain truth is that no one was aware of the p ro b lem.

Adverb + adjective
The a rticle provides a n i ntensely personal account of the w riter's relation s h i p with his sons.
Joe s' sister was a stunningly attractive woman.

Ve rb + adverb or p re position a l p h rase

The teenager tried to persuade his mother that he was i n n ocent but he failed miserably.
I d o n 't l i ke to travel with my b rother because he d rives recklessly. [wild ly, without care]
As soon as the singer came on stage she b urst into song.
If y o u r dog sta rts to foam at the mouth, you should ta ke it to the vet i m m e d i ately.

M o re complex collocations
M a ry was looking forward to retiring a n d taking it easy for a while.
It's t i m e you put the past behind you a n d sta rted focusing on the future.

10 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

3.1 Match a word from each box to form collocations. Not a l l the collocations appear o n
the opposite page, so use a dictionary such as the Cam b ridge Online Dictionary to
� Cambridge help you if necessary.
T Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org
d isease evidence op portun ity s m o ke a ri ses chatter howls pressu re
sta n d a rd s teeth w i n d withsta n d rises slip spread s su ggests

1 ..................... ................... ........ ............... . . . . . ............................... . . . . . 5 ...................................................................................... .

2 6 ...................................................................................... .

3 ·················· ·················· ........... . . ...................................................... . 7 .................... ................................................................ .

4 8 ................... ......................................................... .

3.2 Com plete each sentence using a collocation from 3 . 1 i n the appropriate form.
1 The scientific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . h u m a n beings first emerged in Africa.
2 The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . was . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . all n ight a n d it was rai n i ng, s o I could n't sleep.
3 The m ac h ine has to be made of materi a ls that can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a lot o f . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.

4 Oh, n o ! There's a fi re. Look at the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from those b u i l d i n gs.

5 It was so cold I co u l d n 't stop my . . . . from . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .

6 O u r s u rvey shows that parents believe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . have . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . a t the school.

7 You m u st accom pany M ason on one of his business trips to Asia, if the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ever

8 An a l a rm i n g new . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a mong cattle i n the south of the

co u nt ry.

3.3 Rewrite the underlined part of each sentence using a collocation from the opposite
page.
1 I d o n 't want to say n o to the cha nce of m eeti ng such a fa mous person.
2 We'll have to write a contract before you start work, as it's a new position.
3 Yo u ' re working too h a rd . You sho u ld try to relax for a s h o rt period of time.
4 This new bullet-proof car can take the i m pact of a rocket-propelled gre n a de.
5 Do you h ave any i nteresting little bits of i nform ation a bout our new boss to tell us?
6 The m i n i ster faced a la rge n u mber of q u estions from repo rters.
7 I h a d some luck last week. The poli ce fo u n d my sto len wa llet and noth i n g was m issing.
8 There's been a n u m ber of violent attacks in the area recently.
9 After her d ivorce M a n d y was determ i ned to forget the past and b u i ld a new life.
3.4 Answer these questions.
1 Who do you think is the most stu n n i ngly attractive person you have ever seen?
2 W h at s h o u ld you d o if you a re i n a car with someone who is drivi ng recklessly?
3 Do you prefer wa l k i n g in the cou ntry if there is a gentle b reeze or a stro n g wind?
4 W o u l d you write yo u r most i ntensely personal thoughts a n d feeli ngs i n your d i a ry?
3.5 Choose the correct collocation.
1 He s a i d he wou ld th row us out, but it was just a(n) vain I idle I lazy th reat.
2 They rushed the victim to hospita l, in the idle / simple / vain hope of savi n g her life.
3 The government is encou ntering mounting / climbing / rising criticism of its policies.
4 There i s raising / mounting / vain concern across the world a bout c l i m ate c h a n ge.
5 The h o rse was fuming I foaming I fainting at the mouth, so we cal led the vet.
6 S u d d e n ly, without wa rni ng, Marta busted / bustled / burst i nto song.
7 The right / straight / plain truth is that I h ate my jo b.
8 I tried to persuade her but I'm afra i d I fa i led desperately I miserably I wholeheartedly.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 11

 Finding collocations
You can expa nd your col location voca bu lary by tra i n i n g yourself to notice collocations
whenever you rea d . N ote the col locations i n these three examples of texts from differen t
sources - a newspa per feature, a fi l m review a n d a website for London tourists.

As a newly qualified teacher at a comprehensive school in Wiltshire, every day Joe faces the challenge
of gaining the respect of a class of 15-year-olds. Joe, 26, admits it is a tough challenge but thinks he is
winning the battle. Joe, who teaches English and med ia studies, and coaches a school football team, will
qualify fully i n J u ly, pending the results1 of his lesson assessments. With this milestone passed2, and
the increased fi nancial sta bi lity it will bri ng, Joe will turn his thoughts to buying his first home.

1 (formal) as long as he achieves successful results 2 m ajor life event behind h i m

She has a gift for languages, which brings her to the UN. She wants to make a
difference. She is idealistic in that single-minded, dedicated manner associated
with freedom fighters. Silvia ( Nicole Kidman) remains an enigma. When Tobin
Keller (Sean Penn) begins to i nvestigate her, he is faced with a blank sheet She
is beautiful, blonde, lissom and lithe. She lives alone, has no lover, rides a Vespa
throughout New York and works all day, providing simultaneous translation
for delegates. She has an odd accent, which, like everything else about her, is
difficult to pin down3•
3 hard t o fix o r place

j
Covent G arde n 's bu skers a nd u gg lers provide no-cost enterta i n m ent in a
car-free setting, and you ' v e always got the chance of b e i ng plu cked from the
crowd to help out with a trick. Don't underesti m ate the value of London's
public transport as a source of fun, either. The #11 d ou b le-d ecker from
Victoria, for instance, will trundle you past the Houses of Pa rli a me n t, Trafa lgar
Square and the Strand on its way to St Paul's Cathedral for a modest sum.
The driverless Docklands Light Railway is a nother guaranteed source of
amusement - grab a seat at the front of the train and pretend to be the driver,
then take a boat back to the ce ntre of tow n from Gree nw i ch .

Remember you will a lso hear collocations in conversations, lectures, songs a n d fi lms.
Try to get into the h a bit of record i n g a ny interesting collocations that you notice.

Recording collocations
W h e n working on col locations in a text, use your d i ctionary to fi n d more relating to one or
both parts of the origi n a l co llocatio n . You can record strong collocations i n collocation forks:

. ,, translation the outcom e

simu ltaneous ,,,, /
pe nding_
"--equation the res u lts
"'-
the response

a n d wea k ones in collocation b u b b les (beca use there are so m a ny more of them):

17ractical novelty reliable o((unclin3

sentimental valuable ofincome
value
17lace:reat ofentertainment
chea17
assess somethinj's rich
12 English Co/locations in Use Advanced
 Exercises

4.1 Complete each sentence using a collocation from A.

1 Ta n i a has a lways had a ................................................................................................ .............. so I ' m not surprised
she wants to study Chi nese at u n iversity.
2 At h i gh tide the sea covers the causeway a n d the o n ly way to get to the isla n d is to

3 It's very c rowded i n this cafe. You ........................ ................................. ............ .................... ................. and I ' l l get
our d r i n ks.
4 Once my exa ms a re over 1 ' 1 1 planning a
...............................................................................................................

holiday.
5 Fa r more people these days ma nage to ............................................................................................................. ..
aga i n st cancer.
6 Most politicians say they enter politics beca u se they want to ..................................................................... .
7 Try n ot to ............................................................................................. .. ... having good friends. U lti mately,
friendship is far more i m portant tha n work.
8 He's got the job - ................................................ a s u ccessfu l .......................... .. .. .. ... in h i s d riving
test tomorrow.
9 Although they lack experience, .................................. ............................................................ ............... doctors a re
often very enth usiastic a n d passion ate a bout their work.

4.2 Complete the collocations. The first letters a re given to help you . Use a d ictionary
I such as the Cambridge Online Dictionary if necessary.
J.m Cambridge
T Dictionary to j ___ a - to a
to p___ u- to p _ _ _ a
dictionary.cambridge.org
to g__ t-- chance a d----- challenge
to s a to t t
to b w a a s------

4.3 Check these expressions (a) in a good dictionary and (b) using a search engine. Which
two are collocations and which two are not?
l learn by head 2 lea rn by heart 3 lose a cha nce 4 m iss a cha nce
4.4 Answer these questions.
'
� Cambridge 1 N a m e three mi lestones in you r life that you have a lready passed .
T Dictionary 2 Are you already fu l ly q u a lified? If so, as what? If not, when will you be?
3 What a re some typical sou rces of i n come?
dictionary.cambridge.org
4 What is the toughest challenge you have ever faced?
5 What q u a lities wou ld be needed by someone provi d i ng s i m u lta neous tra n slation?
6 What a re some exa m p les of thi ngs that h ave senti menta l value for you?
4.5 Here is one student's plan for work on collocations. Complete the gaps, using a
dictionary if necessa ry. Then tick the ideas you can use yourself.
� Cambridge
---.- Dictionary •
(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . an effort to notice collocations in any English text I read.
dictionary.cambridge.org •
(2) . . . . . hold of a good dictionary to check other collocations for words that I
want to learn.
• Write down at least three collocations for each new word I want to (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to . . . . . . .

memory.
• Look back over old homework to see where I have (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mistakes with . . . .

collocations and (5 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . my best to (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . those mistakes in future.

. . . .. . . . . . . . . . .

•
(7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . a point of using good collocations when I have to write o r speak i n English.
•
Read and listen to as much English as (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . because that will expose me to
natural collocations.
•
Every week revise the collocations I have (9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a note of in my vocabulary file.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 13

 5 Registe r

What is register?
O u r use of language cha nges accord i n g to the situation that we a re i n . If your c lose friend
hosts a pa rty, you cou ld say, 'Th a n ks for the pa rty. It was a blast.' (very i nformal) However,
if your boss was the host, you wou ld probably say, 'Thanks for the pa rty. I rea lly enjoyed it.'
( neutral) In this exa m p le, neutral a n d very informal a re both exa m p les of register.
The register of most la nguage is n eutral (it ca n be u sed i n any situatio n). However, register
can a lso be form a l , i nfo rmal, cha racteristic of a certa i n professi o n a l field (e.g. lega l,
journalistic or med ia) or specific to official notices and forms.
O u r choice of register depends on what we a re ta l k i n g a bout (busi ness, the news, the
neighbours), who we a re ta lking to (friends, stra n gers, figures of a uthority) a n d how we
a re ta lking to them ( i n a letter, in a n email, in p u b l i c , in private) . Study the ta b le below a n d
notice how d ifferent words a n d p h rases are u sed t o describe the same situation .

example I register I comment

The police a re investigating / neutral Either version would not seem out of place in
looking into the a rms deal. any spoken or written contexts.

The cops a re tryi ng to dig out info i nformal Phrasal verbs a re often an i nforma l
about t h e a rms deal. alternative - although some are neutral.

The police a reconducting an formal Longer words of Latin or Greek origin often
investigation into the arms deal. indicate m ore formal language.

Police to probe a rms d eal neutral, journalistic Probe is typical of newspaper headline style.

The a rms deal may be subject to formal, legal a n d Subject to investigation is typical of a
police investigation. official burea ucratic or legal style.

Be ca refu l not to th i n k of form a l l a n guage as written a n d i nform a l l a n guage as spoken.

There is a lot of overlap. For exa m p le, markedly forma l la nguage i s most typical of official
or academic writing a n d official legal or burea ucratic speech. I nfo rmal langu age is typical of
conversation, person a l letters a n d emails, messages on social media a n d some journa lism.

Formal versus n eutral collocations

formal (from official documents) I neutral (spoken)
Students must submit their assignments by 1 May. 'You have to hand in your assignments by 1 May.'

Students may request an extension after 'You can ask for an extension after you 've
consulting their tutor. talked to / had a word with your tutor.'
I nformal versus neutral collocations
T hat fi lm was totally awesome! ( m a i n ly used by tee nagers, pred o m i nantly US) [neutral
eq uivalent: absolutely a mazing/fa ntastic]
T h at pa rty was well good! ( Well u sed to mean 'very'/'rea lly', m a i n ly by you nger UK spea kers.)
I haven't a clue / the foggiest idea what you mea n . [neutral equ ivalent: I have no idea]
We can grab a snack before the m eeting if you 're h u n gry. [nt=utra l equ ivalent: have a snack]

M a ke a note in you r notebook if a collocation is very formal or i nformal in register.

14 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

5.1 Write F (formal), I (informal) o r N (neutral) i n the b rackets a t the end of each
sentence. U n derline the collocations which indicate the register. Then rewrite the
formal and i nformal sentences to make them neutral.
Example: Do not alight from the bus until it stops. ( F) Do not get off the bus until it stops.
1 I feel dead t i red all the time. ( )
2 We were a l l bored stu pid by the poetry read i n g. ( )
3 Currency exchange offices a re located i n the a rrivals lou nge. ( )
4 She con d u cted a study of single-parent fa m i ly u n its. ( )
5 She did her degree i n Lo n d o n and fou n d work there i n 2015. ( )
6 I just got the latest softwa re so my com puter is bang up to d ate. ( )
7 Affix a passport-size photogra p h to the a ppl ication form . ( )
8 Jake asked his tutor for a n extension to com plete his dissertation. ( )

5.2 Match the beginning o f each sentence with its ending. Then label each sentence with
the appropri ate register from the list below. Underline the collocations which indicate
the register.
Registers: i nformal conversation (IC) journa lism/news (J) entertainment (E)
technical (T) legal (L) n otices { N }
1 This is b reaking a ring after d i n ner.
2 These a re the songs that a re climbing accord ing to model a n d road co nd itions.
3 There a re ton s of good reasons blockbuster from Star Studios.
4 Visitors m ust keep to the d esignated news here on G lobal TV Extra.
5 In any such case, custo mers shall forfeit electronic circuit.
6 Fuel con s u m ption may va ry of the fitness machi nes to 20 m i n utes.
7 I'll give you to win s u p po rt for the p l a n .
8 The m i n ister will tou r Asia in a bid t h e charts this week.
9 Joss E n gold stars i n the latest for not stu dying law.
10 A micro c h i p is a min i atu rised testify for a second time.
11 Please restrict your use areas at all times.
12 A witness m ay be asked to the right to com pensatio n .

5.3 Complete t h i s conversation between a doctor a n d a patient, using the verbs i n

the box i n t h e appropriate form. The language i s quite informal, without technical
medical terms.

I come clear do feel get run take w rite

Doctor: W h at can I (1) .............. . ................. for you , Mr Wi lson?

Patient: Well, Doctor, I 've been (2) .. . .... ..... . . .... .... . ... a temperature for the last cou ple of d ays and
. . . . . .

I 've (3) .... . . ... . .......... . . ... out i n a rash on my neck. Do you see? These red spots here.
. .. . .. .

Doctor: H m m . Let's (4) ... .. .... . .. ... . .. ... a look.

.. .. . . . . . . .

Patient: It's very i rritating and I h ave tro u b le (5) . . . . . . .... .. .... . . off to sleep at n i ght. Then I
. . . . . . . .. . . . . .

(6) ... . .... ... ........ . ...... down all day a n d ca n't concentrate on my work.
. . ... .

Doctor: Right. I don't thi n k it's a nything serious. I ' l l {7} ................................ you out a
p rescription for some lotion which should help to {8} ................................ u p the rash.

5.4 Look at how the doctor describes the case i n h i s records using more tech nical
language. Choose the correct word from the choices provided. Use a dictionary to
� Cambridge help if necessary.
G Dictionary
A patient (1) presented / represented this morning with a n (2) elevating / elevated
dictionary.cambndge.org
temperature. He was a lso (3) exposing / exhibiting a neck ras h . He further
(4) complained I grumbled of a n (5) inability I impossibility to con centrate.
English Collocations in Use Advanced 15
 6 Meta p hor

When we spea k metaphorically, we use words i n a non-litera l sense. For exa m p le, when we
say a writer casts light on a situation, we mea n that the writer helps us u ndersta nd it more
clea rly, in the same way that p utti ng a light o n i n a da rk room helps us see more clearly.

Metaphors based on t h e body

collocation I example I meaning
face {up to) the facts You're never going to ru n i n the Olympics. It's time accepted reality
you faced (up to) the facts.
shoulder the blame Although others were a lso responsible for the take responsibi lity for
problem , Alice decided to shoulder the blame. somet h i n g bad

foot the bill Choose w h at you like from the menu - the paying
company is footing the bill.
head a tea m Jo heads a team working on crime prevention. leads a project group

keep someone on Having t hree sons under the age of five keeps makes her stay active and
their toes Jana o n her toes. concentrated

have an eye for Gina has an eye for

deta il, so ask her to c h eck the is good at noticing
report.

go hand in h a n d Unem p loyment goes hand in hand with social happens at the same time
with unrest. or as a result of

Metaphors based on weight

Heavy ca n be u sed to mea n serious or difficu lt, as in heavy responsibility. A heavy
burden ca n be either someth i n g heavy to ca rry or a d ifficult responsibi lity to d e a l with,
while a heavy book can be either one that weighs
a lot or one with d ifficult content. A weighty tome,
however, would o n ly be used to mean a boo k w ith
d ifficu lt co ntent. Similarly i n weighty matters o r
weighty problems, weighty m ea ns difficult a n d
serious.
Light, the op posite of heavy, can a lso be used m eta phorica lly to mean ca refree o r lacking
i n seriousness. So light reading is reading m a teri a l that is n ot serious. If you d o something
with a light heart, you feel ca refree and h a ppy.
If someone h a s a slim chance of doing somet h i ng, there is a c h a n ce, but it is s m a ll. Fat
chance (very i n formal) mea n s a l m ost no cha n ce.

M etaphors based on m ovement

James did a lot of partyi ng in h i s fi nal year a n d ran into difficulties
with his cou rse. H is father was hopping mad 1 w h e n he only j u st
managed to get his degree. However, when h e left u n iversity h e wa lked
straight into a job2 i n a n excellent compa n y. Some people j u m ped
to the conclusion that this was because he'd sta rted going out with
the managi n g d i rector's d a u ghter. H is mother wo rried that, if their
relations h i p h it the rocks3 , h e would run into trouble at work too.

1 (informal) extremely angry 3 ended ( metaphor based on a boat being destroyed on rocks)
2 got a job very easily

16 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

6.1 Rewrite the u nderlined part o f each sentence using a metaphor from A.
1 The p residential visit meant no one had t i m e to relax.
2 Rosetta took fu l l responsibility for the fa i l u re of the p roject.
3 I don't t h i n k Greg will ever win Rosie's h ea rt; it's time he accepted that.
4 The co m pa ny had d o n e so well that year that it agreed to QQY. for a staff n ight out.
S I'm glad I'm not i n c h a rge of this tea m.
6 Eva is very good at fi n d i ng a barga i n .
6.2 Answer these questions a bout the metaphors o n the opposite page.
1 What u s u a l ly goes h a n d in hand with i nflati o n : an increase or a decrease in savings?
2 If a relationship hits the rocks, is it the end o r the begi n n i n g of that relatio n s h i p?
3 If yo u say that someo n e is hopping m a d , d o you mea n that they a re good at ath letics or that
they a re very angry?
4 If you ru n into diffi c u lties or trou ble, d oes that mean that they ha ppen q u i ckly?
S Would you be more li kely to ca ll a magazine a rticle featuri n g gossip a bout celebrities light
rea d i n g o r a weighty to me?
6 If you ta l k a bout fac i n g the facts, a re the facts more l i kely to be pleasant o r u n p leasant?
6.3 Explain the difference i n mea ning between the sentences in each pair.
la Jess w a l ked into a well-paid job i n the C ity. lb J ess got a well- paid job in the City.
2a Rafae l is h eading the p roject tea m. 2b Rafael is backi n g the p roject tea m.
3a Dad j u m ped to the wrong conclusi o n . 3b Dad ca me t o t h e w ro n g conclusion.
4a Jan left the room with a light hea rt. 4b Jan left the room with a heavy heart.
Sa Fat c h a n ce I 've got of w i n n ing! Sb I 've got a slim cha nce of winning.

6.4 Choose the correct collocation.

1 Kiera n 's constant wh istli n g is riding / getting / driving me crazy.
2 Sylvia is a fi rst-class d esigner as she has a good eye I nose I hand for deta il.
3 You m u stn't shoulder the heavy weight / burden / task of red ecorating the h o u se all by
you rself.
4 There is j ust a thin / slim / skinny cha nce that Marek might pop i n today.
S The co m m ittee has some fat / weighty / heavy matters to d iscuss on tod ay's agenda.
6 When the results came out, M a rco was thrilled to see his name footing / facing / heading the
list of s u ccessful ca n d i dates.

6.5 Explain what the play on words is based on i n each of these headlines.

1 4

2 D I ET PI LLS HAVE FAT s

C HANCE OF S UCCESS

3 NEW DIRECTOR KEEPS

ROYAL BALLET ON ITS TOES

You may fi nd it useful to draw little pictu res i n you r voca bulary noteboo k - or imagine
them in your mind - to help you remember some collocations.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 17

 7 I nte nsifying a n d softe n i n g adverbs

Adverbs a re often used before a dj ectives and verbs either to stren gthen their mea n i n g
(i ntensifying adve rbs) or to wea ken it (softening adverbs).
Her comments were deeply offensive. ( i ntensifier - very/extrem e ly)
Her comments were slightly offensive. (softener - a little bit)

I ntensifying a dverbs
N otice how i nten sifying adverbs a re used to mean 'extremely' or 'co m pletely' in the
sentences below. The expressio n s m a rked with * a re very info r m a l .
O l i v i a rea lly enjoys doing housework. You should s e e her flat - it's a lways spotlessly clea n.
It was downright rude of Anto n i o to tell Pa u la that she looked older than her own mother.
I hope he feels thoroughly ashamed.
It's blatantly obvious that Olga i s o n ly i nterested i n Richard because he's so wealthy.
I wonder what she'll do when s h e fi nds out he's wild ly exaggerated how rich he rea l ly is!
I don't know what I was worry i n g a bout! The exa m tu rned out to be dead easy*!
This celeb rity website is good fu n but most of the information is wildly inaccurate.

Softening adve rbs

N ote the softe n i n g a dverbs used i n these senten ces from newspa pers.
The spo kesperson said the new i n s u ra nce scheme was only slightly different from the old
one. [weak collocation; slightly ca n be used with a wide ra nge of adjectives]
The ch ief executive said he was m i ld ly surprised by the public i n terest in the fi rm's plans.
[mildly a lso collocates with amusing/ed, irritating/ed, offensive]

Alfredo Sca luzzi's n ew fi lm is loosely based on a n i neteenth-centu ry novel. [loosely also

collocates with centred, structured, related, connected]
M s G i roa said she regarded rep o rts that she was a bout to seek a d ivorce as faintly
ridiculous. [fa irly formal; faintly a lso collocates with amused, surprised, patronising, absurd]

Alternatives to very
There a re a va riety of words that you can use as a lternatives to very which collocate with
most adjectives, for example: really, extremely, terribly, incredibly and awfully. Other
adverbs collocate with certai n a dj ectives and verbs but not with others.

alternatives to very I .,/ I NOT

h ighly u n li kely, educated, recommended a1313FeEiate, iRfllleREe, iRteFestiRg

strongly influence a1313FeEiate
greatly a ppreciate, i nfluence

utterly a bsurd, rid iculous seFPy', slJsy, glaEI, leRely

completely/totally/entirely different, dependent, separate

thoroughly enjoy

C o mm o n mi sta kes

Absolutely collocates o n ly with adje cti ves which have strong mea n i ngs,
e.g. absolutely (NOT veFJ<l delighted, very (NOT absolutely) happy.

18 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

7. 1 Match a word from each box to form collocations.

blatantly downright s potlessly ashamed c lea n i nacc u rate

thorou g h ly wildly obviou s rude

7.2 Complete each sentence using a collocation from 7.1.

1 I ' m a mazed you d i d n 't rea lise she was lying! It was . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to m e !
2 It was . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of h i m not t o say hello to the secretary.
3 I 've been hooveri n g a n d d usti ng all d ay, so now my flat is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 M ost of the facts were w rong in that n ews report. It was . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 You should be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of you rself. You r behaviour was a p palling!

7 .3 Rewrite the underlined part of each sentence using a collocation from the opposite page.
1 The American writer M a rk Twa in is fa mous for co m menting that repo rts of his death
had been over-exaggerated.
2 This resta u rant is reco m mended by m a ny different people.
3 The exa m was extrem e ly easy; everyon e got high m a rks. ( m a ke this i nformal)
4 The m usical West Side Story is kind of based on the plot of Shakespea re's play Romeo and
Juliet. (make this less i nformal)
5 The idea of the boss s i n ging Happy Birthday to me struck m e as a little bit ridicu lous.
6 The s uccess of the W i m b ledon ten n is tournament is 1 00% dependent o n the weather. (give
two a nswers)
7 I rea l ly enjoyed the d ays I spent at y o u r lovely house i n the cou ntry.
8 I was just a little s u rprised by her decision to quit her j o b so soon.
9 I was really delighted when they to ld me I 'd got the job.
10 The n ew model of t h i s camera is a little bit different from the old one.

7 .4 Add i ntensifying adverbs from the opposite page to these sentences to make the
words in bold stronger.
1 I appreciate the fact that you have given me so m u c h of you r time.
2 Sometimes Tony says ridiculous t h i n gs.
3 The crossword in tod ay's newspaper i s difficult. I c a n 't even start it!
4 It's sweet of you to offer to help.
5 I fou n d his rema rks offensive; he s h o u ld a pologise.
6 She leads a lonely life in a tiny house on a remote isla n d .
7 W e should try to keep t h e two gro u p s separate from each other.
8 She is a n educated person.
9 I 've been busy all week.
10 That meal was expensive! I 'm not eating there aga i n .

7 .5 Are the following adverb collocations correct or not? If they are incorrect, correct them using
collocations from C opposite.
1 I thoroughly enjoyed the fi lm.
2 You r help wou ld be strongly appreciated.
3 The song is high ly i nflu e n ced by B razi lian folk rhythms.
4 I fi n d the situation utterly a bsurd .

Look out for more collocations with these words a s you listen a n d read, and record
them in collocation bubbles indicati ng what they do and do not collocate with.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 19

 8 Make a n d ve rbs th at mean make

Common e rrors with make

T h e Cambridge Learner Corpus s hows that some of the most frequent co l location errors
m a d e by ca n d i d ates in advanced E n glish exa m s relate to the u se of make. Here are som e
typical errors a n d t h e i r corrections.
I would l i ke to do/give some suggestions make some suggestions
-

I t h i n k that I cou ld have/give a co ntri bution to the p roject make a contribution

-

I expect you to gi¥e a forma l a pology make a formal apology

-

T here is sti l l some way to go a n d lots of im provem ents to tJ.G i mprovements to make
-

T h a n k you very m u c h for OOffig these a rra ngemen ts making these a rrangements
-

Sometimes ca n d i d ates use make where a nother verb is req u i red. For exa m p le:
We're goi n g to mal<ea party on Sat u rday have a party
-

L a n a madesome interestingresearch i nto her fa m i ly roots did . . . research

-

Other exp ressions with make

It's a good idea to make a habit of switching off t h e li ghts when you leave a room.
If you a lways say exactly what you t h i n k , you ' l l m a ke a lot of enemies.
The tea m made several attempts to climb the m o u nta i n before they fi n a lly succeed ed.
I hope that they'll make a success of their new resta u rant business.
I have to go to a p a rty for a co lleague after work but I will try a n d make an ea rly escape.
O u r research tea m has made an i m portant discovery a bout how wha les co m m u n icate.
W h e n doing you r a ccou nts, try to ensure you make a l l the calculations co rrectly.
If we move the sofa c loser to the w i n d ow, it'll m a ke room for the piano.
I first made h is acquaintance when he moved i n n ext door. [formal: got to know h i m]
T h e house we looked at is just what we wa nt a n d we've decided to make an offer on it.
As no one else has any ideas, I 'd l i ke to make a p roposal. [make a formal s uggestion]
We m u st make a stand against the casino they p ro pose to b u i ld here. [protest about]

Other verbs that mean make

collocation I example I comment
create a good/bad Wear your grey suit to the interview if you want to slightly more formal than
i m pression create a good impression. make an impression
create a (+ adj.) The lanterns i n the garden create a romantic more formal than make for a
atmosphere atmosphere. romantic atmosphere
stage a protest The students staged a protest a gainst rising = m a ke a formal protest
tuition fees.

lodge a complaint Several people h ave lodged a complaint about = m a ke a formal complaint
the receptionist's rudeness.

rustle up a meal It took Sam ten m i n utes to rustle up a meal. (i nformal) = make a meal very
q u ickly

ru n up curtains This weekend I ' m going to run up some curtains = m a ke quickly using a sewing
for my new roo m . m a c h i ne

turn a profit This month o u r company should turn a profit for slightly more i nformal than
the first time. make a profit
coi n a phrase I wonder who coined the term ' blogging'. = i nvent / make up a new
phrase

20 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

8.1 Are these sentences correct o r incorrect? If they are i n correct, correct them.
1 H ave you any suggestions to make a bout how to celebrate the school's a n n iversa ry?
2 We a re planning to have a party next Saturd ay.
3 The company directo r gave a forma l a p o logy for his earlier comments.
4 The m a n ager had to m a ke a nu mber of c h a n ges to office procedu res in order to do all the
i m p rovements he h a d plan ned for the compa ny.
5 My sister did all the a rra ngements for the pa rty.

8.2 Complete each sentence using a word from the box.

acq u a i ntance attem pt ca lculations discovery enem ies

ha bit offer room sta nd s uccess

1 Try to m a ke a ................................................ of n oticing good co l locations in a ny text you read .

2 A ra i lway offici a l a s ked us to move o u r l u ggage t o m a ke ................................................ for the
boy's b i ke.
3 The new CEO has m a d e a lot of ................................................ by being so autocratic.
4 If Pa u li n e ma kes a ................................................ of this project, she'll proba bly get p romoted .
5 The old gentlem a n said he was delighted to make my ................................................ .
6 Do you think yo u ' l l m a ke an ................................................ o n the flat you viewed yesterday?
7 Every young scientist d reams of m a k i n g a ................................................ that will c h a n ge the world.
8 Rachel made no ................................................ to contact me when she was over h e re last yea r.
9 We tried to m a ke a ................................................ a gainst the new housing develo pment but to no
ava i l : the contractors started work this morni ng.
10 The ................................................ that you m a d e conta ined a few i naccuracies.

8.3 Replace make in each sentence with a n a lternative word . Then say whether you have
made the sentence more or less formal.
1 The G reen Pa rty p l a n s to make a major protest agai n st the government's new fa rm ing policy.
2 Tessa helped me to m a ke some lovely cushion covers for my new flat.
3 I regret to inform you that severa l clients have made complaints a bout you r cond uct.
4 You won't make a good fi rst im pression if you arrive late for you r i nterview.
5 It wo n't take me long to make a mea l for the child re n .
6 Do yo u expect yo u r busi ness to m a ke a profit t h i s yea r?
8.4 Rewrite each sentence using the word i n brackets.
1 At the meeting the c h a irman proposed something rather i nteresting. ( P R O POSAL)
2 I hope we can leave soon as I'm terri bly tired. (ESCAPE)
3 I ' m read i n g a fasc i n ating book a bout the i nvention of n ew words a n d phra ses to express n ew
soc i a l a n d techn ica l n eeds. (CO I N ED)
4 We c h a n ged the layout of the hall to m a ke it more relaxed for the yoga class. (ATMOS PH E R E )
5 I tried t o phone the company severa l t i m es a t t h e weekend. (ATTEM PTS)
6 Kim contributed very positively to the d iscussion. (CONTRI BUTI O N )
7 T h e service was poor but I wouldn't g o so far a s to fo rma lly com plain. (LO D G E)
8 I fi rst got ta lking to Roger on a tra i n . (ACQUAI NTANCE)

0v e r to ': (1 , 1

Make a point of looking back through a ny pieces of you r writing that a teacher has
corrected . Have you ever made any mistakes i nvolvi ng collocations with make? If
so, make an effort to use those expressions correctly in your next assignment.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 21

 9 Com m u n icati n g

Collocations with say, speak, talk and tell

I wouldn't say no to a nice cup of tea. [informal: I 'd really li ke]
Needless to say / It goes without saying that the wo rkers voted i n favou r of the wage
i n c rease.
J a n a didn't say a word when l told her l was leavi ng.
Generally speaking, people are aware of the envi ron menta l con seq uences of their actio n s.
Strictly speaking, a tom ato is a fru it a n d not a vegeta ble beca use it contains seeds.
She a lways speaks very highly of you . [says good thi n gs a bout you]
C h a rlie, stop m u m bl i n g and speak properly. I can't u ndersta nd a word you're sayi ng.
[generally used by parents or teachers to children, not between adu lts]
Now we've got to k n ow each other, I thi n k it's ti me we
talked business.
At fi rst, Andrew a ppears to be talking nonsense but
after a while you rea lise he's actua l ly talking a lot of
sense.
I 'll tell you a secret but p lease d o n 't tel l a nyone e lse.
The old woman looked at Glen's p a l m a nd bega n to
tell his fortune. [predict his future life]

Collocations meaning communicate

example I comment
I asked why she didn't trust him but she wouldn't give m e a reason. N OT say a reason

The charity states its aim as bei ng to help underprivi leged children. (formal) also state your
purpose/goal
The staff on recepti o n required each visitor to state their business (formal) = say what their
before issuing them with an entry permit. i ntentions are

In her lecture Lucia gave an account of her tri p to the Andes. used about both speech and
writi ng

The speech got the message about the policy cha nges across. (i nformal) = conveyed the idea

I declare H i roshi Yam a moto the winner of the gold medal. (formal) statement made at the
time of the win

He was pronounced dead at 1.10. (formal) used when m a king an

official statement of death

The old man tried to impart his knowledge to his sons. (formal) = transfer knowledge;
a lsoimpart wisdom
That journalist gets a mazing stories but he won't divulge his sources. (formal) = make something secret
known; a lso divulge a secret
The internet is a powerfu l mea ns of disseminating information. (formal) = spread ing i n formation
to a lot of people

We notified the police of the burglary. (formal) = officially informed

Although found gui lty, Robson conti n ued to protest his innocence. (formal) = insist he was n ot gui lty

He professed ignorance of the dent to the car but I t h i n k he was lying. (formal) = claimed - perhaps
i nsi ncerely - that he did n ot know

Did you break the news to her that her mother is in prison? u sed for news that is very
upsetting

22 English Collocations i n Use Advanced

 Exercises

9.1 Complete each sentence with the appropriate form of say, speak, talk or tell.
1 Strictly ................................ , you shou ldn't be here.
2 Joel ................................ m e a sec ret and m a d e me promise not to pass it on to a nyone else.
3 It goes without ................................ that we'll i nvite you to our wed d i ng.
4 I spend most days with my three-yea r-old son, so forgive me if I start .................. ............. no nsense.
5 The tea chers always ................................ very highly of my son's a b i lities.
6 I h a d my fortu ne ................................ at the fa i r yesterday.
7 It's so h ot. I wouldn't ................................ no to an ice crea m, w o u ld you?
8 S h a l l we h ave lunch first and then sit down to ................................ busi ness?
9 I t h i n k that, genera lly ................................ , it's better to use p u b lic transport than d rive you rself.

9.2 Rewrite t h e underlined part of each sentence to make i t more formal.

1 The victim was asked why he had n ot to ld the police soo ner a bout the m u ggi n g.
2 The older generation h a s a lways attempted to pass its wisdom on to you ng people.
3 Stockman has always i nsisted that he is i n n ocent.
4 Robert clai med that he knew nothing of the damage to the car.
5 The reporter had no o ptio n but to expl a i n where s h e had got her informatio n from.
6 The d octors said he was dead when t hey a rrived at the scene of the accident.
7 The j u d ges said that M agd a Karlson h a d won the com petitio n .
8 The cha rity does a great deal to inform people a bout its a ctivities.

9.3 Are these sentences correct or incorrect? If they are incorrect, correct them.
1 Do you t h i n k I man aged to give the m essage across in my speech?
2 Need less to say, he d id n 't tell a word to his pa rents a bout what had ha ppened.
3 You ca n't chew gum and say properly at the same time.
4 H e refused to say his reasons for turn i n g down our invitation.
5 She was devastated w h e n we dropped the news to her.
6 I n y o u r report we wo u l d l i ke you to give a deta i led acco u n t of what ha ppened.
7 I rea lly like this docu m entary ma ker; s h e tells a lot of sense.
8 At the begi n n i ng of your d issertatio n you must say your goa ls clea rly.

9.4 Use a dictionary to find nouns to com plete these phrases based on collocations in B.
I
J� Cambridge 1 ............... .. ... ......................... of i n nocence i n the face of evidence to the contrary
. . .

T Dictionary 2 a c o m pa ny's ................................................ of a i m s

3 ... .. .............. .. .... .... ............ o f i n formation a m o n g t h e popu lation
.. . . . . .

dictionary.cambridge.org

. .
4 .................. ... .......... .............. of a c rime to the police
. . .

5 ..... . .......... ...... . ....... ............ . of the winner of a com petitio n

. . .

9.5 Use a dictionary to com plete these collocation forks.

Ill Cambridge
Y Dictionary
1
someone a w i n ner
2
k ::�:: e
3
sou rces

,• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • I ,• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
dictionary.cambridge.org

decla re V
// divu lge V

\ : ·
\•
.
i m pa rt

:
� ::: ::: ::: :::.::::::::::
\ .. . .... ...... ........ · · ·· · ·· ·· · · · · · · ·
.
· · ··
English Collocations in Use Advanced 23
10 Collocations with p h rasa l verbs

N ews items

I The J ustice Minister said he would abide by the The new regional governor w i l l take up office2 on
decision1 of the H igh Court to free the prisoner. l March, fol lowing h i s party's recent election v ictory.
The Education Commission has been asked by the
government to come up with an alternative to the !i
The police , acti n g on a tip-off 3 , arrested
present schools examination system.
the thieves as they left the build ing.

Hollywood star Glenda Nixon has filed for divorce4 . She and her The police intend to come down
husband Kevin Lomax have lived apart for the last six months. heavily on 5 anyone causing trouble
at tomorrow's football final.
1 (formal) accept the decision 3 a secret warn ing
2 (formal) start work in an 4 made an official req uest for a divorce
official position 5 punish very severely

Everyday conversation
N ote how B uses a collocation with a phrasal verb to repeat A's i d eas.
A: It was great j ust sitting in the s u nshine and e njoying the feel of the place, wasn't it?
B: Yes, it was n i ce to j ust sit there soaking up the atmosphere.
A: I think we s h o u ld both a rra n ge o u r work sch ed u les so
we don't h ave to work i n M ay.
B: Yes, I'll try to free up some time so we ca n go away
together.
A: I'm fi nd i n g it h a rd to fi nd time to practise the French
I learnt at school.
B: Yes, I have a s i m i la r problem keeping up my S panish.
A: Well, all that gardening has m a d e me hungry.
B: Yes, it certa i n ly helps to work u p an appetite.
A: It'd suit my a r rangements if we could meet up at lunchti me.
B: Yes, that wo u l d fit in perfectly with my plans too.
A: The hotel wasn't as good as I thought it wou ld be.
B: No, it did n't live up to my expectations eith e r.

Other phrasa l verbs with strong collocations

b u rst into laughter/tears [suddenly start to laugh/cry]
When she saw the damage the floods had d o n e to her house, she bu rst i nto tears.
d i p i nto savings/fu nds [spend part of some money which was being saved]
The club had to dip into their emergency fun d s to pay for the repairs to the roof.
jot down an address / a phone n u m ber / a room number [write down qu ickly]
Can I jot down you r email address?
see off an intruder/opponent [get rid of, defeat]
H e's a tou gh guy. He saw off several intruders who were try i n g to b reak i nto his house.
ad here to principles / beliefs / idea ls / a phi losophy [formal: continue to ma intain a belief]
It's difficult to adhere to one's beliefs when o n e is being co n sta ntly attacked.

It is often difficult to remember the meani ngs of p h rasal verbs. When a phrasal verb has a set of
collocations as in the exa m p les in C, write them d own together. This is a goo d way of
remem bering their mea ni ng.

24 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

10.1 Complete t h e collocations using prepositions from t h e box.

d ow n for in with to up u p to u p with

1 file ................................ divorce

2 com e ................................ an a lternative
3 ta ke ................................ office
4 a d he re ................................ a p h i losophy
5 live ................................ expectations
6 a bide ................................ a d ecision
7 jot ................................ someon e's address
8 fit ................................ plans

10.2 Complete each sentence using a collocation from 10.1 i n the appropriate form.
1 I 'd been looking forward to the course b u t unfortu nately it .................................................... .......... my
expectations.
2 Has a nyone ........................................................... a good alternative to the petrol- or diesel-fuelled car yet?
3 I s h o u ld y o u r a d d ress in case I forget it.
...... ................ ..........................................

4 The new president of o u r club is d u e to ................................................................ office n ext week.

5 We h ave to ................................................................ the decision of the committee; we h ave no choice.
6 M ost m e m bers of the gro u p ................................................................ a common phi losop hy.
7 I d o n 't h ave any spec i a l a rrangements, so can easi ly ................................................................ you r plans.
8 M elissa Bragg has ................................................................ divorce i n a New Yo rk cou rt.

10.3 Answer these questions using collocations from the opposite page.
1 What c a n you do with savings or fu n d s i n a n emergency?
2 What c a n you do with princi ples or idea ls?
3 What c a n you try to d o with a langu age if you don't want to lose it?
4 What c a n guard dogs help you to do if you have i ntruders?

10.4 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1 Everyo n e broke into lau ghter when s h e told the story.
2 We h a d a ru n a long the beach to work i n a n appetite before lu nch.
3 The police have sa i d they i ntend to go down heavi ly on a nyone carrying an offensive wea pon at
the m atch .
4 D o yo u t h i n k yo u cou ld free out some t i m e to have a q u ick meeting this afternoon?
5 The p o li ce acted on a rip-off and m a n a ged to avert a possible d isaster.
6 I hope the party will l ive on to your expectations.
7 We sat o n our hotel ba lcony, soaking t h ro u gh the atmosphere of the ca rn iva l.
8 Ta nya q u i ckly saw out her opponent in t h e semi-fi n a l a n d now goes on to the fi nal.

10.5 Answer these questions. Write full sentences using the word in brackets i n a collocation from
the opposite page.
1 What d o you plan to do i n future to m a ke s u re you d o n 't lose your English? (KEEP)
2 What fi l m or gig or sports event have you been to that wasn't as good as you expected? ( LIVE)
3 What sort of thing m ight tempt you to use some of you r savi ngs? ( D I P)
4 Yo u r best friend is getting ma rried 1 0 0 m i l es away tomorrow a n d a l l the tra i ns have been
cancelled. What wou l d you try to do? (CO M E)
5 At s h o rt n otice some friends have i nvited you to stay for the weekend. They've already made some
plans fo r the weeken d . What wou ld you d o you r best to do? ( FIT)
6 How easy do you fi n d it a lways to a ct a ccord i n g to you r princi ples? (AD H E R E)

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 25

 - ,,

11 Wo rki n g life

EMILY I n my m id-twenties I joined the staff of a la nguage school. The pay

wasn't brilliant but I cou ld make a living 1 and there were m a n y
aspects o f the job t h a t I e nj oyed. The o t h e r members o f staff were
n ice a n d I enjoyed teach i n g the students. A few years later, after
retu rn i n g from maternity leave, I decided to go part-time. Luckily
I was a b le to do a job-sha re 2 with a n oth e r woman who had a s m a l l
c h i l d . Then t h e school began to go t h ro u g h a diffi c u lt period a n d h a d
to l a y off staff3 . I decided t o go freela n ce4 . I h a d m a naged t o build
u p a network of contacts a n d this gave me a good start. I soo n had a
substa ntial volume of work - private students and m a rking exa ms -
a n d was a ble to earn a good living.
----••• �
1 ea rn enough to live (can also be used j u st to refer to 3 dismiss staff because there is no work for them
one's job and how one earns one's m oney: She makes to do
a living as a hairdresser) 4 work for several different organisations rather

2 s ituation where two people share equal parts of the than worki n g full-time for one orga nisation
same job

C ommon m i s t a kes

People usua l ly do work, N OT make work. I f we ta lk about people making work, i t means t h a t they
create work for other peo p le to do, e.g. A baby makes a lat of work for its parents - but it's worth it.

After gra d u ati ng, I practised medicin e 1 for a nu mber of years i n

Lon d o n . I managed to ca rve a niche for myself2 a s a specia l i st i n
derm ato logy. Then I rea lised I needed some fresh challenges a n d so
I d i d a job swa p for a yea r w ith my opposite number3 i n a c l i n i c i n
Va n couver. W h e n I ret u rned, I went b a c k t o my old job and a l s o took
up the post4 of ed itor of a leading m e d i c a l journal. I held that position
for a n u m ber of years. I ' m n ow hoping to go abroad again a n d so am
letti n g everyone know that I am open to offers.

1 worked as a doctor 3 someone doing the same j o b in a different location

2 m a ke a special position for myself 4 started work

J U LIA After gra d u ating i n eco n o m i cs, I did t h e u s u a l t h i n g o f putting

together my CV1 a n d a p p lying for jobs. I got a very tempting offer
from an i n vestment b a n k a n d accepted it. I was put on a fast-track
scheme2 a n d was moving up the ladder3 fast. However, one d ay I had
a change of heart4 . I rea l i sed I 'd stopped enjoying the excitement. I
felt I n eeded to get my priorities right5 . I decided that other a spects
of my l ife should take priority over6 my work. I handed in my
resignation and moved to the cou ntry.

1 CV = curriculum vitae, a written description of 3 being promoted

your education, qualifications, ski lls a nd career 4 my attitud e or mood cha nged
2 system for rapid tra i ning and pro m otion of 5 give importa nce to the right aspects of life

ta lented staff 6 be more i m portant to me than

We say someone is under a lot of / considerable pressure, NOT u nder hlg4 pressure.

26 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

11.1 Match the beginning of each sentence with its endi ng.
1
My husband a n d I do of contacts.
Circu late the report to a l l mem bers
2 the staff in o u r company.
3
Jo nas has been h a ppier s i n ce he went of work this month.
4
I hope it won 't be necessary to lay of staff.
It's not easy to m a ke
5 part-time.
6
Meeti ng people is the best a spect a job-share.
7
M a rian was the last person to join off many of o u r staff.
Anna will be goi n g on matern ity
8 of the job.
9 Try to build u p a good n etwo rk a livi ng as an actor.
1 0 We've had a rid i c u lous vo l u m e leave next m o nth.

11.2 Complete the conversation using words from the opposite page.
Mega n : Did you k n ow my son's in Austra lia at the m o m e nt? He's d o i n g a job swa p with h i s op posite
(1) .......................... ...... ...... , the person who (2) ............... .. .... ... . .. ...... a s i m i la r positio n to h i s in the
. . . . . . .. .

company's Syd ney office.

J ose: Wow, that's good ! But I thought he wa nted to go to the States this year?
Mega n : Well, yes. He did have a very tempti ng (3) . . . . ...... .. ..... . ...................... from a company in New York and
he was a bout to accept, but then he had a (4) .. . .. . ... .. . . .. . ........ ... . . .. . . of heart.
. . . ... .

Jose: So, have you met the exc h a n ge person from Syd ney?
M ega n : Yes, he's been to d i n n e r a cou ple of times. H e'd l i ke to settle here i n fact a n d h a s asked
us to tell everyone he's (5) ... ... .. . . .. . . .. . .. ... . to o ffers from a n y compa n ies that m ight be
. . .. . ... . . . . . . ...

i nterested. M aybe you r firm m ight be i nterested?

Jose: Perhaps. We could do with someone with good Austra l i a n contacts. But we c o u ld rea lly do
with someone who cou ld {6) ........................................ a post before the end of the year.
Mega n : That cou l d work out perha ps. He certa i n ly seems very n i ce. And he'd be motivated to do well
for you beca u se he's so keen to stay here.
Jose: And d o you t h i n k you r son will stay in Austra lia?
Mega n : I hope n ot. I 've told him to get his priorities {7) ........................................ . Being nea r his
m u m s h o u ld (8) .. .. . . .
.. .. priority over Australian beac hes and sunshine!
. . . . . . ... .......... ..........

11.3 Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets.

1 The recession meant that the co mpany had to m a ke some workers red u nda nt. ( LAY)
2 You r fa mily s h o u l d rea lly be more i m porta nt to yo u t h a n yo u r work. ( P R I O R ITY)
3 N ita soon ga i ned several promotions at work. ( LAD D E R )
4 H a rry hates h i s n e w boss s o m u c h that I t h i n k h e ' l l soon leave. ( R ES I G NATION)
5 Vic earns good m o ney as a freela nce journa list. (LIVI N G )
6 I n eed to write d own all my q u a lifications and experience before I a pp ly for jobs. (cv)
7 My father a lways wa nted to work as a d octor in a rura l com m u nity. ( P RACTISE)

11.4 Correct the seven collocation errors i n this paragraph.

George ma kes a l ife as a sports reporter on a local n ewspaper but h e i s u nder high pressu re at
work at the m o m ent. He's had fa r too much work to m a ke recently. H e's been put on a fast-trai n
scheme for pro m otion and they're rea l ly pushing h i m . It's s o hard t h a t h e's thinking of h a n d ing
over his resignation a n d goi ng freela nci ng. It wou ld n't be easy but I ' m sure he'd soon work a niche
for h i mself as a sports journalist.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 27

 h�1 ;_;tv��,,':l:, �'t1;' y, ";'o;st:'.;,>,,. r
' �'::{ti�� ; v r � 40:!< :
1
,
12 �·�
.. .·
.

N ew e m p loy nt .

Discussing job a p p lica nts

Guy: So wh ich of these a pplica nts do you th i n k we shou ld i n terview?
They a l l seem to fit the job description q u ite well to m e. It's qu ite
a dau nting task to narrow the list down to just o n e person.
Lisa: I agree. So, lets start by taking up references for these ten people.
Guy: O K. So why did you pick these ten out of the fifty who a p plied?
Lisa: Well, these ten a l l seem to be people who rea lise the i m portance
of working as a tea m. They've a l l shown that they a re capable
of mastering new skills. And they're a l l c learly comfo rta ble with
taking on responsibility.
Guy: Did you autom atica l ly elimi nate the two who'd p revio us ly taken industrial action 1 ?
Lisa: One of them - I 'd a lso heard ru mours a bout his i nvo lvem ent in a professional miscondu ct case.
He was certa i n ly relieved of his duties2 at ARG under mysterious circ u m sta nces. But the other
was sta nding up for a woman who'd been wrongfully dismissed3 , even though he knew he
m ight lose his own job. So he sounded good to me.
Guy: Fa i r en ough. He m u st have strength of cha racter to risk losing his own livelihood.
Lisa: Th at's right. So co u ld we pencil in a meeting for considering the referen ces? And then I 'd
better leave you a n d go and clear my desk4 before I go home.
Guy: Yes, s u re. How a bout Friday at 10?
1 gone on strike 4 deal with all the papers on one's desk (also used
2 (formal) dism issed when someone is clearing their desk because they
3 (formal, legal) unfairly dismissed a re leaving their j o b)

C ommo n mi s t a ke s

If workers refuse to work, they go on strike or stage a strike, N OT mttke a strike.

Conversation about a new job

Alexa: I hear your brother's landed a fa ntastic new job1 .
David: Actually it's not as good as he hoped. H e's got a
terribly heavy workload and that means working
some very unsocial hours. He a lso com plains about
havi n g to do lots of menial tasks a ro u n d the office,
running errands for his boss.
Alexa: But he's paid well?
David: N ot really. He just a bout gets a living wage2 . And all
the overtime is u npaid.
Alexa: He'll just have to throw a sickie3 from time to time.
David: Yes, I suggested he did that too, but he says he's afrai d of getting the sack4 if he does. He
feels there m ight be some prospects for him there eventually, even if he is just being used as
sweated labou r at the moment.
Alexa: Well, with any l u ck he'll eventually fi nd that he can realise his potential6 there.
David: I hope so. But they h ave a very high turnover of staff a n d it won't be easy for him to stay
the course7 .
Alexa: No, but he's very determ ined, isn't he? So let's hope it a l l works out.
1 (informal) got a new (and usually a good) job 5 workers who are paid very little
2 enough money to live on a n d work in very bad conditions
3 (informal) take a day off work pretending to be sick 6 achieve all that he is capable of
4 (informal) being dismissed 7 remain there until he is successfu l

28 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

12.1 Find a collocation i n A that matches each definition.

1 to m a ke a provisi o n a l d ate for a meeti n g 6 u nfa i rly sacked
2 an a l a rm i ngly diffi c u lt task 7 to be deprived of you r sou rce of i ncome
3 to become ski lled at doing new thi n gs 8 behaviour u naccepta ble for someon e in
4 to req u est statements from referees a particular job
5 to have the skills req u i red for a job

12.2 Complete this paragraph using words from the box i n the appropriate form.

fit land run sweat take

Cha rlotte was su rprised but h a ppy to (1) ........................................ a job on her local n ewspa per as soo n as
she left u n iversity. She was su rprised beca use she did n't feel that she (2) ........................................ the job
descri ptio n , but she was ha p py beca u se she had always d reamt of wo rki ng a s a j o u rna list. So she
d i d n 't rea lly mind when she fo u n d that she was spen d i n g m uch of her time (3) ....................................... .
erra nds fo r the editor. Her b rother sa id she was just bei n g used as (4) .................................. ... . labour but . .

she felt confi dent that there (5) ....................................... good p rospects for her there. She was sure she
.

wo u l d soon have the c h a n ce to (6) ........................................ on more responsibility.

12.3 Complete each conversation using a collocation from the opposite page to make B agree with
what A says.
1 A: I th i n k that Ada m will leave his new j o b before the year is out.
B: Yes, I agree. I d o n 't th i n k he'll ................................................................ either.
2 A: H a d you heard that they may fi re some members of staff?
B: Yes, I d i d hear a r u m o u r that some people might ................................................................ .
3 A: I nflation is so high that I don't seem to ea rn enough to live on any more.
B: N o. I d on't feel I earn ................................................................ myself.
4 A: H a s the H R manager been removed from his job?
B: Yes, he was ................................................................ yesterday.
5 A: I hope the workers don't decide to go on strike.
B: Yes, it wou ld be very unfortun ate if they decide to ... ........................ ..
6 A: It's going to be h a rd to decide which of the job a p plica nts to shortlist.
B: Yes, I d on't know h ow we a re going to ................................................................ .

12.4 Answer these questions about your own work or ask someone else these q uestions and write
down the answers.
1 What k i n d of men i a l tasks does you r j o b involve?
2 Do you t h i n k this job w i l l a l low you to rea lise your potential?
3 Do you ever have to work u nsocial hou rs? If so, why? If not, why not?
4 Does there tend to be a high turnover of staff at yo u r workplace?
5 If you d o overtime, is it paid or u n pa i d ?
6 H ave you ever thrown a sickie? If so, why? If not, w h y not?
7 H ave you ever ta ken o r would you ever consider ta king i n d ustria l action?
8 In you r job is it necessary to work as a tea m ?
9 D o y o u h ave a heavy workload?

Over to . •) _,

It will p roba bly be particu la rly usefu l for you to learn work collocations that relate to you r own
professional life. Look on the internet for information in English about the job that you do or a re
interested in doing in the futu re. Make a note of any interesting collocations that you come across.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 29

, 13 Thoughts a n d i d eas

Ta lking about thoughts

I honestly think we can win the m atch to night. [NOT I stffiflgly t h i n k]
I ' m not sure if I want to invest i n your busi ness or n ot, but I ' l l give it some thought.
Bear in mind that there are ofte n delays to flights d u ring bad weather. [remember]
It's common knowledge that H a n n a h is looking for a new job. [everyone knows]
My teenage son hasn't yet grasped the importance of revisi n g for exams. [understood how
i m portant something is]
I take the view that we a re a l l responsible for o u r own actions. [believe]
I t's a foregone conclusion that J a i m e will win the race. [absolutely certain]
I'm not q u ite s u re what I'm goi n g to do but I 've got a rough idea. [general idea]
I d on't subscribe to the theory that nature and n u rture a re of eq u a l sign ificance but it is n ow a
widespread belief. [hold the opinion]; [generally held view]
Opinions are d ivided as to whether mothers of you n g c h i ld ren should go out to work or n ot, but it is
my firm conviction that differe n t thi ngs suit d ifferent fa mi lies. [people hold d ifferent views] ; [I am tota lly
convinced]

C o mmo n m i s t a kes

W e say I a m becom i ng aware o f t h e p roblem, NOT I am gelliAg awa re.

J u dging
collocation I example I meaning
judge someone Don't judge him too harshly. He really couldn't be very critical of someone
h arsh ly have done thi ngs differently.

poor judgement Decidi n g to set up a business now shows poor

judgement of the economic situation.
pass judgement on Di's q u i c k to pass judgement on other people but criticise
she's fa r from perfect herself.

agai nst your better I finally agreed to go out with h i m , against my despite the knowledge that
judgement better judgement. something is a bad idea

a lack of judgement Her a pp roach to the recent discipline problems in a n inability to judge a
school s howed a lack of judgement. situation wisely

an error of j udgement Promoting Alec was a serious error of judgement. bad decision

M eta phors of thi nking

We ca n ta l k a bout thinking laterally1 . We ca n say someone has a fertile i magination 2 • We can
wrestle with a problem3 and we can have a nagging doubt4 . We can a lso ta lk a bout so m ething
fuelling speculation5 , and sometimes people j u m p to conclusions6 .

1 approaching a problem in an i m aginative and 4 an unpleasant feeling of doubt that will not go away
original way rather than using a tra d itional approach 5 encouraging people to consider that something may
2 one that produces lots of origi nal a nd interesting be true
ideas 6 guess the facts a bout a situation without having
3 struggle to find a solution enough information

30 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

13.1 Look a t A . Correct t h e collocation errors in these sentences.

D O p inions are separated on the issue

of si ngle-sex schools and there a re
D People are g radually getting aware
of the problem of climate change.
sound arg u m e n ts on both sides of
the case.
Cl You shou l d bear in thought that your
visitors will be tired after their l o n g
a I bel ieve that the govern ment will
w i n another term i n office but my
flight.

g i rlfriend takes a d ifferent o p i n i o n .

D I 've got a raw idea of what I want
to say in my essay but I haven't
D I strongly think that you'd be making
a serious mistake if you took that job.
plan ned it p roperly yet.

0 I ncreasing n u m bers of people today

D I d on't bel ieve it's a foregone fact
t h at the larger company will w i n the
subscribe for the theory that s m a l l is
beautiful.
contract.

13.2 Complete the paragra p h using words from the box.

error firm gra sped latera l ly pass poor

Recent research shows that people who spend time meditating each day
- l" ... ; - : • '
..
I'

improve their mental abilities. It seems that meditation particularly enhances

f I • ,
.

our ability to think in creative, mmsual ways, in other words, to think

'outside the box' or think ( 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . It may, then, have been
an unfortLU1ate (2) . ... .................... .
. . . of j udgement on the part of the
management at BNM & Co. to put a stop to the yoga classes that staff had
organised for their 1LU1ch breaks. 'It would seem that our managers have
not yet (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the importance of these classes: explained
yoga instructor Zandra, 'but it is not my place to (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
judgement on them. Their judgement may be (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . at the moment but it is my
(6) . . . . ................... . . . . conviction that as people come to understand yoga better, they will see how it could
benefit the company as well as individual members of staff

13.3 Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets.

1 It's u nwise to draw co n clusions too q u i ckly about people's motives. (J U M P)
2 Everyon e knows that Ellie has been taking money from the till. (CO M M O N )
3 I agreed t o help h i m though I knew it w a s wrong. (AGAI N ST)
4 I ' m a frai d you r decisions show you a re u na b le to j ud ge situations well. ( LACK)
5 We h ave to decide when to have the party. Can you think a bout it? (TH O U G HT)
6 I thi n k you are bei n g too critica l of h i m . Remember he's o n ly 18. (HAR S H LY)
7 S u rprisingly, a la rge n u m ber of people believe left-ha nded people a re more i ntelligent.
(WI D ES P R EAD)

13.4 Use a d ictionary such as T h e Cambridge Online Dictionary t o find frequent collocations with
I these words. Your collocations can use the words literally or metaphorically.
� Cambridge
T Diction a ry 1 a ferti le 2 to fuel 3 to wrestle with 4 a nagging
dictionary.cambridge.org
English Collocations i n Use Advanced 31
 Busi ness news

Charles Park and Sons have announced record profits for l ast year despite a s l i ght decline
in demand for one of their key products, caused by increasingly fierce competition 1 in
::
the sector. They say they are already well on the way to meeting their targets for the first
2
quarter. Their new models w i l l go into production in the spring and thi s is expected to
3 :
boost their sales and profits even more.

r The government today announced its intentions to stimu late growth in the Southwest by a l locating
I a large part of its development b udget to industrial projects in the area. Roger Middle, who chaired
the committee working on this scheme, said that local people welcomed the decision, which should
g e nerate more busi ness for local firms. They a ppreciate that their area has many u n i q u e se lling
poi nts for businesses and their e m ployees, and feel that development will pay dividends4 for
everyone living and working in the area.

Clothing firm G & L has announced plans to bui l d a new factory i n the Midlands. Their spokesperson,
Mark Mulloy, said yesterday that the proposalmade sound business sense. 'It w i l l be easier for us
tomaintain quality and promote the interests of our shareholders at the same time as satisfying
the demands of our target market,' h e said.

S I B Distributio n held an e m e rg e n cy meet i n g last night to d i scuss the crisis caused by

yesterday's rise i n fuel prices. T h e i r M D said , 'This h i ke i n prices5 will seriously affect the
bottom l i n e 6 . It's a considerab l e challenge for us as we a l ready operate on n a rrow profit
m arg i n s . However, we have set o u rselves c l e a r objectives and a re confident we will sti l l
be a b l e t o bala n ce t h e books 7 . W e have n o i ntention o f call i n g i n the receivers8 yet!'

1 NOT 4+g4 competition 5 (journa listic) rise i n prices

2 start being made 6 affect the net i n co m e
3 i ncrease 7 m a ke sure the a m ount spent is not more than the amount earned
4 bring advantages 8 going ban krupt

Describing t rends
An i m portant p a rt of many busi n ess reports is t h e d escription of trends. The Cambridge Learner
Corpus shows that there a re a n u m be r of collocation errors which a re frequently made when
c a n d id ates write about busi ness i n a dvanced E n glish exams.

sales ---­ showed ---- a rise

profits --­ saw --- a fall
the market --­ experienced --- a decline
exports/imports �-- NOT had ---- a growth

C o mm o n m i s t a kes

We say a slight decrease/increase, NOT a l+ttte decrease/increase, and a substantial decrease/

increase, N OT a 5-t!=GRg decreas e/ i n crease.
When c omp a ri n g two thi ngs i n terms of qua ntity, we say, for exa mple, Ex po rts were five times
greater than i m po rts NOT Exports were five ti mes 1-Mgef than i m po rts .
,

32 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

14. 1 Are these sentences true or false?

1 A b u s i ness executive will feel worried if the com pany experiences a decli n e i n demand
fo r its p roducts.
2 A b u s i n ess CEO is pleased if the com pa n y does not m eet its quarterly sa les ta rgets.
3 A h i ke in the p rice of raw materials is l i kely to present a d ifficu lt cha l lenge for a busi n ess
that u ses those m ateria ls.
4 M a rketi ng and sa les staff will promote their products' u n ique selling poi nts.
5 B u s i n ess managers a re likely to be h a ppy about calling in the receivers.
6 A co m p a ny is l i kely to feel more sec u re if it has na rrow profit margins.

14.2 Complete each sentence using a word from the opposite page.
1 It was a sad day for the co mpany w h e n it fi na lly had to call in the ........................................ .
2 I ' m s u re you'll agree that our new m o b i l e phone has a n u m ber of u n i q u e selling

3 We use a professi o n a l accou nta nt to help us ba lance o u r .......... .. .... ............. .

.

4 The b a n k agreed that o u r plans m a ke sound business ......... .. ................... .

5 We m ust ensu re that the resea rch p roject does not negatively affect the bottom

6 We look forward to n ext spring, when o u r exciti n g new line will go into ........................................ .
7 All your hard work w i l l eventua lly pay ........................................ .
8 We a re confident that our new business strategy will help boost both sa les and

14.3 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1
The company is p leased to report a stro ng i ncrease i n p rofits over the last q u a rter.
2
The n ew hea lth a nd safety co m m ittee is to be ta bled by a reti red docto r.
3
T h ere is increa s i n gly h igh competition between a i rl i n e compa n i es.
4
T h e company's exports to Japan h a d considera ble growth over the last d ecade.
The sa les figures for M a rch show a l ittle decrease on those fo r Februa ry.
5
6
O u r sa les in the d o m estic ma rket a re certai n to h ave a rise next yea r.
7
Last yea r sa les were three times l a rger i n Europe t h a n i n Austra l i a .
8
We feel that this p ro posal does co nsid e ra ble business sense.
9 Although we n eed to reduce our costs, it's im portant we atta i n the q u a lity that our
re putation is b u i lt o n .
1 0 B u s i n ess leaders h o p e new government policies w i l l sti m u lus growth.

14.4 Answer these questions a bout the collocations in this unit.

1 W h e n m ight the M a n aging Director of a company call a n emergency meeti n g?
2 W h at kind of age gro u p is a sports car company likely to have as its ta rget m a rket?
3 Why would share h o ld ers be pleased if their compa ny a n nou nced record p rofits?
4 In w h at situations other than busines s do people set themselves o bjectives?
5 N a m e three things that a busi ness wou ld have to a l locate part of its b u d get to.
6 H ow m i ght a co m pa n y try to sti m u late growth i n d e m a n d for its products?

Over to

O n the website www.compan ieshouse.gov. uk you can fi nd reports on several mi llion compan ies.
Look up a com pany that interests you and make a note of any interesting co llocations that you fi nd.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 33

 W h at is ma rketi n g?
•
< >
The Marketing Expert Home I Definition I Key terms I Case studies
Marketing 1s the process of studying and defining the needs of target customers as well as promoting products to fulfil
those needs. For example. if your company produces ice cream. you need to learn as much as you can about consumer
demands and preferences. (What flavours do they like? What size pack do they prefer?)

How do companies find out about their customers?

Companies conduct I carry out market research. They may do this through questionnaires, su rveys or focus groups 1 .

What do companies need to know about their customers? What do companies do with this information?
They want to find out about consumer behaviour and Companies will use the information to make decisions
buying habits - for example, where do they shop and about product development and design. It also helps
5
what do they buy! They may also want to find out the them to look at market segmentation so that they
2
age and income bracket of their customers. This helps can target certain areas of the market or certain types of
3
them to create a demographic profi le of a typical consumers. It also helps companies to know what their
customer. Building up a picture of the customer is all part own market share is.
4
of customer relationship management (CRM).

1 a group of potential customers who give their 3 i n formation such as the age, gender and occupation
o p i n ions a bout a product, brand, packa ging etc. of a group of people
2 a section of the popu lation classified accord i ng to 4 the strategies that compa nies use to analyse and

their level of income m anage their contact with customers

5 the way the m arket is d ivided into different

consumer groups and the differences between them

A customer is a person who buys a p ro d u ct a n d a consumer is someone who uses a product - often
it c a n be the sa me pe rson , bu t not a lways .

G etting the message across

W h at ma kes a successfu l marketing campaign? W h at's the best way to reach
t h e ta rget audience? J ustine Blake, H ead of M a rketi n g for a major fas h i o n
reta i ler, explains more:
'We use a nu mber of different ways to commun icate with our customers. There
a re the more traditional channels like TV and billboa rd a dvertising, as well as
product placement1 . But these d ays we're also doing m u ch more guerrilla
marketing2. For exa mple, in one recent campaign we installed specia l " m i rrors"
on bus shelters, that s howed people what they would look like wea ring some of our latest designs.
'We h ave our own i n-house ma rketing team but we a lso use an advertising agency which
specia lises i n that type of work. O u r brand identity3 is very i m porta nt a n d one of our aims is to
b u i ld brand awareness4 • We wa nt c u stomers to feel confident a bout the q u a lity of our clothing and
so i ncrease customer satisfaction a nd loyalty.
' O u r latest on line ca m pa ign featu red a video about a you n g girl a n d her gra n d mother goi n g clothes
s h o p p i n g together. It was a lovely story a bout havi n g positive role models. It went viral5 a n d was
s h a red on social m e d i a a l l over the world ! Of cou rse, the more free airtime6 or press coverage7 we
c a n get, the better. I n the fashion world, celebrity endorsement8 can a lso h ave a huge i m pact.
' U ltimately, we want to engage with o u r customers9 a n d bring them the best prod ucts we can.'
1 a compa ny pays for their product to be featured in a fi l m 5 become very popular through social media
2 a company promotes t h e i r products in a n u nconventional 6 time featured on e.g. TV, without payment
way, often on a low budget 7 reporting in the press

3 how a business wa nts to be seen by its customers 8 a famous person is paid to promote a product

4 i n c rease knowledge of a brand among potential customers 9 com mu nicate with customers

34 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

15.1 M atch a word from each box to form collocations.

m a rketing free prod uct placement behaviou r i d entity

i n come con s u mer brand ca mpaign a i rtime b ra cket

15.2 Com plete each sentence using a collocation from 15.1.

1 I enjoyed the fi lm, but there was a lot of .................................. .. ............................... in it. All the top-brand
ca rs, phon es, watches and so o n . I t was a bit d i stracti ng.
2 We want to b u i l d a rea l ly stron g ....................... ................ ........................... ............ as a trustworthy compa ny.
3 One of the a i ms of our research was to identify ce rta i n patterns of ...................................... ..

............................. .......... : specifica lly w he re they bought our products a n d how much they spent.
4 This is a luxury b rand, clearly a i med at consu mers i n the higher ....... ................................ .......................... .
5 O u r latest ................... ..................... was very successfu l - sa les increased by over 20% !
.............. ..........................

6 The company were rea l ly luc ky - there was a w hole news item on t h e i r latest i n novation, so they
got a lot of ........................................ ........................................ as a result.

15.3 Complete the collocation forks. Use a dictionary to find one more word to add to each list.

uJI� Cambridge
1 ------- loyalty 3 -------identity
T
�
Dictionary ....................... ...... satisfactio n ...................... awareness
needs ------ recognition
dictionary.cambridge.org
expectations
2 --- segme ntation 4 develo pment
-- share design
placement

15.4 Look at B. Choose the correct collocation.

1 It's been 10 yea rs since Kate fi rst set up our in-office I out-of-office I in-house m a rketing tea m, a n d
n o w w e em p loy 1 3 marketers working i n 3 cou ntries.
2 We wa nt to i n c rease brand understanding / awareness / recognise a mong you n g p rofessionals.
3 Our last c a m paign went airtime I guerrilla / viral and was sha red o n social media all over the world.
4 One way to measure customer / target / brand satisfaction is to put a questi o n n a i re on yo u r
website, a n d ask q uestions a bout how ha p py people a re with y o u r service.
5 We got a lot of public / press I paper coverage when we gave out free e nergy mon itors as part of
last year's ' E ne rgy Week'.
6 The objective / customer I target a u d ience for o u r new sportswear ra n ge is active pa rents.

15.5 Read these rem arks by different people. Then a nswer the q uestions.
Ch loe: We want to encou rage peo ple to keep buying our p rod u cts a n d so we give them
d isco u n ts when they spend a certa i n a m ount of money.
T h ierry: To p romote a monster fi l m , we created giant 'footprints' on the beach. People loved it!
Clare: If we want to emphasise h ow healthy the snack bars a re, we cou ld get a fa mous spo rts
personality to a ppea r i n the ads.
Bruno: We i nvited some potential customers to look at the new packaging and give their feedback.
Veroniq ue: O u r ma rket resea rch foc u sed on fi n d i n g out the age and gender of our customers.
Freddy: We asked people to te l l u s where they shopped and how often they bought our prod ucts.
1 Who wa nted to know a bout the d emographic p rofi le of their custo m e rs? .............. ........................ .
2 Whose com p a n y used a focu s gro u p to do some research? ...................... ..

3 Who is ta l k i n g a bout celebrity e n d o rsement? ....................................... .

4 Who wa nted to know a bout t h e i r customers' buying habits? ....................................... .

5 Who is ta l k i n g a bout customer loya lty? ...................................... ..

6 Wh ose co m pa ny uses guerri lla m a r keting? ......................... .

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 35

16 Customer s e rvice s

Shopping online or on the high street

Most co mpan ies carry out su rveys1 to fi n d out what customers or potenti a l c u stomers feel about
thei r p roducts and services. I a nswered one recently a bout online shopping. I personally m uc h
prefer t o g o shopping on the h i g h street rather t h a n t o s h o p o n the i nternet. You get a much better
impression of whether som eth i ng is good value for money or tru ly fit for p u rpose2 when you
ca n tou c h it. And I feel if you h ave a problem with a purchase, it's easier to go back and make a
com plaint if you 've bought something from a shop. But shopp i n g on line h a s its advantages, a n d
m a n y companies offer y o u a discount when you place an order on line. And, of course, lots o f on l i n e
com p a n ies have plenty o f regular customers and plenty o f satisfied customers. I suppose the
botto m line is that it's good for us as con s u mers to have as m u c h healthy competition as possi ble.
1 or do su rveys, NOT make su rveys 2 good at doing what it is supposed to do

Com p la in ing about service

• < >

I ordered a skirt o n l i n e a n d I ' m fu rious. On their website they promise p ro m pt service. I n

fact they said they offered next-day d elivery but i t too k ten d ays to co me. W hen I ra n g u p to
co m p la i n they put me on hold and then n ever got back to m e ! Then, w h e n the skirt eventu a l ly
a rrived , the zip was broken. It's rea l ly poor quality though the website says all their c lothes
-

a re top quality. I'm goi n g to kick up such a fuss 1 . Of cou rse, I ' ll demand a fu ll refu nd 2 , but I 'd
rea l ly l i ke a n apology as well. And I ' l l certa i n ly take my custom elsewhere 3 i n future.

1 (i nformal) make a very forcible complaint 3 not buy from the same p lace again
2 ask for all my money back ( N B N OT �
demand because the verb demand cannot be
made stronger in English - it is already strong
enough)

Com pa ny promise

• • < >
1
If you have g ro u n d s for c o m p l a i nt , please contact o u r Head Office at the address
below. We pride ourselves on prov i d i n g an excellent s e rvice and a l l our products
2 3
conform to safety reg u l ations . We h o n o u r a l l c o m m i t ments to c ustomers. We take
very seriously any c o m p l a i nts about poor service. So if you feel that one of our produ cts
4
does not come u p to s t a n d a rd , then we wi ll i mmediately offer you a replacement. We
prom ise to handle a l l c o m p l a i nts p ro m ptly.

1 a reason for complain ing 3 do what we said we would d o

2 obey all the rules or laws relating to safety 4 reach approp riate standard s

Lea rn more collocations relati ng to the to pic of customer service by looking a t t h e customer
services page of a com pany website, for exa mple, that of John Lewis, a British department sto re:
www.john lewis.com/custo mer-services. M a ke a note of any i nteresting co llocatio ns.

36 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

16.1 Look at A. Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1 H ave you ever made a com p lain to the m a n a ge ment a bout the food in a resta u ra nt?
2 I hate m a k i n g shopping o n Saturdays as the town is so crowded then.
3 If you wa nt your shopping delivered, you can put yo u r o rd e r with us on line or by phone.
4 We made a la rge-sca le c usto mer su rvey before d eve lopi n g our new product ra n ge.
5 On-the-web shopping is p rovi ng i ncreasi ngly popular.
6 I was s u rp rised by the wea k q u a lity of the a cti n g i n that fi lm we saw last n ight.

16.2 Choose the correct collocation.

1
This shop gives very good worth / cost / value for money.
2
Every busi n ess wants satisfactory / satisfied / satisfying custo mers.
3
He is an eco n omist who believes in the adva ntages of healthy / rich I fertile com petition.
4
I don't need next-day delivery but service should be reasona bly punctual / prompt / present.
I hate it when yo u phone a company a n d get p u t on hole I hang I hold for ages.
5
6
Dan kicked up a terri ble fuss I foot I fever a bout the service we received.
7
The hotel m a nager dealt / handled I honoured our com p l a i n t very efficiently.
8
We can't sell o u r old cooker because it doesn't perform / inform / conform to modern
safety regu lations.
9 I wo u ld p refer not to ta ke my custom somewhere I anywhere I elsewhere.
10 The service at the hair salon did not run / come I do up to sta n d a rd .

16.3 Complete t h e emails using words from t h e opposite page.

• • • •

Dear Sir/Mad a m , Dear Mr Cole,

I am writing to complain about the service I received in Thank you for your letter regarding your p u rchase
your Cambridge branch. of a suit from us. We apologise for the inconvenience
caused to you.
I bought a suit there recently but it is poorly cut and
does not fit well, even though it is the size I normally Our company i s committed to (5)
take. I am a ( 1 ) . . . . . . . . customer of yours and a n excellent service and selling (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
have never had a n y problems before. I returned the suit quality garments. We therefore enclose the requested
to the shop the next day, but the manager refused to refund and trust that you will continue to shop with
give me a full (2) ............... us and will never again have (7) . . . . . . . . . . . for
complaint about o u r goods.
I request that you look into this matter and
(3) . . . . . . . . . . this complaint seriously. Otherwise Yours sincerely,
I may be forced to take my (4) . . Jason Campbell

__J
elsewhere.
Customer Services Manager
Yours faithfu lly,
John Coleon 0 1 7 2 7 7 1 7 3 1 7 .

16.4 Complete the crossword .

2
Across
1 When choos i n g new offices you must ensure that they will be fit
3
for - .
3 To get yo u r money back, you ' l l have to p rove you have - for
com plai nt. 4

4 I have no o ption but to d e m a n d a - refu n d .

5 I am afra id t h a t your service sim ply fails t o come u p to - .
5
6 As a respected fi rm we a lways - all o u r com m itments.
7 It is o u r policy to offer stu d ents a - on books a n d stationery.
6
Down
2 You r helmets do not conform to safety - .
7

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 37

 �

17 Stu d e nt life

Cou rses a n d qua lifications

When she was a small c h i ld , Amelia's teachers identified her as having
u n u s u a l i ntelligence and rema rka ble m ental agility1 , and they put her on
a special p rogra m m e for gifted children. Amelia won a scholarship to
attend a loca l gra m m a r school. By t h e age of eighteen , she was a straight-A
student2 . She applied to3 several u niversities and was fortu nate enough to
sec u re a place at C a m b ri d ge University to read4 English Literature.
I n the fi rst academic year of the English Literatu re p rogra m me, the core
su bjects5 were The development of the novel and Contemporary poetry.
Amelia had a la rge n u m be r of set texts6 to read. I t was hard work but s h e
loved i t . Her professors were all distinguished sch olars and h e r cou rses
were taught by some of the world's lead ing authorities in the field. S h e
comp leted h e r stud ies with considera ble success a n d graduated from university last year. I n t h e
meantime, her parents have d ecided that it i s t i m e they made u p for their l a c k of formal education
and they h ave signed up for a n u m ber of eve n i n g courses7 . Eventually they h o pe to meet the entry
requirements for u n iversity entra nce a n d to be a ble to com pl ete a degree as mature students8 .
1 ability to t h i n k q uickly and clea rly 5 subjects w h i c h all the students on the cou rse
2 a student who a lways gets very good ma rks have to d o
3 formally req uested a place at 6 specific books which students m ust study
4 (formal a n d increasingly old-fash ioned) 7 orenrolled on ... courses
do or study 8 students w h o a re older than average

Ha rry's school report

MAT H E MATICS H a rry's work has shown a marked i m p rovement this term. However, h i s
attention occasio n a l ly wanders i n class. 1'

E NGLISH H a rry has a natural talent for Engl ish. H e achieved fu ll marks1 i n the last
class test.

FRENCH T h e re is room for improvement i n H a rry's work i n French. He seems t o fi n d

i t d i ffic u lt t o learn voca b u lary by hea rt.

GEOGRAPHY H a rry has a thirst for k nowledge and i s a quick learner. I t is a pity that
someti mes his concentration in class wavers2 .
�
SC I E N C E H a rry has demonstrated a n ability t o a p ply what h e lea rns to the wider
wo rld. H e showed conside ra b le initiative i n the way h e a p proached h i s :!
p roject on energy. '

PHYSICAL Although H a rry has a proven ability3 fo r tennis, he w i l l not make any :

E DUCAT I O N p rogress u ntil he stops playing truant4 . This must n ot contin ue.
'

-"� ·- � ... -.-

1 100% 3 abi lity shown by his achievements

2 concentratio n is not steady 4 being absent without perm ission

You attend school to acquire knowledge, N OT get knowledge.

38 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

17 . 1 Answer the questions using collocations from A.

1 What ha ppens when you successfu l ly complete a degree cou rse?
2 What do you call stud ents who a re in their thirties or older?
3 What a re, for exa m p le, Harvard, the Sorbon n e a n d Ca m bridge U n iversity?
4 What kind of people teach at H a rvard, the Sorbon n e a n d Ca mbridge U n iversity?
5 What do you call c h i ld ren who a re particu la rly i ntel l i gent or have special ta lents?
6 What do you call stud ents whose ma rks are always excellent?

17 .2 Match the beginning of each sentence with its ending.

We were a l l very i m p ressed by the student's mental
1 hea rt.
My gra n d mother is very intelligent but she's h a d little forma l
2 place.
I 've never fou nd it easy to lea rn scientific form u l a e by
3 education.
4
I 'd love to study medicine there but it's very hard to get a a b i l ity.
For the fi rst-yea r S h a kespea re exam we had to rea d six set
5 req u i re ments.
6
I am so proud of you for m a n aging to get fu l l agility.
7
You r work is not too bad but there is certa i n ly sti l l room for lea rner.
You r l ittle girl has shown herself to be a very q u i c k
8 m a rks.
9 The test has been designed to ena ble pupils to d e m onstrate their texts.
10 I hope to study there but I may not be a b le to m eet the entry i m p rovement.

17 .3 Complete this teacher's letter to the parents of a p roblem pupil.

Dear M r and Mrs G reaves,

We are very concerned about Peter's behaviour. He h a s played (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from school
three times this month and has been seen i n town i n school hours. When he does come to class, h i s
attention (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a n d he does not seem a ble t o concentrate on his lessons. He does not
seem to understa nd the work a n d yet he never asks any q uestions or requests any help. The o n ly time he
(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . any i nitiative is in devising excuses for not h avi n g done his homework. Although
he has a (4) .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . talent for art, he is not even ta king any i nterest in a rt lesson s.
This is d isappoi nti ng, as last year there was a (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i mprovement in Peter's work
and we hoped he m ight (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . a scholarship. However, u n less h e sta rts to
(7) .. school regula rly and to put m o re effort into h i s stu d ies, he will certai n ly not
even meet the (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . for the u niversity course he has plans to (9) . ..................
on next year.
I would be grateful if you could come i nto school to d iscuss this situatio n further.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas Brooker
(Headteacher)

17 .4 Answer these q uestions.

1 What a re the co re subjects for p u p i ls at primary school in your cou ntry?
2 Have you ever sign ed up for a cou rse that you d i d n't complete?
3 If you cou ld take a degree cou rse n ow, what s u bject would you l i ke to read?
4 Which u n iversity would you a p p ly to?
5 When does the academic yea r begin and end in y o u r cou ntry?
6 What do you n eed to do to secu re a place at u n iversity in you r cou n try?

17 . 5 Use a dictionary to find different words to complete each collocation.

I 1 a thirst for ............................................... . 3 his ................................................ wavers
ml Cambridge
Y Dictionary 2 join a ............................................... . 4 proven ............................................... .
dictionary.cambridge.org

English Collocations in Use Advanced 39

18 Writi n g essays, assign m e nts a n d re po rts

Pre pa ring for a research assign m e nt

Here is a n extract from a study skills leaflet given to students at a un iversity, c ontaining advice o n
how to tackle a resea rc h project. Note t h e co l locations i n b o l d .

• A l l students are expected t o submit a 5,000-word report, detailing their research

project and presenting their findings.
',

• Select a research topic i n discussion with your tutor. You will need to form u late a
working hypothesis1 when you begin you r study. The pu rpose of your research is to
see if your data supports the hypothesis2.
• If you a re undertaking3 a study which i nvo lves informants or volu nteers, read the
advice on research ethics4 in the department handbook.
• A key section of your report will be a literature review. This is not simply a sum mary
of you r background reading, but an in-depth critique5 of the most importa nt books
and articles, where you ca n show your awareness of cu rrent resea rch.
• Make sure you provide6 a rationale for you r study, and a lways back up your
conclusions with evidence; never exaggerate any claims you make.
• Wherever appropriate, you should lay out your results in the form of ta bles, charts
and diagrams. :

1 a theory which can be used provisionally but 4 a system of standards which control how research
may change is done
2 We usually do not say prove the hypothesis; prove is 5 examination and judgement of something, done

too strong. carefu lly and in great deta il

3 (formal) carrying out; (i nformal) doing 6 (formal) give

Othe r collocations often used in essays, reports and assign m ents

The book o ffers a vigorous1 defence of free- m a rket eco n o m ics and makes t h e case for
privatisati o n of all state-owned industries. It confronts issues which are of c u rrent importa n ce i n
developing countries.
McGraw puts the case for single-sex pri m a ry e d u cation but he fails to tackle a l l of the issues that
oppone nts of this ap proach to ea rly school i n g h ave ra ised .
This essay can n ot give a n exhaustive2 account of climate c h a n ge; it focuses o n ly on the risk to sea
levels. Recent research indicates that sea levels are ris i n g very ra pid ly.
Physicists have recently begu n to formulate new theories a bout the natu re of the u niverse. T h e big
q uestio n is how to test these theories.
Alth ough Kristov's book covers a lot of gro u n d , it does not offer a full explanation of the even ts
lead i n g to the civi l wa r. I nd eed, the thrust3 of Kristov's a rgument is that s u c h a n account ca n n ot be
written, s i n ce the people with first-hand4 knowledge of th ose events are n o l o n ger livi ng.
This essay provides a critical analysis5 of i ntern atio n a l tra d e a greements.
1 very strong and forcefu l 4 experienced directly
2 extremely detai led 5 a detailed study or examination which

3 the main idea or opinion that is discussed assesses quality

C o mm o n mi sta kes

We say do research, NOT make resea rch. The internet is a good place to do research.

40 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

18. 1 Complete each sentence using a verb from the box in the appropriate form.

cover i n d i cate p resent provide put

review tac kle test u ndertake

1 It is a h u ge task to ................................................ a stu d y involvi ng h u n d reds of participa nts.

2 Fischler ................................................ her fi ndings at an international biochem istry conference last year.
3 Chapter 2 ................................................ the literatu re on u rban regeneration and concludes that more
resea rc h is n eeded.
4 I have ................................................ a rationale for the study in the i ntroduction to this essay.
5 The research ................................................ that own i n g a pet increases life expecta n cy by five years.
6 The next step was to ................................................ the theory by ca rrying out a set of experi m ents.
7 The essay ................................................ a lot of gro u n d .
8 The book ................................................ a n u m ber o f issues which were previously ignored.
9 The lect u rer ................................................ the case for a d ra matic cha n ge i n economic policy.

18.2 Rewrite each sentence using a form of the words in brackets.

1 The system of standard s fo r conducti n g resea rc h a re described in the u n iversity's research
manual. ( ET H IC)
2 You need to m a ke an exa m i n ation and j ud gement of the a rg u ments which is very d eta iled. (D E PTH,
CRITI Q U E )
3 You need t o read books a n d articles which give y o u informatio n a bout t h e s u bject. ( BACKG ROU N D)
4 You do the a na lysis in order to fi nd out whether the data i n d icate that you r i n itial i dea was correct.
(HYPOT H E S I S)
5 All the i nterviewees were people who had knowledge of the situation from d i rect experience.
(FI RST)
6 It is i m possi ble to give a comp lete explanation of the dec l i n e of agricu lture in the 1960s. (FU LL)

18.3 Complete each sentence using a word from the box in the correct form. Then n u m ber the
events in the o rder in which they would occur in real life.

D Write a ........................................ a n a lysis of previous stud ies.

case
D Form a ........................................ hypothesis.
critica l
D ........................................ out your resu lts in ta b les and diagra ms. lay
D ........................................ you r report. select
submit
[!] ........................... ........... a topic.
work
D M a ke t h e ........................................ for stu dyi n g the topic in the i ntroduction.

18.4 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1 The trust of Torsten's a rgu ment is that pu blic tra nsport can never replace the p rivate car.
2 Eco n o m i sts reformed a new theory of inflatio n i n the late 1980s.
3 It is i m porta nt that we s h o u ld fro nt the i ssue of climate c h a n ge i m med iately.
4 In her essay, she put forward a vigorated d efence of the E u ro pean U n ion's constitution.
5 I shall not attempt to give an exha usti n g acco u n t of popu lation growth i n this essay.
6 The a rticle d oes not back d own its conclusions with enough convi ncing evidence.

Over to .

Find an article on the internet relati ng to an academic su bject that is im porta nt to you. Print it out
and high light any useful collocations you notice in it.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 41

19 Socia l life

Organising your soci a l life

Hi Nadia,
How was you r weekend? My old school friend Emma came on a flying visit1 , which was fun. We
had a girls' night out on Saturday with a cou ple of other friends. We went out for a meal to a
local restau rant. So much for me sticking to my diet!
Emma was here for a surprise party for her parents on Sunday. She and her brother wanted to
spring a s u rprise on2 them for their 30th wedding anniversary - they thought 30 years together
definitely called for a celebration3 - so they decided to th row a party for them. The vicar who'd
married them even put i n an appearance4 ! They asked me a long too and it was lovely, a really
special occasion. I was just sorry I couldn't spend much q u a l ity time 5 with Emma, but it was
only a whirlwind visit6 . What about you? Is life its usual busy social whirl7 ? Do you still go
clubbing every weekend?

Claire

1 a visit that doesn't last long 5 time where people can give their complete
2 to surprise attention to each other
3 meant that a celebration was a p p ropriate 6 brief and very busy visit
4 came just for a short time 7 non-stop set of social events

Formal e nterta ining

P E N N I STON I N TE RN AT I ONAL YOUT H F E ST I VAL

Dear Cou nc i l lor Patel,

Fi rst let me t h a n k the Co u n ty Council for p laying host to1 t h e welcome reception for our
i nternati o n a l col leagues a n d for making us so welcome at Cou nty H a l l last week. We were a lso
grateful that you were a bl e to fi nd time to pay us a visit at o u r weekly meeti n g, where we were
delighted to hear that you i ntend to join the festivities at t h e opening ceremony of the festiva l.
We wou ld fu rther like to i nvite you and yo u r spo use to atten d a formal function, to be held at the
Castle Hotel , Penn iston, o n 2 7 J u ly, at 7.30 pm, to mark the c losing of the festiva l.
You rs sincere ly,
M a rk Ja nowski (Comm ittee C h a i r)

1 providing t h e facilities for

CASTLE HOTEL PENNISTON W 2 social event w here a fam i ly comes together, usua lly to
celebrate s o m ething
Whether you are planning a formal party, a 3 take out for d in ner and d ri n ks
2 4 (rather for m a l) a very friendly and
family gathering or simply want to wine and
3 welcoming atmosphere
dine new business contacts in a convivial
4 5 place where a public event or meeting happens
atmosphere , the 1 6th-century Castle Hotel
5
is the perfect venue . Our 24 bedrooms,
restaurants and Function Room can be reserved C o mm o n rn i :, t d k e s
by calling us on 1 327 5547655 or by booking
We s ay organise a barbecue or have a
online at www.castlepenniston .com.
barbecue, N OT make a barbecue.

42 English Collocations in UseAdvonced

 Exercises

19.1 Complete the conversation words from the opposite page.

Marta : How was Will's (1) ..... .................................. retirement pa rty?
.

Dave: G reat. You should h ave seen his face; he really had no idea about it a n d h e was so moved. It
was a rea lly nice gestu re for the com pa ny to (2) ........................................ a pa rty for him like that. They
rea l ly wined and (3) ........................................ u s. And even the MD put in an (4) ........... ............................ !
What ha ppened to you? I was su rprised not to see you there.
Marta : O h , well I was pla n n i n g to come, but then my frien d s (5) ........................................ a su rprise on me
too that same n ight.
Dave: Was it a (6) ........................................ occasion?
M a rta : Yes, it was my b i rthday a n d my frien d s had arra n ged a girls' (7) ........................................ out a n d
i nvited lots o f friends that I hadn't seen for ages.
Dave: S o u n d s great. H a ppy birthday, by t h e way.

19.2 Choose the correct collocation.

1 My pare nts have a lways gave / made / had my friends fee l very welcome.
2 My a u nt came on a quality I whirling I flying visit last week.
3 It's q u ite difficult to hold on / keep with / stick to a d iet when you're eating out with friends.
4 Yo u 've passed your exa m ! Well, that takes I gives I calls for a celebratio n !
5 We hope you will give / find / spend time t o visit our exhi b ition o f stu dents' a rtwork.
6 It's i m po rtant to try to spend plenty of welcome I convivial I quality time with your fa m i ly.
7 My sister's life is a co n sta nt special I active I social w h i rl .
8 I reco m mend you pay / spend / g o a visit t o t h e folk m useum while you're i n Dekksu.
9 Athens threw / gave / played host to the fi rst modern Olym pic Games in 1896.

19.3 Rewrite each sentence using a collocation from the opposite page. Then say whether the
sentence you have written is more or less formal.
1 We could go to a n ightc l u b later.
2 The resta u rant has a rea l ly frien dly atmosphere.
3 Rio de J a neiro held the O lympics in 2016.
4 She has a mad soc i a l life.
5 I h ave to go to a fo rmal fu n ction on T h u rsday.
6 We i nvite you to join i n the fu n at the o p e n i n g of the Arts Festiva l.
7 Grapsley Park is a great place for a n outdoor concert.

19.4 Which d o you prefer:

1 when you 're too tired to cook, orderi n g a
ta keaway or eati n g o ut?
2 plain food or rich food?
3 h a v i n g a fa mily gathering or having a ba rbecue
with frie nds?
4 givi n g a d i n ner pa rty or goi n g out for a m e a l?
5 payi n g your friends a visit or playing host to
friends at you r own h o m e?
6 a w h i rlwind visit from a friend, or a relative
who stays for a week?

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 43

20 Ta lki n g

Types of language and conversation

Some conversations a re not serious. They consist of idle chatter, in which the speakers j ust
exchange pleasantries1 or s h a re juicy2 gossip a bout their frien d s a n d colleagues, exchanging
news and spreading rumours. Rumours are a lways flying around in a ny society, of cou rse. But
sometimes when you engage someone in conversation, it may become m o re serious. Yo u may
open your heart to the person you a re ta l king to, for exa mple. You may even find you rself d rawn
into an argu ment. Some people a lways want to win an argum ent; for others, losing the argument
is not important as they simply e njoy a good d iscussion. If you a re in a very noisy place, it can
become i m possi ble to carry on a conversation of a n y kind a n d it is a lso h a rd for parents to hold a
conversation when there a re s m a l l c h i l d ren i n the room.
1 (formal) make polite conversatio n 2 (informal) interesting because i t is shocking o r personal

M a naging topics
•

Hi Sophia,
As you know, I wanted to tal k to my parents yesterday about my plans for dropping o ut of
university but I did n't have much luck. First of all, I fou nd it very hard to broach the s u bject 1 .
As soon as I started explaining how badly I wanted to start earning, one of them would
change the s u bject. It was as if they were deliberately trying to avoid something they sensed
was going to be a problem. Eventually I managed to bring up the s u bject again and they
fi nally started to take me seriously. I tried not to overstate my case2 for leaving and just put
things as simply as I could. But then they started to bombard me with q u estions 3 . Why did
I really want to leave? What would I do? Did I realise that I would get a much better job with
a degree? Dad did n't listen to my answers - he just started making broad generalisations
about the importance of education . He went on and on for about half an hour before telling me
to drop the s u bject and never refer to it again. So I'm not sure what to d o next. Any advice?
Liam

1 begi n a discussion of a difficult topic 3 ask me lots of questio n s

2 give too much i m po rtance or seriousness t o a p o i n t of view

Adjective + noun phrases

collocation I example I meaning

bad/strong/fou l TV dramas today u se much more bad/ swear words, taboo language; foul s uggests
language strong/foul language than they did 40 much stronger disapproval than bad or strong
years ago.

fou r-letter Please try to express your feeli ngs swear words, taboo words (many of which
words without using four-letter words. have fou r letters in E nglish)

opening gambit 'You're a teacher, a ren't you?' was his a remark made in order to start a conversation
opening gambit.
a rash promise Don't make a ny rash promises. T h i n k promises m ade without thinking
before you agree to a nything.

an em pty She's full ofempty promises. You promises m ade which the speaker has no
p romise shouldn't believe a word she says. intention of keeping

a tough Do I regret anyth i n g? That's a tough difficult q u estion to answer

q u estion question.

44 English Collocations in Use Advonced

 Exercises

20.1 Look a t A . Correct the collocation errors i n these sentences.

1 It can be h a rd to ca rry out a serious conversation in a noisy room .
2 He fi nds it very d iffic u lt t o open h i s head a n d t a l k a bout his feeli ngs to anyone.
3 I don't l i ke d iscussing thi n gs with people who a lways wa nt to ga i n every a rgu m e nt.
4 My mother a lways used to tel l me not to s p i l l u n kind rumours.
5 I usu a l ly fi nd it better not to get d riven i nto an a rgument with Paul.
6 We had a very enjoya ble time just sitti ng i n the park enjoy i n g some idling c hatter.
7 I m a n aged to resist a l l his attem pts to enga ge me into conversation.
8 I 've never ta lked to h i m m uch - we've d o n e n o more than cha nge pleasa ntries.

20.2 Complete each sentence using a word from the box in the appropriate form.

bri ng b roach d ro p hold lose strong ta ke tough

1 1 . . . . . . . .. . .. .. . . the a rgu ment because I d idn't know enough a bout the su bject.
. .. . . .... . . ... ... .. .. ..... . . ...

2 I th i n k it's time we the s u bject of o u r m a rriage with o u r p a rents.

........... .....................................

3 No one w i l l ................................................ you r ideas seriously u n less you present them more effectively.
4 My mother ca n't get used to hearing well-dressed you n g people using ........... ...................... .

language i n public p laces.

5 Whenever I try to ................................................ up the subject of moving to London, h e leaves the room .
6 I 've said I ' m sorry - why can't you just ................................................ the subject?
7 They're s u re to ask you some ................................................ questions at your i nterview but you can ta ke
time to t h i n k before you answer.
8 I felt so i l l last week that I cou ld barely ................................................ a conversatio n .

20.3 Match the two pa rts of these collocations.

1 j u i cy p rom ise
2 broad genera lisations
3 exc h a n ge ga mbit
4 take q uestion
5 fou r-letter seriously
6 tough word
7 rash gossip
8 ope n i n g news

20.4 Rewrite each sentence using the word in b rackets.

1 Please stop ta lking a bout this subject i m mediately. ( D ROP)
2 Sam h a s a habit of promising thi ngs that he has no i ntention of doi ng. ( E M PTY)
3 You m ust give due i m po rta nce to the la b's safety regulations. (SERIOUSLY)
4 It's better not to spend too long tryi n g to m a ke you r point. {OVERSTATE)
5 Could we please sta rt ta lking a bout so meth ing else? (SU BJ ECT)
6 Did you hear the ru m o u rs that people were spreading a bout you r boss last
year? ( FLYI N G)
7 There a re rather a lot of rude words in the play. (LAN GUAGE)
8 Such general statements tend to be rather meani ngless. ( B ROAD)
9 The way he began the conversation too k me by surprise. (GAM BIT)
10 The c h i l d ren asked me lots and lots of q u estions a bout my trip. (BOM BARD)

English Collocations i n Use Advanced 45

21 I n th e news

Political newspaper head lines

A
PARTY PRESE NTS SHOW O F U N ITY3
F
PM CALLS A P R I L E L E CT I O N 1

UNPOPULAR REGIME TOPPLED4

B M I N ISTER RESIGNS FROM OFFICE G

c
PARTY SECURES SLIM MAJORITY2 H
LEFT PROCLAIMS V I CTORY 5

D
IS LA N DS D ECLARE IN DEPEN DENCE ARMY SEIZES POWER

E J
GOVE R N M ENT'S H U M ILIATI N G DEFEAT PRESI D ENT DELIVERS KEY SPEECH6

1 officially announces that an election will take place 4 {jou rnalistic) made to fall (of regime or
2 wins a small m ajority government)
3 publicly a ppears to be united 5 makes a n official annou ncement of victory

6 (formal, j o u rnalistic) ma kes/gives a speech

TV

The police have been carryi n g out a nationwide search Followi ng the robbery of over
for 22-year-old Rya n Tait, who has not been seen si nce $10m from its m a i n city branch,
trouble broke out on Satu rday night at the h otel where the bank has offered a substantial
he was worki ng. This even i n g they a n nou nced that they reward to a nyone p roviding
had fou nd some vital clues but there a re currently no information leading to the
plans to call off the search1. recovery of the money.

M a n a gement and workers at the tro u bled Longside car factory have
fi n a lly agreed to enter i nto talks a n d h o pes a re growing that they may
soon reach agreement. The dispute a rose some weeks ago when
m a n a gement tried to introd uce new working co nd itions. Wo rkers
have held demonstrations i n the city i n support of Longside staff.
M a n a gement described the situatio n a s a test of strength a n d u n ion
attem pts to negotiate a settlement2 h ave so far p roved u n su ccessfu l.
However, a n independent a rbitrator has acted as a go-between3 and has
succeeded i n brokering4 a n agreement to ta lk.

TV chiefs have bowed to5 p u b l i c pressure and h ave entered i nto an agreement not to show
scenes of gun vio lence on pri me-time6 television. They will hold a press conference later tod ay
where they will explain their d ecision to impose this degree of censorship.

1 stop sea rching 4 a rra nging

2 have formal d iscussions in the hope of coming 5 given in to
to a n agreement 6 most popular time of day for watching TV
3 delivered messages between peop le who were
reluctant or u na ble to speak to each other

46 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

21.1 The sentences below come from the stories beneath some o f the headlines i n A.
Which headline does each sentence go with? Two of the headlines are not used.
1 A milita ry coup has ta ken place and the country's popu lar m o n a rch now faces exi le.
2 In last nigh t's vote, the government's new ed u cation bill was rejected.
3 Pa u l Cox, m i n ister in cha rge of public fi n a n ce, has decided that he wishes to spend more time with
his fa m i ly.
4 Previous rifts between riva l m i n isters wou l d a p pear to have been hea led.
5 The Conservatives have su cceeded i n ga i n i n g 200 of the 390 seats.
6 The co u ntry will now be goi n g to the polls somewhat earlier t h a n anticipated.
7 Widespread and well-orchestrated rebellions have ach ieved their aim of overthrowing the
cou ntry's d ictator.
8 The cou ntry has voted that it no longer wishes to be ruled by its 19th-century colonisers.

21.2 Complete t h i s news item w i t h collocations from the opposite page. T h e fi rst letters are
given to help you.
Last night the Culture Minister (1) d. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
in which she promised to try to (2) b. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . an a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
between the government and the film industry with regard to the decision to
(3) i. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . stricter c. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . on films. After the speech,
which was broadcast (4) on p. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , the minister
(5) h. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a press c. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . She promised to appoint
an independent negotiator to (6) a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . as a
(7) g. . . . . . . . . . . . . -b. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in the hope that the government and the
film i n d u stry would soon (8) r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
==;:;;!

21.3 Rewrite each sentence using t h e word in brackets.

1 The Presid ent has fi n a l ly agreed to the pub lic 's demand to h o ld a referend u m . ( BOWED)
2 Ea rly this morning the Eco-democratic Pa rty a n nounced it had won the election. (VICTORY)
3 The police d etective discovered the clue which led to the stolen jewels being fou nd. ( RECOVERY)
4 The police w i l l not stop sea rching u nti l the c h i ld has been fou nd . (CALL)
5 We were on holiday when the recent politic a l troubles sta rted. (BROKE)
6 The pol ice a re sea rching the whole cou ntry fo r the missi n g boy. (CARRYI NG)
7 The two pa rties will try to come to an agree ment today. (SETTLEM ENT)
8 Today thousands of stu de nts demonstrated against the i n crease in fees. ( H ELD)

2 1 .4 Explain the difference between the sentences in each pair.

1 The ra lly is a test of the army's strength.
The ra l ly is a s how of the a rmy's strength .
2 The police h ave fou nd vita l clues.
The police h ave found sign ificant clues.
3 The wom a n has offered a s m a l l reward for the return of her cat.
The wom a n has offered a substantial reward for the retu rn of her cat.
4 The politi c i a n delivered a passionate speech.
The politici a n made a passionate speech.
5 The cou ntries i nvo lved in the d ispute have agreed to enter i nto ta lks.
The cou nt ries involved in the d ispute have entered into an agreement.

Over to you

Use a dictionary to find extra collocations for:

to hold a ................ to broker a ............... .
to ................ (an) agreement a ................ majority

English Collocations in Use Advanced 47

22 Cu rre nt affa i rs

Cu rrent affa i rs in the p ress

Golfer Rick Tate has issued a n abject 1 The P resident has issued a statement relating
a pology for his disorderly conduct at the to the hea lth of her h usband, who is critically
weekend. H owever, he refused point-blan k2 ill in a p rivate hospita l fo llowi ng a massive
to provide a n explanatio n for his behaviour hea rt attack. Regular u pdates on his con d ition
and today further damaging d isclosures3
will be p rovided.
a bout h is private life have been published i n
The Daily Planet.
Migra n t w orkers seeking permission6 to stay
The leader of the opposition has accused the in this c o u ntry may h ave to submit a d etailed
Prime M i n ister of misleading the electorate accou nt of their work and personal l ives to the
in his pu blic pronouncements on security. H e visa a uthorities before they are given leave7
has dem a n d ed that the P M clarify his position to stay.
without d elay. The PM's office has declined to
comment.

The head of the National U n ion of Students

II 1 (form a l) h u mble
2 completely refused
( N US) has re-opened the d e bate on tuition
fees as evidence emerges of government 3 sensitive, private i nformation which has

plans to raise them stil l further. The NUS is been revealed

i
committed to ta k n g a firm stance4 against 4 (form a l) position
5 (forma l) completely denied
tuition fees and has flatly rejected 5 claims
that it may be about to change its position . Ii 6 (forma l) a s king perm ission
I 7 (forma l) permission

Feelings a nd reactions in connection with current affai rs

verb + noun I example I meaning

take issue with I take issue with some of the points made in the (formal) d isagree with
speech .

gauge reaction The government leaked the story to the press in test the response
order to gauge
public reaction.
excite speculation The incident has excited speculation that the (formal) caused rumours to
couple may be about to d ivorce. circulate

air a grievance Workers h ave aired their grievances to reporters (formal) complained
about the new pay structure.

adjective + noun I example I meaning

a d issenting voice When it came to the vote, there was only one (formal) person who d isagreed
dissenting voice.
a vociferous Our local MP is a vociferous opponent of having someone who opposes something
opponent a casi n o in our city. loudly a n d pu blicly

passionate Plans to extend the airport went a head, despite requests made because of strong
entreaty passionate entreaties from local residents. beliefs

a throwaway I don't t h i n k the politician really meant to say she an uni ntentional remark which
comment was leavi ng the party - it was j ust a throwaway should not be taken seriously
comment.
48 English Co/locations in Use Advanced
 Exercises

22.1 Correct the two collocation errors in each sentence.

1 The com m ittee, with one d isagreeing voice, voted to take a fi rm post on the issue.
2 It was o n ly a th rowoff com ment but it has thrilled a lot of speculation.
3 As new evi dence submerges of government i n volvement in the scandal, peo p le a re begi n n i n g to
question the Prime M i nister's p u blic pro n u n c i ations on the affa i r.
4 The pri n ce refused blink-point to p rovide a d eta i ling account of h i s actions that n ight.
5 The m i n ister was accused of m i s laying the electorate when he said that very few migrant workers
had been h a nded leave to stay in the cou ntry.

22.2 Look at A. Complete each sentence using the word in brackets i n the appropriate form.
1 The fi l m star's son was arrested for ........................................ behavio u r. ( O R DER)
2 The reporter asked the m i n i ster to ........................................ the government's position o n health service
reform. (C L EAR)
3 The j u ry felt that the accused had been u n a ble to provide a satisfactory ............................. ......... as to
why he had gone to the house. ( EXPLAIN)
4 The cou n c i l will issue a ........................................ at the close of thei r meeting today. (STATE)
5 She ........................................ rejected the a llegation that she had a fi n a n c i a l motive. ( F LAT)
6 Anyone seeking ........................................ for perma nent residence here is subject to a set of sta n d a rd
chec ks. ( P E R M IT)
7 There have recently been a n u m ber of d a maging ........................................ in the press a bout the
politi c i a n 's perso nal fina n c i a l affairs. (DI SCLOSE)
8 After yea rs of silence on the issue in the p ress, teachers a re now ho peful that the debate on school
d isci pline will be .... ... .. .. . .. . .. . .. . . (OPEN)
. .. . . . . .. ... ..... . .

22.3 Complete e 1ch second sentence using a collocation from the o pposite page. Both
sentences should have the same meaning.
1 The si n ger has strongly a n d p u b licly opposed the war.
The si n ger has been a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of the war.
2 We ca rried out ma rket resea rc h to see whether the public wou l d like our new car.
We carried out ma rket resea rc h to ............................................................................... to our new car.
3 The roc k sta r made a n emoti o n a l request for the earthquake victims, which p ro d uced a huge
response.
The rock star's ............................................................................... for help for the ea rthquake victims prod uced a
huge response.
4 The tea m will post accounts of their progress on their website every few days.
The tea m will post ............................................................................... on their p rogress on their website.
5 The newsletter a llows staff to complain open ly a bout con d itions.
The newsletter gives staff the c h a nce to ............................................................................... p u b licly.
6 I opposed the comm ittee's sta n ce on this matter.
1 ...
. ... .... .... . . .
....... . . . . .. with the comm ittee's sta n ce on this matter.
. ..... . ........ ......... ............... .........

7 The a ctor would not say a nyth i ng about the accusations that h a d been made.
The actor ............................................................................... o n the accusations that had been made.
8 The d octors a n nou nced that the fi lm sta r was very ill indeed.
The d octors a n nounced that the fi lm sta r was ............................................................................... .
9 The politician made a p u b l i c statement h u m bly regretting his d e rogatory co m ments a bout
the town.
The politician issued a n ............................ .................................................. fo r h i s derogatory com ments a bout
the town .

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 49

23 Festiva ls a n d ce le b rations

Ta lki ng a bout festivals GOLDEN APPLE WEEK

(.:J- PT)
Ballxnoe F i d d le Festiva l Every year, the villagers of Hartsby
(18 JULY)
�������-··�·/ hold an unusual festival -the Week
of the Golden Apple. Hartsby, at the
This fun festival falls on the third Satu rday centre of the apple-growing region,
of July, and the village becomes the
centre of wild music for the whole day.
celebrates this tradition, dates back to
w hich the
Middle Ages, at the beginning of every September. The
The festival celebrates the birthday of festival is held to celebrate the apple harvest. Come
Pat Davey, a fa mous local musician. This
year's special guests include Anne O' Keeffe
and j oin in the festivities and eat as many apples as
you want! Tickets £5 (children £2).
(fiddle) and Ger Downes (guitar), who will
uphold1 the annual tradition of playing - -- - --

at the house where Darvey was born .

, F I R E A N D LIGHT F ESTIVAL
1 also keep up (18 DEC)
2 {jou rnalistic/literary) very old It may be winter, dark and cold, but the village of Taft will be in
3 also festival marks festive mood on December 1 8th. Wearing traditional dress,
the women of the village perform dances around a huge fire in
4 usua lly refers to the time a round
the main square, while the men keep up the age-old2 tradition
Christmas a n d New Year of wearing large, brightly coloured hats and carrying lanterns. The
event m arks3 the beginning of the festive season 4 .

Trad iti o n a l festivities

Different religions often h ave movable feasts1 which depend o n the phases of the moon.
There is a rich tradition of m usic and d a n ce in centra l Sweden.
Jazz a n d b l u es a re part of the cultural heritage of the southe rn U n ited States.
Every yea r the town puts on a firework display as part of the festival.
We have a p roud tradition of ra ising fu nds fo r c h a rity through our a n nual town festiva l.
This month some of our students a re observing the festival of Ra madan.
In a break with tradition this year's festiva l w i l l featu re modern d a n ces alongside traditional ones.
1 can refer to any arrangement, plan o r appointment where the date is flexible
A wed d i n g celebration
Look at t h i s speech by the best m a n (usu a l ly the b ridegroom's best or oldest m a le friend) at a
wedding. He m ixes inform a l a n d formal collocations, which can h ave a humorous effect.

' Ladies a n d gentlemen, accord ing to long-standing1 tradition, l now

have to m a ke a speech , but it'll be very s h o rt, so here goes. I never
thought Theo would ever get hitched2, but he's fi n a lly decided to
tie the knot3. Yesterd ay he was sufferi n g from pre-wedding nerves,
but tod ay he looked c a l m and ha ppy as he and Jade were joined i n
matri mony4. S o now, I 'd l i ke to propose a toast5 t o t h e bride a n d
groom . P lease raise y o u r glasses. To J a d e and Theo! M ay they have
m a ny yea rs of wedded bliss6 !'

1 which has existed for a long time 5 also make a toast

213 (informal) get married 6 (usually used slightly h u m o rously) happi ness
4 (formal: used as part of the m arriage ceremony) m a rried through being married

C o mm o n mi sta kes

Dress is an uncountable noun when it refers to a style of clothing (e.g. traditional dress, formal
dress). Don't say traditional dresses; t h i s would mean dresses for women only.

50 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

23.1 Match the begin n i ng of each sentence with its ending.

1 This year's Natio n a l Day festival a tra d itional dance from the region.
2 In this region we have a rich the tra d ition, desp ite o pposition.
3 A group of c h i l d ren performed festiva l i n spring.
4 This year's festiva l represents a b reak cele b rates 50 years of i n dependence.
5 The tradition of c a rol singi n g d ates of givi n g food to older villagers every New Year.
6 The people a re d etermined to u p h old with tradition, as it w i l l be held in M ay.
7 The town holds its a n n ual tra d ition of poetry, m u sic and d a n ce.
8 O u r village has a p roud tradition back h u n d reds of yea rs.

23.2 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1 All the men wore traditio n a l d resses consisti ng of green jackets a n d white trousers.
2 The festiva l m a kes the begi n n i n g of the Celtic s u m mer.
3 The festival is part of the region's c u ltural inh erit.
4 H u nd reds of peo ple, locals a n d tourists, join o n the festivities.
5 The a n n u a l ' D a y of the Horse' d rops on 30 M a rc h t h i s year.
6 Everyone in the village was in feast mood as the a n n u a l celebratio n s bega n.
7 The average a ge at which co u p les tie the stri ngs i s risi ng.
8 This region h a s a ripe tra d ition of folk singing a n d d a ncing.
9 Getting joi ned to matri mony i s a significant reason for celebratio n .
10 The a rea is fa m o u s for observ i n g a n u m ber o f age-sta nding tra d itions.

23.3 Read these remarks by different people. Then answer the questions.
Alicia: G ra n d p a rents' Day is a m ovable feast, depen d i n g on when Easter falls.
Brona: Every yea r we put on a d isplay of traditio n a l a rts and crafts.
M on ica: Nowa days, o n ly older people observe the Festiva l of the Dea d .
Erik: The festive season usually gets u n derway tow a rds the m i d d le o f December.
Eva n : The harp is part of the cu ltura l heritage of Wa les.
1 Who is ta lking a bout the begi n n i n g of a period of celebration ?
2 W h o i s ta lking a bout somet h i n g that represents the identity o f a gro u p o f peo ple?
3 Who is ta lking a b o ut somet h i n g that happens on a d ifferent day each year?
4 Who is ta lking a bout somet h i n g that n ot everyon e celebrates?
5 Who is ta lking a bout people o rga nising an exh i bition of some so rt?

23.4 Answer these q uestions about weddings.

1 Does get hitched mean get (a) engaged (b) ma rried (c) d ivorced?
2 What kind of h a pp i ness do m a rried couples hope for?
3 What do the b ride a n d bridegroom 'tie' when they get married?
4 What is the difference between m a king toast a n d m a king a toast?
5 What phrase means the nervousness people feel before they get m a rried?
6 What forma l exp ression mea n i n g to ma rry is used in the marriage ceremony?
7 Why do people ra ise their glasses?
8 Are the two exp ressions referred to in questions 1 a n d 3 formal or i nformal?

Look up a festiva l that is special i n your country on the I nternet. What i nformation in English can
you fi nd about it? Make a note of any interesting collocations in the text. A good starti ng-point for
your search might be: www.festivals.com.

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 51

24
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Cosmetics a n d f,!:)s h i 9'11

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Advertisements for bea uty p roducts

Tressy Products EcoCrea m has anti-aging

properties . I t has been
Fo rlong-lasti ng clinically proven to
banish wrinkles. 1 D a i ly _
colour and to t reat appl i cation of th i s luxury
su n-damaged hair cream w i l l make fine
use Tressy P rod u cts. lines and other signs of
a g i n g disappea r, leaving
you with a flawless
complexion.
You'll feel good and
you'll look good if
you eat one of our
tasty snacks whenever
E njoy the u n rival led service Da i sy s h a m poo w i l l b ri n g
you're feeling
at o u r exclusive beauty o u t t h e n atural h i g hlights
peckish.2 Each
salon in Lo n d o n 's West E n d . in yo u r h a i r.
one is only 60
calories and is
rich in vitamin D.
1 get rid of lines
2 ( i n formal) fee l i n g h u ngry

I nterview with a fashion model

Reporter: Would you say that fashion has a lways been i m porta nt
to you?
Lily: Well, ever si n ce I was a c h i ld , I 've loved rea d i n g glossy
magazines\ looking at the photos a n d fi n d i n g out
what's in fashion.
Reporter: And as you grew u p, did you buy designer label c lothes?
Lily: Oh, no! I could n 't affo rd them, a n d I was actua lly qu ite
happy with high-street fashion2• But I loved looking
at fashion s h ows on TV, especially when Pa ris o r M i la n
designers lau nched their new collections.
Reporter: And now you a re the one s howi n g us the new season's
look3 and setting the trend4!
L i ly: That's right. I sti l l can't q u ite believe it.
Reporter: So what s h o u l d we be wea ri n g this year?
Lily: Well, there is a stunning range of new leisu rewea r a bout
to hit the high street5. It's based on the new a dventure­
influenced tre n d we saw com i n g out of Pa ris a n d I think
it's going to be a hugely popular look. And it's goi n g to be comforta ble to wea r too.
Reporter: That's good . So, have you ever let you rself become a fashion victim 6?
Lily: Well, I m u st a d m it I 've worn some excruciatingly uncomfortable s h oes in the past, so
I ' m ha p py to report that flat shoes a re defi n itely back in fashio n !
1 magazines printed o n high-quality paper 4 starting the fashion
with lots of photos and a dverts 5 become available in c h a i n stores
2 clothes bought in ord i n a ry shops rather than 6 a person who always wears fashionable
from special fashion d esigners clothes even if they m a ke them look
3 the new fashion style ridiculous or don't suit them

52 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

24.1 Look at A. Add a word to each sentence to make the language typical of advertisements.
1 These vitamins h ave been proven to p rotect the body from wi nter vi ruses.
2 O u r s n acks cost o n ly 99p.
3 We m a n age a n u m ber of spas in Pa ris a n d New Yo rk.
4 Our new shampoo will su btly bring out the high lights i n yo u r hair.
5 O u r l i p sticks come i n a ra nge of co lou rs.
6 We g u a rantee you w i l l be im pressed by the service provided by a l l o u r hotels.
7 O u r new concea ler w i l l make the lines a round you r eyes disappea r.

24.2 Match the beginning of each sentence with its ending.

1 I d o n 't believe th ose ads that claim their creams have a nti-agi ng peckish.
2 While working i n Fra nce, Amy la u n c hed her new s u m mer h a i r.
3 Why n ot have a bowl of soup or a b a n a n a if yo u're feeling a bit w ri n k les.
4 We guarantee that you will see i nsta nt results with o u r luxury h a n d magazi nes.
5 Y o u should u s e t h i s shampoo to revive your sun-d a m a ged h i gh street.
6 S o m eti mes I wish it were rea l ly poss i b le to banish crea m .
7 This five-star h otel offers its guests u n rival led salons.
8 The d esigner's new ra nge of bea utifu l shoes has j u st hit the p roperties.
9 At the a i rport she bought herself a couple of glossy col lection.
10 This part of tow n is fa mous for its c l a ssy hotels a n d exclusive service.

24.3 Complete this article from a fashion m a gazine using collocations from B. The fi rst letters
are given to help you .

stu n ning (1) r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of new s u m mer clothes is a bout to (2) h. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a high street near
A you. Vibrant colours a re (3) b. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in fashion, a n d there were also m a ny more practical designs
.
i n the collections (4) I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . last week at the Paris fashion show than we have seen for some time.
The Paris designs i n stantly (5) s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the trends which have quickly been taken up and adapted for
the m ass market. Such adaptations for the (6) h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . street fashion stores m ay not carry designer
(7) l. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . but they allow us all to wea r the new (8) s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . look. We a re confident that
this will be a hugely (9) p. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . look as it is designed with comfort as well as elegance i n m i n d . So
there's no need to be a fashion (10) v. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . this s u m mer!

24.4 Find three collocations for each word . One is in this u n it. Use a d ictionary such as the
Cambridge Online Dictionary to find two more.
� Cambridge
--.- Dictionary
1 2 ....................................... . 3 · ·· · · · · · · · · · ········ · ··· · ·· · -·· · ·· ·· · · ·

/ / /
dictionary.cambridge.org

luxury ..... ············ · ·· · ····· · ·· · ······ · · excru ciatingly · ··· ···· · ·········· · ·· ·· ··· ·· ··· flawless · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· · · ··

\. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \.. ..... ..... . .. . . . \ . . . . . . . . ... .

. ;
< . • .. • . • • . • . . • . • . · • • • • · • •
4 ·-········ · ··············· · ··········· 5 ....................... 6 ··············· · ·····················

< ••••••••••••••••••••
undva lled ·· · · lau nch exclusive · ·

·· · · \:-.: : -.: : : : : -.:. :.. . .: : . :

. ... . . . .

English Collocations in Use Advanced 53

 � v "
' ' "" :;,1

25
.
· .

Co m m u ti n g
·

. · < ·
,_, .
. .

T h e daily com m ute

GREG: I live in a small town in the US. Outside the big cities there are very few local transport
links, so I have to drive to work. It's a busy commuter route so I end up getting stuck
in traffic1 most days. Luckily, there's also a toll road2 I can take for part of the trip. It's
expensive but isn't as crowded - even in rush hour.

PAOI A; I travel about an hour each way on a crowded commuter train and it's often difficult to
get a seat. My season ticket3 is very expensive because I always have to travel at peak
time4. Sometimes, when there are engineering works5 or cancellations, we h ave to take a
replacement bus service which is even slower!

LARS: I live in Denmark and lots of people commute by bike here. We have a good cycle
network and most roads have separate cycle lanes which are very safe. I enjoy cycling
and it's often quicker, especially when there's traffic gridlock6 on the main roads into
Copenhagen.

AKn:o: I live in a commuter town outside Tokyo and there's a very good bus and rail network
here. The trouble is, it's really busy - overcrowded trains are normal. There's even a
special person employed by the underground to push people onto the trains!

1 be slowed down by heavy traffic 4 the time when most people want to go somewhere, often
2 a road you have to pay to use off-peak)
leading to higher prices (opp.
3 a ticket which is valid for a certain period of 5 repair or maintenance work

time (often a month or a year) 6 when roads are so blocked with traffic that nothing is moving

Problems and solutions

The m i n ister for tra nsport is bei n g i n terviewed a bout c u rrent
tra nsport problems a n d future policies.
I nterviewer: So, M i n ister, we've been hearing a lot on the
news recently about a l l the problems faced by
com m uters: packed trains1, fare rises, train
strikes. What is the govern ment p l a n n i n g to do?
M i n ister: Well, this govern ment's policy has a lways been to
invest i n infrastructure a n d to provide more local
transport services for the hard-worki n g co mm uters of this cou ntry.
I nterviewer: But for comm uters facing a ten percent hike2 in fares for services which a re consta ntly
running late or not at a ll, that policy d oesn't seem to be worki ng.
M i nister: Tra i n operators a re re-i n vesting the m ajority of their p rofits in new trains a n d better
services a n d the govern ment is supporting that. I n a d d ition, we a re tryi ng to ease
traffic congestion3 i n b i g cities by restrictin g private car use a n d encouragi n g car­
sharing p rogrammes a n d park-and-ride schemes4. The congestion charge5 i n
Lon d o n has helped t o red uce traffic a n d i m p rove air quality a n d o u r road-building
progra m mes have a i m ed to a lleviate bottlenecks6 in key a reas.
I nterviewer: I'm glad you mentioned traffic. Comm uters who d rive a lso seem to be fac i n g i n creasing
difficu lties, such as roa d closures and deto u rs which in turn ca u se lengthy tailbacks7
a n d bring traffic to a sta ndstill8. It's not s u rprising more people a re choos i n g to work
from home more reg u l a rly!
1 trains which are very crowded 5 a charge for vehicles which enter a specific zone within a city

2 expecting a quick i ncrease 3 reduce traffic jams 6

reduce places where too many cars try to get through at the
4 schemes where people can park their cars out of same time
town and take a bus i nto a town/city centre 7 long queues of traffic 8 stop (traffic) completely

54 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

25.1 M atch the beginning of each sentence with its ending.

1 J a i me uses the AP-7 tol l a ) t i m e delays on morning services.
2 The cost of a season b) tra i n s in the downtown area.
3 Tra nsra i l a po logised to passen gers after a c) l a nes and provide b i ke racks i n
series of pea k- t h e centre.
4 We are calling on the city cou n c i l to build more cycle d ) roa d when he d rives i nto Va lencia
5 The govern ment has a n no u n ced fou r new projects to every day.
i m p rove ra i l e) ticket has i ncreased by ten
6 The new road taxes will fu nd i m p rovements percent - more t h a n i nflation!
to com m u ter f ) n etwo rks aro u n d our m ajor cities.

25.2 Correct the collocation errors in t hese sentences.

1 The construction work in the city centre has c a u sed traffic to a sta n d still and cars h ave been
q ueuing on the ring road for severa l ki lometres.
2 The town now has three park-a n d-d rive schemes which wi ll help keep cars out of the centre.
3 Environ menta l campaigners a re a rguing that widening the moto rway will do n ot h i n g to allow
bottlenecks but will only increase the volume of traffic.
4 Rail passengers at a l l the m a i n stations were p rotesting today at t ra i n rises of m o re than 2.3%.
5 The new government has pro m i sed to invest to i n frastructu re p rojects to im prove road and rai l
l i n ks aro u n d t h e cou ntry.
6 The NATO s u m m it will mea n roa d c losings a rou n d the area for secu rity reaso ns.

25.3 Complete the word puzzle.

Across
1 If the tra i n isn't ru n n i ng, there's u s u a l ly a
_ bus service, but it can be s low.
3 There a re u s u a l ly _ works on that line at
weekends, so tra i n s are delayed .
5 I ' m sick of travelling on _ tra i n s . The rai l
company rea lly m ust d o somet h i n g about
the overcrowdi n g.
6 The accident caused a _ of 10 k m
around t h e city yesterday as ca rs were
stopped on the m otorway.
7 The drive to work for many peo ple was
longer tha n u s u a l this morn i n g, as there
were roadworks on a key _ route i nto
Liverpool city centre.
Down
2 City cou n c i l lo rs have proposed i ntroducing a _ charge to red u ce traffic and p o l lution.
4 There was com plete traffic _ this morning when a lorry overt u rned and blocked the main junction.

25.4 Rewrite each sentence using a collocation from the opposite page based on the word in
brackets.
1 I hate travelling d u ri ng the time when everyone else is travelling a s it's always so c rowded . ( R U S H )
2 Since t h e h i gh-speed train l i n k t o t h e capita l a rrived i n 2015, this h a s become a p o p u la r place
where people l ive while trave l l i n g to another p la ce for work. (TO W N )
3 Commuters a re furious as they a re going to have a b i g rise in fares for the second t i m e this year. (HI KE)
4 It is ho ped that the new tu n n e l w i l l reduce traffic j a m s by ta king c a rs out of the centre.
(CONGEST I O N )
5 Services on West Express Tra i n s a re delayed t h i s m orning d u e t o h i gh wi nds a n d floodi ng. (RUN N I N G)

English Collocations in Use Advanced 55

26 Tra vel a n d adve ntu re

An exciting trip

CURRENT ARTICLES M·i;tQ:!©Wi·l:f.ilill4:1.ii4W CONTACT

I ' d always had a t h i rst for adventure and often get itchy feet so I
cou l d hardly conta i n my excitement when I set off for South America
for a year. It was a very ard uous 1 j o u rney. I s h o u l d have broken the
j o u rney2 somewhere but I did it all i n one go. N ext time, I ' l l have a
stopover3 in Sao Paolo, have a bit of a rest a n d do the sig hts there
before trave l l i ng o n .

After two fantastic weeks i n t h e Amazon I got a fl i g ht o n a low-cost

airline to Rio de Ja neiro . I then tried to get a fl i g h t to Peru but they
were all ful l , so they put me on stan d by4. Lucki ly I got a seat.

In Peru I went trekking in the Andes. The guide took us off the
beaten track a n d I felt l i ke an i ntre p i d 5 explorer from another
century i n some u nexplored wilderness. There was a real sense of
adventure . One day we actually got h opelessly l ost. We were afraid
they'd have to s e n d out a search pa rty to look for u s . But then we
met some locals w h o helped us get back on to o u r path.

1 diffi c u lt, tiri ng, needi n g a lot of effort 4 made me wait to see if a seat became avai lable
2 stopped for a short time 5 brave, with no fea r of d angerous situations

3 have a b rief (usually) overnight stay i n a place when

on a long jou rney to somewhere else, usually by air

Articles a bout travel adventu res

Whilst this journey may not compare in

terms of sheer epic gra n de u r to some of the
great American train journeys, it does have
a special charm all of its own . It may not
be cheap b ut if you keep your eyes peeled,
you can fi nd some surpri si ngly good deals.
Some longed-for sunny spells have boosted the If your budget doesn't quite stretch to3 a
spirits1 of th ree B ritish women hopi ng to set sleepi ng compartment, you can always j ust
a polar trekking record. The women h ave faced curl up i n your seat for the night. Let the
severe weather conditions since setti ng off to rhyth mic motion and the d u ll rumbles of the
walk to the North Pole 18 days ago. However, train lull you to slee p . The first leg of the
the team's base cam p ma nager said she had journey gives you very little indication of
spoken to them yesterday by satellite phone and what lies a head . . .
they had been relieved to report the weather
was sunny and their spirits were high2•

1 made feel more cheerful 2 they were in a positive mood 3 you can't afford

Look at www. n ationa lgeograph ic.co m o r a n a dventure travel com pany s u c h a s

www.kead venture.co m .

56 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

26.1 Complete these descriptions of TV d ocu mentaries using a word from the box.

a rd uous beaten i ntrepid sense sights trekki ng u n explored

1 �hn Howes presents essential h o l iday tips 4

In 1 957, Anna Trensholm went
for those heading off the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . through the mountains
track, while Anneke Zousa does the of north-eastern Tu rkey and fil med every
............ .. . ........ . .. of New York in record step of her way. This unique footage reveals
time. the harshness of her . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
journey.

2
In this fascinating film, Grieshaus g ives us
a picture of the largely . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
This film conveys a genuine
wilderness of the Kara Kum Desert. ;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of adventure, as we
' travel with its makers through the dense
jungles of Guyana.
3
Like a(n ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . explorer of
the 1 9th century, James Westly travelled
with only two companions.

26.2 Choose the correct collocations .

• < >
CURRENT ARTICLES ARCHIVE CONTACT

I have always had itchy (1 ) hands I feet I fingers and last summer I had the amazing opportunity to
travel to the - for me at least - (2) unexplored I unplanned I unprepared territory of the Gobi Desert.
My budget wouldn't (3) spread I stretch I afford to travelling on a normal flight but I couldn't find a
(4) low-cost / low-key I low-cut airline to fly me there. In the end, I got a (5) stand-up I stand-off I
standby ticket and it was not too expensive. Once there, I joined a group and we made a journey
on horseback into the desert. You wouldn't believe the sheer (6) very I mere I epic g randeur of the
region. If you keep your eyes (7) peeled I scaled I washed you can see all sorts of amazing plants
and creatu res. We were lucky with the weather. We were told that the previous group had had to
(8) meet I face I address severe weather (9) circumstances I coincidences I conditions. Our main
problem was that one day we got ( 1 0) hopelessly I fearlessly I carelessly lost and they had to send
out a search ( 1 1 ) group I party I set to find us. We felt so stupid. Anyway, the Gobi Desert may not
be everyone's choice of holiday destination but I can assure you that it ( 1 2) does I gets I has a
very special charm of its own.

26.3 Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets.

1 At the begi n n i ng the jou rney was straightfo rward . ( LEG)
2 I couldn't a fford to travel fi rst c la ss. (STRETC H )
3 After w e a rrived a t our base ca m p we felt more cheerfu l. ( BOOSTED)
4 There wi l l be periods of sunsh i n e in most a reas today. (SPELLS)
5 We broke our journey to Austra l i a i n Si ngapore. (STO POVE R)
6 Jack has a lways longed to h ave a dventures. (TH I RST)
7 G randmother is very cheerfu l tod a y. (SPI RITS)
8 The movement of the ship helped m e to fa ll asleep. (LU LLED)

26.4 Use a dictionary or the Cambridge Online Dictionary to find two more collocations for these words.

� Cambridge
1 a rduous 2 wi lderness 3 u ncharted
T i D ctio_r__ary
i
dictionary.cambridge.org
English Collocations in Use Advanced 57
27 S po rt

Sports training
Read this b log entry by a p ro fessi o n a l swi m mer trying out a n ew training c a m p .
• < >
.
CURRENT ARTICLES I : • . .

It's week two of our training programme here in the N ew Zealand

tra i n i n g camp. We've had the chance to do 1 several extre me
s ports like white-water rafting and rock climbing. I've also acqu ired
qu ite a taste for2 snowboarding. I d i dn't like it much at first - I
fou n d it really hard to keep my ba lance. But my instructor said she
was sure I'd get the hang of it3 in a couple of hours, so I decided
to take up the challenge and, sure enough, I mastered it. I thought
I was p retty fit4 but I'm really having to push myself to the l i mits5
to be able to cope. I ' m so shattered at n ight that it only takes me
a bout two seconds to fall into a deep sleep. Anyway, despite the
tiredness, I'm having a whale of a time6 . Anybody wou ld jump at
7
the c h a nce to try out some of these sports, I'm sure . M ust go to
bed now to summon up the energy for tomorrow. Let's hope all
this will help me keep i n shape8 for the next swimming tournament!

1 NOT make 5 make a considerable effort

2 begun to enjoy 6 (i nformal) having a fantastic time
3 (informal) become able to do something 7 (informal) rea lly like to do something
4 (informal) fairly fit 8 stay in good physical condition

Sports news

The mood amongst the crowd reached I n the cricket match between
fever pitch1 at yesterday's match Australia a n d South Africa the score
between India and Pakista n. In the last currently stands at 65 for 3 wickets.
few min utes of the game Khan played We'll bring you the latest scores on
brilliantly and secured a convincing the hour, every hour.
victory for Pakista n.

Yesterday's match was full of excitement

The tea ms took the field2 to the applause of 40,000 with three p layers being given yellow
spectators. Despite putting up a determ ined cards and some controversial free
performance, the England team seemed una ble to kicks. The g a m e was lost when the
break through the formida b le Italian defence. After B lues scored an own goal3 in the last
some i m p ressive tackles, Italy was awarded a penalty two min utes. The crowd went wild 4 .
just before half time. The penalty was missed, much
to the delight of ...
1:
1 became very excited/agitated 3 scored a goal in error against their own team
2 went o n the pitch 4 became crazy with excitement (can also be used for
other emotions, such as rage)

Listen to commentaries in English relati ng to a sport that i nterests you and fi n d a website
dedicated to that sport. Note down any collocations about the sport that you n otice being
frequently used. You may find this website u seful: www. b bc.com/sport.

58 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

27.1 Look at A. Choose the correct collocation.

1 I'm fi nding it h a rd to summon up / acquire / reach the energy to do a nyth ing m u c h in the even i n gs
these d ays.
2 Have you ever tried any formidable / fever / extreme sports?
3 I d idn't rea lise how difficult the m a rathon wou l d be when I o rigi n a lly took / had / got up
the cha llen ge.
4 I don't thi n k I cou ld ever acquire I educate I achieve a taste for b u n gee jumping.
5 I 'd rise / jump / take at the c h a n ce of a trip to Venice if I were offered one!
6 It won't ta ke you long to get the balance / taste / hang of cross-cou ntry ski i n g as you 're such
a n experienced down h i l l skie r.

27 .2 Complete each sentence using a word from the page opposite.

1 Don't ........................................ you rself to the limits n ow. Conserve some strength for later on.
2 I'm havi n g a ........................................ of a time lea r n i n g how to su rf, though I fi nd it a l m ost impossible
to ........................................ my bala n ce.
3 I 've just heard the ........................................ scores. Ita ly's winning and excitement's reac h i n g fever

4 The score i n the rugby match cu rrently ........................................ at 27 to 5 a n d Fra n ce looks set to
win a co nvincing ........................................ .
5 You must try h a rder to keep i n ............. ......................... over the winter. You could wa l k to wo rk instead
of goi n g by bus, for exa m ple.
6 John Shane was given a yellow ........................................ for perform i n g an illegal tackle o n a n opponent.
7 The capta i n took the free ........................................ and it reached J o bbs, who insta ntly scored .
8 Fortu nately for Wales, Scotla n d ........................................ every pen a lty that they were ................................ .
during the m atc h.
9 When the headteacher offe red a prize to the pupils who b u i lt the best raft over the holidays,
children from every class decided to take up the ........................................ .

27 .3 Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets.

1 I 'd love to meet Usain Bolt, wouldn't you? (J U M P)
2 The spectators stood a n d cla pped as the tea m s went on to the pitch. (TOOK)
3 You should o n ly attempt this c l i m b if you have a reaso nable level of fitness. ( P R ETTY)
4 The crowd was extremely excited at the end of the match. (WI LD)
5 We very m u c h enjoyed our time i n Austra l i a . (WHALE)
6 I decided to be b rave and start m y own busi ness. (CHALLE N G E)
7 The little boy soon lea rnt how to ride his bike without stabilisers. (HANG)
8 The tea m capta in felt d readfu l when he kicked the ball into his team's goa l. (OWN)

27 .4 Complete each sentence using the word in brackets in the appropriate form.
1 I get the ................................................ football scores sent through to my mobile. ( LATE)
2 The home tea m won a ................................................ victo ry. (CO NVI NCE)
3 Our tea m put up a n excellent ................ ............................... . (PERFORM)
.

4 It took some time before our team succeeded i n b reaking through the Reds' ........... ................................... .
and sco ri n g our fi rst goa l. ( D E F E N D)
5 After being ................................................ a pena lty, the player scored the wi n n ing goa l. (AWARD)

English Collocations i n Use Advanced 59

 . .
I '

28 Pla n s a nd d ecisi o n s ·

Decisions a nd solutions
Hans Brokaw, head of a com pa ny that manufactu res garden furniture, is a n nou ncing to his sen ior staff
plans he is making for the busi ness to be exclusively on line.

As you know, for some tim e now we've been toying1 with the idea of transferring all our
business to on line-only sales as a long-term solutionto the pro blem of finding good retai l
outlets. You'll remember that at the last team meeting Rob unveiled2 a plan to move
the business to the web in three phases over nine months. And Phi lippa did a great job
drumming up support3 for the move among the sales and m arketing people. Since then,
as you also know, we've had a slight change of plan, acting on a suggestion4
and, from
the logistics team, we've now decided that the move should happen over 12 months.
In order to implement5 such a plan,we need to draw up a schedule stick to6
and that
schedule.
tentative suggestion7.
So I 'd like to make a launch the scheme,
Before we I think we
should invite the web designers to come here and take us through the process from their
HANS BROKAW exercise greater control
side. That will give us the o pportunity to over things. I don't think
we should just leave everythingto their discretion8. I'm just awa re of how important it's
going to be to cover every eventuality9 before we commit 100% to going on line.
We propose to end our relationship with the garden centres where we currently sell. We've
reached this decisionafter careful consideration. We do believe that realistically it's
the only option open to us. The deciding factor was losing our biggest customer - the
Greenway garden centre chain. After that, we really had no choice.

1 considering, but not in a focused way 6 keep to

2 showed / made known for the fi rst time 7 a suggestion that you a re not sure will be accepted
3 i ncreasing s u pport for something 8 leave everything to their j u d gement
4 doing someth ing as a result of a suggestion 9 consider a ll possible situations and difficulties
5 put into operation

Making plans
Note the collocations in this speech at the start of an a n n u a l youth summ it.

Good morni ng, friends, and welcome to our summit, the fi rst of what we plan to
be an a n nual event! I h ave been waiting for t h i s day with eager anticipation1
for a l o ng t i m e. We came up with theidea five years ago and preparations
have been underway2 ever si nce. There was a certain amount of necessary
groundwork3 to do, of cou rse, before our sponsors were a ble to reach the
decision to support us. B u t then we were able to turn our attention to how best
to put our ideas into practice.

1 feeling of great excitement a bout something that 2 happening

is going to h ap pen 3 work done in preparati o n

Rejecting p lans
Someone may declare outright oppositio n o r outright hosti lity to a plan. [say they are completely
opposed/hostile] A plan ca n be rejected out of hand. [tota lly rejected] Those w h o do not l i ke a plan o r
piece of work may offer constructive criticism. [criticism w h i c h is useful a n d i ntended to help or improve]

C om m o n mi sta kes

Note that we come to or arrive at a conclusion, NOT ma4e a conclusion.

60 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

28 . 1 M atch the two parts o f these collocations.

1 u nveil every eventua lity
2 stick to a lot of support
3 m a ke something a rea lity
4 leave it a sched u le
5 d ru m up a plan
6 cover to someone's d iscretion

28.2 Complete each conversation to make B agree with what A says.

1 A: I think we s h o u ld do what R u by i s p roposing.
B: Yes, I th i n k we should defi nitely a ct ........................................ her suggestio n .
2 A: We need to m a ke a timeta ble fo r what needs to be d one.
B: Yes, we need to d raw ........................................ a sched u le.
3 A: We need a lot of d iscussion before we ca n put the scheme into operation.
B: Yes, we need a couple of meeti n gs before we can im plement the .......... ..
4 A: We need to be a ble to have more influence over wh at's h a p pe n i n g.
B: I agree. We m u st ........................................ greater control over thi ngs.
5 A: It's not a n a nswer to the problem that will so lve it permanently.
B: I agree. It's n ot a ........................................ solution.
6 A: We don't rea lly have that choice .
B: I agree. T h at ........................................ i s not open to us.

28.3 Complete each sentence using a word from the box.

c h a nge consideration factor groundwork launch outright su ggestion

1 After ca refu l ........................................ , we d ecided not to sell the busi ness.

2 We'll do the necessary ........................................ and then ... the scheme in M ay.
3 I was very shoc ked to encou nter s u c h ........................................ hostility to my plan.
4 M o n ey is a lways the deciding ........................................ i n busi ness decisions.
5 It was only a tentative ........................................ , not a fi n a l decision.
6 There's been a slight ........................................ of plan, I'm afra i d .

28.4 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1 F i n a l preparations for the music festiva l a re now u ndergo ne.
2 I was very u pset when they rejected my suggestions out of foot.
3 The co mpany came on with the idea of encou raging customers to recycle packagi n g.
4 I d o n't think yo u will fi nd it easy to get your ideas i nto practice.
5 He decla red his affright opposition to the plan.
6 Constructed c riticism is a lways welcome, but negative criticism is n ot.

28.5 Complete the word puzzle.

Across
3 It's d ifficu lt to put the idea i nto - . l 2

5 He leaves me to - the plans for o u r holidays.

4
6 We should - on this suggestion at o nce.
Down
1 The kids a re fu l l of - antici pati o n . 5 6

2 We need t o - a decision today.

3 There's been a cha n ge of - .
4 I - with a few ideas, but rejected them.

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 61

29 Film a nd book reviews

N ote the collocations in these reviews of the same fi lm from d i fferent p u b l ications.
Quality newspaper
.. ·
- - - ----------- - -

LARISSA·
-
I
,
·
, .; , t
.. · .'
,'
. . .:
..
��
· .
'
· · .
,
;
• < • • �� �. . • • t ! '

Larissa is an exce.ll e nt fi l m . It tel l s the story of what happens when a young woman decides to try to find
out what really happened to her grandmother, who disappeared in Russia in the 1 930s under mysterious
c i rcumstances. As the suspense builds up, Larissa sets off an amazing chain of events. It's an incredibly
gripping fi l m and its d i rection shows startling originality.

Movie review app

It was certainly a bold experiment 1 to cast Jenni Adams as a woman twice her age, b ut
Jenni is a very accompl ished actor and a consummate p rofessional2 , and she carried it off
brilliantly. And the rest of the star-studded cast gave a dazzling display of their talents too.
The film, which documents an extra o rd i n ary series of events, was spectacularly successful
i n the US - The New York Times gave it glowing reviews3 , and not without good reason .

1 a b rave and risky thing to do 2 (formal) complete professional 3 very positive reviews
Popular (tabloid) newspaper

Wh oever decided to cast J e n n i Ada m s good t h i n g was the t h e m e m usic. T h e

i n t h e role of the d is a ppea r i n g g ra nd m a c i n e m a n ext d o o r wa s showing Screech
i n Larissa m u st have been o u t o f t h e i r of the Vampire - n ow that l wo u l d h i g h l y
4 6
m i n d . A n u n mitigated disaster , strongly reco m m end . . . if y o u can bear the
5 7
i nfl u enced by the v e ry worst ki n d of suspense !
H o l lywood senti m e nta l ity. The o n ly

4 total d isaster 6 thoroughly recommend is also possible

5 or heavily influenced, but N OT hlgftfy< i nfluenced 7 can stan d the excitement
Entertai n ment magazine

I usua l ly thi n k highly of Joel H a n s o n 's fi lms but t h i s one, based o n a

novel by Sleva n Gorsky, is a disma l fa i lure. I n s pite of the all-star cast,
the fi l m just d i d n't hold my attention the way the book did. I was a
col lege student when I read it, but it made a lasting i mpression8 on me.
It fired my i magi nation more tha n a n y other book has ever done, a n d
awakened my i nterest i n Russia i n t h e 1930s s o m u c h that m y poor
old bookshelves a re groa ning with books o n Russ i a n history! The fi l m ,
however, si m p ly fa i led to create9 the atmosphere o f Len ingrad i n t h e
1930s which t h e boo k achieved so s uccessfu l ly.

8 we can a lso say an indelible impression, meaning a permanent one 9 also evoke the atmosphere
C ommon mi s t a k e s

S o m eo n e can h ave a considerable reputation or a well-deserved reputation, but N OT a

fHgh reputation.

62 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

29.1 Complete the review using words from the opposite page. T h e first letter i s given to help you.

< >

NOW PLAYING
The recently released film 1, 000 Nights does not have a ( 1 ) s. . . . . . . . . . .
cast but it will not fail to make a (2) I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . impression with its
startling (3) 0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and its dazzling (4) d. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
of new talent. Jon Hayden is cast in the (5) r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ofTim
Alexon, a man of principles trying to make his way in the world of big business.
It is Hayden's first appearance on the big screen, but he shows himself as an
exceptionally (6) a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . actor playing the little man caught
up in an intriguing and at times terrifying (7) s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of events.
The use of unknown actors was a bold (8) e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . but it
turned out to be (9) s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . successful. 1, 000 Nights will
( 1 0) f. . . . . . the imagination of even the most cynical of viewers.

29.2 Cross out the option which cannot be used in each sentence.
1 Alla Repina has a high / considerable / we/I-deserved reputation as a c h a racter actor.
2 The a/I-star / star-studded / starring cast is set to m a ke the fi l m a box-office su ccess.
3 My co usin highly / spectacularly / thoroughly recom mended the play.
4 The p l ot is based on a n extraord i n a ry series / burst / chain of events that ha p pened in New York i n
the ea rly 1800s.
5 The stage sets were o bviously strongly / highly / heavily i nfluenced by the work of the su rrealist
a rtist Sa lvador Dalf.
6 The fi l m made a ( n ) consummate / lasting / indelible i m p ression on me.
7 The a uthor evoked I created I wrote a m agical atmosphere.

29.3 Complete each sentence using a word from the opposite page.
1 I a d m i re that prod u ce r because he is such a consum m ate ............ .. ............................... .
2 We a l l began to feel i nc reasingly nervous as the suspense b u i lt ................................................ .
3 All that writer's boo ks h ave received glowi ng ................................................ .
4 The centra l character's actions set off a n amazing c h a i n of ................................................ .
5 To my m i n d the play is a n unm itigated ................................................ .
6 M a k i n g a fi lm last i n g six hours was q u ite a bold ................................................ .
7 I ' m a fra id the novel d i d n 't rea l ly s ucceed i n hold ing my ................................................ .
8 I cou ld n 't watch the fi l m at the m ost exciting point - I just could n't bea r the ................................................ .

29.4 Name the following:

1 a n a cto r whose work you admire
2 a fi l m d i rector whom you think h i g h ly of
3 a fi l m that has recently been spectac u la rly successfu l
4 a book that has awa kened you r inte rest in a d i fferent place o r period of history

29.5 Two of the collocations on the opposite page are strongly negative ways of saying that
something did not succeed. Which a re they?

Over to you

G o to www. imdb.com (The Internet Movie Database) and read some of the items and reviews there.
Make a note of any useful collocations not in this unit.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 63

30 Regu lati o ns a n d a uth ority

H ea lth and safety regu lations

Dear colleague,
As you are p ro ba b ly aware, the government has recently passed new laws relati n g to
hea lth and safety i n the workp lace. These new regu lations have been i ntroduced1 to
sta ndardise procedure i n wo rkplaces across the country a n d ensure that employers
adhere to sta ndards.
The enclosed guide detai ls the steps you n eed to take in order to com p ly with these new
laws. All e m p loyers have an obligation to carry out a risk assessment2. Fa ilure to do so
w i l l leave us in breach of the law3. The pu rpose of the risk assessment is to minimise
danger to e m p loyees and a lso to m a ke it easier for employers to satisfy the requirements
of the regu lations.
All department heads have a n obligation to read the information i n the guide ca refu l ly.
Please do so, a n d if you have a n y further q uestions, I will be ha p py to a nswer them.

�;A4J'
Hea lth and Safety Officer

1 also brought in 2 an exercise to identify and assess risks 3 (formal) breaking the law

C o mm o n m i s t a kes

We say: We cou ld not arrive at a n agreement o r W e cou ld not reach an agreement, NOT
We could not get-te or We could not � an agreement.

Plan ning perm ission

If you wish to b u i l d , say, an extension to your h o u se, it is absolutely essential1 to seek permission2
to do so. If you r plan is approved, then you will be granted permission3 to build. But it is becoming
m o re d ifficult to o btain permission4 as the govern ment has i ntroduced n ew legislation which has
tightened controls5. It can take q u ite some ti me after putting in an application for permission to
be given. This is beca u se the pla n n i n g officers have to ensu re that you r p l a n s do not i nfringe the
regulations6 relati n g to building i n your area.
Be wary of treati n g the planning officers as faceless bureaucrats7 ; they a re in a position of
considerable authority, though some of them a re more vigorous a bout exercising authority8 tha n
others. Some will be p repared to cut through the red tape9 for you, whereas others m ight seem to
be d o i n g all they c a n to block you r pla n s, espec i a lly if they th i n k you are tryi n g to flout the rules10.
1 NOT essential
V€Pf 7 used as an insult to officials, suggesting that they
2 (formal) ask for permission lack character
3 (formal) given permission 8 (formal) using that authority
4 (formal) receive permission 9 deal quickly and effectively with bureaucratic
5 made the rules tougher procedu res
6 (formal) break the rules 10 (formal) intentionally b reak the rules

Language relating to the law and to regulations often has its own special, often formal, collocations.
These are more l i kely to be used in written English, so avoid using them in i nformal speech.

64 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

30.1 Complete these collocations from A using a word from the box.
1 ................................ req u i rements 5 ........................ ..... a new law
. . . ad here arrive
2 ..... .... ......... an o bligation
. . 6 . . .... . ... . ... ... . . i n regu lations
.. . . . . . bri n g ca rry
3 ......................... ..... at a n agreement
. . 7 ......... ................ . .. to sta n d a rds
. . . . exercise have
4 ................................ out a risk assessment 8 .... .......... ....... ........ a uthority
. . . pass satisfy

30.2 Rewrite the underlined part of each sentence to make it more formal.
1 You will be p u n ished if you conti nue to ignore the ru les.
2 All our sister o rga n isations sti c k to the sta n d a rd s listed in the Code of Practice.
3 We asked for perm ission to b u i ld on a field next to o u r house a n d after some time we were
given that permission.
4 It is im porta n t that all citizen s s h o u ld do what the law says they should do.
5 If your business d oesn't meet the lega l req u i rements, you may fi n d yourself prosecuted for
brea king co m p a ny law.

30.3 Complete this letter of complaint using words from the opposite page.

Dear Sir/M a d a m ,

I a m writi n g t o co m plain a b o u t t h e behavio u r o f o u r town cou ncil. W h e n its mem bers were
elected to (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of authority, they p rom ised to (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . t h e ridiculous
.

amount of red tape that is choking modern society. Yet all they h ave done is (3) . .
still more pointless new legislation, thus (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . controls over the ord i n a ry fa mi ly.
. . . .

They have tu rned out to be no better than their predecessors, (5) . . . . . . . . . . . b u rea ucrats,
. . . . . . . . .

a l l of then 1 . T h e i r latest decisi o n - to (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a plan to b u i ld a m u lti-m i l lion new

. .

cou ncil office block - is an a bsol ute disgrace!

Yo u rs fa ithfu l ly,

Edward W i l l i a m s

30.4 Complete the word puzzle.

Across
1 The builders h a d friends in h igh places and got away
with flouti n g the - for severa l years.
2 It is hard to fi n d staff who - all our req uirements.
3
3 Extreme sports a re risky, but we do a l l
w e c a n t o m i n i mise the - t o participa nts.
4 I chose not to - my authority a n d impose
a pu nishment as it was a spec i a l holiday. 4

5 It is a bsolutely - that we do not put staff at risk.

6 By building a h ou se without permission the b u i lder 5
found hi mself in - of the law.
7 It took time but eventua lly we - permission to
6
demolish o u r ga rage.
Down
7
1 Before the s h o p opens for busi ness you must ca rry out
a-.

30.5 Find one other possible collocation for each of the verbs in the box in 30.1.
Use a dictionary to help you .
imwg Cambridge
1111r
11 Dictionary
English Co/locations in Use Advanced 65
dictionary.cambridge.org
31 Ihe e nvi ro n m��t �C ·
·
·
·�r ·. .

Damaging the enviro n ment

Read this extract from a report on getti n g rid of waste.
. . . , , .. .
Disposal of household waste is a dauntin g task for local authorities. Town s a n d cities cannot
j ust dump1 such waste and hope it will go away. Household waste contains many materials and
substances which are extremely harmful to the environment, and authorities need long-term
solutions. Efforts to recycle waste are only a partial solution. M e a nwhile, the problem of toxic2
waste rem ains. One expert recently warned that the risks to public health are so great that we
may have less than a decade to avoid an environmental catastrophe on a global scale.

1 d ispose of in an irresponsible ma n ner 2 poisonous

Cli mate c ha nge a n d its consequences

Here is a n i nterview with G a ry Prime, an American rock sta r k n own
for his s u p p o rt of enviro n m ental campaigns, who is visiti n g Lo ndon.
Interviewer: Would you agree that climate c h a n ge is the most u rgent
issue facing us today?
Prime: Definitely. You only have to look at the changing weather
patterns in m a ny parts of the world. It's absolutely vital
that we change our ways before it's too late. Pa rts of Europe
which used to be cooler now experience intense, searing heat1, a n d temperatures
soar above the average every s u mmer. Other a reas suffer widespread flooding on a
regular basis. We can't continue i n this way without there bein g dire2 consequences.
I nterviewer: So what c a n people do in the face of this i rreversible climate cha nge?
Prime: Well, for a sta rt we can all red uce our carbon footprint3 by fly i n g less, and red uce
our food m i les4 by buying loca l prod uce. Some a i rlines have schemes now for
offsetting carbon emissions5.
I nterviewer: Flying's o n ly one part of it, though. Most of the problems come from vehicle
emissions a n d power stations.
Pri m e: True, but there a re things we can d o a bout that too. Buy a
hybrid car6, develop alternative energy sources for homes,
solar heating for i nstance, a n d b u ild more offshore7 wind
farms. Oil s u p p lies will run d ry8 within 50 yea rs . Renewable
energy c a n m a ke a real difference. And politic i a n s shouldn't
be afra id of i ntroducing green taxes9 and incentives to
encourage eco-friendly design i n a rchitecture. With sufficient
will, we can find a solution.
I nterviewer: Gary Prime, tha n k you for giving up your time for this i nterview.
Prime: No problem. I 've got just enough time to catch my flight to Los A n geles.
1 extreme heat 2 extremely serious 6 a c a r can alternate between d ifferent
3 amount of ca rbon d ioxide created by a person/business energy sou rces (e.g. petrol and battery)
4 dista nce food has to travel between where it is grown or 7 at sea, away from the coast
made a n d where it is consu med 8 ru n out
5 paying for an equ ivalent a mount of carbon d ioxide to be 9 taxes relating to the p rotection of the
saved elsewhere environment

C om m o n mi sta k e s

• We say absolutely vital, NOT very v i tal.

It's absolutely vital that everyon e p lays t h e i r part in co m ba tin g c l i m ate c h a n ge .

• We say find a solution, NOT give a solution.

We need to find a solution to the p ro b l e m of e nergy s u p p lies.

66 English Collocations i n Use Advanced

 Exercises

31.1 Read these remarks by different speakers, and then answer the questions.
Sylvia: We fo u n d that poiso n o u s chemica ls h a d been thrown into the river.
Tomas: We h ave to protect everyone from i l lnesses caused by environ menta l p ro blems.
M a rcos: We ca n col lect glass a n d plastic from homes which ca n then be re-u sed.
Gerard: We a re heading for a m ajor disaster in terms of the pollution of the ocea ns.
Ulla: We m u st stop using this c hemical. It can destroy plant a n d a n imal life.
1 Who mentions public health?
2 Who is c o m p l a i n i n g a bout people d u m p i n g toxic waste?
3 Who is ta l k i n g a bout avo i d i n g the use of something which is h a rmful to the environment?
4 Who is exp l a i n i ng about recycl i n g household waste?
5 Who is sou nd i n g a wa rning a bo ut an envi ro n menta l catastrop he?

31.2 Complete each sentence using a word from the opposite page.
1 We looked out to sea a n d s potted some ........................................ wind fa rms.
2 Oil su pplies a re likely to ........................................ d ry within the next 200 years.
3 It's absolutely ........................................ that we a l l do someth ing to red u ce global warmi n g.
4 As a green orga nisation we o n ly use architects who specia lise i n ........................................ design.
5 Conti n u ed use of fossil fuels w i l l have ........................................ co nsequences in the long term.
6 The airl i n e h a s a scheme where you ca n ........................................ you r c a rbon emissions.

31.3 Rewrite the u nderlined part of each sentence using a collocation from the o pposite
page based on the word in brackets.
1 How far o u r food travels before we consume it shou ld be a concern for everyone. ( M I LE)
2 Energy w h i c h comes from i nexha ustible sou rces, such as wind, is our greatest hope for the
future. ( R E N EW)
3 The region has experienced flooding over la rge a reas i n recent yea rs. (WI DE)
4 We have caused the world's climate to a lter i n a way that cannot be cha nged back. (CHAN GE)
5 We must d o so mething to e l i m i n ate the problem of toxic waste. (SOLVE)
6 We should a l l try to red uce the amount of carbon we emit. ( FO OT)
7 Wind fa rms located out at sea can provide a partial solution to the problem. ( S H O RE)
8 The min ister chairs a co m m ittee aiming to i m prove the way we get rid of ru b bish from our
homes. ( D I S POSE)

31.4 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1 Tem peratures expan ded d u r i n g the summer months and reached a record high.
2 We must c h a nge our way before it is too late.
3 They now h ave a sun heat i n g system in their ho use; it's very eco nom ical.
4 The desert experiences soa ri n g heat d u ri n g the day but is cold at n i ght.
5 The weather designs have c h a nged in recent years: wi nters a re m i lder, sum mers a re hotter.
6 He has one of those mixed c a rs which a lternates between petrol a n d battery power.
7 The govern ment must present green taxes so people who d a m a ge the envi ro n ment pay more.
8 Vehicle tra ns m issions a re the m a i n sou rce of pollution in big cities.
9 We need to fi nd alternative energy origi n s for private ho mes.

Over to

Go to the U n ited Nations Environment Progra mme website at www. u nep.org and
make a note of useful collocations you fi nd there connected with the environment.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 67

 1,'lf\" 1) ) ""'

32 Town a nd co u ntry life �

City life
Read this advertisement for n ew houses i n the city and note the collocations.

I n the bustling1 centre you can enjoy high-qua lity urban living, with
reliable public transport a n d shops a n d resta urants whose long
opening hours will suit you r busy lifestyle.

1 fu ll of busy activity

Country life versus city life

Jerome h a s j u st moved fro m h i s home vi l l a ge i nto a big town . H e emails Rosie a bout it .

Hi Rosie,
Well, I did it. I moved into tow n . I must say I don't miss the rustic charm 1 of life in t h e back of
beyond 2 ! For some people my old village is a rural idy l l , but for me it was always just a q u iet
3
backwater i n the middle of nowhere where nothing ever happened and where I was bored
4
rigid . I've only been in town a week, but I love everything a bout it - the crowded streets, the
5
hectic pace of l ife, the fact that you can g et a cappuccino or hail a taxi at two in the morn ing.

So when are you coming to visit?

Jerome

1 appeal that is sim ple and picturesque 4 (informal) extremely bored

2 an extrem ely isolated place 5 very b usy a n d fast pace
3 a qu iet, i solated village
City Cou ncil plans
• < >

City councillors last night approved extensive plans for urban regeneration.

Key features of the plan include the restoration of derelict buildings1 and a tree­
planting scheme.

The hope is that the inner city will soon resemble the leafy s u burbs as an attractive
and desirable place to live. Planners believe that an increase in the number of
residential dwellings2 in the town centre will ease the problem of congested roads
and night-time crime: with commercial and recreational facilities within walking
d istance and open all hours, it is hoped that many people will choose to leave their
cars at home, and that it will be safer to walk on the street at night.

1 bu ildings that are not cared for and are in a very bad condition 2 (formal, official) homes

68 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

32.1 Complete each sentence with t h e city and the country in the correct space.
1 There is a less hectic pace of life i n ................................ t h a n in . ..... . .... ..... ........... .
2 It's much easier to h a i l a taxi i n ................................ t h a n i n ................................ .
3 You are less l i kely to find relia ble p u blic tra nsport i n ................................ t h a n in ....................... .
4 You are more l i kely to find rustic c h a rm in ................................ than i n ................................ .
5 You are more li kely to find congested roads in ................................ than i n ................................ .

32.2 Explain the difference in meaning between the sentences in each pair.
1 The roads a re very congested. T h e streets a re very crowded.
2 We live in the i n ner city. They live in the leafy s u b u rbs.
3 He lives i n a q u iet backwater. She l ives i n a bustling city centre.
4 I enjoy u rban living. I love my rura l idyll.

32.3 Put the collocations in the box i nto pairs that a re similar in meaning.

city life long opening hours rustic charm i n the back of beyo nd open all hours
u rban livi n g i n the middle of nowhere ru ra l idyll

32.4 Rewrite the underlined part of each sentence using a collocation from the opposite page.
1 The village is regarded as a quiet place where n ot h i ng happens, but the people who live
there love it.
2 She lives in a s i m p le cottage m i les away from a ny other inhabited places.
3 The govern ment plans to provid e fu nds to su bsid ise the modern isation and improvement of
our cities.
4 The city a n nou n ced a plan to pla n t more trees.
5 The south side of the city is an a rea w here m a ny people wou ld l i ke to have a home.
6 The city cou n c i l has declared that p a rt of the tow n may only be u sed for people's h omes.

32.5 Find collocations on the opposite page with the opposite meaning to these phrases.
1 smart, modern b u i ld i ngs
2 q u iet roads (2 a n swers)
3 a qu iet city centre
4 u rban decay
5 the u rban n i ghtmare
6 restricted o pe n i n g ti mes
(2 answers)

32.6 Use a dictionary to find three collocations for these words.

� Cambridge 1 cou ntryside

---.� Dictionary 2 lan dscape
3 village(s)
dictionary.cambridge.org

32. 7 Answer these questions.

1 Do any types of TV progra m m es or films bore you rigid? If so, what types?
2 Would you co nsider living in a remote cou ntry villa ge in your cou ntry to be livi n g in a
ru ra l idyll?
3 Do you have a relia ble pu blic tra nsport system i n the place where you live?
4 Are there a n y d erelict buildings w here you live?
5 What sort of facilities a re there wit h i n wa lking d i sta n ce of the house or flat where you live?
English Co/locations in Use Advanced 69
33 P e rso n a l fi n a nce

M a n aging you r fi nances

Read this leaflet on person a l fi na ncial m a n a gement given out by a u n ivers i ty to its students.
N ote the collocations.

K E E P I NG AFLOAT 1 - HOW TO MANAGE YOU R F I NA N C E S

While you' re doing your degree, your m a i n source of income m a y be a student l o a n or, if you're lucky, a
grant or scholarship. But you may well still need to supplement2 your income by getting some kind of
pa rt-time work. Here a re some tips for avoiding financial problems:
•
Open a current account at the campus b a n k - they have a tea m there specialises in helping
students with their financial matters.
If you get into debt, clear3 your debts
try to as soon as possib le.
• cutting down on
If thi ngs a re difficult, you may have to economise by, say,
luxuries. running up huge debts4.
This is far better than
•
If you have a credit-card debt, try to make a payment every month, however
small. Never exceed your agreed credit limit.
• It's a bad idea to borrow heavily to repay your debts. Always seek advice from
your bank a bout how to clear outstanding5 debts and pay back loans.
•
N ever run up an overdraft6 if you can avoid it. If you do need one, remem ber that most banks will
offer students an interest-free overdraft.

1 having enough money to pay what you owe 4 continuing to spend and therefore owing a large
(can a lso be staying afloat) amount of money
2 add someth ing to something to make it larger 5 not yet paid
or better 6 a mount of m on ey that a customer with a ban k
3 pay in full account is tem porarily allowed t o owe to the bank

F i n a n cial crimes and disputes

These newspaper extracts a re all concerned with fi nancial c ri m es a n d pro bl e m s.

Credit-card fraud 1 has reached an all­ Mr Ambrose spent a fortune stayi ng at

time high. One i n ten people i s a victim expensive hotels. He m a n aged to run up3
2
of identity theft and the crime i s on the a bill of £ 1 7 ,000 at o n e hotel. He used his
i ncrease. employer's funds and falsified4 records.
He made fraudulent claims for travel

-
expenses.
People a re being encou raged to p u t
5

I
d o w n a deposit on n e w homes, t h a n ks
The company is now u n der new
to low interest rates. But if borrowers
management. Its backers have written off
6
defa u lt on repayments , banks are
debts 8 of £500,000 on the promise of new
7
o b li g ed to call in loans .
cost-cutting measures designed to solve
the company's financial problems.
-

1 cri me of m isusing another person's credit card 5 pay a sum of money in advance as part of a
without their permission tota l payment
2 stea ling someone's person a l detai ls, usua lly i n 6 fa il to pay a d ebt
order t o access their bank a ccou nts o r credit cards 7 demand that people pay back the money the
3 acc u m ulate bank has lent to them
4 changed something, e.g. a document, in order to 8 accepted t h at an amount of money has been lost
deceive people or that a d e bt will not be paid

70 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

33.1 M atch words from each box to form collocations from the opposite page and use them
to com p lete the sentences below.

I bo rrow make spend stay s u p p l e ment I afloat a fortu ne heavi ly my income a payment

1 I ................................................................ of €500 every month to my credit-card a ccou nt.

2 W h e n I was a student I got a job i n a fast-food outlet to ................................................................ .
3 I u sed to ................................................................ o n books when I was at u n iversity.
4 I h a d no grant or scholarship, so I h a d to ................................................................ to fi n a n ce my stu d ies.
5 S m a l l fi rms fi n d it d iffi c u lt to ................................................................ when costs a n d i n terest rates a re
high.

33.2 Copy and complete the collocation b u bbles using words from the box. Some words
collocate only with debt, some only with overdraft a n d some with both. Use a
,,.).,,.,,, Cambridge d ictionary to help you find one more collocation for each bubble.
T Dictionary
' to a rra n ge a(n) a bad to be i n
dictionary.cambridge.org

to clear a (n) deep i n faci lity to get a ( n )

t o get i nto a hefty t h e nation a l DEBT
to pay off a(n) -ridden to run u p a (n)
an u n a uthorised

33.3 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1 T h e fi rm has h u ge debts and has h a d to borrow $10 m i l lion. The new c h ief executive has
i n troduced cost-cutti ng methods.
2 When I left u n iversity I had no u psta n d i n g debts, u n li ke most of my frie n d s, who owed
thousands of pounds.
3 T h e m a nager fa lsified com pany reco rd ings and stole money from her e m ployer.
4 I h a d no resou rce of i ncome, so I h a d to get a job, a n d q u ickly.
5 We p laced d ow n a deposit on a n e w car last week .
6 S h e fau lted on her loa n repaym e n t a n d h a d to sell h e r business.
7 M a ny people d o n 't trust on line b a n k i n g beca use they are afra i d of identificatio n theft.
8 If we don't cut up on l uxu ries, we're going to fi n d o u rselves in serious d ebt.
9 There are speci a l offers for stud e n ts who enter a c u rrent accou n t at the u n iversity bank.
10 Yo u will pay a lot of i nterest if you go over your d iscussed cred it l i m it.

33.4 Answer the questions about collocations from the o pposite page.
1 W h at object is a person or com p a n y being co mpa red to when we u se the col location keep or
stay afloat meta phorica lly?
2 W h at a re you eventu a l ly expected to do with a loa n ?
3 If a b a n k calls in a loa n , do they (a) give i t (b) write it off (c) demand fu l l payment?
4 If someone defau lts on a payment, d o they (a) not m a ke it (b) m a ke it i n fu l l (c) partia l ly m a ke it?
5 W h at is the cri m e called when som eo n e makes i llega l use of a n other person 's credit card ?

33.5 Complete each sentence using the word in brackets i n the appropriate form.
1 The accused was fou n d gui lty of ........................................ company records. ( FALSE)
2 The insura nce company takes all ........................................ claims very seriously. ( FRAU D)
3 I try to make a ........................................ i nto my savi ngs a ccount every month. ( PAY)
4 Identity ........................................ is beco m i n g a n increas i ngly com mon cri me. (TH I E F)
5 I was glad that the ba n k was a b le to offer me a n ........................................ overd raft. (INTEREST)

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 71

34 T h e eco n o'!ly

B u d get speech

As we can all testify, this cou ntry's econ omy is stron g a n d

getting stronger.
O u r measu res to curb inflation1 h ave p roved highly
s uccessfu l. The ram pant inflation2 of the previous
government is a t h i n g of the past. I nflation currently sta nds
at 2 percent. The stren gth of the current economic climate
suggests that interest rates a re u n l i kely to be raised
a ga i n this year. This should help us to b u i ld up a cu ltu re of
i nvesting for the long-term.
This government has steered the economy through seven
yea rs of uninterrupted economic growth; a trend which
i s set to continue with our majo r su ccess i n stimulating
growth. And in the latest qua rter, the economy has been
growi n g at an a n n u a l rate of 2.5 percent.
All i n d i cators show that industry is thriving3. But we a re
p a rticula rly proud of the steady growth experienced by
s m a l l businesses. We have made it o u r a i m to safegua rd
their interests4 a n d the hea lthy economy we have c reated
has ena bled them to i ncrease output. The plummeting
profits5 caused by the previous govern ment's misgu ided
p olicies are now safely beh i n d them.
Our goal is to esta blish world-class p u blic services through
i nvestment a n d reform in order to ensure that taxpayers
receive rea l va lue for money. Public spending goes to
p rovide strong a n d dependable p u b lic services. These a re
vita l to extend opportunity, tackle social exclusion6 a n d
i m p rove people's life c h a n ces.
The taxes that we levy7 a llow us to a llocate resources to achieve that goa l. And we have met
with considera ble success8. In pa rtic u la r, we must now build on the success9 of the c l i m ate­
c h a n ge levy we introduced last yea r.
A n other of our goa ls is to win the battle aga i n st the black economy. If left unchecked10, the
black economy - I t h i n k here particu l a rly of the loss to o u r economy of u ndeclared earnings11
a n d other tax-evas i o n practices - w i l l push up costs12 a nd lead to rising unemployment. This
govern ment is com m itted to its era d i cation.

1
control i nflation [continuous increase in prices] 7 i m pose or i ntroduce
2
very d ramatic, uncontrolled inflation 8 been very successful
3 doing very well 9 develop previous success
4 protect their interests 10 not stopped
5 rap i d ly fa lling profits 11 i ncome that people fai l to report to the tax
6 the problems of the underprivileged, of those who a uthorities
12
have less fortunate places i n society than others m a ke costs rise

72 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

34.1 M atch the beginning of each sentence with its ending.

1 The government is fi n d i n g it very difficult to curb exclusion.
2 The country is suffering beca use of the cu rrent eco n o m ic i nterests.
3 Although heavy i n d u stry is in d ec l i n e, service i n d u stries a re inflation.
4 The CEO is a nxious to safegua rd h i s company's climate.
5 N ew machi nery h a s ena bled the factory to increase its resou rces.
6 The tax authorities p l a n to tackle the issue of u n declared output.
7 The budget plan exp l a i ns how we i ntend to a llocate o u r various th rivi ng.
8 We must tackle a n d so lve the pro b lems caused by socia l earn ings.

34.2 Which of these phrases would a fin a nce minister be li kely to use a bout the economy
under his/her own guidance and which about the economy under a previous rival
government?

b u i ld on success extend opportun ity levy heavy taxes

-� � l w --'-

I
m eet witti success poor va l u e for money ra m pant i nflatio n

safely steer the eco n o m y steady growth

u n i nterrupted growth

34.3 Find the opposite of the underlined words in these collocations on the opposite page.
1 to invest for the s h o rt term 6 soaring profits
2 to restrict opport u n ity 7 private spen d i n g
3 d ecla red earn i n gs 8 t o red uce costs
4 fa lling unem ployment 9 to lower interest rates
5 stu nting growth 10 to a bo lish a levy

34.4 Complete each sentence using words from 34.3 (either those underlined above or
their opposites) i n the appropriate form.
1 The govern ment has more control over ................................................ than over .............................................. ..
spendi ng.
2 Tax i nspectors m a ke spot checks to ensure we d o n ot have any ................................................ earni ngs.
3 If you have a steady a n d secure i n come, then it m a y be sensible to invest for the
................................................ rather than the ................................................ term.
4 ................................................ unemploym ent is a sign of a hea lthy econo my.
5 If the govern ment wa nts to slow down the economy by ................................................ interest
rates, then a co m p a ny's costs w i l l be ................................................ and so their profits may

6 A progressive gove rn ment will want to ........... ............................... ... opport u n ity and to
................................................ growth.
7 A po litical pa rty m i ght think it was a good idea to slow growth down but it would be very
u n li kely to say that it wanted to ................................................ growth.
8 The government h a s decided to ................................................ a levy on com mercia l waste collection in
order to enco u ra ge recycli ng.

Over to y o u

Go to www.economist.com/index. html. Enter your own cou ntry in the Search box
and select an article that interests you. Make a note of any more useful collocations
relating to the topic of the economy.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 73

35 Socia l issues

Facing and solving social p roblems

Read these short reviews of books a bout social pro b lems a n d note the collocations in bold.

To Dream a Better Life BY KEN LOMOND Disaster and After BY SANDRA HALEY
How can we best address the issues Sh oul d rich nations provide relief wh en
surrounding large-scale economic migration? disasters occur in poorer countries, or is this
Can economic migration be seen as a force too little, too l ate? Ha l ey s book calls for a
'

for good 1 , rather than always seen as a fresh drive7 to address the issue, and makes a
problem that must be tackled? This book plea8 for govern ments to break the cycle9 of
offers a novel2 solution. dependency.
'

BY ALEXANDER FLEIG Cities in Crisis BY MARK GOLANZ

A Fragile Calm I
Problems of run-down 1 0 areas in big cities
When law and order break down, It,
when riots erupt3 and public disorder4 are the subject of thi s book. Antisocial
threatens the social fabric5, politicians behaviour, underage drinking and
tend to take draconian6 measures dysfunctional 1 1 families a l l come under
which rarely work Fleig's book looks a t intense scrutiny in thi s wi de-ranging study.
alternatives and offers lessons from history.

1 a positive i nfluence 6 extremely severe

2new and original 7 n ew effort
3bu rst out suddenly 8 a n u rgent or emotional req uest
4 expression of dissatisfaction by crowds of
10
9 bring a stop to a negative pattern of behaviour
people, especially a bout a political matter i n a very bad condition
11
5 social structure not behaving normally

N e i g h bourhoods and housing

In t hese extracts from meetings where loca l problems a re bei n g d iscussed , the second
spea ker echoes the i d eas of the fi rst s pea ker by using the collocations in b o l d .
A: The problems faced by poorer households a re very complex indeed.
B: Yes, there are m a n y issues affecting low-income fa m ilies, a n d they a re i n d eed
c o m plex.
A: W h e n someone becomes homeless, o u r immed i ate tas k is to fi nd a roof fo r them.
B: Yes, our job is to provide shelter as q u i ckly as possi b le.
A: Fifteen percent of fa m i lies are livi n g in houses without ru n n i n g water. M a ny a re in
h o u ses which a re so bad no one shou ld be livi n g in them.
B: T hat's right. Too m a ny peo ple are livi n g with poor sanitary conditions a n d it's
u na ccepta ble that there are hou ses a re u nfit for human habitation.
A: The problem is that houses are too expensive for most ord i n a ry fa mi lies.
B: Yes, the govern ment should do somet h i n g to provid e affordable housing.
A: The people who encourage others to commit violent acts should be dealt with firmly.
B: T h at's right. Anyo ne i nciting violence deserves h a rs h p u n is h ment.
A: The thing is, people should be more vigilant about crime in their loca l co m m u nities.
B: Yes, it would be good if more neighbou rhood watch schemes could be i ntroduced.

Othe r collocations connected with social issues

He was a rrested for possessi ng an i llegal substance. [formal: an illegal drug]
Fa m i lies who claim benefits often feel ash amed. [fi n ancial support from the state]
G reen o rgan isations a re i ncreasingly i m p o rtant as a force for change in the world today.

74 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

35.1 Complete each sentence using a verb from t h e box in the a ppropriate form. You d o
not need to use a l l the verbs in t h e box.

a d d ress answer break b rea k down b reak u p

fi n i s h give incite make provide s u p p ly

1 How can we ........................................ the issue of a lcohol a b u se?

2 Aid agencies ........................................ emergen cy relief, but is t h i s a lways the best thing?
3 I n 1997, law and order ........................................ completely a n d there was c h a os.
4 Social workers try h a rd to ........................................ the cycle of a buse in fa m i l ies where violence
occ u rs.
5 C o m m u n ity leaders ........................................ a p lea for u n dersta nding and tolera n ce of cu ltura l
d ifferences.
6 Peo ple who ........................................ vio lence should be severely pun ished .

35.2 Complete each sentence using a collocation from the opposite page.
1 The house has no roof, a n d there a re rats in it. It is u nfit ................................................................ .
2 The lack of a mains water supply m ea n s that they have very poor .............................................................. .
3 At n ight you often see 14- and 15-year-olds consu m i n g a lcohol. The city has a big problem with

4 That part of the city has many homes where people behave very b a d ly with regard to others
a ro u n d them. There is a big problem with ................................................................ .
5 H u n d reds of peo ple p rotested i n the streets, and someti mes thi ngs got vio lent. Fo r severa l
d ays there was maj o r ................................................................ .
6 N eighbourhood co m m ittees ca n h ave a positive i nflu e n ce in the co m m u nity, and i n d eed most
people believe they a re a force ................................................................ .

35.3 M atch the beginning of each sentence with its ending.

1 Poor people often h ave to claim the issues of glo bal poverty and d isease.
2 The city council i ntro d u ced a s h e lter and food to the earthquake victi ms.
3 The government took some d raco n i a n benefits i n order to survive fi na ncially.
4 A l l governments need to address eru pted in a l l the m ajor cities.
5 The a uthorities h a d to provide neighbourhood watch scheme.
6 As the discontent grew, riots measures to prevent public disorder.

35.4 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1 The violence th reatened the soci a b l e fa bric.
2 The m i n ister said it was time for a fresh drivi ng to cut c rime.
3 Customs officials fo u n d some i l legiti m ate su bsta n ces in the
passenger's luggage.
4 The ru n-out a reas of the city a re often dangerous at n ight.
5 We hope our new o rga nisation will be a force for political
c h a n ging.
6 He proposed a novelist solution to a d d ress the issue of socia l
i n equa lity.
7 M u ltifu nctional fa m i lies are a d iffic u lt problem for soci a l
wo rkers.
8 The u n ion representative did a plea for the workers to
sta n d fi rm.
9 There were scenes of pub licity d isorder on the streets
last n ight.
10 I t i s very d ifficult fo r young peo ple to fi nd affordable
build ing.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 75

 "

36 Scie nce a n d tec h n olo gy

Technology i n business

Scientists a n d tec h nologists a re pushing back the frontiers1 of

knowledge every d ay. Scientists publish their fi ndings2 and they a re
developed i nto commerc i a l a p p lications. We have become very skilled
at ha rnessing3 technology i n a l l sorts of creative ways. New cutting­
edge design4 is tra n sform i n g o u r d a ily lives and o u r busi nesses. But
things do n ot a lways run smoothly5. There ca n be d i fficu lties i nstalling
equipment a n d h a rdware c a n suffer from wear and tear6. Viruses can
cause systems to crash and lead to the loss of i m porta nt data.
A power cut may cause m a c h i n ery to lose power a n d production may
be halted u ntil power is restored. If computers have to be shut d own7
for even a short time, it c a n c a u se a variety of problems.

1 exte n d i ng the lim its 5 work without problems

2 results 6 damage ca used by ordinary use
3 m a king use of 7 switched off completely
4 the most in novative design

C ommon m i s t a k e s

•
Findings is almost a lways used in the plural. Scientists publish thei r findings, NOT fiOO+Rg .
•
Research is u ncou ntable. They published some interesting research, NOT researches.

I n n ovations
< >

I never carry m u c h 'real money'. I j u st put a card in a slot and enter my P I N .

It's s o m u c h easier to swipe a card t h a n use a tra ditional key.
Remember when you had to rush out to the ba n k i n your lunch hou r? Online banking is
fantastic.
My music col lectio n used to take up a whole wall of my room. Now I 've got far more
music stored on my phone.
- How did people manage without mobile phones? I love downloading n ew apps!
- Wi-Fi hotspots1 a re fa ntastic - I can easily get on line using my own laptop.
I travel a lot a n d it's great to be a ble to get remote access to my email.
- Remem ber when you had to get off the sofa to switch channels on your black and w h ite
TV? Now you turn your huge flat-screen TV on a n d off by remote control!
- H igh-definition TV - the pictu re is fantastic com p a red with before.
- I use satnav2 in the car all the time - much easier than looking at a paper map.

1 public places where people can access the internet via a w i reless signal 2 short for satellite navigation

Go to www. newscientist.com a n d click on a l i n k t h a t a p peals to you.

76 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

36.1 Look at A. Correct the collocation errors in these sentences. I n some sentences there
is more t h a n one error.
1 If you switch off you r co m puter without s h u tti n g it properly, you may lose d ata .
2 I didn't expect everything to ru n gently i n my new job but I d i d n't i magine it wou ld be qu ite
as diffi c u lt as it was.
3 Alex had some technical pro b lems initiati n g h i s new co mputer eq u i pment.
4 The com pany is fa mous for its cutti ng-side design.
5 If they'd serviced thei r machi nes regula rly, they wou ld n't h ave had to halt prod uci ng.
6 Vic d rea m s of m a king a discovery that wo u ld help to push out the frontiers of science.
7 Scientists usua lly pu blicise their find ings in academic journals.
8 There was a power brea k this morni ng. The power went off at ten a n d it wasn't restorated
till m i d day.
9 Noa h loves pure research but h i s brother is more interested in the a pplicatio n of research to
practical projects a n d in h a rassi n g new tec h n o logy for com m erc i a l ends.
10 They ca rried out researches over a ten-year period and fi n a l ly p u blished their fi n d i n g
this m o n t h .

36.2 What are the people in the pictures doing? Answer using a collocation from B.
1 3

She's ....... ..................... .................................. . He's ................................... ............................ .

2 4

He's ................................................................ . S he's ........................................ ...................... .

36.3 Answer these questions using collocations from the opposite page.
1 What three technological deve lopments have made watching te levision a better experience?
2 What might ha ppen if the co m p uter system s in a compa ny s u d d e n ly beca me overloaded, or
there was a serious pro blem with the software or hardware?
3 Is it a lways necessa ry for people to visit the b a n k persona l ly to do their busi ness?
4 What might you try to fi nd at a n a i rport if yo u , say, wanted to check your email from
you r own la ptop?
5 You wa nt to watch TV but a bori n g progra m me has come on. W h at do you do?
6 You a re t i red of performing the same tasks on yo u r phone. You wa nt somet h i n g different.
What ca n you do?
7 What eventua lly happens to electri cal items that you use a lot?

36.4 Use a dictionary to help you a n swer the questions.

1 What co l locations with screen can be used to mea n (a) TV a n d (b) the cinema?
::,t:; Cambridge 2 What can online collocate with as wel l as shopping and banking?
T Di�i_<?_��-��
3 What ca n remote col locate with as well as access and con trol?
dictionary.cambridge.org
English Collocations in Use Advanced 77
37 H ea lth a n d m edici n e

Mainta i ning good hea lt h

Do you want t o enjoy good health? O r perhaps y o u want to reduce

your stress levels? Build up your strength by doing plenty of
1
exercise • It's better to start with gentle exercise unless you already
2
do a lot of sport . It's equally i mportant to watch what you eat.
There's no need to go on a diet: j ust eating the right food will help
you to build up resistance to d i sease.

1 NOT mahlflg exercise 2 N OT flTfrke sport

Treatment
When Alexa was diagnosed with a serious medical condition, she was worried that
she m ight h ave to have an operation1. H owever, her doctor fi rst prescribed a course of
medication. Fortunately, she responded well to treatment, a nd made a full recovery.
1 NOT flTfrke a n operation

PAT I E N T I N FORMATION L EA FLET

2 taken too much of a d rug
3 u nwanted second ary
Do notexceed the recommended dose. effects of a d rug
•
taken an overdose2,
If you think you have consult a doctor i m mediately. 4 negative
• side effects3
If you suffer any of the mentioned i n this leaflet, or any other
adverse4 reactions, consult your doctor or p ha rm acist.

I llness
collocation I example I meaning
a strea m i n g cold I 've had a streaming cold for days now. a heavy cold

shake off a cold I wish I could shake off this cold I 've h a d
- get rid o f a cold
it for nearly two weeks.

be i n poor health My gra n's been in poor health for years. not be very well

an i nfectious disease There a re a number of infectious diseases diseases ca u ght from someone
which m a i n ly affect c h i ld ren. with that d isease

a rare illness/disease The baby was born with a rare illness. an illness that seldom occurs

suffer from a c h ronic Oscar Wilde suffered from a chronic ear to have a d isease which usua lly
disease disease which ultimately led to his death. lasts throughout a person's life

critically i l l She's sti l l critically ill i n hospital. extremely/d a ngerously ill

fight for one's life The accident has left th ree people fighting in danger of dying
for their lives.
fall i nto / come out of The boxer fell into a coma after receiving become u n conscious;
a com a a blow t o t h e head and d i d n't come out of regain consciousness
the coma for five d ays.
a massive h ea rt attack H e suffered a massive heart attack. a very serious heart attack

untimely/premature We were all saddened by the young death at too early an age
death woma n 's untimely/premature death.
78 English Co/locations in Use Advanced
 Exercises

37 . 1 Look a t A . Com bine t h e words i n the box to form eight collocations. U s e each word only once.

your suffer watch do do enjoy exercise sport good

exercise what gentle on hea lth levels c hronic of you
plenty red u ce d isease eat stress diet from go a

37 .2 Complete the collocation forks.

1 go on a 4 a n i nfectious
a bala nced
-------
----- . ............ . ................. . a rare ----
_______-- .............................. . .

a sensible ----- a n incura ble

2 of flu 5 a nasty
_______- ------ .............................. ..
: :t�:��
a ........ of med icine
------ of pen i c i l l i n i n g _______-

3 resista n ce 6 of a ntibiotics

< � �:���:���
_______-
to ...... .. . . . .................... o a --- of treatment
. ctice ------ of p hysiotherapy

37 .3 M atch each question with its a nswer.

1 Is the man sti l l i n a coma? a H e had to h ave a n operation.

2 What d i d Tas h a 's gra ndfather d i e of? b A massive heart attack.
3 How did Tim's u nc le respond to treatment? c A rare but n ot i ncurable d isease.
4 Why did Sam h ave to stay i n hospital? d H i s friend i s critica l ly i l l.
5 Your little boy h a s a runny n ose, h asn't he? e Yes, he's h a d a streami n g cold s i n ce Sunday.
6 What sort of med ical cond ition has he got? f A course of med i cation.
7 What cured J u lia n's brother? g By doing some gentle exercise.
8 Why does Tony look so worried? h He i n itially had some adverse reactions.
9 How does Joe plan to build u p h i s strength? H e's sti l l fighti n g for his life.
10 Is the patient recoveri ng yet? H e came out of it this morni ng.

37 .4 Complete each short dialogue using a collocation from the opposite page.
1 Anna: Did the medication the doctor prescribed help you?
Ben: Yes, but it has had some rather u n pleasant .............. .. ........................................ .
2 Clara: Mozart d ied when he was just 35.
Dea n : Yes, he had a very ................................................................ .
3 Ellie: H ave you sti l l got that cold?
Fra n : Yes, I j u st ca n't ................................................................ .
4 Grant: Your a u nt doesn't look very well.
H arry: Yes, I 'm afraid she is i n rather ................................................................ .
5 I nga: Why do they only sell these ta blets in sma l l packets?
Joa n : To try t o prevent people ................................................................ .

6 Karl: M a ke sure you don't ta ke more than the doctor told you to.
Lotte: Don't worry. I wo u ld n ever ................................................................ .

7 Masha: What did the doctor say a bout your gra n d father's pai nfu l leg?
Nina: S h e has referred h im t o a surgeon . H e h a s t o ...................................................... .
8 Orla: Do you h ave to cha n ge your diet if you 're d ia betic?
Lu isa: Well, you have to . ... .. . .. . ..... .......................................... .
9 Edward : What's the prognosis for your u ncle now h e's had a kid ney tra nspla nt?
Rita: He's sti l l feeling rather weak but he's expected to ................................................................ .

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 79

38 C ri m i n a l j u sti ce

Exp ressing views a bout crime a n d punish ment

Look at these extracts from ca lls to a rad i o p hone-in progra m me called Your Call to Jeremy,
which o n this occasion is a bout cri me a n d p u nish ment.

Hello, Jeremy. I want to know My view is that if someone is

why fi n a n c i a l cri minals i n the put on trial and is fou n d guilty
City a lways seem to escape a n d given a senten ce, then they
punishment while poor people s h o u l d h ave to serve out2 their
a lways seem to receive custodial sentence. Releasing someone
sentences1 even for committing early for good behaviour is a
minor offences. com p lete nonsense.

Jeremy, I 'd like to point out that We're fa c i n g soaring5 crime rates
there h ave been a cou p le of in this city a n d it's about t i m e the
serious miscarriages of justice3 criminals were brought to justice.
rece ntly and people d o n 't seem And I'm s i c k of heari ng a bout
to rea lise how d a m a gi n g this is. extenuating circumstances6 -

No one s hould face tria l on the that someone had a deprived

basis of unreliable evidence or childhood, or they're n ot fit to
tru m ped-up cha rges4. sta nd tri a l. Ru bbish!

1 a sentence to be served i n a prison or similar 4 invented and false accusations

institution 5 risin g very fast
2 serve the full amount of time 6 circumstances that lessen the bla me, also
3 situation where i nnocent people a re found guilty mitigating circumstances
Cou rts and trials
These newspaper extracts contai n typical collocations a bout cou rts and tria ls.

� key witness gave

r: - evidence today in the I n a u nanimous verdict3 today in Raylton
I!
I
- -

M i sthorpe murder trial. The witness claimed District Court, Clare I rene Wilson, 37, was
to have seen the accused leaving Ms B artra m ' s fou n d not guilty of m u rder. The judge said
house. The trial was adjourned 1 until March the prosecution had failed to prove beyond
7th. The accused, 27 y e ar
- - ol d Liam Grout, was reasonable doubt that Ms Wilson was guilty.
2
remanded in custody .

M r H a n ry had denied all knowledge of the Mary Jones was released this morning after her

a lleged fraudulent business deal. His lawyers lawyers successfully contested the verdict6 which

attempted to show that Derek Ya rdley was a n sentenced her to prison for three years. The

u n reli a b le witness. Despite suggestions that judge, Mr James Egdon, overturned the verdict

the j u d ge might dismiss the case4, he fo u n d i n the Court of Appeal. Mary Jones herself did

i n favour o f Mr H a n ry a n d awarded d a mages5 not appear in court but later said that she felt

to h i m . justice had been served.

1 was suspended till a later time or date 5 ordered the organisation or person who
2 send to prison until the tri a l begins or conti n ues has been responsible for causing injury or loss
3 verdict which all the decision ma kers agree to to pay money to the vict i m as compensation
4 decide that the case i s not worth considering 6 disagreed with the verd ict and tried to change it

80 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

38.1 Rewrite the u nderli ned part of each of these extracts from conversations to m ake
them sound more like extracts from newspaper reports.
1 An increasing n u m ber of cri mes per head of the popu lation have been recorded in the last
12 months.
2 Why should you n g cri m i n a ls get away without being pu n ished for c ri m es just beca use of
their age?
3 The lawyers disagreed with the co u rt's decision.
4 The judge threw out the case beca use he felt the evidence was not strong enough .
5 John Jones said he did n't know a nything about the rob bery.
6 The judge said that the trial wou ld n ow take place next month.

38.2 Choose the correct collocation.

1 Someone m i ght get out of prison ea rly for soaring I extenuating I good behaviou r.
2 If you get a custod ial sentence, you go to prison / only serve the sentence ifyou commit another
crime I have to do some community service.
3 If you are re ma nded in custody, you a re allowed to go home / obliged to pay some money /
kept in prison.
4 If you serve out a sentence, you a re released from prison early / kept in prison for the full
amount of time / kept in prison for life.
5 If cha rges a re tru m ped up, they a re accurate / invented / exaggerated.

38.3 Correct the mistakes with prepositions in the collocations.

1 He was put in tri a l for m u rder.
2 He was later rema nded on custody.
3 The witness a p peared on cou rt for the first time tod ay.
4 The m u rderer was soo n brought i nto justice.
5 The case aga in st Mr Sharp was p roved over reasonable doubt.

38.4 Complete each sentence using a word from the o pposite page.
1 U nfortunately, there have been a n u m ber of ... ............................................. of j u stice recently.
2 The lawyer clai med that there were some ................................................ c i rc u mstances.
3 This is the sixth time the accused h a s ................................................ in co u rt.
4 The jury was q u i c k to reach a .................... .. ... verdict, fi n d i n g the accused gui lty.
5 The accused ............. ............................ ..... a l l knowledge of the crime, but n o one believed her.
6 Ch arles Weiss was ................................................ damages for the inj u ry he h a d suffered .
7 The newspaper said ................................................ had been served by the co nviction of Joe Lee.
8 The trial has been .... .. ....................... ... u ntil next week.
9 H e has been i n co u rt on severa l p revious occasi ons but only for co m m itti ng
................................................ offences.

38.5 For each word, find two collocating words in the box. Then write sentences using each
of the collocations.

contest face evidence evidence gui lty

not guilty overturn sentence sta n d witness

1 find ................................................ .
2 give ............................................................................... ..
3 trial .............................................. .. ..... ............ .
.

4 u n reliable ...
5 verdict ...

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 81

39 Wa r a n d peace

Ten d ays of wa r

Bitter enemies, the Eastern and the Western regions of the country are once more
engaged in hostilities. Our time l i ne c harts the latest fi ghting.

JAN 1 The Eastern region accuses the Western region of stockpiling weapons1. The Western
region accuses the Eastern region of creating instability2 deploy
in the a rea. Both sides
troops3 to the a rea.
JAN 4 The Western region attacks an Eastern region border town. The E a stern region claims it was
unprovoked attack violence erupts
an and violence escalates4
along the border. The with
spate of attacks5
a on both sides of the border. Both regions cla i m t h at in nocent victims
have beencaught in the crossfire6.
JAN 6 The Eastern region goes on the offensive pre-emptive strike7
and ma kes a on the capital
of the Western region. Bombs a re d ropped in the city centre and it i s clai med that they hit
collateral damage8
their intended ta rgets, but that some was inevita b le.
JAN 8 The Western region launches a counter-attack surgical
on the Eastern region by making
strikes9 seize power
on a n u m ber of ind ustria l cities. They a lso i n t h e Eastern region border
suffer
town and major ra il centre. Both sides casualties
a la rge n u mber of but neither is
call for a ceasefire10.
willing to

1 building u p large quantities of weapons 7 a n attac k made to prevent the enemy from
2 making the a rea u nsafe attacking you
3 send soldiers 8 u n i ntentional killing of civilians and
4 violence i ncreases d ramatica lly destruction of non-mi lita ry ta rgets - term
5 a large nu m ber of attacks used by those who cause it to make it sou n d
6 shot by accident as they were in the wrong less serious
place at the wrong time 9 short a n d na rrowly targeted military attacks

10 an agreement to stop fighting

E n d i n g fighting

co llocati on I example I meaning

u n easy truce The uneasy truce came to an end when the a truce t h at could easily be b ro ken
rebels attacked the capital.

fragi le peace There is a fragile peace

in the area with a peace that could easi ly be
hopes it will soon strengthen. destroyed

ceasefire comes into The ceasefire will come into effect at agreem e nt to stop fighti ng starts
effect m i d night. from t h i s time

restore peace The a i m of the talks is to restore peace i n stop the fighting
the a rea.

bring sta bility At last the treaty has brought stability to made the region feel safe
the region.

disband an army It will be hard to persu ade the warlords to send t h e soldiers home, as the
disband their army. army is no longer in existence

lift a blockade They have agreed to lift the blockade o n stop p reventing goods from
our ports. enteri n g

withd raw troops The cou ntry agreed to withdraw their take their soldiers out
troops from the a rea.

82 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

39.1 Look at A. Complete the collocations used in these newspaper headlines.

1 4
B O R D E R AREA H I T BY
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O F ATTACKS
. .

2 5
ARMY S E I Z E S
I N N I GHT-T I M E COU P

3 6
PRE- E M PT I V E
LAU N C H ED LAST N I G HT ......... .. ........ .
. . . ..

- ��-- �

39.2 Read the article and answer the q uestions using full sentences.
1 What is the U N 's a i m ?
U N attempts to restore peace to this troubled 2 W h a t s u ccess have they h a d ?
region may fi n a l ly be meeti n g with some success. 3 When w i l l i t start?
A ceasefire has been agreed a n d will come into 4 For how long have they been engaged
effect from m i d n ight tomorrow. It is hoped this in hostilities?
will bring an e n d to a decade of escalating violence 5 Has the situation been getting better?
between these two historica l ly b itter enemies. 6 What is the relatio n s h i p generally l i ke
between the two sides?

39.3 Complete each sentence using a collocation from the box.

collatera l d a m a ge create insta bility fragile peace go on the offensive

launch a cou nter-attack lift the b lockade suffer casualties surgica l stri kes

1 The enemy h ave agreed to ................................................................ on ou r ports.

2 The genera l s a i d that we have carried out some ....................................................... on the enemy.
3 There a re hopes that the ......................................................... will develo p i nto something more lasting.
4 It was their decision to ................................ ........................ ...... fi rst . . .
5 . . . and so we h a d no choice but to ................................................................
.

6 It is believed that the aim of the i nvading a rmy is to ............................. . .......... in the region.
7 He mentioned ............................................ . ....... but d i d n't say exactly how many civi lia n s died.
8 O u r a rmy is certa i n to ............................... . ...................... , given the strength of the opposition.

39.4 Correct the collocation errors i n these sentences. There may be more than one error.
1 The ceasefire m a kes into effect today and a l l hope it will bring sta ble to the a rea a ga i n .
2 The govern ment h a s prom ised t o retreat its tro o ps next year.
3 There is an u nco mforta ble truce between the two sides at the m oment.
4 When peace i s replaced, we s h a l l be able to defo rm the a rmy.
5 The newspa per reported that the enemy had felt a defeat despite the fact that they had
emp loyed la rge n u mbers of troops to the a rea.
6 They accused us of piling wea pons and of preparing to launch a p rovoked attack.
7 Some a rgue that the n uclear d eterrent has p revented violence from excavating.

Over to you

Choose a conflict cu rrently i n the news and fi nd reports of it in d ifferent English-language

newspapers. At www.thebigproject.co.uk/news you can find links to la rge num bers of these.
Note down collocations that you notice being used in severa l different reports.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 83

40 Fri e n dsh i p

Frie n d s h i p over a lifetime

Read t h i s i n trod uctio n to a n article a bout friendship from a popular science m a gazi ne.

FRI E N DS H I P close friends? Are they lifelong friends?

D o you have a lot o f
Childhood friends? H ave you ever met someone and i n stantly
felt that you've made a friend for life?
People with a large circle of friends may well have discovered
the secret of a long a n d happy life, accord i n g to recent
scientific research w h i c h suggests that having good friends m ay
actually help us l ive longer.
For ma ny, the most i m portant friends h i p is a long-term
relationship1 with a partner or a spouse. H owever, the
research shows that platonic relationships2 are equa lly
valuable. Whether your social network is m ade up of firm
friends or casual acquaintances, socialising could im pact
positively on your life expecta ncy.

1 usually referring to a rom antic relationship 2 relationships which are not rom a ntic or sexual
Maki ng, keeping a n d losing friends.
Read these messages a bout friendship.
• •

My closest friend a n d I have been on bad terms ever since I sent her a text about her boyfriend, v
which she took the wrong way. Now I don't know how to to heal the rift1 . Any advice?
Katie

Maybe you should have a heart-to-heart chat with her to e xp lain what you meant? I f you leave it,
the relations h i p will eventually break down.
Ryan 12

I think you should put some distance between you for a w h i l e . Let her cool off.
Amy

An old friend of m i n e came under attack at work so I sprang to his defence2 but he didn't thank
me - instead, h e told me not to i nterfere!
Scott

It sounds as if he d i d n 't deserve your moral s upport3. He should apologise to you if he wants to
stay on friendly terms.
Chloe

I find it hard to forge4 new relationships after one of my closest friends turned a l l my other friends
against me.
Lucy

It takes time to win someone's trust and when they abuse that trust it hurts.
Artur .06

1 end a serious d isagreement between friends

2 acted very qu ickly to defe n d him C o mm o n m i s t a kes
3 show i n g that you approve of someone a n d
what they a re doing
Remem ber, the collocatio n is make friends,
NOT get
friends or #00 friends. At fi rst it was d i fficult to make
4 form or create
friends at m y new school, b ut t h e n I met Rich ard .

84 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

40. 1 Choose t h e correct collocation.

1 I was contacted by a childish / childhood / childlike friend I had n't seen for yea rs.
2 Louisa has a very moral/ close / casual relationship with Kelly. They've been friends for over
20 years.
3 Foraging / Forcing / Forging good relati o n s h i ps helps u s live longer.
4 M ason was a long-life / lifelong / lifelike friend of my father's.
5 She h a s q u ite a wide circle I circulation I cycle of friends.
6 It's h a rd to form life-term / long-time / long-term relationships when you're in a job that
i nvolves a lot of trave l l i n g.

40.2 Complete each sentence using an adjective from the box.

bad casual close comp lete cord i a l firm frien d ly mora l social sta ble

1 I d o n 't know her wel l - we're just ........................................ acq u a i nta nces.
2 We have been on ........................................ terms ever since J a c k refused to retu rn the money I
lent h i m .
3 For m a n y people t h e I nternet plays a n i m portant role i n d eveloping new ....................... .
networks.
4 J a c k W h itley was a ........................................ confidant of the Pri me M i n i ster in the 1980s.
5 Their relationsh i p h a sn't been very ........................................ . They've broken up a n d got back
together again several ti mes.
6 She to ld her entire life story to a ........................................ stra n ger on a tra i n .
7 Beth a n and I have been ........................................ friends for m a ny years.
8 Tha n ks for all the ........................................ s u p p o rt you gave me when I needed it.
9 Leslie a n d I have rem a i ned on ........................................ terms d espite our professi o n a l
disagreements.

40.3 Rewrite each sentence using a synonym of the underlined words to create collocations
from the opposite page.
1 From the moment they met they knew t hey wou ld be friends for ever.
2 She a lways leapt to Angela's defence if a nyone criticised her.
3 He very q u ickly ga i ned his emp loyer's trust and was given a very im porta nt job.
4 She when I had problems at work.
5 I arra n ged a meeting to try to resolve the rift betwee n H i l a ry and J a ke.
6 I ' m so rry that you i nterpreted what I said the wrong way.
7 Their relationship co llapsed when she d i scovered he was seei ng someone else.
8 We've been verygood friends ever s i n ce our first day at primary school.

40.4 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1 We s h o u ld have a head-to-foot chat to resolve our d ifferences.
2 She got u nder attac k from some colleagues at work who d i d n't like her.
3 If you d isuse someo ne's trust you deserve to lose their friendship.
4 We tried hard to have the relationsh i p work but fa iled.
5 I th i n k you need to m a ke some dista n ce between you rself and Eduardo.

Over to y o u

Horoscopes are a good sou rce of voca bulary on relationsh ips. Read English
ones now and then in a newspaper or on line at, say, www. horoscopes.co.uk,
and make notes of any useful collocations you find.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 85

 '

41 Yo uth a n d age
·

Child hood

Ever since he was a newborn baby, Harry's adoring parents were

convi nced he was a child prodigy1 a n d pandered to his every whim2 ,
so that he soon grew into a spoilt brat3 . As a you n g teenager, he h u n g
a round with t h e rest o f the tow n 's d isaffected youth4, a n d was on the
verge of beco m i n g a juvenile delinquents . But then a music teacher
realised he h a d a talent for singing a n d helped him to see the error
of his ways6 . He s pent the rest of his teenage years si nging for a band
which made a considerable contribution to popu l a r youth culture.

1 young genius 4 you n g people who do not accept

2 did every little thing that he wanted even when it was not a ppropriate society's values
3 (informal, disapproving) an un pleasant child, one who behaves badly 5 a cri m i n a l who is still legally a minor
and whose parents allow to behave as he/she wishes 6 u n dersta nd his mistakes

M iddle age

Amy and Stewart got ma rried yo u n g. They had a baby 1 a n d then

another a yea r later and quickly fell into the pattern of fa mily l ife.
They concentrated so much on p roviding a stable environment for
their children that they neglected their relationship a n d soo n began to
take each other for granted 2 . The children left home a n d went off to
u n iversity a n d Stewart began to go through a mid life crisis3 . He said
he was bored with his dai ly routine a n d he wa nted to go off a n d travel
the world w h i le he was sti ll you n g enough. Amy thought he was j u st going through a p hase4 but
she felt she had no choice but to respect his wishes. She said noth ing to stop him as he bought a
red sports car a n d set off on a road trip through E u ro pe.

1 NOT get a baby 3 period of dissatisfaction in the midd le of one's life

2 not value each other 4 goi ng through a period of stra nge or d ifficult behaviour
O ld age

Lou ise and J o h n a re in their seventies now. They say they don't feel
their age1 except for 'the occasional twinge2'. They both admit to
the occasio n a l 'senior moment3' a n d John ca n so meti mes be a b it
of a grumpy old man4. They don't have to support their family any
m ore, so they live quite a comfortable life5. When they were you n ger,
they were q u ite poor but those d ays a re only a hazy memory now. At
home they a re s u rrou nded by thi ngs of great sentimental value to
them and it has become their h abit to spend the even ings poring over their photo a l b u m s. These
a re fu ll of pictu res that rekindle memories6 of d ays go ne by. Lou ise a n d J o h n a re h a p piest when
their grandchildren come to stay. They give them their undivided attention. ln fact, they don't
let them out of their sight. Someti mes the gra n d c h i l d ren complain a bout this but Lou i se a lways
explai ns, 'We just want to m a ke s u re you don't com e to any harm.'

1 feel as old as they a re 4 (i nformal, u ncom pl i menta ry) a n old m a n who is always
2 a slight ache from ti me to time com plaining a bout thi ngs
3 moment of forgetfu lness 5 note how live often collocates with a life
6 bring back memories

86 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

41.1 Combine t h e words in the box to form five collocations presented on the opposite page.

baby b rat child delinquent d isaffected

juvenile newborn youth spoi lt prodigy

A number of other collocations using words from the box a re possible apart from those
presented in A. What a re they?

41.2 Complete these short d i a logues using collocations from 41.1.

1 A: Georgia can play a l l M ozart's violin co n certos and s he's o n ly ni ne.
B: Yes, I 've heard she's a ................................................................ .
2 A: Meena has just had a son. I want to get h i m a present.
B: Well, they've got lovely thi ngs for ................................................................ in the shop next to the hospita l .
3 A: Why d i d the police decide to b u i ld that n ew u n it for you n g offenders?
B: It was s u ggested by a busi nessm a n w ho'd once been a ........................................................ himself.
4 A: Ti m 's older boys a re nice but the you n gest screams if he doesn't get his own way.
B: Yes, h e's a H i s parents give h i m whatever he wants.
.................... ............................................ .

5 A: I 've read a lot recently a bout you ng peo p le who feel a lien ated from soci ety.
B: Yes, there seems to h ave been a spate of headlines a bout ................................................................ .

41.3 Correct t h e collocation errors i n these sentences.

1 It is a l l too easy to m a ke your close friends a n d your fa m i ly for granted .
2 Liz's got fou r children a n d she's just bought herself a sports ca r. Do you th i n k s he's going a ga i n st
some k i n d of mid life c risis?
3 My sister got a baby boy last month.
4 You ' ll spoil your daughter if you keep o n w a ndering to her every whim.
5 My pare nts a re vegeta ria ns, so I a d m i re their wishes and d o n 't eat meat i n their h ouse.
6 So rry, I m u st be havi n g an elderly moment. I just can't remember you r name!
7 Jacq u i i n sists she has seen the mistake of her ways.
8 Don't wo rry a bout you r d a u ghter leaving h o me. She won't go to any harm .
9 M a ke s u re you don't let t h e child o u t o f y o u r view.

41.4 Explain t h e difference between:

•
1 leavi n g home and leavi n g the house.
2 a hazy m emory and a d isti nct memory.
3 a gru m py old man a n d a dear old m a n .
4 an occa s i o n a l twinge a n d a sudden twinge.
5 becom e a h a bit and d evelop a ha bit.
6 fa l l i nto a pattern and fit i nto a pattern.

41.5 Cross out t h e word i n each set which does

notform a normal collocation.
� Cambridge 1 live I lead / go I have a comforta ble life
T Dictionary
2 a firm I familiar I pleasant I stable
dictionary.cambridge.org
envi ro n m ent
3 feel I look I talk I show you r age
4 go thro u g h a crisis I stage I divorce I problem
5 undivided I perfect I careful I close attention
6 share I wake up I rekindle I stir up memories
7 have adventures / a baby/ visitors / an increase
8 sentimental/ sensitive / practical/ outstanding va lue

English Collocations in Use Advanced 87

42 Cele b rities a n d hero es

Contents of a celebrity m a gazine

Page I CONTENTS

23 AN EXCLUSIVE I NTERVIEW W I T H PAOLA S I M O N E. Paola lets us in on the

secrets of her fairytale wedding and the lavish lifestyle1 she n ow leads.

27 JOEY W I N T E R HOSPITAL SHOCK. Sources c lose to J oey tell us their concerns

a bout the s i n ger's recent o perat i o n .

30 ACTRESS P H I LA D E LPHIA MAR R I OTT reveals the truth a b o u t h e r prenuptial

agreement2 with footba l ler Tyro n e Finto n .

34 A ROYAL R O M A N C E. Melissa, the n ew girlfri e n d of Prince H e n ri k of G losvatt is

ready to sell her story to the highest bidder3. W h o will buy it?

41 CO U RT SCAN DAL. Ten nis a ce B a c h Handar i n the second of two in-depth

interviews. H a n d a r reveals some of the secrets a bout m atch fixi n g that kept
h i m in the full glare of publicity for much of l a st year.
•

1 rich and extravagant way of life 3 person who is prepared to pay most in
2 legal agreement made before marriage dealing with the a n auction
d istribution of money and property in the event of a divorce

S peech at a n awards ce re mony

We a re here today to celebrate the achievements of Monty Sharpe, a

remarkable film director. M onty's fi rst full-length feature fi lm, Lincoln's
Boyhood, about the life of Abraham Linco l n , was highly praised by the critics
and received nominations for a num ber of p restigious awards.
Monty's film-making goes back a long way. He made several short films at
un iversity which received rave reviews i n the student press. After un iversity
he soon realised his a mbition of work i n g in cinema when he got his fi rst job
at Sheepton Stud ios.
Mo nty soon began directi n g and enjoyed a meteoric rise1 to fame. Critics
have heaped praise on all his work, highlighting his unique approach to
film. It is my great honour today to be presenting this award to him. The
Director's Sta r is the highest accolade2 which ca n be offered to a nyone
in his profession. We offer Monty this awa rd not only because of his own
achievements but also because his work has had a significant impact3 on a l l
o f our leading you ng d i rectors and will d o s o for many years to come. Let me
share with you some of the glowing tributes4 which we have received from
other d i rectors . . .

1 ra pid rise 3 NOT streftg impact

2 top symbol of praise and approval 4 (journalistic) extremely positive comments

C ommo n m i s ta ke s

Be careful with the word success. We say The song enjoyed or had great success all over the
world, NOT maG€ great success. You ca n, however, make a success of somethi ng. For exa mple:
She made a success of her new job and was promoted after a short time.

88 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

42. 1 Look at A. Are these sentences true or false?

1 'Sources c lose to the Prime M i n ister' mea ns ' m e m bers of the Pri me M i n ister's fa m i ly'.
2 A lavish lifestyle i s one that occasiona lly brea ks the law.
3 The h ighest b i d d e r is the most i m porta nt person asking for somet h i ng.
4 A fai ryta le wed d i n g is likely to cost a lot of money.
5 If someone lets you in on a secret, they tel l you so m ething not gen era lly known.
6 A prenuptial a greement is a n a greement made j u st after a cou p le m a rry.
7 The 'fu ll gla re of p u b licity' is a meta phor based o n the idea of a b ri ght light s h i n i n g o n someone
or someth i n g.
8 An exclusive i n te rview suggests that the i nterview d oes not include much i nformation a bout the
i nterviewee's p rivate life.

42.2 Com plete each sentence using a word from the o pposite page.
1 S helly Wi nter e nj oyed a meteoric ............ ................................................... to fa me in Hollywood i n the 1990s.
2 Ca rlos never rea li sed his ........................... .................................... of beco m i n g a top footballer a n d p layed for
his local tea m fo r 20 years.
3 The critics h ave .................................................. ............ pra ise on De Suta's latest fi lm a n d it h a s been
nominated for a n Oscar.
4 I n 2016, his latest novel received a for a n award but it d i d n ot win
..................................... ...........................

the prize.
5 The fi lm was ......................... ................. ... ............... praised by some critics but it received some negative
reviews too.
6 I melda Fry gave a n i nterview to Celeb magazine but she didn't .............................................................. ..

many secrets.
7 The fi lm ................................................................ great success on both sides of the Atla ntic.
8 He ................................................................ a success of his career i n music a n d travelled the wo rld .

42 .3 M atch each question with its answer.

1 What kind of lifestyle did they h ave? a) An exc lusive one.
2 What kind of i n terview did you get? b) The h i ghest.
3 What kind of i m pact did he have? c) A fa i ryta le one.
4 What are we here to celebrate? d) Glow i n g ones.
5 What does she want to sell? e) A pren u ptial one.
6 What have you got to present? f) A very sign ificant one.
7 What sort of agreement d i d they sign? g ) Her ach ievements.
8 What sort of a ccolade did she get? h) An award.
9 What kind of wed d i ng did they h ave? i ) Her story.
10 What kinds of tributes were paid to him? j) A lavish one.

42.4 Which collocations from this u n it are the opposites of these expressions?
1 a su perficia l interview
2 a gradual rise to fa me
3 a minor im pact
4 a simple lifestyle

Over to '- ·

Read an article from a cu rrent issue of a celebrity magazine. You wi l l fi nd one at

www. hellomagazine.com. How many collocations from this u nit can you find?
H ighlight any interesting new collocations that you fi nd in it.

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 89

43 N egative o pi n io n s a bo u t people

Lectu rers and stu d ents

Students these d ays a re not w h at they used to be. H a lf of them a re

bone idle 1 a n d the others have an attitude problem 2 . They seem to let
a nyone in to u n iversity these d ays. I have one very slippery customer3 i n
one o f m y classes. He's more i n terested in mindless violence t h a n books
and is ready to pick a fight4 at any o pportu nity.

1 (informal) extremely lazy 3 (informal) someone who c a n not be trusted

2 a negative, u ncooperative attitude 4 provoke a fight
Lecturers these d ays say that students have no respect for authority but
they seem to hold us in contempts . I a lways seem to take the flak6 if there's
a problem in class, as they have d ecided that I a m a d isruptive influence7
who poisons the atmosphere for other students. B ut, as I see it, if a class
is a d isaster, the blame rests8 fa irly a n d squarely with the lectu rer. They
should n't be a llowed to shirk their responsibilities9 to us students.

5 despise 6 be held responsi ble 8 it is the fault of

7 someon e who encourages others to behave i n a n egative way 9 pay no attention to their responsibi lities

Critical excla mations

These collocations a re q u ite forcefu l, but can a lso be u sed h u morously. A ris i n g i ntonation combined
with a s m i le will soften them.
' I am a p p a l led that you w o u ld stoop to that level!' [do som eth ing as bad as that]
'That was a rea l ly dirty trick to play!' [nasty/d ishonest thing to do]
' I thi n k Ron is a nasty p iece of work!' [an u np leasant, u ntrustworthy person]
'Your behaviour was totally out of order!' [very inappropriate]
' I t was a d ownright d isgrace to behave l i ke that!' [absolutely d isgraceful]
' I wou ld n 't trust Eva a n i nch!' [would n't trust at all]

Other co llocations relating to opi nions about people

example meaning
I'll never tell you a secret aga i n . You have totally betrayed my trust. disappoi nted me because I
trusted you

He did really well, given that he is only a child. It's not fair to belittle make w h at he has done seem
his achievements. unimporta n t

cloud your judgement.

You're letting h i s good looks affect you r judgement n egatively

Your essay was not bad, but I have a few minor niggles. small complai nts

How d i d you manage to overlook such a glaring error? obvious m istake

He said he was leaving me because he was sick of my constant nagging. complai ni n g or criticisin g all the time

Note that we say deep dissatisfaction, N OT 5tfoog dissatisfaction . For exa mple, I a m
writi ng to express m y deep dissatisfaction about . . .

90 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

43 . 1 Look at A . Find a collocation that matches each of these d efinitions.

1 an u ntru stworthy person 5 be blamed
2 senselessly violent behaviour 6 spoil the mood
3 not ta ke o ne's d uties seriously 7 despise
4 provoke a fight 8 someone who has a negative i m pact (on others)

43.2 Find a collocation on the opposite page t h at could be used a bout these peop le.
1 A colleague, Sa ra, d oesn't seem to you to d o any work at a l l .
Sara 's .
. . . .. . . . . . .................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............. .................... . . . . .. . . .......... .............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...............................................................................

2 Another col league, George, seems to be m a king the atmosphere at work less p leasant t h a n it
used to be.
Geo rge i s .................................................................................................................................................................................. at work.
3 You suspect your neigh b o u r, G lyn, is i nvo lved i n some i llega l activity.
I wou l d n 't .......................................................................................... ..................... .................................................................................. .
4 Yo u a lways thought your sister, Josie, was rather silly but now she has d o n e so meth ing
particu la rly bad. (give two a nswers)
Josie's behaviour was ................................................................................................ .

5 You a re n ot co mpletely satisfied with the tra nslation

work d o n e by you r student beca use there a re a few
small errors.
I h ave some ........................................ .

with yo u r tra nslation.

6 You t h i n k your new neighbour looks l i ke a very
u n pleasant person.

My new neighbour looks ..................................... ........................... .

43.3 Complete t hese collocations using a verb from the box.

belittle betray cloud have h ave

hold pick play rests stoop

1 someone's trust
................................ 6 . . . . . . someone's achievements
.............. . .... . . . .. ..

2 . in contem pt
.... ........................... 7 someon e's judgement
................................

3 . . an attitu d e problem
........... . . . ................ 8 . . . . .. ... a d i rty trick
........... .. . . .. ... .

4 ... .. ... .
. . a fight
... . . ........... ..... 9 wou ld never ................................ to that level
5 the b l a m e ............................... . 10 . . . . . no respect for
... . . . . . . . . ... ............ .

43.4 Complete each sentence using the word i n brackets in the appropriate form.
1 The pa pers a re increas i n gly fu ll of stories of ................................................ violence. ( M I N D)
2 You r work is fu ll of ................................................ errors. (GLAR E )
3 I ' m afra i d your daughter is a ................................................ influ e n ce i n my lessons. ( D I S R U PT )
4 Such d readfu l behavi o u r is a downright . ( G RACE ) ................................................

5 It's very u n ki nd to belittle her ....................................... ...... in that way. (AC H I EVE )
6 H is pa rents' consta n t ................................................ made him keen to leave home. ( N AG )

English Collocotions in Use Advanced 91

44 Refere nces

A reference for a student

I a m ha ppy to act as a referee for I lona H radetska , who has a p p lied to d o a cou rse i n
a rchaeology at you r u n iversity. I lona h a s a keen i nterest1 i n a rc haeology a n d a lthough she
lacks experience, she m a kes up for this in her enth usiasm for the archaeology of the classical
world. She has a n encyclopaedic knowledge2 of Ancient G reece and Rome. However, she has
a l ready m a n a ged to accu m u late some practica l experience3 as she worked on a d ig fo r two
weeks i n G reece last April, a n d she is looking forward to honing4 her practica l skills at the
same dig over the summer holiday. Her dream of p u rsuing her interests i n a rchaeology is of
paramount importances to her and I am sure she has the a b i l ity to meet the challenges6 of
the cou rse.

1 very strong interest 4 making perfect

2 very extensive know ledge 5 (formal) extremely importa nt
3 (formal) gai n experience 6 deal with the d ifficult aspects
A job refere n ce

It is my plea s u re to provide a reference for P h i l Lee, who has a pplied for the post of m a rketing
m a nager i n your compa ny. I can wholeheartedly recommend Mr Lee for this positio n a s I have
every confidence in his a b i lity to perform the tasks1 ind icated in you r job descri ptio n . He has
remarka ble financial acumen2 and excel lent i nterpersonal s kills. He is a good team p layer and
w h i le work i n g here has revealed a remarkable talent3 for handli ng difficu lt situations. It goes
without sayi n g that you can trust him implicitly4. I a m confident that if you were to offer him
the position h e would q u i c k ly become an inva l u a b le member of your tea m .

1 perform tasks is a more formal way o f saying carry o u t tasks 3 (formal) showed a talent
2 ta lent in financial matters 4 trust him tota lly
Common e rrors

. . correction
He has hlgh comp uter ski lls. He has good/advanced computer skills.

He has ahigheducation. He is highly educated.

He has a good level of education.

An engineer with highqualifications is A well-qualified engineer is req u i red.

req uired. An engi neer with good qualifications is req u i red.

He has a-f»gR knowledge of English. He has a good / an advanced knowledge of E nglish.

She has a tMge knowledge of all s u bjects. She has an extensive / a comprehensive knowledge of
all subjects.

She has 9ig,lgFeat experience of teaching. She has considerable experience of teachi n g.
She managed to get a good relationsh i p with She m a naged to establish/develop a good relationship
her boss. with her boss.

M rs Day is a veFya1313Feciated m e m ber of staff. M rs Day is a highly valued member of staff.

92 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

44. 1 Complete each sentence using a collocatio n from A. The first letters are given
to help you.
1 Jason ta kes a k................................................ i................................................ in all his school s u bjects, but
particula rly i n the sciences.
2 Suzie is looking forward to h ................................................ her comp uter s................................................ on
a co u rse next month.
3 We set the job a pplica nts a p a rticula rly diffi c u lt task i n order to d iscover who wou ld best be a b le
to m................................................ the c................................................ .
4 You can rest assured that your happi ness will a lways be of p.............................................. ..
i.. .............................................. to me.
5 My brother chose that u n iversity because it was the best place for h i m to
p................................................ his i................................................ in marine biology.
6 Over the years I have m a n a ged to a ................................................ plenty of e..................................... .......... of worki n g
with yo u n g people.

44.2 Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets to make it more formal.
1 Pa u l k n ows a lot about African histo ry. ( E N CYCLO PAEDIC)
2 Kate is very good at dealing with people. (SKI LLS)
3 Artu r d i d a lot of work on fa rms when he was in Canada. (ACCU M U LATED)
4 Hannah has a n excel lent tea c h i n g qua lification but she hasn't d o n e much work i n the
classro o m yet. (LACKS)
5 I have tota l trust in Dr Ro binson. ( I M PLICITLY)
6 This j o b w i l l offer you the perfect opport u n ity to become more s k i l led at worki n g with
a com p u ter. ( H O N E)
7 I am tota l ly co nfident you will be a b le to com p lete the cou rse. (CO N FI D E NCE)
8 It was K a ra n 's ta lent for m a k i n g money that led to his promotio n . (AC U M E N )

44.3 Correct the reference letter below by replacing the underlined words with more
appropriate collocations.

I am h a ppy to do as a referee for Ja mes M c Bride, who has a p p lied for a tea c h i n g post at yo ur
langu a ge school. I take every confidence i n Mr Mc Bride's a bi lities a s a teacher. H e spent last
summer working at the school where I a m principa l a n d he was a very appreciated member
of our staff. He was very successfu l in getting a good relationsh i p with both students a n d staff.
He has a h igh educatio n with a particularly la rge knowledge of E n glish literature. He combi nes
high teac h i ng qua lifications with hig experience of teaching students at all levels of English.
He also has h igh co m puter skills, which s h o u ld certa i n ly prove u sefu l i n a tech n o logically
adva nced school such as you rs.

44.4 Choose the correct collocation.

1 Priya revealed/ provided some surprisi n g ta lents d u ring our exped ition.
2 I 'd wholeheartedly/ implicitly recommend Mr Lee for promotion.
3 Jonas h a s every ability to meet/ run the c h a l lenges of the positi o n .
4 I am delighted to provide / act a referen ce for Meena M i stry.
5 The position wou ld req u i re you to perform / hone a wide range of tasks.
6 You r contributions to the p roject are highly / wholeheartedly va lued.

44.5 Use a dictionary to fi nd other words to com p lete these word forks.
fi nancial valued a task
�
-'7 � :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: � ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cambrid ge
---.
- Dictionary · · · · acumen highly perform
.. : . -. :::::: :: . :::-.: ::
dictionary.cambridge.org

English Collocations in Use Advanced 93

 '
. '

45 Pe rs o n a lity a n d b e h av o u r i
Descri bing people's persona lity
Note the col locations in these i nterviews where fa mous people
d iscuss their own or other people's perso n a l ity traits (or perso n a l
characteristics).

Singer Tanya Stewart

I nterviewer: You a lways had a tro u bled relationship with you r
d ru m mer, Brett Po rter, when you were i n the ba n d
The Loop. Brett d ied in 2009. H ow d o you rem e m b e r
h i m now?
Ta nya : Well, Brett was not an easy perso n to work with .
He had a very thinly disguised1 d is l i ke of the m u s i c industry a n d the people i n it.
Politeness wasn't his strong point! He had a rea l stubborn strea k2 that made h i m
u n popular with m a nagers a n d a gents. But, you k now, beneath t h at gruff3 exterior h e
had a sharp wit4.
I nterviewer: You say gruff, some would say d ownright rude. W o u ld that be too harsh? He a lways
seemed fu l l of pent-up anger5 towards the world i n general.
Ta nya : Well, ' rude' is a bit u nfa ir. Yea h , h e had a forthright6 manner, and he was ca pable of
open hostility if h e thought we were bei ng m a n i p u lated.
I nterviewer: Yes, he did display some rather i nt i m idating characteristics.
1 barely h idden 4 was very a m u s i n g in a clever way
2 a stubborn side to h is character 5 anger he d i d n 't express
3 rude and unfriendly 6 direct
Film star Jerry Bowen
I nterviewer: You seem to h ave h a d such a specia l relations h i p with Kara H a nson over many yea rs.
What is it about working with h e r?
Bowen : Kara's wo nderfu l. She just seem s to have bound less energy7 a n d she's always been
a ble to boost peop le's confidence8, especia l ly new young acto rs. She has a wond erfu l,
bubbly9 personality and she's got a dazzling smile. She bears a striking resembla nce
to10 I n grid Bergm a n, one of the great cinema bea u ti es. She has some wonderfu l
perso nal qualities that are so ra re i n stars nowad a ys.
7 lots of energy 9 lively
8 m a ke more confident 10 looks very like
Retired golfer Andy Barstow
I nterviewer: Andy, you 're retired, you 're a senior citizen, but everyone wou ld a gree you certa i n ly
don't look your age11. What's you r secret?
Ba rstow: Well thanks. I ' m s u re some peo ple would say I d o n 't act my age12 either!
I nterviewer: Oh, that's not necessarily a bad t h i ng! You do a lways seem to be b u rsting with energy!
Ba rstow: That's what golf d oes for you!
11
look as old as you a re 12 behave in a manner expected of my age
Other useful collocations for behaviou r
She h a d a blank expression o n h e r face. [showing n o underst<. 1d i n g o r emotion]
He a lways gave everyone a warm, friendly smi le.
Tracy's new col leagues gave her a rather cool reception. [u nfri e n d ly welcome]
You have been gui lty of unacceptable behaviour.
I ' m su rprised you fi nd Jack u nfriendly. He's a lways been perfectly friendly to me.
Chloe has a rather abrasive manner. [rude a n d u n friendly manner]

94 English Co/loca tions in Use Advanced

 Exercises

45 . 1 Match words from each box to form collocations from the o pposite page.
Then match them to 1-6 below.

bla n k pers o n a lity

gruff strea k
stri k i n g reception
coo l exterio r
stu b born resem bla nce
bu b b ly expression

1 two t h i n gs or people w h i c h look very s i m i lar

2 a very lively person
3 a perso n's face which s hows no emotion
4 when so meone is bei n g i n flexi ble
5 an a p p a rently rude a n d u n friendly personality Amanda often had a blank
6 a rather u n friendly welco me expression.

45 . 2 Which o f these things t h a t people say would usually b e compliments?

1 He/She certa in ly looks h is/her age. 5 He/She has a very abrasive m a n ner.
2 He/She's d own right rude. 6 H e/She has a wa rm s m i le.
3 He/She's b u rsti ng with energy. 7 H e/She's fu l l of pent-up a n ger.
4 He/She h a s a bu bbly perso nality. 8 H e/She has bound less energy.

45.3 Complete t h i s conversation using collocations from t h e box in the appro priate form so
that Nell a lways agrees with Zoe.

bear a stri k i ng rese m b l a n ce to boost your confidence bu rst with energy

forthright m a nner have a lot of a d m i ra b le q ua lities stro ng poi nts

1 Zoe: To m looks a bit l i ke Brad Pitt, d oesn't he?

Ola: Yes, he does. He him.
. . . . . . . ........................... . . . . . .......................... ......... ....................

2 Zoe: And he's very good at making you feel more confident, isn't he?
Ola: Yes, he's great at .......................................... .................................................... .
3 Zoe: T h ough of cou rse h e does say w h a t he thi nks d i rectly to you.
Ola: Yes, he sometimes has a rather .................................................................. ........................... but I l i ke that.
4 Zoe: Me too. In fact, I t h i n k that it might be one of h is best c h a racteristics.
Ola: Yes, you could say it is one of h i s ............................................... . ........................ , I suppose.
5 Zoe: Well, he has a lot of good points.
Ola: Yes, I 'd certa i n ly agree that he ............... ..................................... .................. ...................... .
6 Zoe: H e's very energetic, for example.
Ola: Yes, I love the way h e's always ............................................................................... . I t's very attractive.

45.4 Complete e a c h sentence u sing the word i n brackets i n the a ppropriate form .
1 I don't fi n d Em ily unfri e n d ly at all. She is a lways .............. .................. .............. fri e n d ly towa rds me.
(PER F ECT)
2 Can you see how Holly is looking at h i m with open ....... . ........... ? ( H OSTI LE)
3 I refuse to put up with s u c h ................................................ behavi o u r. (ACC EPT)
4 He d is p l ays a lot more attractive ................................................ than h i s brother d oes. (CHARACTER)
5 The w o m a n looked at the official with ................................................ d i sguised conte m pt. (TH I N )
6 The sta r was upset that his home town gave h i m such a cool . . . . .. . . . . (RECE IVE)
... . . ...... ... .... . . .... ...............

English Collocations in Use Advanced 95

46 S pace a n d ti m e
• ••
Talking about space
Dear Emma,
Sorry to hear of your problems. Yes, kids do seem
to take up a lot of room . But listen, a friend of
H i Liz, ours is selling her house in town and moving to
H ow frustrati n g ho use h u n t i n g i s ! We've j u st
-
Australia. It's not huge, but there's a m ple1 room
l o o ked at a c ity-centre flat n e a r O l i ver's new for a fam i ly with two children. There's even a
j o b. The estate agent's ad said it w a s 'spacious'. garden, and though it's not a vast expanse, it's
H a, h a ! How a ny o n e could live i n s u c h a very pleasant. There's a shed on it at the moment,
confined space, I d o n 't k now. I t w a s t i n y. I which is a bit of a waste of space2, but that could
k no w you h a ve to expect cramped conditions be removed to leave room for a play area. There's
in the city centre but this was ridicu lous. We're no garage, but it's on a qu iet street and there a re
short of space a l ready where w e a re n ow, what always plenty of vacant parking spaces. Let me
with the new b a by a n d everyt h i n g. Kids take know if you're interested and I'll have a word
up a lot of space, d on't they? with her.
Love ,
Best,
Emma Liz

1 more than enough 2 bad use of s pa ce when there is a limited amount of it

N ote that you ca n say ample space/room; leave space/room; short of space/room a n d take up
a lot of space/room. H ow ev er you can on ly ta l k a bout somet h i n g being a waste of space ( N OT a
,

waste of fOOffi) .

Ta lking about time

ln these magazi n e extracts, notice the usefu l co l locations for ta lking a bout ti me.

Pop bands come and go ov er the course of the golden era3 of British pop in the 1 960s, and
time1 , but few bands have made such a lasting every one of their songs b ri ng s back memories
c o ntri b u tio n as The Beatles. They will go of that unforgettable time. Their music is all
down in h is t o ry 2 as possibly the g reatest pop r
preserved for poste ify4 in this collection.
m usicians of all time. Their music represents

1 as time passes 3 can also be golden age; period of time when a particular a rt, business,
2 be remembered etc. was very s u ccessful
4 (formal) kept fo r people in the future

Buildings from a bygone era5 are the main attraction at Castmere Fol k Village. Homes, shops, even a
cinema, have been restored to their former glory6 i n a massive project that has n ow reached completion.

5 ( literary) a time in the distant past 6 glory here means 'beauty'

For many peo ple, the 1970s are noth i n g more than a dim and distant7 memory, but in the decades that have
elapsed, those of us born i n the '70s begin to rea l ise h ow that decade, which is sti l l wel l within living memory
for much of the popu lation, has shaped our destiny. Our parents worked with pen a n d paper, or m a ch i nes, or with
their hands. They couldn't have known how computers would change everything in the not-so-distant future8 . All
i ndications a re that many more cha nges will help to shape our ch i l d ren's lives in the foreseeable future9 .

7 remembered slightly, but not very well 9 as far i nto the future as you can imagine or plan for
8 n ot the immediate future but relatively near

Where alternatives exist for a col location, m a ke a n ote in your voca b u la ry book a n d list
t h e a lternatives together. For exa m ple, take up (a lot of) space/room, a golden age/era.

96 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

46 . 1 Match t h e beginning o f each sentence with its ending.

1 Living i n such a confi ned room for a bigger kitchen and uti lity room .
2 The piano took u p a lot of space, so we're go ing to convert it into a study.
3 This office is better t h a n the cra m ped space is d ifficult with three kids.
4 We're moving because we're short of room, so we sold it.
5 We d e m o l is hed an old o uthouse to leave conditions I u sed to work i n .
6 The attic is a waste of space where we're living a t t h e m oment.

46.2 Complete the second sentence using a collocation from the opposite page so that it has
the same m eaning as the first sentence.
1 Ei nste i n 's ideas sign ificantly contri buted to o u r u ndersta n d i n g of the u n iverse.
Ei nste i n 's id eas made ......................................... . ................................. our understa n d i n g of the u n iverse.
2 The h otel car park d i d n 't have any room, so we pa rked in the street.
There were no at the hotel, so we pa rked i n the street.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 Few peo p le now have a n y clear memories of the Secon d World War.
The Seco n d World War is now a ....................................................................................... .
4 We won't h ave problems with our fu rnitu re as it's a big house.
It's a big house, so there will be ..................................... . ....... for a l l o u r fu rnitu re.
5 She c rossed the enormous Senoui Desert on horseback.
She c rossed ....................................................................................... of the Senoui Desert on h orseback.

46.3 Rewrite the u nderlined part of each sentence using a collocation from the opposite page
based on the words in b rackets.
1 It's ten yea rs since the a greement was signed.
(E LAPSE)
2 I can't see any great c h a n ges happening i n the
future a s far as we ca n i m agi ne. (FORESEE)
3 Machi nes from an era which has long passed a re the
theme of the exh ibition at the city m useu m . (Go BY)
4 The event will be remem bered i n h istory as the
nation's worst tragedy. ( DOWN)
5 Everyt h i n g cha nges as time passes. (COU RSE)
6 I n the fa irly near futu re we ca n expect to be a ble to
travel to other planets. ( D I STANT)

46.4 Complete the crossword.

Across
1 The pa lace was restored to its fo rmer - .
3 The events have - our lives.
5 That song brings - memories.
6 M a ny thi n gs shape the - of a nation.
7 It a l l ha ppened within - memory.

Down
1 It was the - era of Italian football.
2 My schoold ays a re now just a dim and - memory.
3 T h i s table takes u p a lot of - .
4 The castle has been preserved for - .
5 The cottage is a rem n ant of a - era.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 97

 '
,.

47
:
,
Sou n d '
.,
'

The human voice

Here are some b rief extracts from n ovels, where peop le's voices a n d speech a re being described.
• Len nox noticed a trace of1 a foreign accent i n the man's voice. It was a booming2 voice, one he
had heard before, many yea rs a go.
•
Wi lson watched Robert tryi n g to fire the gu n . Then, in a gruff3 voice, he said, 'You're useless! B r i n g
it here!' Robert muttered something under his b reath as h e o beyed.
•
Zoe met with a stony4 silence a s she entered the room. It was as if everyo ne had lost their voice.
N obody uttered a word5 as she wa lked across to the ta ble.
•
The woma n spoke with a broad 6 Scottish accent. She had a rather husky7 voice, which Ja mes fou n d
attractive, but s h e slurred h e r words8 a little, a s i f she were too tired to ta lk.
•
M uffled9 voices could be hea rd co ming from the next room , but I cou ldn't m a ke out what was
being said.
•
After fa iling to d issuade her son from leaving h i s job, she raised her voice a ngrily a n d shouted ,
'O kay, do it you r way then ! '
1 very slight 6 strong (of accents)
2 very loud 7 low and rough, often thought to be attractive
3 low, u nfriend ly a n d harsh 8 spoke unclearly, ru n n i ng the sou n d s together
4 cold and u nfriendly 9 q u iet and unclear

5 note, this collocatio n is normally

in the negative or has a negative s u bj ect

Sounds and s ilence

Here are fou r wi n n i ng entries fro m a student poetry competitio n . The theme of the com petition was
'Sou nd and sile nce'.
• •• < >

SOU N D AN D S I LE N C E Poetry Competition

Silence descends on Carthmore Lake.

My heart is still.
I n a soft whisper Only the distant echo of a sad cry
the wind tells the moon can be hea rd .
how bea utifu l she is.

3RD PRIZE:

In th e street below, the incessant3 noise

of tra m s and v an s The sound travels from
of tru c ks and ca rs. the valley where i t was made
But my s o u l makes no sou nd. to this place here,
Here i n this d a rkened roo m w here no one dares let out a cry.
silence reigns4.

1 sudden loud noise made by thunder 4 domi nates

2 extreme silence, i n a way that is u n p leasant 5 u nclear sou n d made when something heavy falls
3 which never stops

98 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

47 . 1 Read the sentences. Then answer the questions.

Despite his gruff voice, Fa brice's boss is actually q u ite a n approa c h a b le person .
Zara w a s u n a ble t o utter a word w h e n she rea lised the c h i ld was i nj u red.
Kevin spoke i n a boom ing voice, as if h e were a n a rmy sergeant.
I l o n a raised her voice and a ngri ly a d d ressed the you n g man at the door.
As she entered, she could hear J oe's h usky voice a d d ressing someone.

1 Who spoke in a n extremely loud voice?

2 Who spoke in a low, rough, but perhaps attractive way?

3 Who spoke in a low, unfriendly voice?

4 Who started to speak louder than before?

5 Who found it i m possi ble to spea k?

47 . 2 Complete each sentence using a word from the box in the appropriate form.

d escend w h i sper m utter let lose make slu r travel utter

1 The grumpy old wom a n ................................................ so mething u nder her b reath.

2 Try not to ................................................ a s o u n d as we pass the ba by's bedro o m .
3 We d id n't ................................................ a s i ngle word as H a rry told his sad tale.
4 The sound ................................................ t h ro ugh the thin walls of my a pa rtment; I hear everything.
5 The patient ................................................ out a cry of p a i n as the doctor too k her hand.
6 Si lence ................................................ o n the h a l l as M rs Traynor wa lked to the platform to speak.
7 The man was so ill, his voice sou n d ed like a soft ................................................ .
8 W h at's the m atter with yo u? H ave you ................................................ you r voice? Say somet h i n g !
9 Travis ................................................ his w o r d s somewhat. I thought he might have been d ri n ki ng.

47 .3 Correct the collocation errors i n these sentences.

1 lcou ld hear a slight track of an I rish accent in her voice.
2 Paolo was met with a rocky silence as everyone tried to absorb the bad news.
3 The old wom a n let off a cry of a nger when she h ea rd the resu lt of the trial.
4 She has a wide American accent, even though she was not born there.
5 The weather was terri ble last n ight, with heavy ra i n and cries of t h u nde r.
6 The voices were m uttered, so I c o u l d not make out what a nyon e was saying.
7 Sile nce ruled i n the classroom as the pupils were all hard at work.
8 S pea k up. I h ate it when you m u tter something u nder your voice.

4 7 .4 Replace the underlined words with their opposites to form collocations from the
opposite page.
1 The nearby echo of gu nfi re cou ld be heard across the va lley.
2 The i ntermittent n oise of the pla n e s kept me awake all n ight.
3 I n a loud whisper she said, 'You l o o k wonderfu l to n ight.'
4 I hea rd a s h a rp t h u d as the men d ro pped the heavy box on the floo r a bove me.
5 T here was a joyfu l hush in the roo m as the d i recto r broke the news.
6 Suddenly there was a murmur of t h u n der and it sta rted to ra i n heavi ly.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 99

48 M a ki n g th i n gs easie r

Choosing you r a p p roach

PLETI N G A TASK - HOW TO DO IT

When you need to work out the easiest way to do someth i ng, you have to explore
different ways of approaching the task. Sometimes there will be many feasible1
alternatives to consider and sometimes there will only be o n e or two viable2 options.
You need to enlist the help of people to give you advice before you decide on which
method to adopt.
The best advice is to take a step-by-step a pproach: break the task down i nto stages,
so that you are dea ling with sma ll, manageable chunks. T h is way you will soon find
that something you thought was hard is i n fact sim plicity itself3. But be careful, d on't
a lways take what looks like the easy option. Think first. At the end, you can feet p roud
that you didn't just take t h e easy way out4.

1 possible 3 extremely sim ple

2 worka ble 4 do what is easiest but not what is best - which m ay mean avo i d i ng doing anything at alt
Ways of remembering
N ot i ce the collocations i n this text i ntrod ucing tec h n iq ues for i m p rovi ng y o u r memory.

WAYS OF REMEMBER I NG
A trai ned memory i s an i mmense asset1, particularly i n public life. M nemonics a re
systems we u se to help us remem ber complex i nformation easi ly, a nd people who use
them ca n recall things with an amazing degree of accuracy.
The Ancient G reeks perfected2 a n u m ber of mnemonic techniques, some
of which are sti l l used today, for exa m p le, using the first letter of each item
to form a word that will help you remember the w h o le list of items. For
i n sta nce, you m ight remember the fem a le fi rst name ADA to help you recall
the phrase amazing degree o f accuracy. Or you m ight think of the word BAG,
which will give you th ree colours that collocate with hair (blond, auburn,
ginger).
A simple rule of all memory training systems is the idea of ' I niti a l Awareness'. This
works i n a straightforward3 way. The basic principle is that the system helps you
concentrate the mind on whatever you are tryi n g to remember for just long enough to
force I n itial Awa reness.
All memory tra i ning system s a re perfectly simple. Once you h ave taken the time to
learn them, you will be a ble to instantly recall a ny new items of i nformation you want
to, with remarkable ease. You may find it a stee p learning curve4, but I assure you that
it is worth the effort.

1 something of great va lue 3 easy to understand or s i m ple

2 the verb is pronounced /p3: 'fekt/ 4 something which is d ifficult to learn and ta kes a lot of effort

Do y o u know a ny mnemonic techniques to help you learn voca b u lary? If possi ble, share
them with other students.

100 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

48.1 Answer these questions about the text in A.

1 W h ich a lternatives is it best to focus on when consid ering ways of doing something?
2 What sort of o ptions are those that could work well?
3 W h ich option is n ot always the best one to take?
4 What sort of a p p roach can one take to make a big task more m a n a gea b le?

48.2 M atch words from each box to form collocations from the opposite page.

ad opt concentrate enlist i m mense asset ease help a method the mind
instantly perfect perfectly remarkable recall rule simple a tec h n i q u e the time
simple take

48.3 Complete B's responses using collocations from the opposite page.
1 A: I notice you r ten n is serve i s m u c h better these d a ys.
B: Yes, I think I 've fina lly ................................ the tec h n i q u e,
though it took months of practice.
2 A: Was the new com puter easy to set up?
B: Yes, it was ...................... ... .. . itself.
3 A: How did you get on in the cha rity race?
B : Well, I actu a l ly m a naged it with remarka ble
................................ , given how u nfit I was!
4 A: Did it take you long to lea rn to fly?
B: Yes, it d i d ! A l most a year. But it's so am azing, it was
certa i n ly . . . ............ ................ ................................ .
................................

5 A: How wel l d oes the pedometer you r son made at college act u a l ly work?
B: With an a mazing ................................ ................ ................................ , i n fact.
6 A: I have to sort out a l l these old pa pers and I j u st d on't know where to start!
B: Why don't you ................................ the task down i nto s m a l ler c h u n ks and deal with them gradually?
7 A: Do you enjoy working with collocations?
B: Well, it's wort h ................................ .................. time to learn them as they m a ke you r language sound
so much more n atura l.
8 A: H ow did you r year in C h i n a work out? Did you m a nage to lea rn a ny Chi nese?
B: Well, it was a ................... . ........................ ...... ................................ , but I did manage to acqu ire a basic
knowledge of M a ndarin.

48.4 Choose the correct collocation.

1 I a lways use m n e m on ics to help me reca l l i m porta nt ... .................... of informati on.
A spots B o bj ects C items D stuff
2 We .. . ............... a l l the different ways of getting home before eventua l ly deciding to fly.
A exploded B exploited C explicated D exp lored
3 The system works in a ........................ way.
A stra ightforwa rd B strong C straight D forthright
4 It's a good idea to d ivide a task up i nto ........................ c h u n ks.
A porta ble B m a nagea ble C edible D thinkable
5 All memory systems work on the same basic ......... .

A promotion B prime C principal D principle

O v e r to y o u

Look at this mnemonics site: www.fu n-with-words.com/mnemonics.html.

Make a note of useful ones.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 101

49 D i fficu lty

Adjective + nou n collocations

•
Life seem s to have been a constant struggle for her ever since she left home.
• When the electricity went off everyo ne was rush i n g a bout i n a state of confusion.
• Los i n g the job she loved so much was a severe blow for Anna. She took it very badly.
• O u r plane was ca ncel led because of adverse weather conditions.
•
U nfort u nately, after the widespread flooding ca me widespread looting of the properties that
had been abandoned. Meanwh i le, m a ny fa milies rem a i ned i n grave d anger as the floodwaters
s howed little sign of a bating.
•
If you continue to s m o ke there is a high risk of you
developing a n u m ber of serious diseases.
•
Jasmi ne's birthday p a rty was a com plete disaster.
She decided to i nvite a l l of her own a n d her sisters'
ex-boyfriends - with catastrophic results.
•
Try i n g to work a n d m a n a ge a household with three
c h i ld ren sounds like hard work.

Verb + noun collocations

collocation I exa mple

face a problem My gra nd mother faced m a ny problems in her life.

address a problem How do you t h i n k we should a d d ress the traffic problems in our city?
tackle a problem More must be done to tackle the AIDS proble m .
pose a threat Nuclea r wea pons pose a threat to the whole world .
ca rry a risk Most thi ngs that we do i n life carry some degree of risk.
mini mise a risk Not smoking m i n i mises the risk of getting a whole ra nge of illnesses.
relish a cha llenge Rob relishes the challenge of a new project.
hinder p rogress Our party believes that this country's complex tax laws mainly serve to
hinder progress.

spot an error Terry spotted a n error in the email he was about to send.
encou nter d ifficulties Any new busi ness is bound to encounter some i n itial difficulties.
deal with (the) complexities You need to m a i ntain a positive attitude if you want to deal successfu lly
(of) with the com plexities of l ife.

overcome hurdles As she was born blind she has had to overcome m a ny extra hurdles i n her
life.
fight for s u rvival Poor people in this drought- ridden country fight for survival.
respond to an emergency The international com m u nity responded ra pidly to the emergency.
d isaster strikes Disaster struck theprovince last J u ne, when torrential rains caused
mudslides in many areas.

C ommon mi s t a k e s

Rem e m ber that we make mistakes, N OT oo m i stakes . W e u s u a lly have problems o r experience
problems, j ust as we u s u a lly a lso have/experience difficulties, N OT getproblems/difficulties.
We attem pt to find a solution, NOT give a solution. Problems arise or occur, N OT fla.p-pffi, and
difficulties arise, N OT �·

102 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exe rcises

49. 1 Find a collocation in A that h a s the opposite meaning o f these collocations . . .

1 favou ra ble weather co nditions 4 iso lated flood ing
2 a m a gn ificent success 5 slight d a n ger
3 a n easy ride 6 easy work

. . . and the same meaning as these collocations.

7 tota l co nfusion 10 a terri ble shock
8 d isast rous resu lts 1 1 a tota l disaster
9 serious risk

49.2 Complete each sentence using a verb from the box in the appropriate form.

ca rry face fight h i nder p ose respond spot stri ke tackle

1 The government is doing a l l it ca n to ........................................ the d rug problem i n o u r cities.

2 We h a d o n ly just set off on our holiday when disaster ........................................ .
3 C a n you ........................................ the six deliberate errors i n this story?
4 The i n ternational co m m u n ity does not a lways ........................................ to an emergency as prom ptly as
wo u ld be desira ble.
5 Any new enterprise ........................................ some risk of fa i l u re but that sho u ld not deter you.
6 I am afra id that Sam's pro blems at h o m e may be ...... ................................. his p rogress at school.
7 If we ........................................ the problems together we s h o u ld fi nd it easier to tac k le them.
8 By the end of the exped ition the clim bers were ........................................ for their very su rviva l.
9 A m a n l i ke that i n a position of power ........................................ a serious threat to world secu rity.

49.3 Match each question (1-6) with its response ( a-f ) .

1 Is Rory enjoying the c h a l lenge of his new post?
2 W h at ca n I do to m i n i mise the risk of fa l l i n g i l l?
3 What made them decide to postpone t h e match?
4 W h at h a ppened a fter the earthqua ke?
5 H ow can we a d d ress the climate c h a n ge problem?
6 W h at was the ha rdest h u rd le to overco me in you r job?
a By red ucing our carbon footprint.
b Widespread looti n g.
c Eat healthily.
d He's relishing it.
e Gender stereotyp i n g, probably.
f Adverse weather con d itions.

49.4 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1 We a re getting a n u m ber of prob lems with our new car.
2 Some problems h a p pened when we tried to follow you r instructions.
3 Somehow our society m ust give a solution to the p roblem of c h i ld poverty.
4 A d iffi c u lty has a ppea red with rega rd to a member of o u r project tea m .
5 Even advanced stu dents someti mes d o mistakes w i t h this type o f collocation.
6 I 've a lways fou nd a lot of d ifficulties with E nglish spelli n g.
7 A s uccessful teacher needs to deal with the com plications of lea rn i ng that each student faces.

49.5 Use a d ictionary such as the Cambridge Online Dictionary to find two other collocations
for each of these words.
Im Cambridge
�m Dictionary 1 encou nter 2 tackle 3 pose

dictionary.cambridge.org

English Collocations in Use Advanced 103

50 Qu a ntity a n d size

Countable and u ncounta b le expressions of q u antity

The expressions in the ta ble a l l mean q u ite a la rge n u m ber or a mou nt.

collocation I example I comment

a good/fa ir few A good few students a re li kely to get a (informal) used with countable
first-class degree. nouns

a good/fa ir n u m ber We spent a good number of weeks (informal) used with countable
planning the project. nouns

a su bstantial/significa nt Asignificant number of people pledged (formal) used with countable

n u mber their support. nouns

a su bstantial/sign ifica nt We took a significant quantity of (formal) used with u ncountable

qua ntity provisions with us. nouns

a su bstantial/sign ifica nt He'll geta substantial amount of (form a l) used with u ncountable
a mount money when his father d ies. nouns

Other expressions about size and qua ntity

We cou ldn't believe the sheer quantity of food on the ta b le. [the surprisingly large amou nt]
There's only a finite number of d ays until the exa m . [limited n u mber]
The room is a good size. [quite large]
A teacher needs to possess unbounded enthusiasm as well
as i nfinite patience and a n endless supply of
good jokes.
They charge astronomical fees for the cou rse. [very h igh]
We had a bumper crop of tomatoes last year and I gave
m asses away to o u r neighbours. [informal; very large crop]
U n e m ployment reached epic proportions and this led to
social insta bility.
The rock sta r d ied from a massive overdose of barbitu rates.
An overwhelming majority of the popu lation a re in favou r of I was amazed by the sheer size
of his office.
reform.
I visited a lot of d ifferent relatives yesterday a n d d ra n k a n i nordinate a mount of tea.
Try to use a wide range of voca b u l a ry in your essay.
There is a wide variety/choice of t h i n gs to do here in the eveni ngs.
The new maths teacher is an u nknown quantity. I hope she'll get o n well with the students.
[a person or thing whose characteristics a re not yet clear]

Common errors
There are a n u m ber of errors often made by learners when talking a bout q u a ntity or size.

correct word(s) I collocates with ... I wrong word(s)

small minority, amount, n u mber, quantity, percentage 1-i-We

large quantity, amou nt, n u m ber, majority gFeat, 9ig, l=ligl=l

large, high percentage gi:eat
great im portance, significance l=ligl=l, 9ig

104 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

50.1 Rewrite e a c h sentence u si ng the word in brackets.

1 We h a d a la rge nu m ber of a pples from o u r trees last year.
(BUM PER)
2 A lot o f t h e i r inco me comes from t h e a p a rtments they rent
out. (su BSTANTIAL)
3 I feel con fident that q u ite a few peo ple will vote for M ac.
(NUM BER)
4 Sofia 's room a t college is q u ite big. (Gooo)
5 We d on 't have an u n li m ited n u mber of tickets, so we're
offeri n g them on a first-come-first-served basis. ( F I N ITE)
6 I was terrified when I saw how big the dog was. (SH E E R )
7 I sti l l d o n 't know what my new colleague is l i ke. (QUANTITY)
8 There were rather a lot of careless mista kes in your ho mework.
(FAI R)

50.2 Complete each sentence using a word from t h e opposite page.

1 The G reen Pa rty won the election with a n overwhelm i n g ........................................ .
2 He d i d n ot rea lise how strong the ta b lets were and d ied of a massive ........................................ .
3 So m e l awyers are known to charge astro n o m ical ........................................ .
4 The govern ment d i d n ' t take action u ntil i nflation had reached epic ............................ ....... ... .
5 I have a p rofound a d m i ration for you r sister's infin ite ........................................
.

6 We d i d n't have m a ny plums last yea r but this year we enjoyed a bumper ................................. .
7 Pa u l d oesn't rea l ly l i ke coffee but I d ri n k a su bstantial ........................................ .
8 There n ever used to be any nightc l u bs here but now there a re a good ........................................ .

50.3 Match the two parts of these collocations from the opposite page.
1 u n b o u n d ed qua ntity
2 b u m per amount
3 astro n o m ica l enth usiasm
4 infi n ite patience
5 fa ir fees
6 end less few
7 inord i n ate supply
8 sheer crop

50.4 Put a tick in the box if the collocatio n is possible.

I minority I majority I amount I number I percentage I quantity I importance I significance

small

little

large

great

big

high

wide

50.5 Use a dictionary such as the Cambridge Onli ne Dictionary to find two other collocations
for each of these words.
wAw Cambridge
1 infin ite 2 epic 3 overwhe l m i n g 4 end less 5 m assive
--:i--, Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 105

51 C h a n ge

Collocations w ith change as a noun

There have been d ra matic cha nges i n the climate of the Arctic region in the last d ecade.
[very sudden or noticeable changes]
The govern ment is proposing fun d amental changes to the laws on ma rriage and d ivorce.
[basic changes, a n d more important than anything else]
There was a radica l change in p a rty policy i n 2013. [great or extrem e change]
The new man ager made sweeping changes to the way the co m pa ny was run. [change
affecting many people/thi ngs]
Let's go swi m m i n g this morn i n g i n stead of ru n n i ng. It would m a ke a change. [be pleasantly
different to one's usual routine]
Read the teacher's com ments on your essays, then make any n ecessa ry changes.
The changes in the system will be i m plemented soon. [will be put i nto operation/practice]
The change in the electora l system came about because of widespread pu blic protest.
M a ny changes h a d taken place i n my home town - and not a lways for the better.

Collocations with change as a verb, a dj ective or a dverb

Thi ngs can change dramatically, fundamentally or radically b u t N OT sweepingly.
Pronu nciation changes imperceptibly over the years. [changes so slowly that you hardly notice it]
I n the ten years si nce our last m eeti ng, I rena had changed beyon d recognition. [cha nged
so much one couldn't recognise h er]
If we call someone a changed m an/woman we mean that he or she has changed for the better.
Life in the vil lage remained unchanged for centu ries. [formal: stayed the same]
Some peo ple a re m u c h better t h a n others at ada pting to changing circu mstances.

Other ways of talking a bout change

example I comment
The hotel had undergone a also undergo a revival
transformation si nce our last stay.
The excha nge rate has been fluctuating = going up and down in an u n p redictable way (also used
wildly over the last few days. with tem perature(s) and share prices)

We have had a modest increase i n also a modest improvement, modest gain, modest
stu dents enrolling on our courses. recovery, where modest = slight or small
There has been a sudden shift i n p u blic also a dramatic shift
opin ion in favou r of the ban on smoki ng.

Amy's work shows considerable one opposite might be: There is room for improvement
improvement. in her work.

Our children's lives were turned upside- = cha nged d ramatically, usually for the worse
down when we m oved.
Elderly people someti mes find it d i fficult = keep u p with changes a n d adapt to them
to move with the times.
C ommon mi s t a kes

P rofits show a n increase/decrease a n d show a n upward I a

downward trend, NOT 4ave an i nc rease, etc.
Figures increase dramatically or significantly, NOT i n c rease strongly.

106 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

51.1 Answer these q uestions a bout the collocations o n the opposite page.
1 What is the o pposite of:
a) to c h a n ge i m perceptibly b) to ca n cel p l a n ned c h a n ges
2 Which of these words su ggest major cha n ges a n d which m i nor changes?
a) d ra m atic b) slight c) fu ndamental d} su perficial e) rad ical
3 Which is the more forma l a lternative in each p a i r?
a) The tow n rema ins u n c h a n ged. The town is the same.
b) Over the years the school has changed a lot.
Over the years many c h a n ges have ta ken p l a ce in the school.
4 If someone says Emma is a c h a n ged wom a n , d o they approve of the change i n E m m a?
5 Is it easier fo r a you ng person or an elderly person to a d a pt to cha nging circ u m sta n ces?
6 If someone says 'It made a nice cha nge goi n g out for a meal last night', what c h a n ged -
the fact that they went o ut, or the resta u ra n t they went to?

5 1 .2 Complete each sentence using a word from the box in the appropriate form.

dramatic m a ke im plement increase recognise

show times turn u ndergo wild

1 The figu res ................................................ a dra m atic i n c rease in the n u m ber of women in paid
employm e n t i n the 1940s.
2 My gra n d m other loves her ebook reader and her smartp hone - she has no p ro b lem movi n g
with t h e ................................................ .
3 I can't face m oving house again - I don't w a n t to have my life ......................... ..................... .
u pside-down another time.
4 The pop m usic of the 1980s seems to be ............. ................. a bit of a reviva l.
5 The weather's been odd t h i s month - tem peratu res have flu ctuated ................................................ .
6 We have experienced a m o d est ................................................ i n p rofits this year.
7 1 ......................... ...................... some changes to the docu ment but forgot to save them !
.

8 I think y o u ' l l fi nd that the school has c h a n ged beyond ................................................ .

9 The new leader promised that thi ngs wou ld cha nge ................................................ a n d for the better.
10 When a re they planning to ................................................ the c h a n ges to the school cu rriculum?

5 1 .3 Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets.

1 You r cou rsework assign ment is sti l l not q u ite as good as it s h o u ld be. (ROOM)
2 Public attitu d es towa rds the issue of ca pita l p u n ishment suddenly cha nged. ( S H I FT)
3 There were severa l changes in our management structure last year. ( P LACE)
4 The school p rogramme has cha nged a lot s i n ce I was a p u p i l here. (SWEEPING)
5 Some q u ite significa nt c h a n ges took place last year. (CA M E)
6 Pen ny h a s been much n i cer s i n ce she got the job she wa nted. (CHANGED)
7 My life c h a n ged dramatically when I lost my job. (TU R N ED}
8 It'd be n i ce to do somet h i n g d ifferent a n d stay
in a hotel rather than go c a m p i n g this
summer. (C HANGE)

Over t o you

Go to www. b bc.co.uk and search for 'clim ate

change'. Click on one of the items, read it
and make a note of any collocations relating
to change that you find in it.

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 107

52 Sto p p i n g a n d sta rt i n g

Stopping

example I comment
The accident brought traffic to a halt for several h o u rs. often used a bout transport (tra i ns, etc.)

The union called a halt to the strike after 21 days. = prevent something from contin u i ng
(e.g. m i lita ry action, protests, etc.)

The chairbrought the meeti n g to a close at p m . 5 often used about d iscussions

The new teacher soon put a stop to bad behaviou r used a bout un popular activities o r ha bits
in the class. (e.g. c ri m e, antisocial activities)

They terminated his contract si nce he failed to m eet formal; a lso terminate a pregnancy
his sales ta rgets.

The govern m ent may abandon their policy on I D also abandon an attempt to d o something
cards.

Police called off the search as d arkness fell. = cancelled; also call off a match or other
sports event

The cou ncil have closed off the street while repairs a re = block the entrance of a street to stop
being carried out there. people a n d vehicles enteri ng it

Wait unti l there is a lull in the conversation, then we = a pause; a lso lull in the fighting (in a
can leave. mi lita ry conflict)

Starting
As dawn broke we set off up the mounta i n . [as the sun fi rst a p peared]
Jasmine s u d d e n ly broke i nto song. [started singi ng]
William broke i nto a run when he saw the bus leaving. [started ru n n i ng]
The rain set i n for the d ay. [it sta rted and seemed li kely to conti n ue]
The smoke set off the fire alarm.
Customs h ave instigated measures to deal with i l legal i m m ig ration. [formal: i ntroduced]
The chai rperson made some o pening remarks, then others e ntered into the discussion.

News head lines

M I N ISTER ALLAYS FEARS6

V I O L E N C E SPARKS F EARS1 O F FURTH E R U N R EST OF TAX I N CR EASE

P EACE P ROCESS TALKS COLLAPSE2 ARMY QUELLS U N REST7 ON BORDER

STADI U M FI NALLY N EARS CO M P LET I O N 3 N EW REPUBLIC BREAKS

D I P LOMATIC RELATIONS
WITH N E I G H BO U RS
STAR D I SPELS RUMOURS4 OF DIVO RCE
1 m a kes people worry a bout
2 come to an unsuccessful conclusion
S I N G E R CLEARS U P CON FUSION 5 3 is a l m ost fi nished
ABOUT LYRICS 4 m a kes a statement to end the ru mours
5 ends confusion
6 stops people worrying a bout
7 stops d i sturbances

108 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

52.1 Look at A. Which word fits in both sentences in each pair?

1 The minister may be forced to ........................................ her policy on constitutio n a l reform.
The cli mbers had to ........................................ their attem pt to reach the s u m mit beca use of
bad weather.
2 During a ............................... i n the fighti ng, aid workers were a ble to get food to people i n need .
H ave something ready to say in case there is a ........................................ i n the co nversation.
3 I think we should ........................................ the meeti ng to a c lose now.
Did the demonstration ........................................ the traffic to a ha lt?
4 I t's time the u n i o n ........................................ a halt to the i n d u stri a l action.
The college ........................................ off the match beca use of the bad weather.

52.2 Match the beginning of each sentence (1-8) with its end ing (a-h).
1 I ' m afraid it was me b u rn i ng the toast that set
2 As soon as she saw her mother the little girl broke
3 Because of the President's visit, they've closed
4 I d i d n't man age to fa l l asleep u ntil dawn
5 I h o pe they won't d ecide to term i n ate
6 The missi ng c h i ld was found, so the police ca l led
7 The school is pla n n i n g to instigate some
8 We were ha lfway up the mounta i n when the ra i n

a the contract.
b off the smoke a la r m .
c a nti-bullying mea s u res.
d off the area.
e set i n .
f into a run.
g off their sea rch.
h was brea ki ng.

52.3 Match each topic of a newspaper article to the most li kely head line i n C.
1 There was a disagreem ent about w h at a particular s o n g was about.
2 A problem between two neigh bouri n g cou ntries is so lved by mi litary means.
3 A cou ntry reca lls its a m bassador fro m another cou ntry.
4 Two cou ntries at war fai l to reac h a greement.
5 People a re begi n n i n g to worry that there will be more d istu rbances.
6 A celeb rity den ies t h at her marriage is over.
7 Some sports faci l ities will soon be ready for use.
8 The government p ro m ises that rumours are u ntru e.

52.4 Choose the correct collocation.

1 Fi rst I 'd like to m a ke a few beginning I opening I s tarting remarks.
2 I ' m not going to enter I bring I come into any fu rther d iscussion of the issue.
3 I hope I can m a n a ge to collapse / staunch / allay yo u r fears.
4 I wish we cou ld put a close I stop I halt to the redevelopment plans.
5 I love it when she sparks I clears I breaks into song a s she prepa res our meal.
6 We must do somet h i n g to close off/ dispel I break o ff the ru mours a bout us.
7 The guards soon m a naged to quell / collapse I allay the u n rest at the prison.
8 At long last the b u i l d i ng is neari n g finish / termination / completion.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 109

53 Ca use a n d effect

Collocations with cause and effect

We h a ve yet to estab lish the cause of this latest outbreak of foot-and-mo u t h d isease.
M a ss u n em p loyment is believed to be the root cause1 of the riots.
The research tea m t h i n ks that a virus is the primary cause2 of this type of c a n cer.
The P resident said it would take time for the reforms to produce the desired effect.
It is l i kely to be some weeks before we feel the full effect of the rise i n inte rest rates.
This morni ng's d elays to flights have had a knock-on effect3 on departures a l l day.
The c h i l d ren involved i n the hijack a re not expected to suffer any long-term ill effects4.
1
origin 3 indirect result (NOT make a n effect)
2 m a i n cause 4 negative results ( N ote that ill here means bad rather t h a n sick)

Other words mean ing cause

example I meaning
The advertising cam paign didn't produce the results we hoped for. lead to the resu lts

The Finance Minister's decision to raise i n come tax provoked caused a lot of public anger
an outcry.
If teachers show favou ritism, it breeds resentment. makes others feel angry a n d
unhappy

M a ry d i d n't believe the rumours about her boss but they planted made her feel uncertain
doubts in her m i n d .
The fi lm star's photo prompted speculation that she may b e caused peop le t o suspect
pregna nt.

Email rendered the fax machine obsolete. caused to be no longer used

I f you want to make a n i nsurance cla i m , you can set the wheels in make something start to
motion by filling i n this form. happen

This wind will wreak havoc with my flowers! cause a lot of d a mage to

O u r new neigh bours a re so noisy, it's enough to drive a nyone i nformal, m a ke angry and
crazy! upset

The strike could spell disaster for the cou ntry. cause serious problems

Ta lking about reasons and co nseq uences

M r B a l l: Why d i d J a c k behave so bad ly i n class? There m u st have been some
com pelling reason1 surely. H e must h ave known there'd be d ire
consequences2.
M iss Cane: I don't k now. I think his parents' fi na ncia l problems might be a contributing
factor but he refused to give me a reason. Anyway, I sent him to the
headteacher and I ' m s u re she'll demand a n explanation.
M r B a l l : Yes, she'll certa i n ly m a ke h i m face the conseq uences o f h i s actions!

1 very powerful reason 2 very serious conseq uences

110 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

53.1 Match the beginning of each sentence with its ending.

1 I thi n k that co m p u ters will event u a l ly render havoc in low-lyi n g a reas.
2 The p relimi nary m eeting set the wheels an outcry from the staff.
3 Her m other calling her sister 'the p retty o ne' bred specu lation that he is u nwell.
4 I a lways suspected the new tax law would spell a positive result.
5 I'm s u re that you r h a rd work will prod u ce us crazy.
6 The b oss's decision to cut wages p rovoked d isaster for the eco n o my.
7 The way he behaved last n ight pla nted a lot of resentment i n her.
8 The m i nister's a bsence has pro m pted of the new project i n motion .
9 The u n certa i nty of the situatio n is d riving books obsolete.
10 The floods last week wrought dou bts in my m i n d a bout his h o nesty.

53.2 Comp lete each sentence using a word from the opposite page. The first letters are
given for you.
1 Hen ry's mother d............. . .......................... an exp lanation for his extraord i n a ry behaviour.
2 Fortu n ately the co nsequences were n ot as d ................................................ as we h a d a ntici pated.
3 Now I d read havi n g to f... . ............................... the consequences of my over-hasty decision to
h a n d i n my notice.
4 Do you h ave a ny c................ . .................... reason for wanting to i nvite Zoe to come too?
5 When I asked the d o cto r why I felt so exh a u sted, he said that stress might be a
c. ............................................... factor.
6 Can you give me a ny sensi ble r................................................ why we should do somet h i n g so risky?
7 U nfort u n ately, the sleeping pills she's ta k i n g are not having the d ................................................ effect.
8 The h u rrica ne has w................................................ havoc along the Florida coast.
9 I suspect that the j o u rnalist deli berately wa nted to p............. . ....................... dou bts in his
readers' mi nds a bo u t the effectiven ess of the recent secu rity measu res.

53.3 Order the words to form sentences.

1 the I next I nearly I c razy. I dust I site I b u ilding I The I me I is I from I d rivi n g I door
2 them I will I time I esta blish I of I It I a I the I the I ta ke I cause I long I a ccident. I to
3 motion I If I now, I your I week. I t h i n gs I we I next I visa I ready I should I set I in I be
4 out I c u stomer / p ro d u ced I resu lts. I The I su rvey I company I su rpris i n g I ca rried I
w h i c h I the I some

53.4 Answer these questions.

1 W h at is the desired effect of any med ication?
2 Is a knock-on effect usua lly welcomed or not?
3 W h i c h other collocation in A has a s i m i l a r mea n i n g to primary cause?
4 If a d e ntist gives you a local a naesthetic injection, how long does it usua lly take before you feel
the f u l l effect of the i njection?
5 Do you t h i n k society has suffered a ny ill effects as the result of the i nvention of television?
6 Can you name an i nvention that has been rendered o bsolete by new tec h n ology?

53.5 Use a dictionary such as the Cambridge Online Dictionary to find collocations with (a) cause
and {b) effect. Write fou r sentences for each word.
� Cambridge
T Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org

English Collocations in Use Advanced 111

54 D escri b i n g gro u ps a n d a m o u nts

G ro u ps of a n i m a ls
W h en we describe a group of a n i m a ls, the word we use d epends o n the a n imals we are ta lking
a bout. So, we ta l k a bout a pack of dogs, hounds o r wolves but a herd of cattle and elephants
( a n d other la rge herb ivorous m a m m a ls). We say a swarm of bees/locusts (and other flyi n g
i nsects) b u t we say a flock of birds a n d a lso a flock o f sheep. Other more u n usual exa m p les
i nclude a pride of lions, a shoal or school of fish or sardines (or other specific small fish), a pod
of dolphins or whales, a troop of monkeys or baboons.

Feelings and b e h aviou r

Here a re some co l locations usi n g 'amou nt' words relating to feelings a n d behaviour. N ote that
the fu rther collocations listed i n the t h i rd col u m n do n ot all relate to feeli ngs or behaviour.

example I comment I further collocations

There was a flurry of activity Flurry suggests a a flurry of interest/excitement/
as the children fetched their sudden, short period of speculation/snow
pai nts. interest or activity.

I d i d n't detect even a flicker of Flicker suggestsa brief a flicker of hope/interest

emotion in his cold eyes. expression of emotio n .

The company's figu res a re Glimmer suggests a a glimmer of interest/light/

begi nning to offer a glimmer of fa int indication of understanding
hope for the future. something.

There was a touch of sadness Touch suggests a small a touch of humour/irony

i n her voice as she told us her
news.
a m o u nt of someth ing. a touch of class = sophistication
I 've experienced the whole Gamut means the entire collocates very strongly with emotions,
gamut of emotions from range of somethi ng. though it can a lso be used about colours
joy to sorrow. or musical notes

I nviting Jose to join o u r project A s troke of means a a stroke of luck; he never does a stroke
tea m was a stroke of genius. b it of. of work (a lways used with the negative)
Food

S ET

ME NU 1 thick slice (of c heese,

bread or meat)
SOU P freshly made soup of the day, w i th a hunk.1 2 one piece taken from
of bread a head of garlic
3 small lump of butter
G A R. L t C cloves2 of garlic in every helping!) served
(Six
4 large spoonful of
CH I CKEN ona bed o f rice o r with baked potato and a jam or cream
knob of butter3 5 small amount of liquid

APPLE Pl E served with a generous dollop of cream4 6 small amount of herb

or spice

To finish, try o ur speciality coffee with a drop of brandy,

a dash5 of cream and a sprinkling6 of cinnamon on top.

112 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

54. 1 Look at A. Which creature in each group has a d ifferent group word?
1 birds, bees, flies 4 whales, dolph ins, fish
2 zebras, catt le, wasps 5 elepha nts, ba boons, mon keys
3 sard i nes, s h eep, birds 6 wolves, lio ns, d ogs

54.2 Complete the answers to the q uestions using words from the opposite page.
1 A: What h ave the stock exc h a n ges been l i ke this morni n g?
B: Well, there was a .................... . ......... of a ctivity fi rst thing but it's qu ietened down now.
2 A: Wo u l d you like yo u r coffee black or wh ite?
B: Can I h ave just a ........................................ of m i lk, p lease?
3 A: (on the phone) What's the weather l i ke with you?
B: Col d ! T he re was even a ........................................ of snow here this morn ing.
4 A: Do you t h i n k it was a good idea to write our new advert in verse?
B: It was brilliant, a ........................................ of gen i us! Everyone's ta lking about it.
5 A: Do I need to do anyth i n g more to fi nish off the sauce?
B: Add a ........ . ................... of brandy a n d a .................. . ........... of herbs and it' l l be perfect.
6 A: What d o the critics say a bout the fi lm?
B: The Times critic says it ta kes viewers th ro u gh the whole ......... of emotions.
7 A: Shall we h ave our p i c n i c here?
B: No, look at that ........................................ of a nts. Let's go a bit fu rther.
8 A: Do you t h i n k the p u p i l s enjoyed the lect u re?
B: Well, I saw an occasio n a l ........................................ of interest but it didn't last.
9 A: Do you t h i n k she knows what's goi n g o n ?
B: I though t there was a ........................................ of u ndersta n d i n g i n h e r eyes b u t I ' m not sure.

54.3 Which is bigger?

1 a dash of c ream; a dollop of cream 3 a head of garlic; a clove of garlic
2 a slice of b read; a h u n k of bread 4 100 g of butter; a knob of butter

54.4 Match words from each box to form collocations.

a bed a d rop a flu rry of bra n d y of co lours of fish

ga mut a glimmer a pack o f h o pe of h o u n d s of h u m o u r
a pod a shoal a to uch of rice o f specu lation o f wha les

54.5 Here are some more 'gro u p' o r 'amount' words. Com plete each sentence using a word
from the box. You will need to use some of the words twice. Use a dictionary if necessary.
� Cambridge
T Dictionary grain pack pad pinch suite swig torrent
dictionary.cambridge.org
1 Pass me that .................... of paper, please. I need to write some tha n k-you letters.
2 I think h i s story was j u st a ................................ of lies without even a ................................ of truth in it.
3 The fi l m sta r is stayi n g in a ................................ of rooms at the G rosvenor Hote l.
4 I 'd like to p l ay patience. H a ve you got a ................................ of cards?
5 The speaker was met with a ................................ of a buse.
6 Sometimes I a n doesn't seem to possess even a ................................ of common sense.
7 Don't forget to add a ................................ of sa lt.
8 I'm so t h i rsty. Could I h ave a ................. of lemonade?

English Colloca tions in Use Advanced 113

55 Co m pa ri n g a n d co n ��fasti li g , :
; '.�� "�� .
Compa rin g two places

Emily has been offered two d ifferent jobs. The jobs a re fundamentally
similar but they are in different towns - Alton a n d Belvi lle. The two
towns bear very little resemblance to1 each other. Alton is a s m a l l
town b y t h e sea; Belville is e ntirely different a s it is a large i n d u strial
town. Alton is a beautiful old town which attracts a lot of tou rists. This
is in marked contrast to Belvi lle, which is a rather ugly town . T here is
a wide variation in the cost of accom modation in the two towns.
There is a lso a world of difference in the enterta inment on offer in
the two p laces. Because there is a clear distinction between the types of people who live in
each place - t here are fa r m o re young peo ple in Belville - there is a yawning gap2 between
what the cinemas and theatres show. Belvi lle tends to have a lot of foreign fi lms and origi nal
new plays, and those a re much more to Emi ly's taste. The o ptions for eati n g out a lso differ
widely. Although Alton is s m a l ler, it has a lot of good resta u ra n ts, though they do tend to be
rather expensive. Belvi lle is the exact opposite. It has a small n u m ber of relatively inexpensive
resta ura nts.
To sum u p, Alton and Belvi lle a re in many respects polar opposites3. Emily is fi nding it hard
to make u p her mind. As soon as she decides that the advantages of Alton outweigh its
disadvantages4, then someone reminds her of the other side of the argument. Which of
these two strikingly different places do you t h i n k she should d ecide to move to?

1 d on't look at a l l l i ke 3 extrem e opposites

2 an enormous d ifference 4 are stronger than the d isadvantages

Finding a balance
Tom: How's work going these d ays, Karl? Are you still at the b a n k?
Karl: No, I d ec ided to do something fu ndame nta lly different
last yea r a n d retra i n ed as a teacher.
Tom: Wow! T h at's a bit of a c h a n ge! You r s a l a ry a s a teacher
surely doesn't bear comparison with1 w h at you got a s a n
invest ment ban ker.
Karl: Yes, but i n other respects teaching com pa res very
favo u ra b ly with banki n g. I fi nd it very rewa rd ing - the
fina n c i a l a dvantages of b a n ki ng pale i n com parison2.
Tom: So, w h at a ppeals to you so much a bout teachi ng?
Karl: Wel l, a teaching frien d of m i ne once d rew a comparison
betwee n teaching a n d gardeni ng. Teac h e rs tend child re n
i n m u c h the same way as gardeners tend flowers. I love
garden i ng, so perh a p s t hat's why I love teac h i ng so m u c h !
Tom: But lots o f people say it's a very stressfu l j o b these d ays.
Karl: Perha ps. When I fi rst started, I found it h a rd to strike the balance between bei ng
fi rm a n d being friend ly. I wanted to be my p u p i ls' friend but I soon lea rnt that you
can n ever tota lly brid ge the gap between p u pi l and teac h e r.
Tom: Yes, I g u ess there's a s ubtle distinction3 between bei n g friendly and being wea k.
Karl: That's right. Anyway I t h i n k I 've got the b a l a nce right n ow and I have no regrets at
all a bo u t my career c h a n ge - despite the growing disparity4 between what I earn
now a n d the sa la ries of my ex-col leagues sti l l at the ba n k.
1 can't be com pa red with 3 also s u btle d ifference
2 seem unimportant 4 i ncreas i ng difference

114 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

55.1 Look at A. Complete the sentences.

1 There is a ................................................ gap between the lives of the rich a n d the poor. The rich
person's experience of life is entirely ................................. ...... from that of someone without
mo ney.
2 Once you have read both ................................................ of the a rgument, you can d raw you r own
conclusion.
3 The two a p p roaches are in m a ny ways polar ................................................ .
4 There is a world of ................................................ between your way of life a n d mine. You r living
a rra ngements a re, for a sta rt, i n ma rked ................................................ to my own.
5 There is a ................................................ d isti nction between lyi ng and n ot telling the whole truth.
6 There was a ................................................ variation between the exam m a rks of the stronger and the
weaker candidates.

55.2 Match the begin n i ng of each sentence ( 1-8) with its ending (a-h).
1 H a ru ta bears very little a d ifference between the cheeses from these
two regions.
2 I find it hard to a p p reciate the s u btle b right ba lance between their stud i es and
their socia l life.
3 I n my essay I attem pted to d raw a c o p posite of w h at we had predicted .
4 My own painting doesn't bea r d ga p between a rtists and scientists.
5 O u r resu lts were the exact e d isparity between the rich a n d the poor.
6 Students may fi n d it hard to strike the f comparison between language lea rning a n d
r i d i n g a bike.
7 The conference's a i m is to bridge the g resembla n ce to her sister.
8 There seem s to be a growing h co mparison with that of a tra i ned a rtist.

55.3 Choose the correct collocation. More than one option may be possible. Use a dictionary
I such as the Cambridge Online Dictionary to help you if necessary.
� Cambridge
1 The two performers are entirely / highly / strikingly d ifferent.
--.� Dictionary
2 Politicians ta l k a lot a bout how to join / bridge / cross the ga p between rich a n d poor.
dictionary.cambridge.org
3 Tessa's work is OK, but it d oesn't make / work I bear compa riso n with yours.
4 There is a deep / clear / subtle d istinction between o u r poi nts of view.
5 There is a land / world / planet of differen ce between our two lifestyles.
6 The two theories are fundamentally I strikingly / widely simi lar.
7 There is a ( n ) growing / rising / extending d ispa rity between the haves and the have-nots.
8 It is i m porta n t that you a lso hear the other edge / side / aspect of the argument.

55.4 Write sentences com paring life i n the town with life in the country using the words in
brackets in a collocation from this unit.
1 (O UTWE I G H ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 (FAVO U RABLY) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 ( F U N DA M E N TALLY) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 ( PALE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5 (STR I K I N G LY) . . . • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . .

6 (DI FFER) . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

55.5 Use a dictionary such as the Cambridge Online Dictionary to fi n d two more collocations for
contrast, outweigh and gap.
Im ' Cambridge
Y Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 115

56 M a ki ng a n effo rt

Adjective + nou n collocations

collocation I example I meaning

a d etermi ned M i ke has been making a determined effort a very serious and thorough effort
effort to save money.

a concerted effort We made a concerted effort to meet all o u r a determ i n ed effort, usually made
deadli nes this week. by severa l people working together

a joint effort I couldn't have done it on my own - it was truly done by two or more people
a joint effort.
a tea m effort The manager congratulated the sales force on done by a group of people
team effort.
their m agnificent

a valiant effort Olivia has made a valiant effort to keep up with a brave effort in the face of great
work despite her illness. difficulty

strenuous efforts Strenuous efforts were made to prevent the attempts req uiring a lot of effort
story from reaching the papers. or energy

give it one's best Although Kerry didn't succeed in breaking the make a n attempt that is worthy of
shot gave it his best shot.
record, he admiratio n

an abortive They made several abortive attempts to formal, fa iled attempts

attem pt c l i m b the mou ntain.

physical exertion I ' m exhausted - I'm not used to so much hard physical effort
physical exertion!
a h a rd slog It was a hard slog getting my thesis fi nished informal, h a rd work
on time but I made it!

an u ph i ll struggle It'll be an uphill struggle

persuading you r informal, a lot of effort with no
m an ager to make the cha nges you want. certainty of success

Careers a dvice
Note the collocations i n this advertisement for training worksh o ps.

Our workshops offer advice to anyone who is thinking about a new career. We can provide
a sol ution to any careers problem. Our training is based on the premise that successful
career choice req u i res effort. But if you devote energy to m a king the right decisions, if you
follow our advice and heed1 our wa rnings we guarantee you will reap the rewards 2 of
your efforts. Those who ign ore our advice tend to find their career is doomed to failure3.
So if you have a des perate desi re to succeed , don't j ust p i n your hopes o n4 good luck;
come to one of our workshops. Our methods have stood the test of time5. So come on, you
know it's got to be worth a try. Sign up for one of our workshops and you won't look back.

1 listen to 4 rely on
2 be rewa rd ed 5 been proved successful over a long period of t i m e
3 sure to fai l

C ommo n mi sta kes

Y o u make an effort, NOT oo a n effort.

116 English Colloca tions in Use Advanced

 Exercises

56.1 Answer these q uestions about collocations from A.

1 ' M ax is not used to so much physica l exertion.'
What is Max not accustomed to - exercise or i ntel lect u a l activity?
2 ' Doing a degree w h i le you 're worki n g will be a hard slog but it'l l be worth it.'
Does the spea ker t h i n k it will be stra ightfo rward for their friend to do a degree?
3 'You mustn't forget that the project req uires a joint effort.'
Is the project the responsibi lity of one person or m o re?
4 ' It's i m porta nt that you give t h i n gs you r best shot.'
Is the speaker enco u raging someon e to try their h a rd est or to spend a lot of money?
5 ' I n 1905 a fem a le revolutio nary m a d e an a bortive attem pt to kill the heir to the throne.'
Did the revoluti o n a ry assassin ate the heir?
6 'You'll have to m a ke a tea m effort if you want to win the trophy!'
Is the speaker ta l k i n g a bout cooperation or competitio n between the mem bers of the tea m?

56.2 Complete this paragraph using words from the box i n the appropriate form.

desire determ i n e devote doom heed ignore

pin reap req u i re shot strenuous worth

Last year I d ec i ded to set up my own on line compa ny. I received

conflicti n g a dvice a bout doing so from different people. My frien d s
s a i d i t w a s (1) ................................................ a try a n d encouraged me t o m a ke a
(2) ..... .......................................... effort to get it goi ng. M y parents said my p l a n s
were ( 3 ) .... . ......... ...................... ... . t o fa i l u re. I w i s h I h a d n't
. ... ... .

(4) . ................ .... ........... ..... ..... my pa rents' advice. I wou ld n't have been i n
. . . . . .

this mess now, had I (5) ................................................ their warni ngs. I s h o u l d

have known t h a t s u c h a vague b u si ness plan was risky, b u t I sup pose
I had such a desperate (6) .... .... .. ................. .... ........ . to succeed that I
. . .. . . ..

thought I m i gh t get away with it. I t's not bec a u se I didn't give it my
best (7) . ........................ ..................... . I m ade (8) ................................. .... .. efforts
. . . . . .

to get thi n gs go ing, (9) ................................... ............ more or less a l l my energy

to getting it started. But in the e n d it just (10) ......................... .. ....... ... ...... .
. . . .

too much effort. I had been ( 1 1 ) ................................................ my hopes o n

getting enough pu blicity for my site b u t that j u st never happened. So,
u nfortunately, it seems I will n ever ( 12) .... ................................. ..... . the rewards
. . . . .

of my efforts.

56.3 Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets.

1 It'll be extremely d iffi cult to get yo u r work fi nished by the dea d l i ne. ( U P H I LL)
2 The ap peal of S h a kespea re's p lays has certa i n ly lasted through the centu ries. (TEST)
3 It would be sensi b le for you to do w hat he a dvises. ( FO LLOW)
4 No parents can solve a l l their c h i l d ren's problems. ( P R OVIDE)
5 After a few mo nths you will begin to benefit from all your hard work. ( R EAP)
6 Rob tried hard n ot to fa ll behind in the race but he j u st d idn't h ave enough sta m i n a . (VAL IANT)
7 Being very active p hysica lly certa i n ly works up an a ppetite. (EXERT I O N )
8 A lawyer wou ld p robably b e t h e best person to advise you. (OFFER)
9 I ' m very much h o p i n g I may win a scholarship to the college. ( PI N N I N G )
10 E lisa h a s been tryi n g very h a rd t o d o better t h i s term . (CONCERTED)

English Collocations i n Use Advanced 117

57 Soci a l E n glish

All the col locations in this u n it are typica l of i n fo r ma l E nglish.

Conve rsations

Zita: I was looking for a birthday Ana: How do you feel about N i n a going to
present for my n ephew but work i n Tasmania?
Ididn't have much luck. Tan i a : Good ness, news travels fast! I did n 't
bright
You d o n 't h a ve a ny realise a nyone else k n e w a bout it
ideas, do you? yet. Well, it came as a bit of a shock
Alan : You cou ld j u st give h i m w h e n she fi rst told m e . But, to be
s o m e m o n ey o r a book brutally honest, now I 've had time to
token perhaps? t h i n k a bout it, I'm fi n d i n g it a bit of a
Zita: Thatthought occurred welcome relief.
to me, b u t then it looks Ana: I know the feeling4. She c a n be good
gone to any
l i ke I haven't fu n but she's so sha rp-tongued that I
trouble. h ave to say I'll be glad to see the back
of5 her.
Lisa: I really h ate my sister's new Pa ula: Are you up for6 goi n g to Sam's leav i n g
boyfrie n d , Greg. I went out p a rty ton ight? We're p la n n i ng to give
for a m e a l with them last him a rea lly good send-off7.
n ight a n d he really had a Adam : I really d o n ' t t h i n k I ca n m a ke it. I ' m
go at her for being late. He j u st too tired. The simple reason is I 'v e
really got to her1. been on the go8 all week a n d I have n 't
Pat: You're being a bit hard h a d a decent night's sleep for ages.
on h i m . I ' m s u re he d i d n't I j u st can't face the thought of goi n g
mean any harm2. o u t tonight.
Lisa: I'm not so s u re a bout that. Pau l a : W e l l , that's a feeble excuse, if ever
Actually, I d on't think I can there was one.
bear the thought of ever Ada m : I k now, a n d I feel terrible a bout it
having to spend time with becau se I really like h i m . I m ight i nvite
him aga i n . h i m to my house for d i n ne r next week
Pat: Well, it's n ot you who is goi n g i nstead. Would you l i ke to come too?
o u t with h i m . Iwouldn't lose Pau l a : S u re, I 'll be u p for that. Give me a ring9
any sleep3 over it. or drop me an email with the details.

1 made her very upset 6 would you like to

2 i ntend to do or say a nything hurtful 7 do someth ing special to say good bye
3 wou ldn't worry 8 been very busy
4 I feel the same 9 phone me
5 hap py to see someone leave

Com mon errors

The Cambridge Learner Corpus shows that candidates for a dva n ced English exams often m a ke
mista kes with these collocations:

example of error I correct sentence

I hope I didn't bFiRg you any trouble. I hope did n't cause you any trouble / put you to any trouble.
I

I ' m V€Pf looking forward to seeing you. I ' m really / very much looking forward to seeing you.

I strnRgly hope you will apologise. I sincerely / very much hope you will a pologise.

I 'm V€Pf delighted by you r invitation. I'm absolutely delighted by you r i nvitation.

It's a big pleasure to hear from you aga i n . It's a great pleasure to hear from y o u again.

118 English Collocations i n Use Advanced

 Exercises

57. 1 Choose the correct collocation to com plete each short dialogue.
1 J a n : H ave you decided what to do for S o p hie's birthday?
Gus: N o , I ' m afra id I have n 't had any decent I bright/ welcome ideas at a l l .
2 Liz: T h a t wasn't a very n ice thing for h e r t o say when we were o n ly tryi n g to get/ make / give h e r
a good send-off.
Will: I k now, but I ' m s u re she d idn't mean / lose I drop a ny h a rm .
3 To m : A re y o u sti ll o n I u p I i n for a n i ght out to night?
Sue: N o, I ' m afraid not. I rea l ly need to get a big / simple / decent n ight's s leep to night.
4 Ros: C o ngratu lations! I hear you 've been promoted.
Ana: Wow! News goes / comes / travels fast!
5 Flo: I wish I hadn't had / got/ given a go at him for forgett i n g my birthd ay.
Ed: Well, I wo u ld n't lose a ny luck/ sleep / shock over it! He's very thick-ski n ned.
6 Nell: I wish I 'd spent less time goi n g out with my frien d s a n d more time revisi n g.
Tim: I mean / know/ have the feeli n g. I m ade exactly the s a m e mistake.

57.2 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1 I'm very delighted with my wonderfu l p resent.
2 I ' m a bsolutely shattered - I 've been in the go all week.
3 It was a big pleasure to m eet you.
4 I ' m very looki ng forward to hearing from you soo n .
5 It got as a b i t o f a s h o c k when I hea rd that E llen and J i m h a d split u p .
6 To be stro n gly honest, I d on't thi n k he'll ever make a good teacher.
7 I did n't get much luck w h e n I was try i n g to fi nd a new d ress for the pa rty.
8 I hope I did n 't bri n g you r parents any tro u ble.
9 We stro n gly hope that you will visit us a ga i n soon .
10 The thou ght happened t o me that he m ight b e i n s o m e k i n d of trou ble.
11 Please do n 't come to a ny trou ble o n my a ccount!
12 Drop me a ring when you want to be p i c ked up from the station.

57.3 Complete the crossword.

Across
1 I d o n 't want to go there a g a i n tomorrow. I can't - the A
thought of it.
2 He - got to me with his n a sty co mments.
3 Od d ly e nough, I fou n d it a welcome - to be livi n g i n a
much s m a l ler flat.
4 Don't fo rget to drop us a n - fro m time to ti me. E
5 I'm glad to be seeing the - of my old b oss.
6 The s i m ple - why I ca n 't sta nd him is that he was very
A
rude to my best friend.
Down
1 You ca n 't be too tired to come out to n i ght. That's a rea l ly

E
E
Over to
. . .

If you are not often in an E n glish-speaking situation, you may fi nd it hard to learn
collocations that are typical of spoken E nglish. English-language fi lms can help. You can
down load scri pts from www.si mplyscripts.com. Get the script of you r favou rite fi lm and
note any good collocations from either the fi rst or your favou rite scene.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 119

 ' ""£'; ls
�'t"'

58 D iscu ssi ng issu es

Politica l i nterviews
I n terviewer: Despite the fact that you gave repeated assurances that you would not raise taxes,
you seem to have b roken you r p romise and ra i sed five d ifferent taxes. Can you offer
an explanation fo r why this h a p pened? H aven't you betrayed the trust of the voters?
Politician: I reject that cha rge completely. We have kept our man ifesto promise a n d not ra ised
the basic rate of i n come tax at a l l.
I nterviewer: Yes, but you 've ra ised indirect taxes instead, so, i n effect, you 've gone back on 1 you r
promise of no t a x i ncreases, h a ve you not?
Politici a n : N o. W e made a commitment w i t h regard to the basic rate o f i ncome tax. And I ' m
h a p py to reaffirm2 that commitment now. T h e basic rate w i l l remain u ncha nged . . .

1
These politicians! They can n ever give a straight3 answer! not kept, or cha nged
They're great at d odging4 the q uestion. in some way
2 strongly state again
3 d i rect and honest
4 avoiding

D iscussing co mmun ication

Tutor: Right. I want to put the fo l lowing question to you : do you think the channels of
comm u nication between politicia n s a n d the people a re adequ ate?
( The students are silent. )
Tutor: Well, let me frame 1 the q uestion d ifferently. Do politi cians gen ui nely com m u n icate d i rectly
with the pu blic? Zoe, w h at do you t h i n k?
Zoe: N ot rea l ly. It's just sou n d bites on TV, i s n 't it? They h a rd ly ever meet o rd i n a ry people face to
face. They don't m i n d fielding2 questions from jou r n a lists, they're u sed to that, but that's
not the same as confronting the issues d i rectly with rea l people.
Tutor: Well, that's a fair comment. But what a bout politic i a n s who have websites and write
biogs? Are these better ways of esta b lishing communication with peop le? You n g people
d o n 't watch TV; they're on the web a l l the time.
Pa u l: With all due respect3 , I t h i n k you're m issing the point4 , if you don't m i nd me sayi ng
so. T h e politicians can sti l l keep the i r d i stance. They d on't have to face a grilling5 from
journalists or anyone if they just have a web page or a blog. In some ways it's worse than
media i nterviews.
Tutor: Fine. I take your point6 . But no politici a n can meet everyone face to face, so
com m u n icati ng with as m a ny peo ple as possible usi n g tec h nology c o u ld be seen as more
gen u i n e ly democratic, c o u ld n't it?
I melda: Yes, but they become less a ccounta ble. If there's a sca n d a l, they just issue a denial, a n d
when did you last hea r a po litician give a full apology for getti n g t h i n gs wrong? They enter
into a contract with the people and if they breach 7 that contract they should be directly
accou nta ble, and not j u st at election t i m e.
Tutor: Right. O kay then. Get i nto groups a n d d iscuss ways i n which politicians can be made more
d i rectly accountable. O kay? About ten m i n utes.
1 formu late 4 misunderstanding the idea someone is expressing
2 d ealing with 5 face a lot of tough questio n s
3 used before the speaker d isagrees 6 accept that you have a serious opinion worth considering
with or criticises the person they 7 break

a re addressing

120 English Collocations i n Use Advanced

 Exercises

58.1 M atch words from each box to form collocations and use them in the appropriate
form to com plete the sentences below.

reject break a pro m ise someone's trust

reaffi rm dodge a q uestion a com m itment
offer betray a cha rge an exp l a n ation

1 He said he would n't tel l a nyone of my plans but he ..................................... his ............................................... .
and sha red everything with h i s wife.
2 She was u n a ble to ..................................... a ny ................................................ for w hat had h a p pened.
3 I wa nt to ..................................... my .......... . ............................. to your scheme to help poorer fa mi lies.
4 The m i n ister ..................................... the ................................................ and denied he had misled the pu blic.
5 Why do po liticians a lways ..................................... the ................................................ and never give an
honest a n swer?
6 The Prime M i n ister has ..................................... the ...... . ...................... of those who elected her.

58.2 Rewrite the underlined part of each sentence using the words i n b rackets in the
appropriate form in a collocation from the opposite page.
1 The scho o l 's d i rector reassu red everyone over and over aga i n t h a t t h e school w a s not
going to c lose, despite repo rts i n the press. (GIVE REPEAT)
2 Henry b ro ke his promise to ta ke part in our cha rity footba ll matc h . ( BACK)
3 Politicians rarely respond d i rectly and honestly to a question. (STRAIGHT)
4 Philip said very fi rmly that he would support us. (COMM IT)
5 Tha n k you for doing what you pro mised to do. (KEEP)
6 The tea m manager gave quite s ki lfu l answers to a n u m ber of hostile questions from
reporters after the match. ( F I E LD)
7 We need better ways of co m m u n i cating with o u r customers. (CHAN N E L)
8 I accept that you have a strong a rgu ment but it's a very com plex p rob lem. (TAKE)
9 He said he was 100 percent sorry for his behaviour. (GIVE F U L L)

58.3 Read these remarks by different people, and then answer the questions.
Simon: I d i d n't q u ite know the best way to ask h i m what I wanted to know.
Arlene: I took more days off t h a n I was officially a l lowed and was fi red from my job.
Alex: I h a d to answer a lmost a n h o u r of rea l ly diffic u lt questions at the interview.
Finn: I c o u ld n't sign an agreement with the b u i lder because I d i d n ' t get the ba n k loan.
Bron a: I d i d n 't see what was i m porta nt in what the lecturer was sayi n g. Did you?

name

1 Who faced a grilling?

2 Who missed the point of someth ing?

3 Who had problems fra m i ng a q uestion?

4 Who breached a contract?

5 Who didn't enter into a contract with someone?

58.4 Make six collocations from these words and write a sentence using each.

confront due esta blish comment co mmun ication denial

fair issue put issue q u estion respect

English Collocations in Use Advanced 121

59 N egative situati o n s a n d fee li n gs

Com m o n p roblems a n d difficulties

I had a nasty shock when J a nelle came h o m e yesterday with a black eye.
Billy hit h i s sister in a fit of jealousy.
I feel sick with worry / I ' m worried sick every time Rosie goes out on her m otorbike.
Josh h a s come up with a nother harebrained scheme to m a ke money. It w i l l no doubt fa i l,
just l i ke the last one. [crazy plan]
H is teacher's u n kind rema rks h ave shattered Tom's confidence. [made him lose all his
confidence]
I took exception to my mother- i n-law's u nfa i r comments. [objected to, was a n n oyed by]
The thought of having visitors to stay for a w h o le month fills m e with
dread . [makes me feel very u pset and worried a bout something in the future]
The little boy gave vent to his frustration by scri bbling a l l over the wa ll.
[expressed his feelings of frustration; give vent to is u sed only about negative
feelings]
I tried to persuade her to go to u n iversity, but in the end I h a d to admit
defeat. [accept that I would not succeed]
If you bottle up your feelings, you 'l l o n ly i nc rease your stress levels.
[don't express your feeli ngs; m a ke yourself feel m o re stressed]

I nternational problem s

There w a s a n outpouring o f grief1 this morn i ng when t h e d eath o f King

Alexa nder was a n nounced. The cou ntry is sti l l i n a state of s hock after his
wife, Queen Dorina, died s u d d e n ly last month a nd there i s a feeling that the
Ki ng's own inconsolable grief may have h astened his death 2 . There is n ow
a threat of civi l war hanging over the cou ntry as much of t h e popu latio n
h a s a n intense dislike of the late King's eld est son.

1 widespread expression of sadness caused by someone's death 2 m a d e him die sooner

Many repo rters are today c riticising the P resident of the N o rth ern Rep u b l i c for a lapse of
judgement3 with regard to the disparaging remarks4 he m a d e in a public speech yesterday
about the government of the Southern Rep u b lic. H is com me n ts have fuelled fears5 that the
Southern Repu blic may reta liate with m o re t h a n just words. Sou rces close to the President
of the Southern Repu blic said last n ight that their cou ntry has long experience of suffering
rough treatment at the hands of the N o rthern Republic a n d that they had been left with little
alternative but to take decisive action to put an end to its p resident's h a b i t of hurling insults
at them. Taking a further sideswipe6 at the Southern Repu b lic this morn i n g i n an i nterview with
morn i n g television, the President of the N o rthern Repu blic said that it was a laughable idea that
a d isorga n ised country like the Southern Repu blic co u ld pose a threat of a ny real significance
to the l i kes of the Northern Repu blic. M a ny s u spect, however, that the N o rt hern Republic may
fi n a l ly be in for a shock7 .

3 poor j u d gement 6 m a king a critical rem a rk about one thing

4 un pleasant comments w h i le talking about something else
5 made people feel more afraid 7 get a nasty su rprise
Common mi sta kes

We say absolutely furious, NOT V€f1 fu ri ous .

122 English Collocations in Use Advonced

 Exercises

59.1 Complete the paragrap h u si ng words from A.

Jeremy is a lways fu ll of (1) ..... ................................. .
schemes. I used to try to persu ade h i m out of them
but I 've long since (2) .......... . ................ defeat. It
o n ly in creased my stress (3) .......................... . . .... .... and it . . . .

d i d n't make any d ifferen ce to his behaviour. Now, if

I (4) ...................... ................. exception to a ny of his ideas,
.

I j ust (5) ........ .... .......... . ............ up my feel i n gs and let

. . . . .

h i m get on with it. But, if things get rea lly bad, I

give (6) .... ........ .. ....................... to my frustration by goi ng
. . .

to the gym and ta king it out on the p u nc h-bag.

59.2 Choose t h e correct collocation.

1 When a s ked about his own party's tra nsport policies, the cand id ate .. ..................... a sideswipe
at his o p ponent by mentio n i ng the recent ra il strikes.
A made B did C took D gave
2 The t h reat of red u n d a n cy is ........... ........... over everyone at the factory.
A hanging B holding C keeping D swi nging
3 I wish h e wouldn't m a ke such unkind and ........................ rema rks.
A la pse B d i s p a raging C i nconsola ble D rough
4 I 'm afra id you may be ........................ for a bit of a shock.
A out B on C in D up
5 Henry never says a nyth i n g sensible - his ideas a re a l l q u ite ................ .

A laughing B laughs C lau ghter D laugh a b le

6 I h o pe you didn't ........................ excepti o n to any of my com ments.
A fi n d B ta ke C make D put

59.3 Rewrite e a c h sentence u s i n g the word i n brackets.

1 Catc h i n g a bug while he was in hospita l meant the old m a n d ied sooner tha n he would
otherwise have done. ( H ASTENED)
2 Ci n derella was treated very badly by her wicked stepmother. (SU FFER)
3 A la rge n u m ber of the p u blic expressed its grief when the fi l m sta r d ied. (OUTPO U R I N G)
4 The accident has m a d e peo ple feel m o re afraid with regard to safety on the ra i lways. ( FU E LLED)
5 Because of thei r behavi o u r our only a ltern ative is to boycott their goods. ( L E FT)
6 It was u n wise of him to a ct as he d i d . ( LAPSE)
7 I was extremely worried when Dad was having his operation . (SICK)
8 It's better to give vent to your feelings. ( BOTTLE)

59.4 Use a dictionary such as t h e Cambridge Online Dictionary t o find two ways o f completing
each of these collocations - one from the unit and one more.
� Cambridge 1 a fit of .................. ....... ... .............. ....... . .. .... . ........
. . . . . .. . . . . .......... . . .......... .. .. ...... .... .
.. . . .. . . .
T Dictionary
2 to s h atter .............................................. . ........................... ....... .................................... .
. .

dictionary.cambridge.org
3 to fi l l so meone with ...................................................................................................... .

4 to h u rl ................................................... .................................. . at someone

5 i n a state of .................................................................................... . ...... ... .. .. . ......
... . . . .

6 pose a ...................................................... ........................... . ...................... .. . . .

7 a la pse of ........................................... ....... .......................... ......... .......................................

8 a n i ntense ....... .......................................... ......................................................................... .

English Collocations in Use Advanced 123

60 Positive situ ations a n d fee li n gs

Good feelings

example meaning
You should h ave a great sense of achievement at having feeling of having succeeded
reached the last u nit of the boo k.

John has a lways had a very strong sense of purpose i n his life. feeling of having a clear a i m

Laura heaved a sigh of relief as s h e saw Ben step o ff the plane. h a ppy feeling that something bad has
not ha ppened

Ta mara felt a shiver down her spine as she heard the orchestra feeling of excitement
tuning up. (or sometimes fear)

As I stood up to spea k I felt a surge of adrenalin. a sudden feeling of nervousness

(or sometimes excitement)

a
I had sudden burst of energy a n d d ecided to spring-clean the a feeling of being full of energy
w hole flat.

We are all in a state of euphoria after our fantastic exa m results. a feeling of excited happi ness

I j u st loved my day at the beauty spa. It was sheer bliss. a feeling of calm happiness

I nterview with a film sta r

I nterviewer: Claudia, how did you feel about w i n n i n g the
Osca r?
Claudia Fay: I c a n truly say that my heart leapt w hen I hea rd
the a n nouncement. Winning a n Oscar has been
my lifelong ambition, so this was a d ream
come true!
I nterviewer: A n d how does you r h usband feel a bout it?
Claudia Fay: H e's a lways very s u p portive. He h a d high hopes
that I would win t h i s time. And my son literally
ju m ped for joy. H e's dead keen 1 to become an a ctor himself.
I nterviewer: A n d how wo u ld you feel about t h at?
Claudia Fay: I 've certainly fou nd h appiness in t h i s professi o n . But it doesn't a lways live
up to people's expectations2, of c o u rse. It's not as glamorous as it's made
out to be.
I n terviewer: Do you th ink it'd work to his adva ntage3 that both parents a re in the
business?
Claudia Fay: M ay be. But it's m o re i m porta nt to h ave talent, of cou rse. And a lot a lso
d e pends on pure luck, bei ng in t h e right place at the right time, that sort
of thi ng. But I 'd be cautiously o pt i mistic a bout his c h a n ces of su ccess, I
t h i n k.
I nterviewer: Does the fact that your career is c u rrently more s u ccessfu l than you r
h u sband's ca use a n y tensions at h o m e?
Claudia Fay: N ot at all. My husba n d takes great d elight in any s uccess that I have. And
I have a profound admiration for his work. I hope one day he'll get the
recognition he deserves. But even if he doesn't, we both know that a great
m a ny people derive a lot of pleasure from4 his fi lms. He receives a lot of
q u ite moving fa n m a i l in which people express their admiration for his work.
I nterviewer: T h a n k you, Cla u d i a . It was a great p leasures to ta l k to you .
1 (informal) very keen 4 (formal) find great enjoyment i n
2 isn't as good as expected 5 N OT a Big pleas u re
3 be of benefit to h i m

124 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 Exercises

60. 1 Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1 The whole cou ntry seems to be in a place of e u p horia after win n i ng the World C u p .
2 I heaved a b reath o f relief when I heard J o e h a d finally passed h i s d riving test.
3 As the start i n g whistle blew, a j u m p of a d re n a l i n hel ped me get off to a good start.
4 I still a lways feel a shake down my spine when I set off on a long jou rney.
5 It was a d i ffic u lt climb but we h a d a marvellous emotion of ach i evement as we stood at
the top.
6 Agreeing to d o a bit of overt i m e cou ld wa lk to you r adva ntage, you know.
7 Dom i n i k seems to have lost h i s idea of pu rpose.
8 As wi nter ends I a lways seem to feel a brea k of energy.
9 It was c lea n luck that the a n swer suddenly ca me to me in the m i d d le of the exa m .
10 I don't t h i n k those engineers ever got t h e cognition they deserved.

60.2 Complete each sentence using a word from the opposite page.
1 Parents . .................... ................. more p leasure from their children's su ccess than from their own .
2 I h a d ............................... ....... hopes of t h i s job b u t it hasn't ................ ................... ... up to my expectations.
3 I hope that a l l you r dreams will ........................................ true.
4 In her a rticle the critic ........................................ considera b le admiration for the poet's ea rly work.
5 My .............. leapt when I saw that at last I had an email from Ma rk.
6 My gra n d m other ........................................ great delight in creating a bea utifu l ga rden.
7 We are cautiously ... ............................... .... that Simona will get the job she's applied for.
8 It was a ........................................ plea s u re to meet you . I hope our paths w i l l cross aga i n soon.
9 The c h i ld ren j u m ped for ........................................ when they saw their a u nt at the door.

60.3 Answer these questions using a dictionary if necessary.

1 What else can come true as well as a dream?
� Cambridge 2 What can be lifelong as well a s an ambition?
T Dictionary
3 With what words, apart from keen, can dead be used as an inform a l adverb to mea n extremely?
dictionary.cambridge.org
4 With what words, apart from bliss, can sheer be u sed as an adjective to mean complete?
5 What can be d escri bed as profound besides admiration?

60.4 Answer these q uestions in full sentences.

1 Where do you t h i n k people a re more likely to fi n d ha ppi ness - in a relations h i p or a ca reer?
2 Would you say you had a profo u n d admiration for anyone? If so, who and why?
3 What has h a p pened to you t h at can be described as a matter of p u re lu ck?
4 Do you derive more pleasu re from music or from readi ng?
5 When did you last experience a sense of achievement?

Over to

As this is the fi nal unit in the book, take this opportun ity now to look back at the u n its
you have covered and note you r favourite collocations from each u n it.

English Collocations in Use Advanced 125

 Key

Unit 1

1.1 1 a d he re to you r pri nc i p les 7 go o n a n economy d rive

2 a rouse someone's interest 8 heavy ra i n
3 blond h a i r 9 lead a seminar
4 come u p with a suggestion 10 a lick of paint
5 flatly contradict 11 p l a y t h e stock m a r ket
6 fu n d a menta l ly different 12 words of wisdom

1.2 The u n d e rli ned words i n these sentences ca n so metimes b e c h a n ged in oth e r ways b u t the answers
given reflect collocatio n s in B.
1 mista kes
2 wider
3 ga i n
4 depart from
5 create

1 .3 This is the most a ppropriate way to com plete this exercise although some other collocations a re a lso
possi ble, as i n d icated.
1 O u r new fa mily hotel is set in a secluded location and a l l the rooms have stylish furn ishings a n d
breathta king views over t h e su rrou n d i n g cou ntryside.
(Breathtaking co u ld a lso go with location but secluded co u ld n ot go with views.)
2 Visitors w i l l enjoy the relaxing atmosphere in either of our spacious d i n i n g rooms, both servi n g
delicious food t o resid ents a n d no n-residents.
(Relaxing cou ld a lso perha ps go with dining rooms but spacious could not go with atmosphere.)
3 We orga n ise tours to picturesque surro u n d i n g villages where you 'll have the opportun ity
to take some stunning photogra phs a n d sample the mouth-watering local cuisine.
(Stunning cou ld go with villages but picturesque could not go with photographs.)

1.4 1 a Passe n gers must not a l ight from the b u s w h i le it is in moti o n . F

b Passengers must not get off the bus w h i le it is movi ng. N
2 a Let's gra b a bite before we get down to work. I
b Let's h ave somet h i n g to eat before we sta rt work. N
3 a SFTS has the right to bring the agreement to a n end with t h ree months' n otice. N
b S FTS reserves the right to terminate the agreement with t h ree months' n otice. F
4 a She t h i n ks her boyfri end is planning to pop the question to n i ght. I
b She t h i n ks her boyfriend is planning to ask her to ma rry h i m ton ight. N

1.5 The blond-haired boy said he had joined the E n glish class to make some new friends. He a lso sa id
that he wanted to lea rn a bout collocations because it would be of great i m p o rta nce in helping h i m
to make fewer mistakes w h e n writing in E n glish.

Unit 2

2.1 1 a b road a ccent 7 a broa d smile

2 in b road agreement 8 a r ictu resq ue location
3 mitigati n g circu msta n ces 9 adj o u rn a meet i n g
4 mitigati n g factors 10 a pictu resque tow n
5 a u b u rn h a i r 11 adj o u rn a trial
6 delirious ly happy 12 incle ment weather

2.2 1 Melissa has q u ite a broad Scottish acce nt.

2 Inclement weather led to the cancellation of the President's garden pa rty.

126 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 3 We were a l l deliriously h a p py when we heard we'd won the award .
4 Their new home was in a very pictu resque location.
5 Beca use there were mitigating c i rcu msta n ces, the j u dge let him off with a wa rning.
6 I think we s h o u ld adjourn the m eeti n g till/until tomorrow.
7 She had a b road smile on her face when she a rrived.
8 She has lovely auburn h a i r.
9 I think we're in broad agreement as to what s h o u ld be done.

2.3 Example answers:

stron ge r wea ker
1 extremely hot I ti red I easy I expensive ./
2 m a ke I req u i re I be an effort ./
3 cancel a class I a meeti ng I a match I an agreement ./
4 deliver a letter I a wa rn ing I a b a by I goods ./
5 earn I m a ke I scrape a living ./
6 i n I have I c a l l I hold a meeting ./
7 m a i n I new I u n ique I best feature ./
8 engage with / the services of ./
9 bright light / s u nshine I idea / fut u re ./

2.4 Possible example sen tences:

I felt deliriously h a p py when I passed a l l my exa ms.
I m u st make a n effort to lea rn m o re col locations.
I t's difficult nowadays to make a livi n g as a small shopkeeper.
We had to cancel the match beca use of the ra i n .

Follow-up
Ask your teacher to check you r a nswers if you a re n ot confident a bo u t them.

U n it 3

3.1 T h e collocations a re:

1 d isease s p reads 5 sta ndards slip
2 evidence su ggests 6 teeth chatter
3 o pportunity a rises 7 wind howls
4 smoke rises 8 withsta nd p ress u re

3.2 1 evidence su ggests 5 teeth; chatteri n g

2 wind; how l i n g 6 sta ndards; sli p ped
3 withsta n d ; p ress u re 7 op portun ity; a rises
4 smoke ris i n g 8 d isease; sprea d i n g

3.3 1 pass u p
2 d raw u p
3 take it easy for a while
4 withsta nd
5 snippets
6 ba rrage
7 a stroke of
8 spate
9 put the past behind her

3.4 Author's ans wers:

1 My husba n d , of cou rse!
2 You cou l d te l l them to d rive m o re carefully or you could say that you want to get out.
3 It depends o n my mood. A gentle b reeze is pleasant but a stro n g wind can be very exhilarati n g.
4 Someti mes I do. But then I h ave to remem ber to be ca refu l not to leave my d i a ry lyi n g around.

English Co/locations i n Use Advanced 127

 3.5 1 i d le 3 mou nting 5 foa ming 7 plain
2 va i n 4 mou nting 6 burst 8 m iserab ly

U n it 4

4.1 1 gift fo r l a n guages 6 m a ke a d ifference

2 take a boat 7 u n d e restimate the va lue of
3 gra b a seat 8 pendi n g; res u lt
4 turn my thoughts to 9 newly q u a lified
5 win the battle

4.2 to j u m p at the chance I pass u p the cha n ce I get the cha nce I sta n d a cha n ce I be in with a c h a n ce
to face a cha llenge I to pose a cha llenge I a d i rect cha llenge I to rise to the c h a l lenge I a serious
challenge

4.3 The co rrect col locations a re learn by heart and miss a chance.

4.4 Author's answers:

1 T h ree m i lestones i n my l ife that I have a l ready passed i nclude grad uati n g fro m un iversity, getting
my fi rst job and getting m a rried.
2 I am fu lly qua lified as a teac her.
3 Typ i c a l sou rces of income a re wages or salaries, i ncome fro m i nvestments, rental income a n d
b u s i n ess p rofits.
4 Possi b ly the toughest c h a l lenge I have ever faced was com p leting my d octoral thesis in time.
5 Someone providing s i m u lta neous tra n s lation needs to be b i l i ngual and to h ave excellent powers
of concentration.
6 Perso n a l letters, photos a n d old d i a ries h ave sentimental va lue for me.

4.5 1 M a ke 6 avo i d
2 Get 7 M a ke
3 com m it 8 pos s i b le
4 made 9 made
5 do

Idea l ly y o u would t i c k a l l the ideas, a s t h e y a re all good ways o f i m provi n g you r knowledge a n d u se
of collocations.

U n it 5

5.1 1 I feel dead tired a l l t h e time. (I)

I feel ve ry/extremely tired a l l the time.
2 We were all bored stupid by the poetry read ing. ( I )
We were a l l very/extre mely/utterly bored b y t h e poetry rea d i ng.
3 Cu rrency excha nge offices a re located in the arriva ls lou n ge. ( F)
There a re exchange offices i n the a rriva l lounge.
4 She conducted a study of single-pa ren t fa m i ly u n its. ( F)
She d i d a study of single-pa rent fa m i lies.
5 She did her degree i n Lo ndon a nd fo u nd work there i n 2015. ( N )
6 I j u st got the latest softwa re s o m y co m p uter is bang up to d ate. (I)
I h ave j u st bought the latest software and so my computer i s fu lly up to d ate.
7 Affix a passport-size ph otograph to the a pp lication form. ( F)
Sti c k a pass port photo o n the a pplicati o n form.
8 J a ke as ked his tuto r for an extension to complete his d issertation. ( N )

You m a y fi n d i t usefu l t o l o o k u p some o f these expressions i n a good dictio n a ry to see what else
they co llocate with. Com p ute r technology a n d softwa re, for exa m p le, ca n be bang up to date but a
car is u n l i ke ly to be descri bed as such.

128 English Collocations i n Use Advanced

5.2 1 This is b reaking news here on Global TV Extra. J
2 These a re the songs that a re climbing the charts this week. E
3 There a re tons of good reasons for not stu dying law. IC
4 Visito rs must keep to the designated a reas at all times. N
s In a n y such case, customers shall forfeit the right to com pensation. L
6 Fuel consumption may vary accord i n g to model a n d roa d conditions. T
7 I ' l l give yo u a ring after d i n ner. IC
8 The m i n ister will tou r Asia in a bid to w i n support for the plan. J
9 J oss E n gold sta rs i n the latest blockbuster from Sta r Stu d ios. E
10 A m i c rochip is a m i n i atu rised electro n i c c i rcuit. T
11 Please restrict you r use of the fitness m a c h i nes to 20 m i n utes. N
12 A witness may be asked to testify for a seco nd time. L

5.3 1 do 2 ru n n i n g 3 co me 4 take
s getting 6 feel 7 write 8 clea r

5.4 1 presented 2 elevated 3 exh i biting 4 co mpla i ned S inabi lity

U n it 6

6.1 1 The p residential visit kept everyone on their toes.

2 Rosetta shouldered the blame for the fa i l u re of the p roject.
3 I don't t h i n k Greg w i l l ever win Rosie's heart; it's time he faced the facts.
4 The com pany had done so well that yea r that it agreed to foot the bill for a staff n ight out.
S I'm glad I'm not headi ng this tea m.
6 Eva has a n eye for a barga i n .

6.2 1 A decrease i n savi n gs i s likely to go hand i n hand with i nflation as peo ple will have less mo ney
ava i la b le for savi n g.
2 If a relationship h its the rocks, it is the end of that relatio n s h i p.
3 If you say someone is hopping mad, you mean that they a re very angry.
4 N o, not necessa rily. If you run into difficulties or trouble, it just mea ns that you encou nter them or
have them. The verb run here doesn't have a ny associations with speed.
S Yo u 'd call a magazi ne dealing with celebrity gossip l i ght read i ng. The collocation 'a weighty tome'
wo u ld o n ly be used to refer to a boo k that is long a n d has d ifficult content - u n less it is bei n g used
i ro n i c a l ly, of co urse. So you might j oke to a friend who is reading a celeb rity m a gazi ne, 'I can see
you ' re reading yo u r u s u a l weighty tome!'
6 If you ta l k about fac i n g the facts, the facts a re likely to be u n p leasa nt.

6.3 la Jess got the job very easi ly. l b Jess got t h e job - b u t w e d o n 't know w hether it
was easy for her to get it o r n ot.
2a Rafael is in charge of the project tea m . 2 b Rafael i s su pporti n g the p roject tea m I givi n g the
project tea m her support.
3a Dad very qu ickly d rew the wrong 3b Dad d rew the wrong co nclusion - but we
conclusion. don't know whether he d i d so qu ickly or not.
4a J a n left the room fee l i n g ha ppy a n d 4b Jan left the room feeling sad and despondent.
ca refree.
Sa I 've got no chance of w i n n i n g at a l l . Sb I 've got a very small chance of winni ng.

6.4 1 d rivi ng 2 eye 3 burden 4 slim S weighty 6 heading

6.5 1 The meta phor here i s based on the word run. An athlete litera lly ru ns i n a race. But if he
meta p h o rically ru ns i nto trou ble, that s i m ply mea ns that he has a p ro b lem. The problem m ight
not be co n nected with ru nning i n a ny way.
2 The metaphor is based on the co n nectio n between bei n g fat and di eti n g. D iet pi lls a re i ntended to
help people lose weight but if they h ave a fat cha nce of su ccess, they a re u n l i kely to succeed.

English Collocations i n Use Advanced 129

 3 The p lay on words is based o n the idea of ballet d a n cers litera lly dancing on their toes a n d the
figu rative mea n i ng of the expression keep someone on their toes, which is to keep so meone
energetic and co n centrated.
4 The play on words con nects the word foot, used h ere meta p h o ri c a l ly to mean pay, with its litera l
meaning of the part of the body wh ere we wea r s hoes.
5 The play on words is based on the fact that hop is a verb closely associated with the movement of
ra bbits (and frogs). The new legislation must be something that m a kes ra bbit owners a ngry, e.g. a
tax on own i n g rab bits.

U n it 7

7.1 blata ntly obvi ous

downright rude
s potlessly clea n
thoroughly ashamed
w i l d ly inaccu rate

7.2 1 blatantly obvious 4 wildly i na cc u rate

2 downright ru d e 5 thoroughly ash amed
3 spotlessly clea n

7.3 1 w i l d ly exaggerated 6 completel y/totally/e nti rely depe n d ent

2 h i gh ly recom mended 7 thoroughly enjoyed
3 dead easy 8 mildly s u rp rised
4 loosely based o n 9 a bsolutely delighted
5 fa i ntly/m i ld ly ridiculous 10 slightly d i fferent

7.4 1 greatly a pp reciate 6 awful ly/terri bly/extremely/incred i b ly lonely

2 utterly ridiculous 7 tota lly/e nti re ly/completely sepa rate
3 terribly/extremely/ incred i b ly d iffi c u lt 8 a hi ghly e d u cated
4 awfu l ly/extremely/i n cred ibly sweet 9 awfully/terri bly/i ncredibly/extre m ely busy
5 d eep ly/slightly offensive 10 terri bly/ i n c redib ly/extremely expen sive

7 .5 1 Correct
2 I ncorrect. We say greatly appreciated.
3 I n co rrect. We say strongly influenced.
4 Correct

U n it 8

8.1 1 Co rrect
2 Correct
3 The co mpany d i rector made a formal apology for h i s earlier com ments.
4 The ma nager had to make a n u m ber of changes to office proce d u res i n o rder to make all the
i m p rovements h e had pla n n ed fo r the co m pa ny.
5 My sister made a l l the arra ngeme nts for the pa rty.

8.2 1 h a bit 6 offer

2 room 7 discovery
3 en emies 8 attem pt
4 success 9 sta n d
5 acquai nta nce 10 calcu lations

8.3 1 The Green Pa rty p l a ns to stage a major protest a ga i nst the gove rnment's new fa rm i n g policy.
(more formal)
2 Tessa helped m e to run up so m e lovely cush ion covers for my new flat. (less forma l)
3 I regret to i nform you that severa l clients have lodged com plai nts a bout yo u r co nduct.
(more fo rm a l)

130 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 4 You won't create a good first impression if you a rrive late for your interview. (more formal)
5 It won't take me long to rustle u p a meal for the c h i ld ren. ( less for m a l )
6 Do y o u expect you r business to t u r n in a profit this yea r? ( less form a l )

8.4 1 At the meeting the c h a irman made a rather i nterest i n g p roposa l.

2 I hope we ca n m a ke a n/our esca pe soon as I'm terri bly tired.
3 I ' m reading a fasci nating book a bo u t how new words a n d phrases a re coi ned to express new
soci a l and tec h n ica l needs.
4 We cha nged the layout of the h a l l to create a more relaxed atmosp here for the yoga class.
5 I made severa l attem pts to phone the company at the weekend.
6 Kim made a very positive contri bution to the d iscuss i o n .
7 The service was poor b u t I wou ld n 't g o s o far as t o lodge a form a l compla i nt.
8 I fi rst made Roger's acquainta n ce on a tra i n .

U n it 9

9.1 1 s pea king 6 told

2 told 7 say
3 saying 8 ta lk
4 ta l k i n g 9 speaking
5 spea k

9.2 1 n otified
2 i m pa rt its wisdom
3 p rotested his i n nocence
4 p rofessed ignora n ce
5 d ivu lge her sou rces
6 p ronou nced h i m
7 declared Magda Ka rlson the w i n n e r of
8 d isseminate i nform ation

9.3 1 Do you think I m a n a ged to get the message across in my speech?

2 N eed less to say, he d i d n't say a word to his parents a bout what h a d h a ppened .
3 You can't chew g u m a n d speak p ro pe rly at the same ti me.
4 He refused to give his reasons fo r t u r n i n g down our i nvitation.
5 She was devastated when we b roke the news to her.
6 Co rrect
7 I rea lly like this d oc u mentary ma ker; she talks a lot of sense.
8 At the begi n n i n g of you r dissertation you must state your goa ls clea rly.

9.4 1 protestation(s) (The n o u n protest i s n ot accurate here because it ca rries a mea n i ng of o p positi on.
Protestation, however, means a declaration, which echoes the mea n i n g of protest i n the
col location protest one's innocence, meaning to dec l a re one's i n nocence.)
2 statement
3 d issemination
4 notification
5 declaration

9.5 Possible answers:

1 declare war on, declare independe nce, declare support for
2 i m pa rt bad news, i m pa rt facts, i m p a rt knowledge
3 divu lge information, d ivu lge secrets, d ivu lge confidential details

English Collocations in Use Advanced 131

 U n it 10

10.1 1 fo r 2 up with 3 up 4 to 5 up to 6 by 7 down 8 in with

10.2 1 d i d n't live up to 5 a bide by

2 come up with 6 a d h e re to
3 j ot d own 7 fit i n with
4 ta ke up 8 fi led for

10.3 1 d i p i nto them 2 a d here to them 3 keep it up 4 see them off

10.4 1 Everyone burst i n to laughter when s h e told the story.

2 We had a run a l o n g the beach to work up an ap petite before l u n c h .
3 T h e police have s a i d they i nten d t o come down heavily on a nyone ca rryi n g an offe ns ive wea pon
at the match.
4 Do you th ink you co u ld free up some time to have a q u ick meeti n g this afternoon?
5 T h e police acted on a tip off and m a naged to avert a possible d isaster. (A rip-off is a colloq uial
-

word meaning s o m ething that is not worth what you paid for it, e.g. That meal was a n a bso lute
ri p-off.)
6 I hope the pa rty w i l l live up to you r expectations.
7 We sat on our hotel ba lcony, soa k i n g u p the atmosph ere of the carn iva l.
8 Ta nya qu ickly saw off her opponent i n the sem i-fi n a l and now goes on to the fi nal.

10.5 Possible answers:

1 I ' l l keep it up by watching English-l a n guage TV a n d rea d i ng news items o n the I nternet.
2 T h e last Bond fi l m d i d n't live up to my expectations.
3 I m ight be tem pted to dip into my savi ngs for a special holid ay.
4 I 'd try to come up with an alternative means of tra n sport.
5 I 'd do my best to fit in with the plans they had a l ready made.
6 I so metimes fi n d it very hard to adhere to my princi ples.

U n it 1 1

11.1 1 M y h usba nd a n d I d o a job-sh a re.

2 C i rcu late the repo rt to all members of staff.
3 J o n a s has been h a p pier since he went pa rt-time.
4 I hope it wo n't be n ecessary to lay off many of our staff.
5 It's not easy to m a ke a living as a n actor.
6 M eeting peo ple is the best aspect of the job.
7 M a rian was the last person to j o i n the staff i n our company.
8 A n n a will be go i n g on maternity leave n ext month.
9 Try to build up a good netwo rk of co ntacts.
10 We've had a rid i cu lous volume of work this month.

1 1 .2 1 n u m ber 2 holds 3 offer 4 c h a n ge 5 open 6 ta ke u p 7 right 8 take

1 1 .3 1 T h e recession meant that the co m pa n y had to lay off some workers/staff or lay some workers/
staff off.
2 Yo u r fa mily should rea l ly take priority over you r work.
3 N ita soon moved u p the ladder at work.
4 H a rry hates his new boss so much that I think he'll soon hand in his resignation.
5 Vic earns a good living as a freel a n ce jou rnalist.
6 I need to put together my CV before I a p ply for jobs.
7 M y father always wa nted to practise medicine i n a rura l co m m u n ity.

1 1 .4 George makes a livi ng as a sports repo rter on a loca l n ewspaper but he is u n d e r considera ble / a
lot of p ressure at work at the moment. H e's had fa r too much work to do recently. He's been put on
a fast-track scheme fo r promotion a n d they're really p u s h i ng h i m . I t's so h a rd that he's t h i n ki n g of

132 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 handing i n h is resignation a n d going freelance. It wouldn't be easy but I'm sure h e'd soon carve a
niche for h i mself as a sports j o u rna list.

U n it 12

12.1 1 to pencil a meeting i n 5 to fit the job descri ption

2 a dau nting task 6 wrongfu lly dism issed
3 to master new ski lls 7 to lose yo u r livelihood
4 to ta ke up refe rences 8 profession a l m iscon duct

12.2 1 land 4 sweated

2 fitted (US E n glish: fit) 5 were / wo uld be
3 ru n n i n g 6 take

12.3 1 stay the cou rse 4 relieved of h i s d uties

2 get the sack 5 take i n d u stri a l action I stage a stri ke
3 a living wage 6 na rrow the list down

12.4 Author's answers:

1 I su p pose that copyi ng materi als and collati n g pages cou ld be c a l led men i a l work.
2 I certa i n ly hope that it w i l l .
3 A s someone w h o does a lot of freelance work, I work a lot of u nsocia l hours. I get u p early to work
at my co mputer, for exa m ple. But it is my own choice and not i m posed on me by a n employer, so I
don't m i n d i t . The plus side is that I can h ave a long lunch with a friend whe never I wa nt to.
4 When I was working at a l a n guage school, there was quite a h i gh tu rnover of staff as teachers
often used to go off a n d work in d ifferent cou ntries.
5 When I was teaching in a l a n guage school, I often did overt i m e - ta king students on excursions
a n d so o n . It was paid.
6 No, I haven't. I feel superstitious about it. I worry that if I preten d to be i l l then I will soon beco m e
i l l i n rea lity.
7 I haven't ta ken ind ustria l a ction but I th i n k I might consider it if colleagues were being wron gly
treated .
8 Yes, it is. Getting a book ready for publication is very much a tea m effort.
9 As a freelancer I sometimes h ave a heavy workload and so m eti mes I don 't. It can be qu ite d iffic u lt
to spread my work in a bala n ced way.

U nit 13

13.1 1 O p i n ions a re divided on t h e issue o f s i ngle-sex schools a n d there are sou n d a rgu ments on both
sides of the case.
2 I believe that the govern ment will win a n other term in office but my gi rlfriend takes a d i ffere nt
view. (or . . . has a d ifferen t o p i n ion.)
3 I honestly/really think that you'd be m a k i n g a serious m ista ke if you too k that job.
4 I d o n 't beli eve it's a foregon e conclusion that the larger co m pa ny will win the contract.
5 People a re gradua l ly becoming aware of the problem of c l i m ate change.
6 You should bear in mind that your visitors will be ti red after their long flight.
7 I 've got a rough idea of w h at I want to say in my essay but I h aven't pla n ned it properly yet.
8 I n creasing n u m bers of peo ple today su bscribe to the theory that small is bea utiful.

13.2 1 latera l ly 2 error 3 grasped 4 pass 5 poor 6 firm

13.3 1 It's unwise t o j u m p to conclusions a bout peop le's motives.

2 It's common knowledge that Ellie has been ta king money fro m the till.
3 I a greed to help him (though it was) agai nst my better judgement.
4 I ' m afra id you r decisions s h ow a lack of judgement.
5 We h ave to decide when to h ave the pa rty. Can you give it some thought?
6 I th i n k you a re judging him too harshly. Remember he's o n ly 18.
7 Surprisingly, there's a widespread belief that left-ha nded people are more intelligent.

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 133

 13.4 1 a fertile land I egg I soil I envi ron m ent I mind I a rea
2 to fuel resentment / a feel i n g of . . . / a heati n g system / a vehicle (the verb is u sed m a i n ly in the
passive when referring to vehic les) I a debate I desi re I gossip
3 to wrestle with a decision / you r conscience ( N ote that this verb collocates with only a small
nu mber of words.)
4 a naggi n g fea r I voice I pain I sense I feel i n g

U n it 1 4

14. 1 1 True
2 False. A co m pany wa nts to m eet its targets.
3 True
4 True
5 False. A co m pany has fa iled if it has to call i n the receivers.
6 False. A co m pany will feel mo re secu re with wider profit m a rgins.

14.2 1 receivers 5 line

2 poi nts 6 prod uction
3 books 7 dividends
4 sense 8 profits

14.3 1 The co m pa n y is pleased to re port a substantial i ncrease in profits over the last q u a rter.
2 The new health a n d safety com m ittee is to be chaired by a retired doctor.
3 There is i n c reasi ngly fierce com petition between airline co m pa n ies. (Com petition can a lso be
descri bed as intense or stiff.)
4 The co m pa ny's expo rts to J a pa n saw/experienced/showed considera ble growth over the last
decade.
5 The sa les fi gures for M a rch show a slight decrease on those for Februa ry.
6 Our sa les in the domestic ma rket a re certa i n to see/experience/show a rise next yea r.
7 Last yea r sa les were th ree times greater i n E u rope than in Austra lia.
8 We feel that this proposal makes considera ble busi ness sense. ( N otice that a lthough yo u do
business, something makes business sense.)
9 Althou g h we need to red u ce our costs, it's i m porta nt we maintai n the q u a lity that our reputation
is b u i lt o n .
10 Busi ness lead ers hope new government policies will sti mulate growth ( o r b e a sti m u lus to
growth).

14.4 1 The M a n ag i n g Di rector of a co m pany might c a l l a n emergency m eeti ng when there is some kind
of crisis a ffecti ng the co m pany - a strike, for exa mple, or a major in crease i n the cost of raw
materials or fuel.
2 A sports car company is likely to have you ng people in their twenties as their ta rget ma rket.

U n it 15

15.1 ma rketing c a m pai gn

free airtime
product placement
i ncome brac ket
consumer behaviour
b rand identity

15.2 1 I enjoyed the fi lm, but there was a lot of produ ct placement i n it. All the to p-brand ca rs, phones,
watches a n d so on. It was a bit d istracti ng.
2 We want to b u i l d a really strong b rand identity as a trustworthy com pany.
3 One of the a i m s of our research was to identify certai n patterns of consumer behaviour:
specifica lly where they bou ght our products a n d how much they spent.
4 This is a l u x u ry bra nd, clea rly a i med at consu m e rs in the h i gher income bracket.

134 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 5 O u r latest marketing campaign was very successful - sa les i n c reased by over 20%!
6 The company were rea lly lucky - there was a whole n ews item on their latest i n n ovation, so they
got a lot of free airtime as a result.

15.3 1 customer
other common co/locations: experience, retention, focus, orientation
2 ma rket
other common co/locations: leader, s u rvey, research
3 bra n d
other common co/locations: name, flags h i p, generic
4 pro d u ct
other common co/locations: life cycle, b u i ld

15.4 1 I t's been 10 years since Kate fi rst set u p o u r in-house m a rketing tea m, a n d n ow w e employ
13 m a rketers working in 3 cou ntries.
2 We want to increase b ra n d awareness a m ong you n g professio n a ls.
3 O u r last campaign went viral and was s h a red on social med ia all over the world .
4 One way to measure customer satisfaction is to put a q u estio n n a i re on you r website a n d ask
q u estions a bout how ha p py people a re with your service.
5 We got a lot of press coverage when we gave out free en ergy mon itors as part of last year's
' E n ergy Week'.
6 T h e target audience for o u r new sportswea r ra nge is active parents.

15.5 1 Vero n i q u e 2 Bru n o 3 Clare 4 Freddy 5 C h loe 6 Thierry

U n it 16

16.1 1 H ave you ever made a com plaint to t h e ma nagement a bout the food i n a resta u ra nt?
2 I h ate going shopping o n Satu rdays as the town is so c rowded then.
3 If y o u want your shopp i n g delivered, y o u c a n place you r order with u s on line or b y phone.
4 We carried out / did a large-scale customer su rvey before developing our new product ra nge.
5 Online shopping is provi n g i ncreasi n gly popular.
6 I was s u rprised by the poor quality of the acti ng in that fi l m we saw last night.
16.2 1 va lue 2 satisfied 3 h ea lthy 4 pro m pt 5 hold
6 fuss 7 handled 8 conform 9 e lsewhere 10 com e

16.3 1 regu lar 5 providing

2 refu n d 6 to p
3 ta ke 7 gro u n d s
4 custo m
'R
16.4 'p u p 0 s E
E
'G R 0 u N D s

•F u L L

's T A N D A R D

I
GH 0 N 0 u R
N

'o s c 0 u N T

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 135

 U n it 17

17.1 1 You gra d u ate from u n iversity.

2 matu re stu d ents
3 ( p restigious) seats of learning
4 disti nguished scholars or lea d i n g a uthorities (in their fields)
5 gifted c h i l d re n
6 stra ight-A students

17.2 1 We were all very i m p ressed by the student's m ental agi lity.
2 My gra n d m other is very i ntel l i gent but she's h a d little fo rmal education.
3 I 've neve r fou n d it easy to learn scientific fo r m u lae by heart.
4 I 'd love to stu dy med icine there but it's very h a rd to get a p la ce.
5 For the fi rst-year Shakespeare exa m we h a d to read six set texts.
6 I am so p ro u d of you for m a n a gi n g to get f u l l m a rks.
7 Yo u r work is not too bad but there is certa i n ly sti ll room for i m p rovement.
8 You r little girl has shown h erself to be a very q u ick learner.
9 The test has been designed to ena ble p u p i l s to demonstrate their a bility.
10 I hope to stu dy there but may not be able to m eet the entry req u i rements.

17 .3 1 truant 4 natural 7 atten d

2 wanders 5 ma rked 8 req u i rements
3 s hows 6 win 9 e n ro l

1 7. 4 Author's answers:
1 E n glish, maths and science.
2 Yes. I once signed u p for a Spa n is h evening c l a ss but only went to two lessons.
3 I 'd love to rea d H istory of Art.
4 The u n iversities of Oxford a n d C a m b ridge.
5 The acad e m i c year begi ns in Septe mber a n d e n d s in J u ly.
6 Different u n iversities and departments have d ifferent entry req u i rements a n d you have to fu lfi l
whatever their specific req u i rements are.

17.5 Possible answers:

1 power 2 club 3 voice 4 work record

U n it 18

18.1 1 u n derta ke 4 p rovided 7 covers

2 p resented 5 i n d icates 8 ta ckles
3 reviews 6 test 9 p uts

18.2 1 The resea rch ethics a re described i n the u n ive rsity's researc h m a n u a l.
2 You need to m a ke an in-depth c ritique of the a rguments.
3 You need to do backgrou nd read i ng.
4 You do the a n a lysis in order to fi n d out whet h e r the data su pport you r hypoth esis. (Remem ber: try
to avoid sayi n g prove a hypothesis.)
5 All the interviewees were people who had fi rst- h a n d knowledge of the situation.
6 I t is imposs i b le to give a fu l l expla nation of the decline of agri c u ltu re in the 1960s.

18.3 Order of events:

1 Select a topic.
2 Form a wo rking hypothesis.
3 M a ke the case for studying the topic in the i ntrod u ction.
4 W rite a critical a n a lysis of previo u s stud ies.
5 Lay out yo u r resu lts in ta bles a n d d i agrams.
6 S u b mit yo u r re port.

136 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

18.4 1 The thrust of Torsten 's a rgu ment is that p u blic transport can never replace the private ca r.
2 Eco n o m i sts formulated a new theory of inflation in the late 1980s.
3 It is i m portant that we s h o u ld confront the issue of c l i m ate cha nge im med iately.
4 In her essay, she put forward a vigorous d efence of the E u ro pea n U n i o n's constitution.
5 I shall n ot attempt to give a n exhaustive a ccou nt of popu lation growth i n this essay.
6 The a rticle does not back up its conclusions with enough convincing evidence.

Unit 19

19.1 1 surprise 2 throw 3 d i ned 4 a p peara nce 5 sprang 6 special 7 night

19.2 1 made 4 calls 7 socia l

2 flyi n g 5 find 8 pay
3 stick to 6 q u a lity 9 played

19.3 1 We cou l d go clubbing later. (more informa l )

2 T h e resta u rant h a s a convivia l atmosphere. (more fo rmal)
3 Rio de J a neiro played h ost to the Olympics in 2016. (more fo rmal)
4 Her life is a social w h i rl. (more fo rmal)
5 I have to attend a fo rmal fu nction on T h u rsd ay. (more fo rma l)
6 We invite you to join the festivities at the opening of the Arts Festiva l. (more formal)
7 Gra ps ley Pa rk is the pe rfect venue for a n o utdoor co ncert. (more forma l)

19.4 Author's answers:

1 eati n g out
2 plain food, as long a s it's cooked properly
3 a barbecu e with friends
4 I like both, but givi n g a d i nner pa rty can be a lot of work.
5 I m u c h p refer playi n g the host.
6 defi n itely a whirlwi n d visit! Guests are a lways best when they don't stay long!

U n it 20

20.1 1 I t can be h a rd to ca rry on a serious conversation in a no isy roo m.

2 He fi nds it very diffi c u lt to open his heart and talk about his feeli ngs to a nyo ne.
3 I don't l i ke d iscuss i n g thi ngs with people w h o a lways want to win every argu ment.
4 My m other a lways u sed to tell me not to spread u n kind ru mours.
5 I usu a l ly fi nd it bette r n ot to get drawn i nto a n argument with Pa ul.
6 We h a d a very enjoya ble time just sitting i n the park enjoying some idle chatter.
7 I m a n a ged to resist a l l his attempts to e n ga ge me in conversation.
8 I 've n ever ta lked to him m u ch - we've d o n e no more than exchange pleasa n tries.
20.2 1 lost 5 bring
2 broac h e d 6 d ro p
3 ta ke 7 tough
4 strong 8 hold
20.3 1 ju icy gossi p 5 fou r-letter word
2 broad generalisations 6 tough q uestion
3 exc h a n ge n ews 7 rash prom ise
4 take seriously 8 ope n i n g ga mbit
20.4 1 Please d rop the s u bject im med iately.
2 Sam h a s a habit of m a k i n g empty pro m ises.
3 You m u st take the la b's safety regu lations seriously.
4 It's better not to overstate your case.
5 Could we please c h a n ge the subject?
6 Did you hear the ru m o u rs (that were) flyi n g a round a bout you r boss last yea r?

English Collocations in Use Advanced 137

 7 There is rather a lot of bad/fou l/strong language in the play. (Foul is the strongest of these
a lternatives.)
8 Such broad genera lisatio n s tend to be rather meani ngless.
9 His ope n i n g ga m bit took me by su rprise.
10 The children bombarded me with questions a bout my tri p .

U n it 2 1

21.1 1
2 E
3 B
4 F. Note the collocation to heal a rift, mea n i n g that a harmo n i o u s relatio nship has been
re-esta blished fo l lowi ng a b reak due to a serious d isagreement.
5 c
6 A. Note that the expression to go to the polls is often used, p a rticularly i n newspa pers, to mea n
take part i n a n e lection.
7 G
8 D

21.2 1 delivered; speech

2 broker; agreement
3 i m pose; censo rsh i p
4 prime-ti me television
5 held; conference
6 act; go-between
7 reach agreement

21.3 1 The President has fi na lly bowed to public pressure to hold a referendum.
2 Ea rly this morn i n g the Eco-democratic Pa rty p roclaimed victory in the election. (announced its
victory wou l d a lso be poss i b le)
3 The police d etective discovered the clue which led to the recovery of the stolen jewels.
4 The police w i l l n ot call off the search until the c h i l d has been fou nd .
5 W e were on h o l i d ay when t h e recent politica l t ro u bles broke out.
6 The police a re ca rrying out a n ationwide search (or a cou ntrywide sea rch) for the m issing boy.
7 The two parties will try to n egotiate a settlement today.
8 Today thousa n d s of students held a demonstration / held d e m o nstrations against the increase
in fees.

21.4 1 I n the fi rst sentence, the outcome of the ra lly w i l l show whether the army is strong or not. I n the
seco nd sente n ce, the ra lly is p roof of the army's strength.
2 The clues in the fi rst sentence a re more im porta nt than those i n the seco n d .
3 T h e reward f o r the cat i n the seco nd sentence is la rge.
4 The verb deliver su ggests either a more forma l situation for the speech itself or a more forma l
context for reporting about the speech t h a n is s u ggested b y m ake.
5 I n the fi rst sentence, the cou ntries are goi n g to ta l k for the first ti me. I n the seco nd sentence they
have made an a greement.

Follow-up
Possible co/locations:
to hold a meeti n g I a conversati o n I an electi on
to bro ker a dea l / a ceasefire
to reach / come to (an) agree ment
a sizea b le / na rrow I la rge I vast m ajority

138 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 U n it 22

22.1 1 The comm ittee, with one dissenting voice, voted to ta ke a firm stance on the issue.
2 It was only a throwaway com me n t but it has excited a lot of specu latio n .
3 As n ew evidence e merges o f govern ment i nvolvem e n t i n the sca n d a l, people a re begi n n i n g to
q u estion the Pri m e M i n i ster's pu blic pronouncements on the affa i r.
4 The p ri nce refu sed point-blan k to p rovide a detai le d account of h i s a ctions that n ight.
5 The m i n i ster was accused of misleading the electorate when he said that very few m igra nt
workers had been given leave to stay i n the cou ntry.

22.2 1 d isorderly 3 explanati o n 5 flatly 7 d isclosures

2 cla rify 4 statement 6 perm ission 8 re-o pened

22.3 1 vociferous opponent 6 took issue

2 ga u ge (pu blic/people's) reaction 7 declined to comment
3 passionate entreaty 8 critica lly i l l
4 regu lar updates 9 a bject apo logy
5 a i r their grieva n ces

U n it 23

23 . 1 1 T h i s year's Nati o n a l Day festiva l celebrates 5 0 years of i ndependen ce.

2 I n this region we h ave a rich tra d ition of poetry, m u si c and dance.
3 A gro u p of c h i ld re n performed a tra d itio nal d a n ce from the regi o n .
4 T h i s year's festiva l represents a b rea k with tradition, as i t will be h e ld i n May.
5 The tradition of c a ro l singing dates back h u n d reds of years.
6 The people a re d etermi ned to u ph o ld the trad ition , desp ite oppositio n .
7 The town h o l d s i t s a n nual festiva l i n spring.
8 O u r village has a p roud tradition of givi ng food to o l d e r vil lagers every N ew Year.

23.2 1 All the men wo re t rad ition a l d ress consisting of green jackets a n d wh ite trousers.
2 The festiva l ma rks the begi n n i n g of the Celtic s u m m er.
3 The festiva l is p a rt of the regio n 's c u ltural heritage.
4 H u ndreds of peop le, loca ls a n d tou rists, join in t h e festivities.
5 The a n n u a l ' D a y of the Horse' falls on 30 Marc h t h i s yea r.
6 Everyone in the v i l lage was i n festive mood as t h e a n n u a l celebrations bega n .
7 T h e average a ge at which cou p les t i e the knot is rising.
8 This region has a rich tradition of fo lk singing a n d d a nci ng.
9 Getting joined in m atrimony is a significant reason for celebrati o n .
10 The a rea i s fa m o u s for observi n g a n u m ber o f age-old/long-sta nding traditions.

23.3 1 Erik 2 Eva n 3 Alicia 4 Monica 5 Brona

23.4 1 (b) married

2 wedded bliss
3 the knot
4 Toast used u n co u n ta bly mea n s b read made brown a n d crisp by h eati ng it. Making a toast
(cou nta ble) m e a n s offering an expression of good wishes or respect for someone w h i c h involves
holding up a n d t h e n d rinking fro m a glass after a s h o rt speech.
5 p re-wedd ing n erves (one can a lso say pre-wedding jitters)
6 be joi ned i n m atri m o ny
7 to m a ke a toast I to toast so meone
8 i nformal

English Collocations i n Use Advanced 139

 U n it 24

24. 1 1 These vitamins have been clinically p roven to p rotect the body from winte r vi ruses.
2 O u r tasty snacks cost o n ly 99p.
3 We m a nage a n u m be r of exclusive spas in Pa ris a n d N ew York.
4 O u r new shampoo w i l l subtly b ri n g out the natural h ighlights in you r h a i r.
5 O u r li psticks com e i n a ra nge of long-lasting colou rs.
6 We g u a rantee you w i l l be i m p ressed by the unrivalled service p rovided by a l l our hote ls.
7 O u r new concea ler w i l l make the fine l i n es a ro u n d you r eyes disappea r.

24.2 1 I d o n 't believe those ads that cla i m their crea m s h ave a nti-aging p roperties.
2 W h i l e working in Fra n ce, Amy lau nched her new s u m mer collection.
3 Why not have a bowl of soup or a ba n a n a if you 're feeling a bit peckish.
4 We guarantee that you will see i nsta nt resu lts with o u r luxury hand crea m .
5 You should use t h i s s h a m poo to revive your sun-d a maged h a i r.
6 Sometimes I wish it were rea l ly possible to banish wri nkles.
7 T h i s five-star hotel offers its guests u n rivalled service.
8 The d esigner's n ew ra nge of beautifu l s hoes has j ust h it the high street.
9 At the a i rport s h e bought herself a cou ple of glossy m agazines.
10 T h i s part of tow n i s fa mous for its classy hotels and exc lusive salons.
24.3 1 ra n ge 3 back 5 set 7 labels 9 popular
2 h it 4 launched 6 h igh 8 seaso n 's 10 victim

24.4 Possible answers

1 luxu ry crea m / resta u ra nt / hotel / travel
2 excruciati ngly u n co m fo rta ble / painfu l / e m ba rrassi n g / boring I fu n ny
3 flawless comp lexi o n I performance I design
4 u n riva l led service I col lection I style
5 la u nc h a new collection I an attac k I a n ew service
6 exc l u sive salon I offe r I story I c l u b

U n it 25

25.1 1 d 2 e 3 a 4 c 5 f 6 b

25.2 1 The construction work i n the city centre has brought traffic to a sta ndst i l l a n d cars have been
q u e u i n g on the ring road for severa l kilometres.
2 The town now has t h ree park-an d-ride schemes w h i c h will help keep cars out of the centre.
3 E n v i ro n menta l ca m pa i gners a re a rgu i n g that wid e n i n g the motorway w i l l do nothing to alleviate
bottlenecks but w i l l o n ly increase the vo l u m e of traffic.
4 Ra i l passengers at a l l the main stations were protesting today at fare rises of more than 2.3%.
5 The n ew govern m e n t has promised to i n vest in i nfrastructure projects to i m p rove road and ra i l
l i n ks a round the c o u n try.
6 The NATO summit w i l l mean road closures a round the a rea for secu rity rea sons.
p
25.3 'R E L A 'C E M E N T
0
3E N G N E E R N •G
G R
Sp
A c K E D I
s D
6T A L B A c K L

'C 0 M M u T E R c

N K

140 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

25.4 1 I hate trave l l i n g d u ring rush hour as it's a lways so crowded.
2 Since the high-s peed tra i n l i n k to the capita l a rrived in 2015, t h i s has become a p o p u l a r
commuter town.
3 Comm uters a re fu rious as they a re facing a hike i n fares for the second time this yea r.
4 It is hoped that the new tu n ne l w i l l ease congestion by ta k i n g c a rs out of the centre.
5 Services on West Express Tra i n s a re ru nning late this morn i n g d u e to h igh winds and flood i n g.

U n it 26
26. 1 1 beaten; sights 2 unexplored 3 an i ntre p i d 4 tre k k i n g; a rduous 5 sense

26.2 1 feet 4 low-cost 7 peeled 10 hope lessly

2 u n explored 5 sta n d by 8 face 1 1 party
3 stretch 6 epic 9 co nditions 12 has

26.3 1 The fi rst leg of the jou rney was stra ightforward .
2 M y budget d i d n't stretch to travelling first class / to fi rst-class travel.
3 Arriving at o u r base ca m p boosted our spi rits. I O u r spirits were boosted when we a rrived at o u r
base ca mp. / O n a rrival a t o u r base ca m p o u r s p i rits were boosted.
4 There will be s u n ny spells i n m ost a reas tod ay.
5 We had a sto pover in Si nga pore on our way to Australia.
6 Jack has a lways had a thi rst fo r a dventu re.
7 G randmothe r's s p i rits a re h i g h today.
8 The movement of the s h i p l u l led me to sleep.

26.4 Possible collocations:

1 a rduous task I c l i m b
2 a mou nta i n I a rocky I revert t o wilderness
3 u n charted waters I seas I territory

U n it 27

27.1 1 sum mon u p 2 extreme 3 too k 4 acq u i re 5 jump 6 hang

27.2 1 push 6 ca rd
2 w h a le; keep 7 kick
3 latest; pitch 8 missed; awa rded
4 sta nds; victory 9 cha llenge
5 shape

27.3 1 I 'd j u m p at the cha nce to m eet Usa i n Bolt, wou ld n't yo u?
2 The spectators stood and cla pped as the tea m s took the field.
3 You should o n ly attempt this climb if you a re p retty fit.
4 The crowd went wild at the e n d of the matc h .
5 W e h a d a w h a l e o f a time i n Austra lia.
6 I decided to ta ke u p the cha llenge and start m y own busi ness / of starti ng my own business.
7 The little boy soon got the h a n g of riding his b i ke without sta b i lisers.
8 The team capta i n felt d readfu l when he scored a n own goa l.

27.4 1 latest 2 co nvincing 3 performa nce 4 defence 5 awarded

U n it 28

28.1 1 u nvei l a pla n 5 d rum u p a lot of support

2 stick to a sched u le 6 cover every eventuality
3 m a ke somet h i n g a rea l ity
4 leave it to someone's discretion

28.2 1 on 2 up 3 plan 4 exercise 5 long-term 6 o ption

English Co/locations i n Use Advanced 141

 28.3 1 co nside rati on 4 factor
2 grou ndwo rk; launch 5 suggestion
3 outright 6 cha nge

2 8 .4 1 Final p reparations for the m usic festiva l a re now underway.

2 I was very u pset when they rejected my suggestions out of hand.
3 The com pany came up with the idea of encouraging custo m e rs to recycle packaging.
4 I don't t h i n k you will fi n d it easy to put yo u r ideas i nto p ra cti ce.
5 He declared his outright op position to the p l a n .
6 Constructive criticism i s a lways welco me, but negative c riticism i s not.

28.5 IE 2R

'P R A c •T c E

L G 0 A

5M A K E y 6A c T

N R E H
D

U n it 29

29.1 1 star-studded 3 origi na lity 5 role 7 series 9 spectacula rly

2 lasting 4 d isp lay 6 acco m p lished 8 experi ment 10 fi re

29.2 The o ptions that are N OT possible a re:

1 high 5 highly
2 sta rri n g 6 consu m m ate
3 specta c u la rly 7 wrote
4 bu rst
29.3 1 professio n a l
2 up
3 revi ews
4 events
5 disaster
6 experi m ent
7 attention
8 suspense

29.4 a n u n m iti gated disaster

a dismal fa i l u re

U n it 3 0

30.1 1 satisfy req u i rements 5 pass a new law

2 have a n obligation 6 b ri n g in regu lations
3 a rrive at a n agreement 7 a d h ere to sta ndard s
4 ca rry out a risk assessment 8 exercise authority
Other q u ite com mon collocations using these words a re:
meet req u i rem ents
satisfy co n d itions

30.2 1 flout
2 ad here
3 sought; granted
4 com p ly with the law
5 satisfy; being in breach of

142 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

30.3 1 positi o n s 2 cut t h rough 3 i ntrod u ce 4 tightening 5 faceless 6 a p p rove

30.4 iR u L E s

25
A T s F y
K
30 A N G E R
s
s
4E x E R c s E
s
SE s s E N T A L
M
6B R E A c H
N
10 B T A N E D

30.5 Possible answers:

1 satisfy someone's d esi res 5 pass a co mment
2 have a d uty 6 exercise discretion
3 a rrive at a decision 7 b ri n g in a law
4 ca rry out a n experiment 8 a d here to the ru les

U n it 3 1

31.1 1 Tom a s 2 Sylvia 3 U l la 4 M a rcos 5 Gera rd

31.2 1 offs h o re 5 d i re (we cou ld a lso say disastrous

2 ru n (we a lso say run out) o r devastating)
3 vita l 6 offset
4 eco-fri e n d ly

3 1 .3 1 Food m i les
2 Renewa ble energy
3 widespread flooding
4 i rreve rs i b le clim ate c h a n ge
5 fi n d a sol ution to
6 our ca rbon footprint
7 Offs h o re wind fa rms
8 the d i s posal of household waste

3 1 .4 1 Tem p e ratu res soared d u ri n g the s u m mer months a n d reached a record h ig h .

2 W e m u st cha nge o u r ways before i t i s too late.
3 They now have a solar h eati ng system in their house; it's very economical.
4 The desert experiences searing heat d u ri n g the day but i s cold at n ight. ( N ote: we say searing
heat or soaring temperatures, but we do N OT say searing temperatures or
soaring heat.)
5 The weather patterns have cha nged in recent years: winters a re mi lder, s u m mers are hotter.
6 He h a s one of those hybrid cars which a lternates between petrol and battery power.
7 The govern ment m u st i ntroduce green taxes so people who d a mage the environment
pay m o re.
8 Veh icle emissions a re the m a i n sou rce of pollution in big cities.
9 We need to fi nd a lternative energy sources for private h o m es.

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 143

 U n it 32

32.1 1 the cou ntry; the city

2 the city; the cou ntry
3 the country; the city
4 the cou ntry; the city
5 the city; the cou ntry

32.2 1 The fi rst sentence refers to ca rs a n d other traffic on the roads, whereas the second sentence refers
to shop pers a n d other pedestria n s on the pavements.
2 The fi rst senten ce means that the spea ker lives in the centre of town, whereas the second
sentence is ta l k i n g a bout other people who live in q u iet, residential and well-off s u b u rbs.
3 The first sentence means that h e lives i n a very quiet, traditional place where noth ing m uch
ha ppens, whereas the second sentence means that she lives i n a very busy, active city centre.
4 The fi rst sentence means the spea ker loves livi n g i n the city, w h e reas i n the second one, the
spea ker loves living i n the cou ntry.

32.3 c ity life, u rban l iv i n g

l o n g o p e n i n g h o u rs, o pen all h o u rs
rustic charm, rura l idyll
i n the back of beyo nd, i n the m i d d le of nowhere

32.4 1 q u iet backwater

2 in the back of beyond / in the m i d d le of nowhere
3 u rban regeneratio n
4 a tree-pla nti n g scheme
5 a desira b le place to live
6 residentia l dwel l i n gs

32.5 1 derelict b u i l d i n gs 4 u rban rege neration

2 busy roads / con gested roads 5 the rura l idyll
3 a bustling city centre 6 long opening hours I open all hours

32.6 Possible answers:

1 flock to the cou ntryside / u n s p o i lt cou ntryside / ro lling cou ntryside I su rrounding cou ntryside I
p rotect the cou ntryside
2 a ru ral la ndsca pe / a barren lan dscape / domi nate the la ndsca pe / a watercolour landsca pe / a
la ndscape pai nter I a rugged la ndscape I a n u rban lan dscape
3 a fishing village / a mounta i n vi llage I outlying villages I surro u n d i n g villages I a pictu resque
village / the global village / a coasta l village / a rem ote village / a neigh bo u ri n g village

32. 7 Author's answers:

1 Sports progra m mes bore me rigid.
2 I think I might co nsider life i n a rem ote cou ntry vil lage i n Brita i n to be a ru ra l idyll for a couple of
weeks but then I would proba bly m iss the faci lities of a big town .
3 N o , the public tra nsport system where I l ive is not relia ble at a l l . T h e buses a re very i nfreq uent
and they often a rrive late o r n ot at all.
4 No, I can't th i n k of a ny derelict b u i ldi ngs where I l ive. Land with derel ict b u i ld i ngs o n it tends to be
q u ickly redeveloped.
5 There a re some small shops, a post box, a school and a doctor's su rgery.

U n it 33

33.1 1 m a ke a payment
2 supplement my i n come
3 spend a fortune
4 borrow h eavily
5 stay afloat

144 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

33.2 to a rra n ge a n overdraft to get i nto debt
a bad debt a hefty debt/overd raft
to be in debt the national debt
to clea r a debt to pay off a debt / a n overdraft
deep in debt debt-ridden
overdraft fac i l ity to run up a debt I a n overd raft
to get a n overd raft a n u n a uthorised overd raft

Other possible collocations:

to repay a debt / to owe a debt (of gratitude) / a debt mou nts u p
a n overdraft limit I to red uce your overdraft / a sizea ble overd raft

33.3 1 The firm has huge de bts and has h a d to borrow $10 m i l l i o n . The new c h ief executive has
i ntroduced cost-cutt i n g measures.
2 When I left u n iversity I h a d no outsta nding debts, u n l i ke m ost of my friends, who owed
thousa nds of pounds.
3 The ma nager fa lsified company records and stole money from her emp loyer.
4 I had no sou rce of i n come, so I had to get a job, a n d q u i c k ly.
5 We put d own a deposit on a new car last week.
6 She defau lted on her loan repayment a n d had to sell her business.
7 M a n y people don't trust online ba n ki n g because they a re afra id of identity theft.
8 If we d o n't cut down o n luxu ries, we're goi n g to fi nd ou rselves in serious d ebt.
9 There a re special offers for students who open a cu rrent a ccount at the u n iversity bank.
10 You will pay a lot of i nterest if you go over you r agreed c redit li mit.

33.4 1 The meta p hor is that of a boat which m ust keep/stay afloat (otherwise it w i l l s i n k under water).
2 You 're expected to pay it back.
3 (c). To write off a loa n would mean to a ccept that it will n ever be pa id.
4 (a)
5 cred it-ca rd fraud

33.5 1 fa lsifyi n g 2 fra u d u lent 3 payment 4 theft 5 i nterest-free

Unit 34

34.1 1 The government is fi n d i ng it very d i ffic u lt to curb i nflati o n .

2 T h e cou ntry is sufferi n g because o f the cu rrent economic c l i m ate.
3 Although heavy i n d u stry is in decline, service industries a re th rivi ng.
4 The C EO is a nxious to safeguard h is company's i nterests.
5 New m a c h i nery has e n a b led the factory to i ncrease its output.
6 The tax a uthorities p l a n to tackle the i ssue of undeclared earni ngs.
7 The budget plan exp l a i n s how we i ntend to a llocate our various resou rces.
8 We m u st tackle and solve the problems caused by soc i a l exclusion.

34.2 Own guidance P revious rival government

build on su ccess leave inflation u nchec ked
exten d op portun ity levy heavy taxes
meet with su ccess poor value for money
safely steer the eco nomy ra m pa n t i nflatio n
steady growth risi n g u nem ployment
thriving i n d u stry t h rivi n g black economy
u n i n terru pted growth

34.3 1 long 6 plum meting

2 extend 7 public
3 u ndeclared 8 push u p
4 ris i n g 9 raise
5 sti m u lati n g 10 i ntrod uce

English Collocations in Use Advanced 145

 34.4 1 public; private 5 ra isi n g; pushed u p; plummet
2 u ndeclared 6 exten d ; stimu late
3 long; short 7 stu nt
4 Fa lling 8 i ntro d u ce

U n it 35

35.1 1 a d d ress 2 provide 3 broke down 4 brea k 5 made 6 i ncite

35.2 1 for human h a bitati on 4 a ntisocial behaviour

2 sanitary con d itions 5 pu blic d isorder
3 u nderage d r i n k i n g 6 for good / for c h a nge

35.3 1 Poor peo ple often have to c la i m benefits i n order to survive fi nancially.
2 The city cou n c i l i ntroduced a neighbourhood watch scheme.
3 The govern ment took some d raco n i a n measu res to prevent public d isorder.
4 All govern ments need to a d d ress the issues of global poverty and d isease.
5 The authorities had to provide shelter and food to the earthquake victi ms.
6 As the discontent grew, riots eru pted i n all the m ajor cities.

35.4 1 The violen ce t h reatened the social fabric.

2 The minister said it was time for a fresh drive to cut cri me.
3 Customs officia ls fo und some illegal substances in the passenger's lu ggage.
4 The run-down a reas of the city a re often d a n gerous at n ight.
5 We hope our new organ isation will be a force for political change.
6 He proposed a novel solution to address the i ssue of soc i a l inequa l ity.
7 Dysfunctional families a re a d ifficult problem for social workers.
8 The union representative made a plea for the workers to sta nd firm.
9 There were scenes of public disorder on the streets last n ight.
10 It is very d i fficult for yo ung people to fi nd affordable housing.

U n it 36

36.1 1 If you switch off your comp uter without shutti n g it down properly, you may lose d ata.
2 I did n't expect everything to ru n smoothly in my new job but I d id n 't i m agine it would be qu ite
so d ifficult as it was.
3 Alex had some tec h nical problems insta lling his new comp uter eq u i p ment.
4 The com pa n y i s fa mous for its cutting-edge design.
5 If they'd serviced their machi nes regula rly, they wo uld n't have had to h a lt production.
6 Vic drea m s of making a d iscovery that wou l d help to push back the frontiers of science.
7 Scientists u s u a l ly publish their fi n d i ngs i n academic journals.
8 There was a power cut this morni ng. The power went off at ten and it wasn't restored till
m idd ay.
9 Noah loves p u re resea rch but h i s brother is more i n terested in the a pp l ication of research to
practica l p rojects and in harnessing new tec h n o logy for commercia l ends.
10 They ca rried out research over a ten-yea r period a n d fi n a l ly published their findi ngs this month.

36.2 1 S h e's swi p i n g a card . 3 He's u s i n g satn av.

2 He's enteri n g h is P I N . 4 She's switc h i n g TV cha n nels by remote control.

36.3 1 h i gh-defi nition TV ( H D TV), flat screen TV a n d remote controls

2 The systems m i ght crash.
3 N o, online b a n k i n g is now ava i la ble at most b a n ks.
4 a Wi-Fi hotspot
5 switch chan nels
6 d ownload a new a p p
7 They suffer from wea r a n d tea r.

146 English Collocations in Use Advanced

36.4 1 (a) the small screen (b) the big screen (a lso the si lver screen)
2 on line d i ctionary I education / course I m a gazi ne
3 remote m ou nta i n village I past I possibi lity I manner

Un it 37

37 . 1 enjoy good hea lth gentle exercise

reduce you r stress levels s u ffer from a c h ronic d isease
do plenty of exercise do sport
go on a d i et watch what you eat

37.2 1 diet
2 dose. A d ose of medici ne/penicillin is a measured a mount of it, while a dose of flu is an experience
of flu (dose in this seco n d sense wou ld o n ly be used a bout a n u n pleasa nt experience) .
3 build u p
4 disease
5 cold
6 cou rse

37.3 1 j 6 c
2 b 7 f
3 h 8 d
4 a 9 g
5 e 10

37.4 1 side effects

2 unti mely d eath (premature is a lso poss i b le but does not so u n d right after very)
3 shake it off
4 poor hea lth
5 ta king a n overdose
6 exceed the recommended dose
7 have a n operation
8 watch w h at you eat
9 make a full recovery

Un it 38

38. 1 1 Soaring c rime rates h ave been reco rded i n the last 12 months.
2 Why s h o u l d you ng cri m i n a ls escape punishment for cri mes j u st because of their age?
3 The lawyers contested the verdict of the court.
4 The j u d ge dismissed the case because he felt the evi dence was unreliable.
5 John J o n es denied all k nowledge of the robbery.
6 The j u d ge adjourned the trial until next m onth.

38.2 1 good 4 kept i n prison fo r the fu ll amount of time

2 go to prison 5 i nvented
3 kept i n p rison

38.3 1 H e w a s put o n trial for m u rder.

2 He was later remanded i n custody.
3 The witn ess appeared in cou rt for the first time today.
4 The m u rderer was soon b rought to j ustice.
5 The case agai nst M r S h a rp was proved beyond reaso n a b le d o u bt.

38.4 1 misca rri a ges 4 u n a n i mous 7 justice

2 exten u at i n g 5 denied 8 adjo urned
3 appeared 6 awarded 9 minor

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 147

 38.5 1 find gui lty, fi n d not gui lty ( N ote that a guilty verdict and a not guilty verdict a re a lso possible
collocatio ns.)
2 give evidence, give a sente n ce (usua lly used in passive - be given a sentence)
3 sta nd tri a l , face trial
4 u n reliable witness, unrelia b l e evidence
5 contest a verd ict, overturn a verdict

Possible sen tences using the co/locations:

He was fou n d gui lty of theft, but fo u nd not g u i lty of murder.
The witness gave evidence w h i c h resu lted i n t h e a ccused bei n g given a five-year sentence.
She was fa c i n g tri a l for m u rder, but escaped from prison and n ever actually stood trial for the
offence.
It was an exa m p le of unrelia b le evidence from a n u n reliable witness.
The verdict was contested a n d was subseq uently overtu rned .

U n it 39

39. 1 1 SPATE 3 STR I KE (S) 5 POWER

2 VIOLENCE 4 CAU G HT 6 CEASE F I R E

39.2 Possible answers:

1 The U N 's a i m is to restore peace in an area w h ere there has c lea rly been a lot of fighti ng.
2 They have m a naged to get both sides to a gree to a ceasefi re.
3 The ceasefi re is due to come i nto effect from m i d night the fo l lowi ng day.
4 There have been hosti lities fo r ten years.
5 No, it has been getting worse. It has been esca lating.
6 The two s i d es have clea rly been deadly/bitter enemies for a long time.

39.3 1 lift the blockade 5 launch a c o u n ter-atta ck

2 surgica l strikes 6 create i nsta bi lity
3 fragile peace 7 collatera l d a m age
4 go on the offensive 8 suffer c a s u a lties

39.4 1 The ceasefire comes into effect today and a l l h o pe it will bri n g stability to the area aga i n .
2 T h e govern m ent h a s prom ised t o withdraw its troops next yea r.
3 There is a n u neasy truce between the two s i d es at the moment.
4 When peace is restored, we s h a l l be able to disband the army.
5 The newspa per reported that the enemy h a d suffered a d efeat despite the fact that they had
deployed la rge n u mbers of troops to the a rea.
6 They accused us of stockpiling weapons a n d of prepa ring to launch an unprovoked attack.
7 Some a rgue that the nuclea r d eterrent has p revented violence from escalating.

U n it 40

40.1 1 childhood 2 close 3 Forging 4 lifelong 5 circle 6 long-term

40.2 1 casua l 3 social 5 sta ble 7 firm/close 9 frien d ly

2 bad 4 close 6 comp lete 8 mora l

40.3 1 life 5 hea l

2 sprang 6 took
3 won 7 broke down
4 provided m e with 8 close/firm

40.4 1 We should h ave a heart-to-heart chat to reso lve our differen ces.
2 She ca me u nder attack from some colleagues at work who d i d n't like her.
3 If you abuse someone's trust you deserve to lose their friendship.
4 We tried h a rd to make the relationship work b u t failed.
5 I think you n eed to put so me d i stance betwee n yourself a n d Ed u a rdo.

148 English Collocations in Use Advanced

 U n it 41

41.1 newborn baby spoilt brat c h i ld prodigy j uven i le delinquent d isaffected youth
(Other possible collocations are: spoilt baby, spoilt child, delinquent youth.)

41.2 1 c h i ld prodigy
2 newborn babies
3 j uven i le deli nquent
4 spoilt brat
5 d i saffected youth

4 1 .3 1 It is a l l too easy to take you r close frie n d s and you r fa m i ly for gra nted.
2 Liz's got four c h i l d ren and she's just bou ght herself a sports car. Do you t h i n k she's goi n g through
some kind of m i d life crisis?
3 My sister had a baby boy last month.
4 You ' l l spoil you r d a ughter if you keep o n pandering to her every w h i m .
5 My parents are vegeta ria ns, s o I respect their wishes a n d don't eat m eat i n their house.
6 So rry, I must be havi n g a senior m o m e nt. I just can't re member yo ur n a me!
7 Jacqui i n sists she has seen the error of her ways.
8 Don't worry a bout you r d a ughter lea v i n g home. She won't come to a ny harm.
9 M a ke sure you d o n 't let the child out of your sight.

41.4 1 Leavi n g home means going to live in a n other place, a n d leaving the h o u se is what you do when
you go out of your front door every d ay.
2 A hazy memory is vague, not clear or d i stinct, and a d i stinct memory is very clea r.
3 A gru m py old m a n is one who is ba d-tem pered a n d co m p lains a lot, a n d a dear old m a n is one
who i s kind and good-natu red.
4 An occasion a l twi n ge is a pain that h a p pens from t i m e to time, a n d a s u dden twi n ge is a pain that
h a ppens unexpectedly.
5 Someth i n g beco mes a habit but a person develops a h a b it.
6 If you fa l l i nto a pattern, that pattern gradua lly develops, whereas if you fit into a pattern, the
pattern has a l ready been esta blished by someone else a n d you a d a pt to it.

41.5 The co/locations that are impossible (or a t least very unlikely) are:
1 go 3 ta lk 5 p erfect 7 an increase
2 fi rm 4 problem 6 wake up 8 sensitive

U n it 42

42.1 1 Fa lse. I t co uld i n clude mem bers of h i s/her family, but it a lso includes h i s/her immedi ate
col leagues a nd/or friends.
2 False. A lavish lifestyle is one that is very extravaga n t and luxurious, b ut it is not necessa rily
one that occasi o n a lly breaks the law.
3 False. The highest bidder is the pers o n who is prepa red to pay most fo r someth i n g.
4 True
5 True
6 False. A prenuptial a greement is m a d e before a cou p le ma rry.
7 True
8 False. It suggests that the i nterviewee spoke only to one journalist or n ewspaper.

42.2 1 rise 5 h ighly

2 a m bition (co u ld a lso be dream) 6 revea l
3 hea ped 7 e njoyed/had
4 n o m i nation 8 made

42.3 1 2 a 3 f 4 g 5 6 h 7 e 8 b 9 c 10 d

English Collocations in Use Advanced 149

 42.4 1 an in-depth inte rview
2 a meteoric rise to fa me
3 a significa nt im pact
4 a l avish lifestyle

U nit 43

43 .1 1 a sli ppery custo m e r 5 ta ke the fla k

2 m i n d less violence 6 poison the atmosphere
3 s h i rk one's responsibi lities 7 hold i n contempt
4 pick a fight 8 a d isru ptive i nfluen ce
43.2 1 bone i d le 4 tota l ly o u t of o rder / a dow n right d isgrace
2 poisoning the atmosphere 5 m i n o r n iggles
3 trust Glyn an i n c h 6 a nasty piece of work

43.3 1 betray 3 have 5 rests 7 cloud 9 stoop

2 h o ld 4 pick 6 belittle 8 play 10 have

43.4 1 m i n d less 3 d isruptive 5 ach ievement(s)

2 glaring 4 d i sgrace 6 naggi n g

U n it 44

44.1 1 keen interest

2 h o n i ng; skills
3 m eet; challenge
4 p a ramount i m p o rta n ce
5 p u rsue; interest
6 accumu late; experience

44.2 1 Pa u l has an encyclopaedic knowled ge of Afric a n history.

2 K a ren has very good i nterperson a l skills / h a s excellent people skills.
3 E ric accumu lated con sidera ble experience of fa rm i n g / on farms when he was in Canad a .
4 H a n n a h h a s a n excellent tea c h i n g q u a lification b u t s h e lacks classroom experience. / lacks
experience i n the classroo m.
5 I trust D r Ro binson i m plicitly.
6 T h is job will offer you the perfect opportun ity to hone yo u r co mputer/com p uting skills.
7 I h ave every confiden ce i n you r a bi l ity to / that you will be a ble to co m p lete the course.
8 It was Kara n's fi n a n c i a l acumen that led to his p romotio n .

44.3 I a m h a ppy to act as a referee for J a m es McBride, who has a p plied for a tea c h i n g post at you r
l a n guage school. I h ave every confi d en ce i n M r M c B ride's a b i l ities a s a teacher. H e spent last s u mmer
w o rking at the school where I a m principal and he was a highly valued member of our staff. H e was
very successfu l in esta blishi ng/developing a good relationsh i p with both stud ents and staff. He is
h ighly educated / has a good level of ed ucation with a particula rly extensive/comprehensive
k n ow ledge of English literatu re. H e com bi nes good teaching q u a lifications with considerable
expe rience of tea c h i n g students at a l l levels of E n glish. He a lso has advanced/good com puter skills,
w h i ch should certa i n ly prove usefu l in a tec hnologically adva n ced school such as yours.

44.4 1 revealed 4 provide

2 w h olehearted ly 5 perform
3 m eet 6 high ly

150 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

44.5 financi a l / business I political a c u men
highly va l u ed I placed I p rized
perform a task / an operation / a song

Unit 45

45 . 1 blank expression 1 stri king resem blance

gruff exterior 2 b u b b ly person a lity
stri ki ng res e m b lan ce 3 b l a n k exp ression
cool reception 4 stu b bo rn streak
stu bborn strea k 5 gruff exterior
bu bbly person a l ity 6 cool reception

45 . 2 Sentences 3, 4, 6 a n d 8 a re co m p limentary.

45 .3 1 bears a striking rese m b l a n ce to

2 boost i n g you r confid ence
3 forthright m a n ner
4 stro n g poi nts
5 has a lot of a d m i ra ble q u a lities
6 bu rsti n g with energy

45.4 1 perfectly
2 hosti lity
3 unaccepta ble
4 characteristics
5 thi nly
6 receptio n

Un it 46

46 . 1 1 Living i n such a confi n ed space i s difficu lt with three kids.

2 The p i a n o took up a lot of roo m, so we sold it.
3 This office is better t h a n the c ram ped con d itions I used t o work i n .
4 We're moving beca use we're short o f space where we're livi n g at t h e moment.
5 We d e m o lished a n old outhouse to leave room for a bigger kitchen and uti lity room.
6 The attic is a waste of spa ce, so we're goi n g to convert it i nto a study.

46 . 2 1 a last i n g contribution to
2 (vaca nt) parking spaces
3 dim a n d dista nt memory
4 am ple room
5 the vast expanse

46 . 3 1 A deca d e has elapsed

2 foreseea ble futu re
3 a bygon e era
4 go down i n history
5 over the cou rse of time
6 not-so-d ista nt future

English Collocations in Use Advanced 151

 46.4 i L R y
G 0
0
L 'D
'S H A •p E D I
p 0 E s
A s N T
'B A c K T A
6
y E 0 E s T N y
G R T
0 7L v N G
N T
E y

U n it 47

47. 1 1 Kevin 2 Joe 3 Fa bri ce's boss 4 I lona 5 Za ra

47.2 1 muttered 4 travels 7 whisper

2 make 5 let 8 lost
3 utter 6 d escended 9 slu rred

47.3 1 I co u ld hear a slight trace of an I rish acce n t i n her voice.

2 Paolo was m et with a stony silence as eve ryone tried to a bsorb the bad n ew s .
3 T h e old w o m a n let out a c r y of a n ger w h e n s h e heard the resu lt o f the tri a l .
4 S h e h a s a b road American a ccent, even t h o u g h she was n ot born there.
5 The weath e r was terrible last n ight, with h eavy ra in and claps of thund er.
6 The voices were muffled, so I could not m a ke out what a ny o n e was sayi n g.
7 Silence reigned in the class ro o m as the p u p i l s were a l l h a rd at work.
8 Spea k u p. I h ate it when you m u tter somet h i n g u nder you r b reath.

47.4 1 dista nt
2 incessa nt (a lso constant)
3 soft (a lso q u iet)
4 dull
5 death ly
6 clap ( N ote t h at the p h rase a m urmur of thunder in the origi n a l sentence w o u l d be a very u n us u a l
com b i n ation o f words i n English.)

U n it 48

48 . 1 1 feasible a ltern atives 2 via b l e options 3 the easy option 4 a step-by-step approach

48.2 adopt a m ethod i m m e nse asset perfectly s i m ple t a ke the time

concentrate the mind insta ntly reca ll remarka b l e ease
e n list help perfect a tech n i q u e simple r u l e

48.3 1 perfected 5 degree of acc u ra c y

2 sim plicity 6 b reak
3 ease 7 ta k i n g the
4 worth the effort 8 steep learning c u rve

48.4 1 c 2 D 3 A 4 B 5 D

152 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 Unit 49

49. 1 1 adverse weather con d itions 7 a state of confusion

2 a co m p lete d isaster 8 catastrophic resu lts
3 a co nstant struggle 9 h i gh risk
4 widespread flood i n g 10 a severe blow
5 grave d a n ger 11 a co m plete disaster
6 h a rd work

49.2 1 tackle 4 respond 7 face

2 stru c k 5 ca rries 8 fighti n g
3 spot 6 h i ndering 9 poses

49.3 1 d 2 c 3 f 4 b 5 a 6 e

49.4 1 We a re having/experiencing a n u m ber of problem s with our new car.

2 Some p roblems a rose/occurred when we tried to fo l low you r instructions.
3 Somehow our society m u st find a solution to the p ro b lem of child poverty.
4 A d iffi cu lty has a risen with regard to a m ember of o u r p roject tea m .
5 Even a dvanced stud ents sometimes m a ke mista kes with t h i s type of co l location.
6 I 've a lways had/experienced a lot of d ifficu lties with English spelling.
7 A s uccessfu l teacher n eeds to deal with the complexities of lea rn i n g that each stu dent faces.

49.S Possible answers:

resista nce an issue a q u esti on
1 encou nter 2 tac kle 3 pose
pro b le m s a crisis a problem

Unit 5 0

50.1 1 We h a d a bu mper crop of a p ples from our trees last yea r.

2 A su bsta ntial a m o u n t of thei r income comes from the a pa rtments they rent out.
3 I feel confident that a su bsta ntia l/sign ifica nt/good/fa i r n u m ber of peop l e will vote for Mac.
4 Sofia 's room at college is a good size.
5 We h ave a finite n u m ber of tickets, so we're offering them on a fi rst-co m e-fi rst-served basis.
6 I was terrified by the sheer size of the d og.
7 My new colleague is sti l l an u n known q u a ntity.
8 There were a fa i r few / a fa i r n u m be r of c a reless m i stakes in you r homework.

50.2 1 maj o rity 3 fees 5 patience 7 a m ount

2 overdose 4 p roportions 6 c ro p 8 few/n u m ber

50.3 1 u n bo u nded enthusiasm 5 fa ir few

2 b u m pe r crop 6 end less s u p ply
3 astronom ical fees 7 inord i n ate a m o u nt
4 infi n ite patience 8 sheer q u a ntity

50.4 m i nority majority amount n u mber percentage q u a ntity importance sign ificance

small ./ ./ ./ ./ ./
little ./ ./
la rge ./ ./ ./ ./ ./
great ./ ./
big

high ./
wide

English Collocations in Use Advanced 153

 50.5 1 i nfin ite wisdom / variety / n u m ber 4 end less a rg u m e nts I possibi l ities I succession
2 epic fi lm / jou rney / struggle 5 massive house I scale I hea rt attack
3 overwhelm i n g u rge / desire / need

U n it 51

51.1 1 a ) to cha n ge beyo nd recogn ition

b) to im plement plan ned c h a n ges
2 a) major b) m i n o r c) m ajor d) m i nor e) m ajor
3 a) The town rem a i n s u ncha n ged .
b} Over the years m a ny cha n ges h ave ta ken place i n the school.
4 Yes.
5 I t's usually easier fo r a you n g person than an e lderly person to adapt to c h a nging circ u m sta nces.
6 T h e fact that they went out.

51.2 1 s how/showed 6 i n c rease

2 ti mes 7 made
3 t u rned 8 recognition
4 u n dergoing 9 d ra m atica l ly
5 wildly 10 i m p lement

51.3 1 Th ere is room for i m provement in your co u rsework assign ment.

2 There was a sudden shift in pu blic attitudes towards the issue of ca pita l p u n ishment.
3 Several changes in our management structure took place last yea r.
4 There have been sweeping c h a n ges to the school p rogra m m e si nce I was a pupil here.
5 Some q u ite sign ificant changes came about last yea r.
6 Penny has been a changed w o m a n since she got the job she wa nted.
7 M y life turned I was tu rned u ps i d e-down when I lost my job.
8 I t'd make a c h a n ge to stay in a h otel rather than go ca m p i n g this s u m m e r.

U n it 52

52.1 1 a bandon 2 lull 3 bri n g 4 called

52.2 1 b 2 f 3 d 4 h 5 a 6 g 7 c 8 e

52.3 1 S I NGER C LEARS UP CO N F U S I O N ABOUT LYRICS

2 ARMY Q U E LLS U N R E ST ON B O R D E R
3 N EW REPU B L I C B R EAKS D I P LO MATI C RELAT I O N S WITH N E I G H BO U RS
4 P EACE PROCESS TALKS COLLAPSE
5 VIOLENCE S PARKS F EARS OF F U RT H E R U N R EST
6 STAR DISPELS R U M O U RS OF DIVORCE
7 STADI U M F I NALLY N EARS CO M P LETION
8 M I N I STER ALLAYS FEARS O F TAX I N C REASE

52.4 1 o pening
2 e nter
3 a llay
4 stop
5 b reaks
6 d ispel
7 quell
8 comp letion

U n it 53

53.1 1 I think that co mputers will eventua l ly render books obso lete.
2 The prelimi n a ry m eeti ng set t h e wheels of the new project in moti o n .

154 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 3 Her mother calli n g her sister the ' p retty one' bred a lot of resentment i n her.
4 I a lways suspected the new tax law wou l d spell d i saster for the eco nomy.
5 I ' m sure that you r h a rd wo rk will p roduce a positive resu lt.
6 The boss's decision to cut wages p rovoked an outcry from the staff.
7 The way h e behaved last n ight pla nted dou bts i n m y m i nd a bout his honesty.
8 The m i n i ster's a bsence has p rom pted speculation that he is u nwell.
9 The u n certa i nty of the situation is d riving us crazy.
10 The floods last week wrought havoc in low-lyi ng a reas.

53.2 1 demanded 4 com pel l i n g 7 des i red

2 d i re 5 contri buting 8 wro u ght/wrea ked
3 face 6 reason 9 plant

53.3 1 The d u st from the b u i ld i ng site n ext door is nearly d rivi ng me crazy.
2 It will take them a long time to esta blish the cause of the accident.
3 If we set things i n motion now, you r visa should be ready next week.
4 The customer s u rvey which the co mpany ca rried o u t p roduced some su rprising resu lts.

53.4 1 The desi red effect of any medi cation is to c u re an i n fection or d isease, o r treat its sym ptoms.
2 A knock-on effect m i ght or m ight not be welcomed a s it can be either positive o r negative.
3 Root ca use. The root cause m ea n s the o rigi n a l sou rce of the problem and the primary cause is the
main ca use a m o n gst severa l possible causes.
4 It p robably takes a bout five m i n utes before you feel the fu ll effect of a d enta l injection.
5 Some people would a rgue that television has had some i l l effects on society - it may, fo r exa mple,
h ave enco u raged people to rea d less and to ta l k to their fa mi lies less in the eveni ngs.
6 a video or a u d i o cassette player

53.5 Possible answers

1 The customer would not have co m p la i n ed without good cause.
2 The fire brigade a re i nvestigati n g the cause of the fire.
3 Raul is very rel i a b le and trustworthy. He's never given me any cause for concern.
4 I'm goi n g to sponsor Cha rlotte for $30 to ru n ten kilometres for a c h i l d ren's cha rity. I t's a l l i n a
good ca use.
5 This new i n s u ra n ce policy will come i nto effect on 10th Februa ry.
6 The referend u m h a d a detri menta l effect on the eco n o my.
7 La u ra has excellent p resentation skills, which she uses to good effect when giving lectu res.
8 Sam took two ta b lets for his headache but he had to wait an h o u r for the treatment to ta ke effect.

U n it 54

54. 1 1 b i rds (flock of b i rds) - swa rm of bees/flies

2 wasps (swa rm of wasps) - h e rd of zebras/cattle
3 sardi nes (shoa l of sard i nes) - flock of sheep/birds
4 fish (shoa l/school of fish) - pod of wha les/dolphins
5 elepha nts (herd of elephants) - troop of baboons/mo n keys
6 lions (pride of lions) - pack of wolves/dogs
54.2 1 flu rry 6 ga m ut
2 dash 7 swarm (co u ld a lso be a n army or a colony of a nts)
3 flu rry 8 flicker
4 stroke 9 gli mmer
5 d rop; spri n kli n g

54.3 1 a dollop of cre a m

2 a h u n k of bread
3 a head of garlic
4 100 g of butter

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 155

 54.4 a bed of rice a d ro p of b randy a flu rry of specu lati o n
ga mut of colou rs a gli m m e r of hope a pack o f hou nds
a pod of w h a les a shoa l of fish a tou c h of humou r

54.5 1 pad o r pack (A pad of paper is paper glued together at the top intended fo r ha ndwriti n g, w h i le a
pack of paper refers to the loose sheets of paper sold together for printi n g. )
2 pack; gra i n
3 suite
4 pack
5 torrent
6 gra i n
7 pinch
8 swig

U n it 55

55.1 1 yaw n i n g; different

2 sides
3 op posites
4 d ifferen ce; contrast
5 clea r/su btle (with d ifferent mea n i n gs)
6 wide

55.2 1 g 2 a 3 f 4 h 5 c 6 b 7 d 8 e

55.3 1 enti re ly I stri ki ngly

2 bridge
3 bea r
4 clear / su btle
5 world
6 fu n d a m e nta lly / stri kingly
7 grow i n g
8 side

55.4 Possible answers:

1 I th i n k the advantages of livi ng i n the cou ntry far outweigh the disadva n ta ges.
2 Life in the country co m pa res very favo u ra b ly with life in the town.
3 Social relationships in the cou ntry a re fu n d a menta l ly d ifferent from those in the town .
4 The pleasures o f town life p a l e i n compa rison with the pleasures o f cou ntry livi ng.
5 U nfortu nately, pu blic tra nsport in the cou ntry is stri ki ngly d ifferent from the transport s ervices
ava i la b le in the city.
6 E nterta i n ment a n d sports fa ci lities ava i l a ble in the tow n a n d in the co u ntry differ widely.

55.5 Here ore some possible co/locations:

i n sta rk contrast outweigh the benefits a gap in the m a rket
i n sharp contrast outweigh the risks a gap betwee n h e r teeth
to contrast d ramatically the generatio n g a p

U n it 56

56.1 1 Exercise - this is made c lea r by the word physical.

2 N o, the spea ker t h i n ks i t will b e difficult - this i s made c lea r b y t h e p h ra s e hard slog.
3 It's the respo nsibi lity of two or more peop le - this is m a d e c lear by the w o rd joint.
4 To try their hardest - this is shown by the use of give things your best shot.
5 N o, she d i d n't - this is made clear by the word abortive.
6 Cooperation - this is made clea r by the wo rd team.

156 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

56.2 1 worth 4 igno red 7 shot 10 req u i red
2 d eterm ined 5 heeded 8 strenuous 1 1 p i n n i ng
3 d oomed 6 des i re 9 d evoting 12 rea p

56.3 1 It'll be an u p h i l l struggle to get yo u r work fi nished by the dea d li ne.

2 The a ppeal of S h a kespeare's p l ays has certa i n ly stood the test of time.
3 It wou ld be sensible for you to fol low his advice.
4 N o parents can p rovide a solution to/for all their c h i l d ren's pro blems.
5 After a few m o nths you will begin to reap the rew a rds of all you r h a rd work.
6 Rob made a valiant effort not to fa l l beh ind in the race but he j u st d i d n't have enough sta m i n a .
7 ( H a rd) physica l exertion certa i n ly works u p a n a p petite.
8 A lawyer wou ld p ro bably be the best person to offer you advice.
9 I ' m pinning m y h opes on wi n n i n g a scholarsh i p to the college.
10 Elisa has been ma king a concerted effo rt to do better this ter m .

U n it 57

57.1 1 b ri ght 2 give; mean 3 u p ; decent 4 travels 5 had; sleep 6 k now

57.2 1 I'm really/absolutely delighted with my wonderfu l present.

2 I ' m a bsolutely s h attered - I 've been on the go a l l week.
3 I t was a great pleasure to m eet you.
4 I ' m really / very m uch loo k i n g forward to hea r i n g from you soo n .
5 I t came a s a b i t o f a shock w h e n I heard that E l l e n a n d J i m h a d sp lit u p.
6 To be brutally h o nest, I don't t h i n k he'll ever m a ke a good tea c h e r.
7 I d id n't have m u c h luck when I was tryi ng to fi n d a new d ress fo r the pa rty.
8 I hope I did n't cause your pa rents any trou ble. O r I hope I d i d n't put your parents to a ny trou ble.
9 We sincerely I very much hope that you will visit u s aga in soo n .
10 The thought occu rred to me t h a t he might be i n s o m e kind o f trou ble.
11 P lease don't go to any trou b le o n my accou nt!
12 Give me a ring when you wa nt to be picked up fro m the statio n .

57.3 'F A c E
E
2R E A L L y
B

3R E L E F
E
'E M A L
x
SB A c K
u
6R E A s 0 N
E

U n it 58

58.1 1 b roke; promise 4 rejected; c h a rge

2 offer; expla nation 5 dodge; q u estion
3 reaffi rm; com m itment 6 betrayed; trust

58.2 1 gave repeated a s s u rances

2 went back on h i s p rom ise
3 give a straight a n swer

English Collocations in Use Advanced 157

 4 m a d e a (fi rm) co m m itment to
5 kee p i n g you r pro m ise
6 fie lded
7 c h a n n e ls of com m u n ication
8 ta ke your point
9 gave a fu l l apology

58.3 1 Alex 2 Brona 3 Simon 4 Arlene 5 Fi n n

58.4 Co/locations in possible sentences:

We a l l h ave to confront the issue of cli m ate change.
With a l l due respect, I t h i n k that you r co m ments a re very short-sighted.
The police a re trying to establish comm u nication with the terrorists in the b u i ld i ng.
I accept what you say. It's a fair comment.
The politician / fi lm sta r / footba ller issued a denial after reports in the n ewspa pers that h e/she was
havi n g an affa i r.
The lectu rer put an i n te resti ng question to the class a bo ut the reasons for a ntisocial beh a vi o u r.

Unit 5 9

59.1 1 h a re b ra i ned 2 a d m itted 3 levels 4 ta ke 5 bottle 6 vent

59.2 1 c 2 A 3 B 4 c 5 D 6 B

59.3 1 Catc h i n g a bug w h i l e he was in hosp ita l h astened the old m a n 's death I the d eath of the old man.
2 C i n de rella suffered (very rough treatment) at the hands of her wicked step m other.
3 There was a public outpouring of grief when the fi l m sta r d ied .
4 T h e a ccid ent has fuel led fears about / with regard to safety on the ra ilways.
5 Beca use of their behaviour we a re l eft with little/no a lte rnative but to boycott their good s .
6 I t was a la pse o f j udgement for h i m t o a c t as he d i d .
7 I was sick with wo rry / worried s i c k when D a d was having his operation .
8 It's better not to bottle u p you r fee l i n gs.

59.4 1 a fit of . . . jealousy I tem per I a n ger I s neezing

2 to s h atter . . . someon e's confidence I i l l u sions I the peace
3 to fi l l someone with . . . d read / joy / forebod ing / h o rror
4 to h u rl . . . an object I i n s u lts I a buse I stones at someone
5 i n a state of . . . confusion I shock I e u p h o ria I emergency
6 to p ose a . . . threat / p rob lem / cha llenge / da nger
7 a la pse of . . . judge m e n t I time I co n ce ntration
8 an i ntense . . . dislike / fea r / loat h i n g

Unit 6 0

60.1 1 T h e whole cou ntry seems to be in a state of eup horia after winning the W o rld Cup.
2 I h eaved a sigh of rel i ef when I heard Joe had fi n a l ly passed his d rivi n g test.
3 As the starting w h i stle blew, a su rge of a d renalin hel ped me get off to a good start.
4 I sti l l a lways feel a shiver down my s p i n e when I set off on a long jou rney.
5 I t was a difficult c l i m b but we had a m a rvellous sense of achievement as we stood at
the to p.
6 Agreeing to do a bit of overtime cou ld work to you r adva ntage, you know.
7 D o m i n i k seems to have lost his sense of pu rpose.
8 As wi nter ends I a lways seem to feel a bu rst of energy.
9 It was pure luck t h at the answer s u d d e n ly came to me in the middle of t h e exam.
10 I d o n 't think those e n gi neers ever got the recognition they deserved.

158 English Collocations i n U s e A dvanced

60.2 1 d erive 4 expressed 7 o ptimistic
2 h i gh; lived 5 heart 8 great
3 come 6 takes/took 9 j oy

60.3 Possible answers:

1 a hope or a wish
2 a friend, a ha bit o r a d rea m
3 easy, certa i n or jea lous
4 l uck, willpower, no nsense or coi ncide nce
5 a n effect, a h o pe or a change

60.4 Author's answers:

1 I t h i n k that most people a re m o re l i ke ly to find long- lasting happi n ess i n a relatio n s h i p than a
ca reer - though you can fi nd plenty of happi ness i n a career too, of cou rse.
2 I have profo u n d a d m i ration for a twelve-year-old girl I know who ta kes most of the responsibi lity
for looking after her seriously d isa bled mother a n d who a lways a p pears cheerfu l.
3 Getting my first writi ng co m m i ssion was a matter of p u re luck, of b u m pi n g into someone at the
right moment.
4 I e njoy both, but I think I derive m o re pleasure from rea di ng.
5 I last experien ced a sense of a c hievement when I fi nished writing the u n its fo r this book.

English Collocations i n Use Advanced 159

 I n dex

a bandon a p o l i c y 52 a d d ress verb state a n a i m 9

a bi d e by a d ec i s i o n 10 - a n issue 35 air a g rieva nce 22
a bi lity - a p ro b le m 49 air q u a l ity 25
d e m o nstrate a n - 17 a d here low-cost a i rline 26
p roven - 17 - to beliefs 10 free a i rt i m e 15
a bj ect a pology 2 2 - t o i d e a l s 10 set off a fi re a larm 52
a b o rtive attem pt 56 - to a p h i losophy 10 alight fro m a bus 1
a b ra sive m a n n e r 45 - to p r i n c i p les 1, 10 all
a bsolutely - to sta n d a rd s 30 deny - k n owledge 38
- d e lighted 7, 57 a d j ourn open - h o u rs 32
- essenti a l 30 - a meet i n g 2 with - d u e respect 58
- fu rious 59 - a tri a l 38 all-sta r c a st 29
- vita l 31 a d m i ratio n a llay fea rs 52
u tterly a bsurd 7 express - 60 a llocate
a buse trust 40 p rofo u n d - 60 - p a rt of a budget 15
academic yea r 17 a d m it d efeat 59 - res o u rces 34
a ccent adopt a method 48 a lternative adjective
b road - 2, 47 s u rge of a d re n a lin 60 - e ne rgy source 31
t race of an 47
-
a dvanced alternative noun
re m ote access yo u r e m a i l 36 - co m p uter s k i l l s 44 be left w i t h little - 59
a ccom plished a cto r 29 - knowledge 44 co m e u p w ith a n - 10
a ccount adva ntage feas i b le - 48
d etai led - 2 2 work t o s o m eon e's - 60 amazing
e x h a u stive 18
-
advantages o utweigh the - c h a i n of events 29
give an - of 9 d isadva n ta ges 55 - d eg re e of accura cy 48
o pen a cu rre n t - 33 adventu re ambition
accumu late experi e nce 44 sense of - 26 life l o n g - 60
a m az i n g d eg re e of accuracy 48 t h i rst fo r - 26 amount
sense of achievem e nt 60 adverse i n o rd i n ate - 50
b e li ttle someo n e 's a c hievements - reacti o n 37 la rge - 50
43 - weath e r conditions 49 significant - (of) 50
acquaintance affect the botto m l i n e 15 s m a l l - 50
casu a l - 40 keep afloat 33 su bsta n t i a l - (of) 50
m a ke someone's - 8 after ca refu l consideration 28 a m ple roo m 46
acquire against sou rce of a m u sement 4
- knowledge 17 - you r b ette r j u dgement 13 critica l a n a lysis 18
- a taste fo r 2 7 m a ke a sta n d - 8 pent-u p a nger 45
get a message a cross 9 ta ke a fi rm sta nce - 22 anno u n ce record p rofits 14
a ct age annual t ra d ition 23
- yo u r a ge 45 a ct yo u r - 45
give a stra i gh t answer 58
- a s a go-b etwee n 21 feel yo u r - 4 1
eager a ntici pation 2 8
- a s a refe ree 44 look yo u r - 45
a ntiso c i a l behaviou r 35
a ct on age-old t ra d it i o n 23
a pology
- a suggesti o n 2 8 menta l agility 1 7
a bj ect - 2 2
- a tip-off 1 0 a nti aging p ro perties 2 4
-
give a fu l l - 58
ta ke i n d ustri a l a ction 12 agreed c re d i t l i m i t 33 m a ke a n - 8
flu rry of activity 54 agreement dow n loa d an app 36
a ccomplished a ctor 29 a rrive at a n - 30
appear i n co u rt 38
fi n a n c i a l acumen 44 in bro a d - 2
put i n a n a ppearance 19
a d a pt to c h a n g i n g c i rc u m sta nces b roker a n - 21
work u p a n a ppetite 1 0
51 ente r i n to a n - 2 1
put in an a pplication 30
a d d ress noun reach - 2 1 , 30
ste p- by-ste p approac h 48
j ot down a n - 10

160 English Collocations in Use Advanced

approve a p l a n 30 u n d iv i d e d - 41 barrage
a rduous j o u rney 26 - w a n d e rs 17 - of i n s u lts 3
ru n-down a rea 35 form a l attire 24 - of q u esti o n s 3
a rgument h ave a n attitude p ro b l e m 43 l oosely based o n 7
be d ra w n i n to a n - 20 stu n n i n gly attractive 3 basic principle 48
lose an - 20 auburn h a i r 2 w i n the battle 4
other s i d e of the - 55 authority be
th rust of a n - 18 exe rcise - 30 - awarded a p e n a lty 2 7
w i n a n - 20 lead i n g - 17 - d rawn i nto a n a rg u m e n t 20
a rises i n a position of - 30 - given leave 2 2
d i fficu lty - 4 9 automatic c a r 25 - given a sente n ce 38
d ispute - 2 1 b ro a d avenue 2 - given a yellow c a rd 27
opportu n ity - 3 awaken y o u r i n terest 2 9 - j o i ned i n matri m o n y 23
problem - 49 award noun - left with little a lte r n ative 59
d isba n d a n a rmy 39 - p resent i n g a n 42 - open to offe rs 1 1
ru mou r flies a round 20 award verb - the o n ly opti o n o p e n to
a rouse s o m e o n e's i nterest 1 - d a m a ges 38 someone 28
m a ke arrangements 8 be awarded a pena lty 2 7 - i n poor hea lth 3 7
a rrive a t beco m e aware 13 - p rospects fo r 12
- a n a g re e m e n t 30 tota l ly awesome 5 - i n for a s h o c k 59
- a co n c l u s i o n 28 troop of baboons 54
bear
thorou g h ly ashamed 7 - left 25
baby
ask for a n exte n s i o n 5 - little rese m b l a n ce to 55
h a ve a - 41
aspects of t h e j o b 11 - in m i n d 13
n e w b o rn - 41
assess s o m et h i n g's va lue 4 - a stri k i n g rese m b l a n ce to 55
back adverb
ca rry out a risk assessment 30 - the suspense 29
- in fas h i o n 24
not - com p a ri s o n with 55
i m m ense asset 48 bri n g - memories 46
not - the t h o u g h t of 57
assignments go - on a prom i se 5 8
hand i n - 5 off the beaten t ra c k 2 6
pay - a loa n 33
s u b mit - 5 p u s h - the fro ntiers 36 exclusive beauty s a l o n 24
give repeated assurances 5 8 tra d it i o n d ates - t o 23 become
traffic ta i l s - 25 - aware 13
astronomical fees 50
- a h a bit 41
atmosphere back n o un
convivi a l - 19 - of b eyo n d 32 bed of rice 54
create a n - 8, 29 glad to see the - of 57 swa rm of bees 54
evoke a n - 29 put yo u r - i nto 56 behaviour
poison t h e - 43 a ntisoci a l - 35
back up co nclusions 18
soa k up the - 10 d isorderly - 22
have the backbone to 5 6
attack good - 38
bad
co me u n d e r - 40 u n a ccepta b le - 45
- l a n g u a ge 20
m assive h e a rt - 37 p u t the past behind you 3
c reate a - i m pressi o n 8
u n provo ked - 39 o n - terms 40 w i d espread belief 13
s pate of attacks 3 ta ke s o m et h i n g badly 49 a d h ere to beliefs 10
attempt balance noun belittle someone's a c h i evements
a b a n d o n a n - 52 keep yo u r - 27 43
a bortive - 56 stri ke a - (between) 55 c l a i m benefits 35
m a ke a n - 8 balance verb best
attend - t h e books 14 give it you r - s h ot 5 6
- a for m a l fu n ction 1 9 o n l i n e banking 36 p u t you r - foot fo rward 56
- school 1 7 barbecue betray someo ne's t r u st 43, 58
attention h a ve a - 19 a g a i n st yo u r better j u d gement 13
hold so m e o n e 's - 29 o rga n ise a - 19

English Collocations in Use Advanced 161

 between breach verb bumper c ro p 50
d ra w a co m pa ri s o n - 55 - a contract 5 8 heavy b u rden 6
p u t s o m e d ista nce - 40 h u n k of bread 54 faceless b u reaucrats 30
stri ke a bala nce H 55 break noun burst noun
beyond - with tra d it i o n 23 - of e n e rgy 60
- reas o n a b le d o u bt 3 8 break verb burst verb
b a c k of - 32 - the cycle 35 - i nto l a u g hter 11
c h a n ge - recogniti o n 5 1 - d i plomatic re lations 52 - i nto s o n g 3
t h e h i g hest bidder 42 - t h rough the d efence 27 - i nto tea rs 10
bill - the journey 2 6 bursting w i t h energy 45
foot t h e - 6 - news 9 get off t h e bus 1
r u n u p a - 1, 33 - a pro m ise 5 8 city bus 2 7
flo c k of birds 54 - i nto a ru n 5 2 business
bitter enemy 39 - i nto s o n g 52 gen e rate - 14
black eco nomy 34 - a task d ow n 48 m a ke s o u n d - sense 14
blame law a n d order breaks down 35 state y o u r - 9
- rests with 43 d awn breaks 52 ta l k - 9
s h o u ld e r the - 6 re lationship breaks down 40 bustling centre 32
blan k expression 45 t ro u ble breaks out 2 1 k n o b of butter 54
blatantly o bvious 7 m u tte r u n d e r yo u r breath 47 buying h a b i t 15
wed d ed bliss 23 breed rese n t m e n t 53 bygone e ra 46
blissfully h a ppy 1 bridge the ga p 5 5 m a ke calculations 8
lift a blockade 39 bring call
blond h a i r 1 - to a close 52 - for a ceasefire 39
seve re blow 49 - to a h a lt 5 2 - fo r a cele b ration 19
take a boat 4 - to justice 38 - a n e lectio n 21
bold experiment 29 - sta b i l ity 39 - a h a lt to 52
bom bard someone w i t h bring back m e m o ries 46 call in
q u esti o n s 20 bring up the su bject 20 - a loa n 33
bone i d le 43 broach the s u bject 20 - the receivers 15
h eavy book 6 broad call off
- accent 2, 47 - a m atch 52
b a l a nce the books 15
- aven ue 2 - a sea rc h 21, 52
booming voice 47
- genera lisatio n 20 car
boost
- h i nt 2 hybrid - 3 1
- yo u r confi d ence 45
- s a les 14 - ra nge 2 carbon
- s h o u ld e rs 2 offset - e m i ssions 3 1
- s p i rits 26
- s m i le 2 red uce y o u r - footprint 3 1
- p rofits 14
in - agree m e n t 2 card
bored rigid 32
broker an a gree m e n t 21 be given a yel low - 27
borrow h eavily 33
bubbly perso n a l ity 45 swi pe a 36
-

bottle u p your feeli n gs 5 9

budget after careful co nsideratio n 28
a l levi ate bottlenecks 25
- d oesn't stretch to 26 carry a r i s k 49
affect t h e bottom line 14
a l locate p a rt of a - 14 carry on a co nversation 20
boundless energy 45
build on the s u ccess 34 carry out
bow to p ress u re 21 - a risk a ssessment 30
build up
bra n d - a s u rvey 16
- yo u r stre n gt h 3 7
b u i l d - awaren ess 1 5
- resista nce 37 car-sharing p rogra m mes 25
- i d e ntity 15
d e relict building 3 2 carve a n i c h e for you rself 12
d ro p of brandy 54
builds up case
s p o i lt brat 41
traffic - 25 d is m i ss a - 38
breach noun s u spense - 29 m a ke the - for 18
in - of the law 30

162 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 overstate a - 20 s l i g h t - o f p l a n 28 clear verb
put the - fo r 1 8 swee p i n g - 5 1 - a d e bt 33
cast noun change verb - y o u r desk 13
a l l-sta r - 29 - d ra m atically 51 clear up confusion 52
star-stu d d e d - 29 - fu n d a m entally 51 climate
cast verb - gea r 25 cu rre n t eco n o m i c - 34
- light on a situ ation 6 - i m p e rce pti b ly 5 1 i rrev e rs i ble - c h a n ge 3 1
- i n the ro l e o f 2 9 - rad i ca l ly 5 1 clinically p roven 2 4
casual acq u a i nta nce 40 - beyo n d recognition 5 1 close a djective
suffer casualties 39 - t h e s u bj ect 20 - c o n fi d a nt 40
enviro n m e n ta l catastrophe 3 1 - you r ways 3 1 - fri e n d 40
catastrophic resu lts 49 changed close noun
herd of cattle 54 - man 51 b ri n g t o a - 52
caught i n t h e c rossfire 39 - wo m a n 51 close off a street 52
cause m a ke changes 5 1 cloud y o u r j u d ge m e n t 43
esta b l i s h a - 53 a d a pt to changing c i rc u m sta nces clove o f ga rlic 54
p ri m a ry - 53 51 go clubbing 19
root - 53 channel o f co m m u n ication 58 clue
cautiously o pt i m i stic 60 switch channels 36 h av e n 't a - 5
ceasefire d is p la y characteristics 45 vita l - 21
- co mes i nto effect 39 reject a charge 58 coin
ca l l fo r a - 3 9 tru m pe d - u p charges 38 - a p h rase 8
festiva l celebrates 23 charm - a term 8
ca l l for a celebration 19 rustic - 3 2 cold
celebrity e n d o rsement 15 h ave a s pec i a l - 26 s h a ke o ff a - 37
i m pose censorship 21 i d l e chatter 20 strea m i n g - 37
b u stli n g centre 32 cheap s o u rce 4 ta l ks collapse 52
a ma z i n g chain o f events 29 child p ro d igy 41 collateral d a m a ge 39
chair a co m m i ttee 14 childhood fri ends 40 la u n c h a new collection 24
challenge gifted children 17 long- l a sti n g colour 24
face the - 4 w i d e choice 50 coma
re lish a - 49 suffer fro m chronic d isease 37 co m e out of a - 37
ta ke up a - 27 m a n a ge a b l e chunk 48 fa l l i nto a 37
-

to ugh - 4 s p ri n kl i n g of cinnamon 54 come

meet the challenges 44 circle of fri e n d s 40 - u n d e r attac k 40
chance circu mstances - o u t of a co m a 37
fat - 6 a d a pt to c h a n g i n g - 5 1 - to a conclusi o n 2 8
h ave ( got) t h e - 4 exte n u at i n g - 38 n ot - to a ny h a rm 41
j u m p at t h e - 27 m itigat i n g - 2, 38 come down heavily on 10
pass up a - 3 i n n e r city 32 comes
p rec i o u s l ittle - 27 claim noun ceasefi re - i nto effect 39
slim - 6 fra u d u le n t - 33 c h a n ge - a bout 5 1
change noun d re a m - true 60
claim verb
- co mes a bo u t 51 - ben efits 35 come u p
- takes p la ce 5 1 - w i t h a n a lte rn ative 10
clap o f t h u n d e r 47
d ra m atic - 5 1 - w i t h a n idea 2 8
clarify a position 2 2
force fo r - 3 5 - to sta n d a rd 1 6
to uch o f class 54
fu n d a m e nta l - 51 - w i t h a su ggest i o n 1
s potlessly clean 7
h ave a - o f h e a rt 11 live a comfortable l i fe 41
clean-s h a ve n face 24
i m p le m e n t a - 51 com ment
clear a djec tive
i rreve rs i b le c l i m ate - 3 1 d e c l i n e to 2 2
-

- d istinction 55
i t w o u l d m a ke a 5 1
-
fa i r - 58
set you rself - o bjectives 1 5
ra d ica l 5 1
-
t h rowaway - 2 2
English Collocations i n Use Advanced 163
 commit a m i n o r offe nce 38 conclusions b a c k u p - 18 control
commitment j u m p to - 13 exerc i s e g reater - over 2 8
h o n o u r a - 16 serious med i c a l condition 37 b y rem ote - 36
m a ke a - 58 conditions tighten controls 30
reaffi rm a - 58 a d verse wea t h e r - 49 conversation
c h a i r a committee 14 c ra m ped - 46 ca rry o n a - 20
common knowledge 13 face severe weather - 26 engage s o meone in - 20
communication p o o r san ita ry - 35 hold a - 2 0
c h a n n e l of - 58 conduct an i n vestigation i nto a l u l l i n t h e - 52
esta b l i s h - 58 c ri m e 5 firm conviction 13
common knowledge 13 h o ld a press conference 21 convincin g vi ctory 27
commuter c lose confidant 40 convivial a t m osphere 19
- ro ute 25 confidence cool rece p t i o n 45
- town 25 boost yo u r - 45 cordial re lations 40
- t ra i n 25 h ave every - in 44 core s u bj e ct 17
comparison shatter s o m e o n e 's - 59 cost-cutting measure 33
not bear - with 55 confined s p a ce 46 push up costs 34
d raw a - between 55 conform to safety regu lati o n s 16 l a u n c h a counter-attack 39
pale in - 55 confront issues 18 course
compelling reas o n 53 confusion clea r u p - 52 - of m e d i cation 37
competition state of - 49 enro l o n a - 17
fi erce - 14 congested roa d 32 sign u p fo r a - 17
hea lthy - 16 congestion c h a rge 25 stay t h e - 12
complaint gro u n d s fo r - 16 consequences over the - of time 46
h a n d le a - 16 d i re - 53 a p pea r i n court 38
l o d ge a - 8 d i sastro u s - 3 1 cover
m a ke a - 16 face the - 5 3 - every eventua lity 2 8
take a - seri o u s ly 16 considerable - a l o t o f g ro u n d 18
complete - experi e n ce 44 c ramped conditions 46
- d is a ster 49 - rep utat i o n 2 9 systems crash 36
- stra n ger 40 u n der - p res s u re 1 1 d rive so m e o n e crazy 53
completely after carefu l consideration 2 8 cream
- d ep e n d en t 7 constant dash o f - 54
- different 7 - n aggi n g 43 dollop o f - 54
- sepa rate 7 - struggle 49 create
nea r completion 52 constructive c riticism 28 - a n a t m o s p here 8, 2 9
flawless complexion 24 consult 5 - a b a d i m p ression 8
d e a l with the complexities 49 consummate p rofessio n a l 29 - a goo d i m press i o n 8
comply with the law 30 n etwork of contacts 11 - a n effec t 1
comprehensive k nowledge 44 contain you r excitement 26 - a n i m p ression 8
computer h o ld someo ne/s o m et h i n g in - i nsta b i lity 39
a d va n ced - s k i l l s 44 contempt 43 a greed credit limit 33
good - ski lls 44 contest a verd ict 3 8 credit-card fra ud 33
s h u t d own a - 36 contract b rea c h a - 5 8 crime
concentrate the m i n d 48 d raw u p a - 3 co n d u ct a n i nvesti gation
concentration wave rs 17 e nter i nto a - 5 8 into a - 5
m o u nti n g concern 3 termi nate a - 5 2 dig o u t i n fo a bout a - 5
tel l y o u r concerns 42 flatly contradict 1 i nvestigate a - 5
concerted effort 56 i n m a rked contrast to 55 look i nt o a - 5
conclusion a rrive at a - 28 contributing facto r 53 probe a - 5
come to a - 28 contribution soa ri n g - rates 38
forego n e - 13 l a st i n g - 46 go thro u g h a mid life crisis 4 1
j u m p to a - 6 m a ke a - 8 crinkly e y e s 24
164 English Collocations in Use Advanced
critical a n a lysis 1 8 deal with t h e co m p lexities 49 demand noun
critically i l l 22, 3 7 death d ec l i n e in - 14
criticism hasten s o m eo ne's - 59 satisfy a - 14
constructive - 2 8 p rem atu re - 37 demand verb
m o u nti n g - 3 u nt i mely - 37 - a n ex p l a n ation 53
i n - d e pth critique 1 8 deathly h u s h 47 demographic p rofi le 15
b u m per crop 5 0 re-o pen a debate 22 demonstrate a n a b i lity 17
ca u ght i n the crossfire 39 debt hold a demonstration 2 1
crowded street 3 2 clea r a - 33 i s s u e a denial 58
let out a cry 47 get i nto 3 3
-
deny a l l k nowled ge 38
cultural herita ge 23 o utsta n d i n g - 33 depart fro m a pattern 1
curb i nflation 34 ru n u p a h u ge - 33 dependent
current w rite off a - 33 co m p letely - 7
- eco nomic c l i m ate 34 decades e l a p s e 46 e n t i rely - 7
o p e n a - acco u nt 33 a decent n ig h t's sleep 57 tota l ly 7
-

ru n u p curtains 8 the decidi n g factor 28 deploy t roops 39

steep lea r n i n g curve 48 decision p u t d o w n a deposit 33
custodial sente n ce 38 a b i d e by a - 10 derelict b u i ld i n g 32
re m a n d in custody 38 reach t h e - 2 8 derive p leasu re fro m 60
ta ke your custom e lsewhere 16 declare s i l e n ce descends 47
customer - i n d e p e n d e n ce 2 1 fit the j o b description 12
- loya lty 15 - outright h osti lity 28 get the recog n ition you deserve
regu la r - 16 - outright o p position 28
60
- satisfactio n 1 5 - someo n e t h e wi n ne r 9 design
satisfied - 1 6 decline noun cutt i ng-ed ge - 36
s l i p pery - 4 3 - i n d e m a n d 14 eco-fri e n d ly - 31
cut noun experi e n ce a - 14 designer l a bel 24
power - 36 see a - 14
desirable p lace to live 32
show a - 14
cut verb desired effect 53
- t h rough red ta p e 30 decline verb
c lea r yo u r desk 12
- to co m me n t 22
cut down on l u x u ries 33 s h a pe yo u r destiny 46
cutting-edge d es i g n 36 decrease s h o w a - 51
detailed a cco u n t 22
slight - 14
p ut together a CV 1 1 determined effort 56
su bsta n ti a l - 14
b rea k t h e cycle 3 5 develop a good relatio n s h i p 44
deeply offe n s ive 7
col late ra l damage 3 9 diet
default o n re p ayments 33
a w a rd damages 3 8 go on a 37 -

defeat
damaging d isclosu re 22 sti c k to a - 19
a d m it - 5 9
perfo rm a dance 23 differ w i d ely 55
h u m i liati n g - 21
danger difference s u btle - 5 5
defence
grave - 49 w o r l d of - 55
brea k t h ro u gh the - 2 7
m i n i m ise 30
- different
s p r i n g to s o m eone's - 4 0
dash of crea m 54 co m p letely - 7
vigoro u s - 1 8
t ra d ition dates b a c k to 23 e n t i rely 7, 55
-
a ma z i n g degree of acc u ra c y 48
daunting tas k 1 2 explore - ways 48
lengthy delays 25
dawn b rea ks 5 2 fu n d a m e nta l ly - 1
ta ke delight i n 60
dazzling s li ghtly - 7
a bsolutely delighted 7, 57
- d i s p lay 29 stri k i n g ly 55
-

j uven i le delinquent 41 tota lly - 7

- s m i le 45
deliriously h a p py 2 difficult
dead
deliver a s peech 21 h a n d le a - situ ation 44
- easy 7
n ext-da y delivery 16 - to p i n down 4
- keen 60
pronou nce s o m eo n e - 9

English Collocations in Use Advanced 165

 d ifficulties display verb dramatic
experience - 49 - c h a ra cteristics 45 - c h a n ge 5 1
h ave - 49 disposal of h o u sehold waste 3 1 - s h ift 5 1
difficulty dispute a rises 2 1 dramatically
- a rises 49 disruptive i nfluence 43 c h a nge - 5 1
e n cou nter a 49
-
disseminate i nfo rmati o n 9 i n c rease - 51
dig out i nfo a bo u t a c ri m e 5 dissenting v o i ce 22 draw a c o m p a rison between 55
dim a n d dista n t m e m o ry 46 distance draw u p
w i n e a n d dine 1 9 put s o m e - b etween 40 - a c o n t ract 3
w i n i n g a n d dining 19 with i n w a l k i n g - 32 - a list 3
dip distant - a s c h ed u le 28
- i nto fu n d s 1 0 d i m a n d - m e m ory 4 6 b e drawn i n to a n a rgu m e n t 2 0
- i nto savings 1 0 - echo 4 7 fi l l so m e o n e with dread 59
b re a k diplomatic re lations 52 d istinction c le a r - 55 dream c o m es true 60
dire co nseq u e n ces 53 s u btle - 5 5 dress
dirty distinguished scholar 1 7 form a l - 23
get your ha n d s - 56 divided o p i n i o n s 13 wea r t ra d itional - 23
play a - tri c k 43 pay dividends 14 u n de ra ge d rinking 35
the a d va ntages o u tweigh the divorce drive n o u n
d isadvantages 5 5 file for - 1 0 g o o n a n economy - 1
disaffected y o u t h 4 1 d ivulge fresh - 3 5
d isaster - a secret 9 drive verb
- stri kes 49 - a sou rce 9 - rec klessly 3
c o m p lete - 49 do - so m e o n e c razy 53
s p e l l - 53 - a job-s h a re 1 1 drop
u n m itigated - 2 9 - plenty of exercise 3 7 - of b ra n d y 54
disastrous co n s e q u e n ces 3 1 - resea rc h 8 , 1 8 - the s u bj ect 20
d isband an a r m y 3 9 - t h e s h o p p i n g 16 drum u p s u p port 28
d a m a g i n g disclosure 22 - the s i g h ts 2 6 run dry 3 1
offer a discount 1 6 - sport 3 7 with a l l due respect 58
m a ke a discovery 8 - extrem e s p o rts 27 dull t h u d 47
leave somet h i n g to s o m eon e's - a s u rvey 1 6 dump w a ste 3 1
d iscretion 2 8 - work 1 1 relieve s o m eone of thei r duties
e nter i nto a discussion 52 dodge the q u estion 58 12
disease p a c k of dogs 54 resi d e nt i a l dwellings 32
i n fecti ous - 3 7 dollop o f c re a m 54 dysfunctional fa m i ly 35
s u ffer from a c h ro n i c - 37 dolphins eager a nt i c i pation 28
d o w n right disgrace 43 pod of - 5 4 earn a g o o d living 1 1
th i n ly disguised 4 5 exceed t h e reco m mended dose u n d e c l a re d earnings 34
i nte nse dislike 5 9 37 w i t h re m a rka ble ease 4 8
dismal fa i l u re 2 9 doubt traffic eases off 25
dismiss n aggi n g - 14 easy
- a case 38 beyo n d rea s o n a b le - 38 - option 48
w ro n gfu l ly - 1 2 doubts dead - 7
p u b l i c disorder 3 5 p la nt - 5 3 take the - way out 48
disorderly b e h a vi o u r 22 download a n a p p 36 ta ke it - fo r a w h i le 3
disparaging re m a rk 59 downright watch w h a t you eat 37
- rude 7, 45 d ista nt echo 47
g ro wi ng disparity 55
- d i sgrace 43
dispel a ru m o u r 5 2 eco-friendly d esign 3 1
s h ow a downward trend 5 1 economic
d isplay noun
d raconian m ea s u res 35 cu rre n t - c l i m ate 34
d azzling - 29
put o n a - 23 u n i nterru pted - growth 34

166 English Collocations in Use A dvanced

economy energy v i o l e n ce escalates 3 9
b l a c k - 34 a lte r n a tive - so u rce 3 1 escape noun
go on a n - d rive 1 b o u n d less - 45 m a ke an - 8
steer t h e - 34 b u rst of - 60 escape verb
h ig h ly educated 7, 44 b u rsti n g with - 45 - p u n is h m e n t 38
education re n ew a b le - 31 a bs o lutely essential 30
fo rm a l - 1 7 s u m m o n up the - 27 establish
g o o d level of - 44 engage - a cause 53
effect - s o m eo n e i n co nvers a t i o n 20 - co m m u n icati o n 58
ceasefi re comes i nto - 39 - i n h osti lities 39 - a good relati o n s h i p 44
c reate an - 1 - w i t h c u stom e rs 15 resea rc h ethics 18
desire d - 53 engineering works 25 state of euphoria 60
feel t h e fu l l - 53 enjoy event m a rks 23
h a ve a n - on 53 - good healt h 37 events
have a k n o c k-on - 53 t h o ro u g h ly - 7 a m az i n g c h a i n of - 29
effects enlist h e l p 48 series of - 29
i l l - 53 enrol o n a co u rse 17 cover every eventuality 28
side - 37 enter every
effort - i nto a n a gree m e n t 2 1 cover - eventu a l ity 28
con ce rted - 56 - i nto a contract 5 8 h a ve - con fi d e n ce in 44
d ete r m i ned - 56 - i nto a d iscuss i o n 5 2 p a nder to s o m e o n e's - w h i m 41
joint - 56 - i nto ta l ks 2 1 evidence
m a ke an - 56 - yo u r P I N 36 - emerges 2 2
stre n u o u s - 56 entertainment p rovid e - 4 give - 38
tea m - 56 s o u rce of - 4 u n re l i a b le - 38
va l i a n t - 56 u n bo u n d ed enthusiasm 50 evoke an atmosp h e re - 29
worth the - 48 entirely exact o pposite 5 5
deca d es elapse 46 - d ep e n d e nt 7 exacting sta n d a rd s 30
c a l l a n election 21 - d i ffe re nt 8, 55 w i l d ly exaggerated 7
m islead the electorate 2 2 - s e p a rate 7 exaggerated the reco m mended
herd of elephants 5 4 p a ss i o n ate entreaty 2 2 d os e 37
ta ke yo u r c u sto m elsewhere 1 6 m eet t h e entry req u i re m e nts 1 7 p rovi d e an excellent service 16
email environment ta ke exception to 59
d ro p someone an - 57 h a rmful to the - 3 1 exchange noun
rem ote a ccess your - 36 sta b l e - 4 1 - rates flu ctuate 5 1
emergency environmental cata st ro p h e 31 exchange verb
- m eeti n g 14 epic - n ews 20
d i p i nto - fu n d s 10 - p ro p o rtions 50 - p leasantries 20
res p o n d to a n - 49 s h e e r - g ra nd e u r 26 excite specu lati o n 22
evid e n c e emerges 22 s i m u ltaneous equation 4 excitement conta i n your - 26
emissions i n sta l l equipment 36 flu rry of - 54
offset c a rb o n - 31 era soc i a l exclusion 34
veh i cle - 31 bygo n e - 46 excruciatingly u nc o m fo rta ble 24
flicker o f emotion 54 go l d e n - 46
exercise noun
whole ga m u t of emotions 54 ru n errands 12 do p lenty of - 3 7
empty p ro m ise 20 error gentle - 37
encounter a d ifficulty 49 - of j u d gement 13
exercise verb
encyclopaedic k n owledge 44 see t h e - of you r ways 41
- a ut hority 30
endless s u p p ly 50 spot a n - 49
- greater contro l over 28
m a ke enemies 8 erupts
p hysica l exertion 56
bitter enemy 39 riot - 35
exhaustive a cco u n t 18
v i o l e n ce - 39
vast expanse 46

English Colloca tions in Use Advanced 167

 live u p to expectations 10, 60 fa ce ( u p to) the facts 6 festive
experience noun fail m isera b ly 3 - mood 23
a cc u m u late - 44 d i s m a l failure 29 - seas o n 23
c o n s i d e ra b le - 44 fai ntly rid i c u l o u s 7 join (in) t h e festivities 19, 23
h ave an - 27 fair reach fever p i t c h 2 7
l a c k - 44 - co m m e n t 58 few
experience verb - few 50 fa i r 50
-

- a d ec l i n e 14 - n u m ber (of) 50 good - 5 0

- d i ffic u lties 49 fall noun experience a - 14 field noun
- a fa l l 14 see a - 14 take the - 2 7
- a g rowth 14 s how a - 14 field verb
- a rise 14 fall verb - questi o n s 58
bold experiment 29 - i nto a co m a 3 7 fierce co m petition 14
tea m of experts 1 - i nto a pattern 41 fight noun
explanation festiv a l falls on 23 pick a - 43
d e m a n d an - 53 falsify reco rds 33 fight verb
fu l l - 18 family - for y o u r life 37
o ffe r an - 58 - gatheri n g 19 - for s u rvival 49
p rovide an - 22 d ysfu ncti o n a l - 35 l u l l i n the fighting 52
explore d iffere nt ways 48 low-income - 35 file for d ivo rce 10
i nt re p i d explorer 26 s u p po rt a - 41 fill someone with d read 59
exports a re five times g reater o ffs h o re w i n d farm 3 1 financial a c u m en 44
t h a n i m po rts 15 fare rises 25 find
express a d m i ration 60 fashion - gu i lty 38
b la n k expression 45 - victi m 24 - not g u i lty 38
extend opport u n ity 34 b a c k i n - 24 - h a p p i ness 60
extension h i gh-street - 24 - a solution 31
a s k fo r an - 5 w h at's i n - 24 - time 1 9
req u est a n - 5 fast-track scheme 1 1 findings
extensive k nowledge 44 fat c h a nce 6 present - 18
exten uating circ u m sta n ces 38 co m pa re favourably with 55 p u b l i s h - 36
gruff exterior 45 fears fine
d o extreme sports 27 a llay - 52 - bone structu re 24
extrem ely successfu l 60 fu e l - 59 - lines 24
h ave a n eye for 6 spa rk - 52 finite n u m ber 50
keep yo u r eyes peeled 26 feasible a lternative 48 fire noun
the s oc i a l fabric 35 m ovable feast 23 set off a - a la r m 52
face verb feeble excuse 57 fire verb
- t h e c h a l len ge 4 feel - someon e's i m a gi nation 2 9
- t h e co nseq uences 5 3 - your a ge 4 1 firm
- ( u p to) the facts 6 - the fu l l effect 53 - fri e n d s 40
- a g ri l l i n g 58 k n ow the feeling 57 it is m y - co nviction 13
- a p ro b l e m 49 b ottle u p y o u r feelings 59 take a - sta nce agai nst 22
- the t h o u ght of 5 7 a st ro n o m ica l fees 5 0 first-hand k n o wledge 1 8
- t ri a l 38 get itchy feet 26 shoal of fish 54
- seve re weather c o n d itions 26 fertile i m a g i n ation 13 fit adjective
faceless b u reaucrats 30 festival - for p u rpose 16
factor - celebrates 23 pretty - 2 7
contri b u t i n g - 53 - fa lls on 23 fit noun
d e ci d i n g - 28 - m a rks 23 - of jea l o u sy 59
m itigati n g - 2, 38 h o l d a - 23 fit verb
o bserve a - 23 - the job d escri ption 13
- i n with p l a n s 10
168 English Co/locations in Use Advanced
t a ke the flak 43 fortune a b s o l u te ly furious S 9
flat-screen TV 36 s p e n d a - 33 m o u n t i n g fury 3
flatly tell s o m eo ne's - 9 k i c k u p a fuss 16
- contra d i ct 1 forward future
- reject 22 put yo u r best foot - S6 fo reseea b le - 46
flawless co m p lexion 24 foul l a n g u a ge 20 n ot-so- d i sta n t - 46
flicker four-letter word 20 gai n noun
- of e m oti o n S4 fragile peace 39 m o d est - Sl
- of h o p e S4 frame a q u esti on S8 gai n verb
- of i nterest S4 cred it-ca rd fraud 33 - m a rks 1
rumour flies a ro u n d 20 fraudulent c la i m 33 - respect 4
flock free o pe n i n g gambit 20
- of birds S4 - k i c k 27 w h o le gamut of e m otions S4
- of s h e e p S4 - up time 10 gap
wides p read flooding 31, 49 go freelance 11 b r i d ge the - SS
flout a rule 30 fresh d rive 3S y a wn i n g - SS
fluctuate friend fo r life 40 c love of garlic S4
- w i ld ly S l friendly fa m i ly gathering 19
exc h a n ge rates - S l - s m i le 4S gauge reaction 22
s h a re p ri ces - S l perfectly - 4S broad generalisation 20
tem pera t u res - S l re m a i n on - term s 40 generally spea k i n g 9
flurry friends generate busin ess 14
- of a ctivity S4 c h i ld h o o d - 40 stro k e of genius S4
- of excite m e n t S4 c i rcle of - 40 gentle exercise 37
- of s n ow S4 c lose - 40 get
- of speculation S4 fi rm - 40 - i n to d ebt 33
flying visit 19 life l o n g - 40 - yo u r h a n d s d i rty S6
foam at the m o uth 3 m a ke - 1 - t h e h a n g of 27
h aven't the foggiest i d e a S to a n d fro 2 - h itched 23
focus g ro u p s l S push b a c k the frontiers 36 - itchy feet 26
food give vent to yo u r frustration S9 - a message a c ross 9
- m i les 3 1 fuel - a p l a ce 17
p l a i n - 19 - fea rs S9 - y o u r priorities right 11
foot noun - specu lation 13 - the sack 12
put yo u r b e st - fo rwa rd S6 full - t h e recognition you d eserve
foot verb - exp l a n ation 18 60
- the b i l l 6 - l i p s 24 rea l ly - to s o m e o n e S7
red uce yo u r ca rbon footprint 3 1 - m a rks 17 get off the bus 1
force - refu n d 16 gift fo r l a n guages 4
- for c h a n ge 3S feel t h e - effect S3 gifted c h i l d ren 1 7
- for good 3S give a - a pology S 8 girls' n i g h t out 1 9
foregone c o n c lusion 13 m a ke a - recovery 37 give
foreseeable fut u re 46 q u a lify fully 4 - a n a ccount of 9
forge new re lati o n s h i p s 40 sou rce of fun 4 - it y o u r best s hot S6
formal atte n d a fo r m a l function 19 - evid e n ce 38
- atti re 24 fundamental c h a n ge S l - a fu l l a po lo gy S8
- d ress 23 fundamentally - p e r m ission 30
- educatio n 17 - d i ffe ren t 1, SS - a reason 9
atten d a - fu n ction 19 - s i m i l a r SS - repeated a s s u ra n ces S8
restore to i ts former glory 46 c h a n ge - Sl - a stra ight a nswer S8
formulate a t h eo ry 18 sou rce of funding 4 - s o m et h i n g s o m e thou ght 13
forthright m a n n er 4S d i p i nto e m e rgency funds 1 1 - v e n t to you r fru stration S9

English Co/loca tions in Use Advanced 169

 given force for - 35 sweat o u r guts out 56
be - leave 22 with - q u a l i ficat i o n s 44 ha bit
be - a sentence 3 8 rea l ly - 5 beco m e a - 41
be - a yel low c a rd 2 7 well - 5 m a ke a - of 8
i n t h e fu l l glare of p u b l i city 42 j u icy gossip 20 u n fit for h u m a n habitation 35
ra ise you r glasses 23 h ave got the c h a n ce 4 hail a tax i 3 2
glim m e r gra b hair
- of hope 54 - a seat 4 a u bu r n - 2
- of i nterest 54 - a s n a ck 5 blond - 1
- of l i g h t 54 g ra d u ate fro m u n ivers ity 17 sun-d a m a ged - 24
- of u n dersta n d i n g 54 s h e e r epic gra ndeur 26 halt noun
restore to its fo r m e r glory 46 gra nt perm i s s i o n 30 bring to a - 52
glossy m a gazine 24 ta ke for granted 41 ca ll a - t o 52
glowing g ra s p the i m p o rta n ce of 14 halt verb
- review 29 grave d a n ger 49 - prod u ct i o n 36
go verb great hand noun
- clu b b i n g 19 - p leasure 60 get yo u r ( h an d s) dirty 56
- o n a d i et 37 - s i g n ifica n ce 50 go - in h a n d with 6
- o n a n eco n o m y d rive 1 (of) - i m po rta n ce 1, 50 reject o u t of - 28
- free l a n ce 1 1 p la ce - va l u e o n 4 hand verb
- hand i n hand with 6 greater - in assi g n ments 5
- o u t fo r a m e a l 1 9 exercise - cont ro l over 28 - in you r resignation 1 1
- t h ro u gh a m i d l i fe crisis 41 exports a re five t i mes - t h a n handle
- o n t h e offe ns ive 39 i m ports 15 - a com p la i n t 16
- p a rt-t i m e 11 greatly - a d i ffi c u lt situation 44
- t h ro u gh a p h a s e 41 - a p p reciate 7 suffer at t h e hands of 59
- i nto p rod ucti o n 14 - i nfluence 7 get the h a n g of 27
- s h o p p i n g 16 i ntro d u ce green taxes 31 t h reat h a n gs over 59
- o n strike 12 grief fi nd happi ness 60
- tre k k i n g 26 i nconsola b l e - 59 h appy
- w i ld 27 o u t p o u ri n g of - 59 b lissfu l ly - 1
go b a c k o n a p ro m ise 5 8 a i r a grievance 2 2 delirio u s ly - 2
go d o w n i n h i story 46 face a grilling 5 8 hard
be o n t h e go 57 cover a lot of g ro u n d 18 - slog 5 6
a ct a s a go-between 2 1 gro u nds fo r co m p l a i nt 16 - work 4 9
goa l n ecess a ry gro u n d work 28 harebra i n e d scheme 59
score a n own - 2 7 growi ng d i s p a rity 55 harm
state a - 9 growth not co m e to a ny - 41
i t goes without sayi n g 9 ex perience a - 14 not m e a n any - 57
golden e ra 46 see a - 14 ha rmful to t h e envi ro n m e n t 3 1
good s h ow a - 14 harness tec h n o logy 36
- b e h a v i o u r 38 steady - 34 j u dge som e o n e harshly 13
- co m p u ter s k i l l s 44 sti m u late - 14, 34 hasten so m eo ne's death 59
- few 50 u n i n te rru pted eco n o m i c - 34 h ave
- k n o w ledge 44 gru ff - an att i t u d e problem 43
- leve l of educat i o n 44 - exterior 45 - a baby 4 1
- n u m ber (of) 50 - voice 47 - the b a c k b o n e to 56
- size 5 0 gru mpy o l d m a n 41 - a barbecue 19
c reate a - i m p ress i o n 8 guerrilla m a rket i n g 15 - (got) t h e c h a nce 4
d evel o p a - relat i o n s h i p 44 guilty - a cha n ge of heart 11
ea rn a - living 1 1 fi n d - 38 - diffi c u lties 49
e njoy - hea lth 37 fi n d n ot - 38 - an effect on 53
esta b l i s h a - re lati o n s h i p 44
170 English Co/locations in Use Advanced
 - every co n fidence i n 44 high hope verb
- a n experience 27 - h o pes 60 s i n cere ly - 57
- an eye fo r 6 - perce n ta ge 50 very m u c h - 57
- a go at 57 - risk 49 hopelessly lost 26
- a k n o c k-on effect 53 - tu r nove r of staff 1 2 hopping m a d 6
- the m u scle to 56 hit the - street 24 play host to 19
- an o b l i gation 30 s p i rits a re - 26 e n ga ge in hostilities 39
- an o p e ration 37 high-definition TV 36 hostility
- a pa rty 8 high-street fas h i o n 24 d ec l a re outright - 28
- a q u a l i ty 45 n at u ra l highlights 24 open - 45
- no respect for 43 highly w i re less hotspot 36
- a snack 5 - e d u cated 7, 44 p a c k of hounds 54
- a s p ec i a l c h a rm 26 - recom m e n d 29 hours
- a sto p over 26 - reco m me n d ed 7 lo n g ope n i n g - 32
- a w h a le of a time 27 - u n li kely 7 open a l l - 32
- a w o rd with 5 - v a l u e d 44 u nsoci a l - 12
wrea k havoc 53 spea k very - of 9 d isposa l of household waste 3 1
hazy m e m o ry 41 t h i n k - of 29 a ffo rd a ble housing 35
head a tea m 6 hike ru n u p a huge d e bt 33
health face a - 16 h ugely popu l a r look 24
be in poor - 37 - in p ri ces 14 u nfit fo r human h a b i tation 35
enjoy good - 37 hinder progress 49 humiliating d efeat 2 1
risk t o p u b l i c - 31 b ro a d hint 2 to u c h of humour 54
healthy c o m petition 16 go d o w n in history 46 hunk of b read 54
heart hit ove rco m e a hurdle 49
- lea ps 60 - the h i gh street 24 hurl i n s u lts 59
h ave a c h a n ge of - 1 1 - t h e rocks 6 d eath ly hush 47
lea rn b y - 17 get hitched 23
h usky voice 47
massive - atta c k 37 hold noun hybrid c a r 3 1
open yo u r - t o 2 0 p u t someone o n - 1 6
hypothesis
with a l i g h t - 6 hold verb s u p ports the - 1 8
heart-to- heart c h at 40 - s o m e o n e's atte n t i o n 29 work i n g - 18
sea ri n g heat 31 - s o m e o n e/someth i n g i n
idea
solar heating 31 c o n te m pt 43 b right - 57
heavily - a co nversatio n 20 come up with a n - 2 8
- i n fl u e n ced 29 - a d e m o n strati o n 2 1 h ave a bsolutely n o - 5
borrow - 33 - a festiva l 23 h aven't the foggi est - 5
co m e d o w n - on 10 - a p ress confere n ce 2 1 l a u g h a b le - 59
heavy - a position 1 1 ro u g h - 13
- boo k 6 home toy with an - 28
- b u rd e n 6 leave - 41
a d h ere to ideals 1 0
- ra i n 1 seco n d - 41
identity theft 33
- res p o n s i b i lity 6 t h e re's n o p la ce l i ke - 1
idle
- traffic 25 hone yo u r ski lls 44 - c h atter 20
- workload 12 to be b ru ta l ly honest 5 7 - t h reat 3
hectic p a ce of life 32 honestly t h i n k 13 b o n e - 43
en list help 48 honour a co m m i t m e n t 16 ru ra l idyll 32
herd hope noun p rofess ignorance 9
- of cattle 54 flicker of - 54 ill
- of e l e p h a nts 54 g l i m m e r of - 54 - effects 53
c u ltu ra l heritage 23 high ho pes 60 c ritica l ly - 22, 3 7
va i n - 3 illegal su bsta n ce 35

English Collocations i n Use Advanced 171

 ra re illness 37 - sign ifica ntly 5 1 interview
imagination fert i le - 13 - your stress levels 59 - exc lu s ive 42
fi re s o m eone's - 29 indelible i m press i o n s 29 - i n-depth 42
imme nse a sset 48 d e c l a re independence 21 intrepid exp lorer 26
impact resea rch indicates 18 introduce
w i t h st a n d the - 3 ta ke industrial a ct i o n 12 - green taxes 31
impart t h rivi n g industry 34 - a levy 34
- k no w ledge 9 i nfectious d i sease 3 7 - a n e i g h b o u rh ood watch
- wisdom 9 infinite patience 5 0 sc heme 35
c h a n ge i mperceptibly 51 i nflation - new legis lation 30
imple ment c u rb - 34 - regu lations 30
- a c h a n ge 51 ra m p a n t - 34 see off a n i ntruder 10
- a p l a n 28 i nfluence noun invest i n t h e lon g-term 34
trust someone implicitly 44 d i s r u ptive - 43 investigate a n a rm s d e a l 5
importance i nfluence verb investigation
g ra s p the - of 13 g reatly - 7 co n d u ct a n - i nto a n a r m s
(of) g reat - 1, 5 0 stro n g ly - 7 dea l s
of p a ra mo u nt - 44 influenced s u bject to poli ce - 5
imports heavily - 29 touch of irony 54
exports a re five ti m es g reater stron gly - 29 irreversible c l i m ate c h a n ge 3 1
t h a n - 14 d i g out info 5 issue noun a d d ress a n - 35
impose censors h i p 2 1 information d isse m i n ate - 9 confro nt a n - 58
impression c reate a n - 8 i te m of - 48 tackle t h e - 18
c re ate a bad - 8 s n i ppet of - 3 ta ke - w i t h 22
c reate a good - 8 i nvest i n infrastructure 25 issue verb
i n d e l i b le - 29 i nfringe the regu lati o n s 30 - a d e n i a l 58
l a st i n g - 29 s h o w initiative 17 - a state m e n t 22
improvement inner city 32 co nfro nt issues 18
m a rked - 17 get itchy feet 26
p rotest innocence 9
m o d est - 51 item o f i n fo rm ation 48
i nordinate a m o u n t 5 0
roo m for - 17, 5 1 s i m p licity itself 48
c reate instability 39
s h ow an - 5 1 f i t o f jealousy 59
install e q u i p m e n t 3 6
m a ke improvements 8 job
instantly recall 48
in-depth aspects of the - 11
- c r i t i q u e 18
instigate measu res 52
insults fit the - d escri ption 12
w i ld ly i naccurate 7 land a - 12
b a rrage of - 3
incessant noise 47 walk stra i g h t i nto a - 6
h u rl - 59
not t r u st a n inch 43 d o a job-share 1 1
i ntense d i s l i ke 59
incite violence 35 join
i ntensely perso n a l 3
inclement weather 2 - in the festivities 19, 23
interest
income - the staff 1 1
a ro u se someone's - 1
sou rce of - 4, 3 3 be joined in m atri mony 23
a w a ke n yo u r - 29
s u p p le m e nt you r - 33 joint effo rt 5 6
flicker of - 54
inconsolable grief 59 jot down
g l i m mer of - 54
increase noun keen - 44 - an a d d ress 10
m o d est - 51 - a phone n u m ber 10
ra i se - rates 34
s h o w a n - 51 - a roo m n u m ber 10
i nterest-free overd raft 33
s l i g h t - 14 journey a rd uo u s - 26
i nterests
s u b sta ntial - 14 break the 26
prom ote - 14 -

increase verb p u rsue yo u r - 44 leg of a - 26

- d ra m atica l ly 5 1 j u m p for joy 60
safegu a rd s o m e o n e 's - 34
- o u t p u t 34 judge someone h a rs h ly 13
i nterpersonal s k i l l s 44

172 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

judgement lack - u n c h ec ked 34
a ga i n st yo u r better - 13 - experience 44 - h o m e 41
clo u d y o u r - 43 - of j u d ge m e n t 13 - roo m 46
erro r o f - 13 m ove up the ladder 1 1 left adjective
lack of - 13 land a job 12 be - with little a ltern ative 59
lapse of - 59 language leg of a j o u r n ey 26
pass - on 13 b a d - 20 i n trod u ce new legislation 30
poor - 13 fou l - 20 lengthy
juicy goss i p 20 keep up a fo re i g n - 1 0 - d e lays 25
jump stro n g - 20 - ta i lbacks 25
- at the c h a n ce 27 gift fo r languages 4 let
- to a co n c l usion 6 lapse of j ud ge m e n t 59 - o u t a cry 47
- to c o n c l u sions 13 large - someone i n o n t h e sec rets 42
- fo r joy 60 - a m o u nt 50 - someone out o f yo u r sight 41
justice - n u m be r 50 level
- is s e rved 38 - percenta ge 50 good - of e d u cati o n 44
bri n g to - 38 - q u a ntity 50 red u ce your stress - 37
m isca rri a ge of - 38 lasting stoo p to that - 4 3
juvenile d e l i n q uent 4 1 - contribution 46 i nc rease your stress levels 59
keen - i m pression 29 levy noun
- i nterest 44 ru n late 25 i nt ro d u ce a - 34
dead - 60 t h i n k laterally 13 levy verb
keep t h e latest scores 27 - a tax 34
- afloat 33 laughable i d ea 59 lick of paint 1
- yo u r b a la nce 27 b u rst i n to laughter 10 life
- yo u r eyes peeled 26 launch - is tu rned u ps i d e-down 51
- a p ro m ise 58 - a cou n te r-attac k 39 fight for your - 37
- i n s h a pe 27 - a new collecti o n 24 frie n d for - 40
- so m e o n e on their toes 6 - a scheme 28 h ectic pace of - 3 2
keep u p law live a comfo rta b l e - 41
- a fo rei g n l a nguage 10 - a n d o rd e r b rea k d o w n 35 s h a pe so m e o n e 's - 46
- t h e t ra d ition 23 in b reach of t h e - 3 0 lifelong
free kick 27 c o m ply with t h e - 30 - a m bition 60
kick u p a fuss 16 pass laws 30 - fri e n d s 40
knob of b utte r 54 lay off staff 1 1 l a v i s h lifestyle 4 2
h ave a knock-on effect 5 3 lay o u t t h e resu lts 1 8 lift a b lockade 39
tie the knot 23 lead a sem i n a r 1 light adjective
knowledge leading a ut h o rity 17 - rea d i n g 6
a cq u i re - 17 leafy s u b u rbs 32 with a - h e a rt 6
adva n ce d - 44 h ea rt leaps 60 light noun
com m o n - 13 learn by h e a rt 17 cast - o n a sit u a t i o n 6
co m p re h e nsive - 44 g l i m m e r of - 54
q u i c k learner 17
deny a l l - 38 t h e re 's no place like h o me 1
learning noun
encyc l o pa e d i c - 44 a greed cred it limit 33
seat of - 17
extensive - 44 p u s h y o u rself to t h e limits 27
lea rning adjective
fi rst- h a n d - 18 a ffect the botto m line 14
stee p - cu rve 48
goo d - 44 pride of lions 54
leave noun m aternity - 1 1
i m pa rt - 9 full lips 24
b e give n - 22
t h i rst fo r - 17 list
leave verb
d esi g n e r label 24 d ra w u p a - 3
- so m et h i n g to so m eo n e's
sweated labour 12 n a rrow t h e - d o w n 12
d iscretion 28

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 173

 literature review 18 luck man
little n ot h ave m uc h - 5 7 c h a n ge d - 5 1
b e left with - a lternative 5 9 p u re - 60 gru m py o l d - 41
bear - resem bla nce to 55 stro ke of - 3, 54, 60 manageable c h u n k 48
p reci o u s - c h a nce 27 lull noun manner
live - i n t h e convers a t i o n 52 a b rasive - 45
- a comfo rta b le life 41 - i n t h e fighti n g 5 2 forthright - 45
d es i ra b l e p la ce to - 32 lull verb n a rrow profit margins 14
live u p to expectatio n s 10, 60 - someone to s l e e p 26 marked
lose yo u r livelihood 12 c u t d o w n on luxuries 33 - i m prove m e n t 17
living luxury crea m 24 i n - co n trast to 55
- w a ge 12 h o p p i n g mad 6 market
e a r n a good - 1 1 g l o s s y magazine 24 play t h e sto c k - 1
m a ke a - 1 1 m a i ntain q u a l ity 14 co n d u ct - resea rch 15
u rb a n - 32 majority overw h e l m i n g - 50 - segm e n tati o n 15
w i th i n - m e m o ry 46 s ec u re a - 21 - s h a re 15
loan slim - 21 ta rget - 1 4
c a l l i n a - 33 make marketing
pay b a c k a - 33 - someone's a cq u a i nta nce 8 - ca m p a i g n 15
pictu res q u e location 2 - a n a pology 8 i n-house - tea m 15
swa r m of locusts 54 - a rra n ge m e n ts 8 marks noun
lodge a c o m p l a i n t 8 - a n attem pt 8 fu l l - 17
long o p e n i n g h o u rs 32 - c a lcu lati o n s 8 ga i n - 1
long-lasting co lou r 24 - the case fo r 1 8 marks verb
long-standing tra d iti o n 23 - c h a n ges 51 event - 23
long-term - a commitment 58 festiva l - 2 3
- relati o n s h i p 40 - a complaint 16 massive
- s o l u ti o n 28 - a contri bution 8 - h ea rt a ttac k 37
i n vest in the - 34 - a d ifference 4 - overd ose 50
look noun - a d iscovery 8 master n e w s k i l l s 12
n e w season's - 24 - an effort 56 c a l l off a match 52
h u ge ly po p u l a r - 24 - e n e m ies 8 maternity leave 1 1
look verb - a n escape 8 be joined i n matrimony 23
- you r a ge 45 - fri e n d s 1 weighty matters 6
- i nto a n a r m s dea l 5 - a fu l l recovery 37 mature stu d e n t 17
rea l ly / very much - fo rward - a h a bit of 8 meal
to 5 7 - i m p rove m e n ts 8 go out fo r a - 19
loosely based o n 7 - a livi n g 11 rustle up a - 8
w i d e s p re a d looting 49 - m i sta kes 1, 49 cost-cutt i n g measure 33
lose - a n offer 8 measures
- a n a rg u m e n t 20 - a payment 33 d raco n i a n - 35
- you r live l i h ood 12 - p l a n s 28 i n stigate - 52
- you r vo ice 47 - a plea 35 serious medical cond ition 3 7
h o p elessly lost 2 6 - a p roposa l 8 cou rse of medication 37
lot - a relations h i p w o r k 40 pra ctise medicine 1 1
cover a - of gro u n d 18 - room fo r 8 meet
ta ke u p a - of roo m 46 - a s o u n d 47 - the c h a l l e n ges 44
ta ke u p a - of space 46 - s o u n d busi ness sense 14 - the e nt ry req u i re me nts 1 7
ta l k a - of sense 9 - a sta n d a ga i n st 8 - with a sto n y s i l e n ce 47
u n d e r a - of pressu re 1 1 - a s u ccess of 8 - with s u ccess 34
low-cost a i rl i n e 26 - s o m e su ggest i o n s 8 - a ta rget 14
low-income fa m i ly 35 - s o m eone welco m e 19
it w o u ld - a c h a n ge 51

174 English Collocations in Use Advanced

meeting troop of monkeys 54 news
a djourn a - 2 festive mood 23 b re a k - 9
e merge n cy - 14 provid e moral support 40 exc h a n ge - 20
pencil in a - 12 set the w h eels in motion 53 - t ravels fast 5 7
member of staff 1 1 specta c u l a r mountains 1 next-day delivery 16
memories mounting c a rve a niche for y o u rself 11
bring back - 46 - co n ce r n 3 m i n o r niggles 43
re ki n d le - 4 1 - criti c i s m 3 gi rls' n ight out 19
memory - fury 3 no
d i m and d ista n t - 46 foa m at t h e mouth 3 h ave a bsolutely - i d ea 5
h azy 41
-
movable fea st 23 h ave - respect fo r 43
w i t h i n livi n g - 46 move up t h e ladder 11 t h e re's - pla ce l i ke h o m e 1
menial tasks 12 muffled v o i ce 47 w o u l d n 't say - to 9
mental a g i lity 1 7 h ave t h e m u scle to 5 6 i n cessa n t noise 47
get a message a c ross 9 store m u sic 3 6 ta l k nonsense 9
meteoric rise to fa me 42 mutter u n d e r yo u r b reath 47 put the nose to t h e g ri nd stone 56
a d o pt a method 48 nagging a djective the not-so-distant fut u re 46
i n the midd le of n owhere 3 2 - d o u bt 1 3 notify t h e police 9
go t h rough a midlife crisis 4 1 nagging n o un novel s o l ution 35
mildly su rprised 7 co n sta n t - 43 novelty value 4
food miles 3 1 narrow a djective i n t h e m i d d le of nowhere 32
pass a milestone 4 - profit m a rgins 14 n u m be r
mind narrow verb fa i r - (of) 50
bea r in - 13 - t h e l i st d ow n 12 fi n ite - 50
concentrate t h e - 48 nasty good - (of) 50
mindless vio l e n ce 43 - piece of w o rk 43 jot d o w n a p h o n e - 10
minimise - shock 59 j ot d o w n a roo m - 1 0
- d a n ger 3 0 nationwide sea rch 2 1 l a rge - 50
- a risk 49 natural o p p osite - 11
m inor - h i g h l ig h ts 24 s i g n ifi cant - (of) 50
- n i ggles 43 - ta l e n t 1 7 s m a l l - 50
co m m it a - offe n ce 38 near co m p letio n 52 s u b stantial - (of) 50
s m a l l minority 5 0 necessary g ro u n dw o r k 2 8 set you rse lf clea r objectives 14
m iscarriage of j u stice 38 needless to say 9 h ave a n obligation 30
p rofessi o n a l misconduct 12 negotiate a settlement 21 observe a festiva l 23
fa i l miserably 3 ren d e r obsolete 53
i ntrod uce a neighbourhood
mislead the electorate 22 obtai n permission 30
watch s c h e m e 35
miss b lata n tl y obvious 7
pre-wed d i n g nerves 23
- a pena lty 2 7 spec i a l occasion 1 9
network
- the poi n t 5 8
bus - 2 5 occasional twi n ge 41
m a ke mistakes 1 , 49
- of co n ta cts 11 occurs
mitigating p ro b le m - 49
cycle - 2 5
- circu m sta n ces 2, 38
ra i l - 2 5 o ff t h e b eaten tra c k 26
- factor 2
soci a l - 40 co m m it a m i no r offence 38
modest
new offensive
- ga i n 51
- sea s o n 's look 24 d ee p l y - 7
- i m p rove m e n t 5 1
forge - re latio n s h i p s 4 0 g o o n t h e - 39
- i n c rease 5 1
introd u ce - legislatio n 3 0 s l i g h tly 7
-

- recovery 5 1
l a u n c h a - col lection 2 4 offer n o un m a ke a n - 8
s e n i o r moment 4 1
m a ster - s k i l ls 1 2 te m pt i n g - 1 1
money
newborn b a by 41
recovery of - 2 1
newly q u a l i fied 4
value fo r - 16, 34
English Co/locations in Use Advanced 175
 offer verb order verb surp ri s e - 19
- a d i sco unt 16 - a takeaw a y 19 thro w a - 19
- an expla nati o n 5 8 organise a b a rbecue 1 9 pass
b e open to offers 1 1 sta rtl i n g originality 29 - j u d ge m ent on 13
office t h e other s i d e of t h e a rgu m e n t 55 - laws 3 0
res i g n from - 2 1 p e n d i ng t h e outcome 4 - a m i l e stone 4
ta ke u p - 10 p rovoke a n outcry 53 pass u p
offset c a rbon e m i s s i o n s 3 1 b road outline 2 - a c h a n ce 3
offshore w i n d fa r m 3 1 outpouring of g ri ef 59 - a n o p portunity 3
gru m py old m a n 4 1 i n c rease output 34 passionate entreaty 22
on line outright put the past beh i n d you 3
- b a n k i n g 36 declare - h o sti lity 28 i nfin ite patience 50
- s h o p p i n g 16 declare - o p position 28 pattern
b e the only opti o n o p e n to outstanding d e bt 33 depa rt from a - 1
s o m e o n e 28 t h e advantages outweigh t h e fa l l i n to a - 41
open a djective d isadvantages 55 weat h e r patterns 31
- a l l h o u rs 32 over pay
- h osti l ity 45 - the co u rs e of t i m e 46 - d i vi d e n d s 14
b e - to offers 1 1 exercise g reater control - 28 - so m e o n e a visit 19
b e t h e o n ly opti o n - to ta ke prio rity - 11 pay back a loa n 33
s o m eo n e 28 t h reat h a n gs - 59 make a payment 33
open verb overcome a h u rd le 49 peace
- a c u rrent a cco u n t 33 overcrowded t ra i n 25 fra g i l e - 39
- yo u r heart to 20 overdose resto re - 39
opening m assive - 50 keep yo u r eyes peeled 26
- ga m b it 20 ta ke an - 37 peak ti m e 25
- rem a rks 52 overdraft feel peckish 24
l o n g - h o u rs 3 2 i nterest-free - 33 penalty
h ave a n operation 3 7 ru n u p a n - 3 3 b e a w a rd ed a - 2 7
d iv i d e d opinions 1 3 overstate a c a s e 2 0 miss a - 27
opponent u n paid ove rtime 12 pencil i n a m eeti n g 12
see off a n - 10 overturn a v e rd i ct 38 pending
a vocife rous - 22 overwhelming m ajority 50 - the o utco me 4
opportunity score a n own goa l 27 - the respo nse 4
- a rises 3 - the resu lts 4
h ectic pace of life 32
exte n d - 34 pent-u p a n ge r 45
pack
pass u p a n - 3 percentage
- of dogs 54
opposite small - 50
- of hou n d s 54
- n u m be r 1 1 high - 5 0
- o f wolves 54
e x a c t - 55 la rge - 5 0
l i c k of paint 1
p o l a r - 55 perfect a djective
pale in co m p a ri s o n 55
d e c l a re outright o p position 28 the - v e n u e 19
pander to s o m eo n e 's every w h i m
c a u t i o u s ly optimistic 60 perfect verb
41
option - a tec h n i q ue 48
of paramo u nt i m porta nce 44
be t h e o n ly - o p e n to someone perfectly friendly 45
park-and-ride scheme 25
28 perform
vacant parking s pa ce 46
e a sy - 48 - a d a n c e 23
v i a ble - 48 a l locate part of a b u d get 14
- a ta s k 44
order noun go part-time 1 1
put u p a performance 27
law and - brea k down 35 party
permission
p la ce an - 16 h ave a - 8
give - 3 0
tota l ly o u t o f - 4 3 s e n d out a sea rc h - 26
gra n t - 3 0

176 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 o bta i n 30
- d o plenty of exercise 37 pressure
seek 22, 3 0
- p l u m m eti n g profits 34 bow to 2 1 -

i n te n sely personal 3 pod u n d e r consi dera b le - 11

personality - of d o l p h i n s 54 u n d e r a lot of - 1 1
- t raits 45 - of w h a les 54 withsta n d 3 -

b u b b ly 45
- point pretty fit 27
go t h rough a phase 41 m iss t h e - 58 prices
a d h ere to a philosophy 10 strong - 45 h i ke in - 14
j ot d ow n a phone n u m ber 10 ta ke s o m e o n e's - 58 s h a re - f l u ctu ate 51
coin a phrase 8 u n i q u e s e l l i n g - 14 pride of l i o n s 54
physical exert i o n 56 refuse point-blank 22 primary c a use 53
pick a fight 43 poison the a t m o s p here 43 prime-time television 2 1
picturesque polar o p p os ite 5 5 basic principle 48
- locatio n 2 police a d here to principles 1, 1 0
- town 2 notify t h e 9
- get yo u r p riorities rig h t 1 1
- v i l l a ge 1 , 2 s u bject to - i nvestigation 5 ta ke priority ove r 11
n a sty piece of work 43 a ba n d o n a policy 52 probe an a rm s deal 5
d iffi c u lt to pin d ow n 4 poor problem
e nter you r P I N 36 - j u d ge m en t 13 - a rises 49
rea c h fever pitch 27 - q u a lity 16 - occu rs 49
place noun - s a n ita ry c o n d itions 35 a d d ress a - 49
c h a n ge ta kes 5 1 -
b e i n - h e a lt h 37 face a - 49
d esira b l e - to live 32 h u gely popular look 24 have a n attitude - 43
get a 17
-
pose a t h reat 49 tac kle a 49 -

sec u re a - 17 position w restle with a - 13

t h e re's no - l i ke h o m e 1 i n a - of a ut h o rity 30 weighty problems 6
place verb cla rify a - 2 2 sta n d a rd i se procedures 30
- great va l u e on 4 h o ld a - 1 1 proclaim a victory 2 1
- a n ord e r 1 6 ta ke u p a post 1 1 c h i ld prodigy 41
plain p reserve fo r posterity 46 produce a res u lt 53
- food 19 rea lise y o u r potential 12 product
- truth 3 power - deve l o p m ent 15
plan - cut 36 - p l a c e m ent 15
a p p rove a 30 -
restore - 36 production
i m p lement a - 28 seize - 21, 39 go i n to 14 -

s light c h a nge of - 28 practical va l u e 4 h a lt 3 6

-

u nvei l a 28 - p u t i nto practice 28 profess i g n o ra nce 9

plans practise m e d i c i n e 1 1 professional adjective
fit i n with - 10 hea p praise o n 42 - m i sco n d u ct 12
m a ke - 28 pre-emptive stri ke 39 professional noun
plant dou bts 53 pre-wedding n e rves 23 co n s u m m ate - 29
platonic rel at i o n s h i ps 40 precious little c h a n ce 27 profit
play te rmin ate a pregnancy 52 n a rrow - m a rgins 14
- brillia ntly 2 7 premature d eath 3 7 tu rn a 8 -

- a d i rty trick 43 prenuptial a gree ment 42 profits

- h ost to 19 preparations a re u nd e rway 28 a n n o u n ce record - 14
- the sto c k m a rket 1 present boost 14 -

- tru a n t 17 - fi n d i ngs 1 8 p l u m m et i n g - 34
m a ke a plea 35 preserve fo r posterity 46 profound a d m i ratio n 60
exc h a nge pleasantries 20 press h i n d er progress 49
pleasure hold a - co n ference 2 1 promise b rea k a - 5 8
d erive - fro m 6 0 - cove rage 1 5 e m pty 20
-

great - 57, 60
English Collocations i n Use Advanced 177
 go b a c k on a - 5 8 put radical c h a n ge 51
keep a - 58 - yo u r back i n to 56 cha n ge radically 51
rash - 20 - yo u r best foot forwa rd 56 rain
promote i n te rests 14 - the case fo r 18 - sets in 52
prompt - some d ista nce betwee n 40 heavy - 1
- service 16 - someo n e o n hold 16 raise
- speculation 53 - the nose to the gri n d stone 56 - yo u r g l asses 23
pronounce s o m e o n e dead 9 - the past b e h i n d you 3 - i n t e re st rates 34
p u b l i c pronouncement 22 - i nto pra ctice 28 - yo u r voice 47
spea k properly 9 - a q u esti o n to someone 5 8 rampant i n flation 3 4
e p i c proportions 50 - a stop to 52 range
m a ke a proposal 8 - toget h e r a CV 11 bro a d - 2
propose a toast 23 put down a d e posit 33 stu n n i n g - 24
be prospects fo r 12 put in w i d e - 1, 50
protest noun - an a p pea ra n ce 19 rare i l l n e s s 37
stage a - 8 - a n a pp l i ca t i o n 30 rash p ro m ise 20
protest verb put on rates
- i n n ocence 9 - a d isplay 23 exc h a n ge - fluctu ate 5 1
- sta n d by 26 ra ise i n te rest - 34
proud tra d it i o n 23
- tri a l 38 soa ri n g crime - 38
proven a b i lity 17
provide put up a dete r m i ned prov i d e a rationale 18
- e n terta i n m en t 4 performa nce 2 7 re-open a d ebate 2 2
- a n excellent s e rvice 1 6 w i t h good qualifications 4 4 reach
- a n exp la n a t i o n 22 qualified - a gree m ent 21, 30
- m o ra l s u p p o rt 40 newly - 4 - the d ecision 28
- a ratio n a le 1 8 well - 44 - fever p itch 27
- a refe re n ce fo r 44 qualify fu lly 4 reaction
- relief 35 quality advers e - 37
- s h e lter 35 h ave a - 45 ga u ge - 22
- si m u lta n eo u s tra n slation 4 m a i n ta i n - 14 read a s u bj ect at u n iv e rs ity 17
provoke an o utcry 53 poo r - 16 reading
public spend - ti m e 19 backgro u nd - 18
- d i so rd e r 35 top - 16 light - 6
- pro n o u n ce m e n t 22 quantity reaffirm a commitm e n t 58
- spe n d i n g 34 la rge - 50 realise
rel i a b l e - t ra n s p o rt 32 sheer - 50 - yo u r p otenti a l 12
risk to - health 31 s i g n ific a n t - (of) 50 reason
publish s m a l l - 50 co m pe l l i n g - 53
- fi n d i ngs 36 s u b sta nti a l - (of) 50 give a - 9, 53
- resea rch 36 u n known - 50 the s i m p l e - 57
esca pe punishment 38 quell u n rest 5 2 beyo n d reasonable d o u bt 3 8
pure l u c k 6 0 question insta ntly recall 48
purpose d o d ge the - 5 8 call i n t h e receivers 14
fit for - 16 fra m e a - 58 cool reception 45
sense of - 60 put a - to s o m eo n e 58 d rive recklessly 3
state a - 9 to u gh - 20 recognition
pursue yo u r i nte rests 44 questions cha n ge b eyond - 5 1
ba rrage of - 3 get t h e - you deserve 60
push
bom b a rd s o m e o n e with - 2 0 recommend
- back the fro ntiers 36
- u p costs 34 field - 58 h i g h l y - 29
- you rself to the l i m its 27 quick lea rner 1 7 thoro u g h ly - 29
quiet backwater 32 w h o le h e a rtedly - 44

178 English Co/locations i n Use Advanced

recom mended relieve som eo n e of their d uties 1 2 responsibility
exceed the - d ose 37 relish a c h a l l e n ge 49 hea vy - 6
h i g h ly - 7 remain ta ke on - 12
a n n o u n ce record p rofits 14 - on frien d ly terms 40 restore
fa lsify records 33 - u ncha nged 5 1 - t o its fo rmer glory 46
recovery remand in c u stody 38 - peace 39
- of m o ney 21 d i spa ragi n g remark 59 - power 36
m a ke a fu l l - 37 w i t h remarkable ease 48 the b l a m e rests with 43
m o d est - 51 o pe n i n g remarks 52 prod u ce a result 53
recycle waste 31 remote adjective results
cut t h ro u g h red tape 30 by - co ntro l 3 6 catastro p h ic - 49
reduce remote verb lay o u t t h e - 18
- you r carbon footprint 31 - access yo u r e m a i l 36 pen d i n g the - 4
- yo u r stress l evel 37 render obso lete 53 reveal
a ct a s a referee 44 renewable e n e rgy 31 - a t a l e n t 44
p rov i d e a reference fo r 44 d efa u lt on repayments 33 - secrets 42
ta ke u p references 12 g ive repeated a s s u ra n ces 58 get i nto reverse 25
f u l l refund 16 replacement b u s service 25 review
refuse point- b l a n k 2 2 glow i n g - 2 9
s u b m it a report 1 8
u rb a n regeneration 32 lite ratu re - 18
reputation
regime topples 2 1 und ergo a revival 5 1
a co nsi d e ra b le - 29
regular a well-deserved - 29 su bsta nt i a l reward 21
- c u sto mer 16 request a n exte nsion 5 bed of rice 54
- u pd ate 22 requirements rich
regulations meet the e n t ry - 17 - sou rce 4
c o n fo rm to safety - 1 6 satisfy t h e - 30 - t ra d ition 23
i nfri n ge the - 30 research ridiculous
i nt ro d u ce - 30 - ethics 18 fa i ntly - 7
s i l e n ce reigns 47 - i n d icates 1 8 utte rly - 7
reject do - 8, 18 heal the rift 40
- a c h a rge 58 publish - 36 get yo u r p ri o rities right 11
- o u t of h a n d 28 select a - t o p i c 18 bored rigid 32
flatly - 22 resemblance give s o m eo n e a ring 57
rekindle m e m o ries 41 bear little - to 55 riot eru pts 35
relations bear a stri k i n g - to 45 rise
b re a k d i p lomatic - 52 b reed resentment 53 experie n ce a - 14
cord i a l - 40 residential d w e l l i n gs 32 see a - 14
relationship resign fro m office 21 show a - 14
- b re a ks down 40 h a n d in you r resignation 11 rising u n e m ployment 34
d evelop a good - 44 b u i ld up resistance 37 risk
esta b lish a good - 44 a l locate resources 34 - to p u b li c healt h 3 1
l o n g-term - 40 ca rry a 49
-
respect noun
m a ke a - work 40 ca rry o u t a - a ssessm ent 30
ga i n - 4
sta b l e - 40 high - 49
h ave no - fo r 43
relationships forge n ew - 40 m i n i m ise a - 49
with all d u e 58
-

p la to n i c - 40 road
respect verb
reliable con gested - 32
- someone's w i shes 41
- p u b l i c tra n s p o rt 32 - closu re 25
respond
- s o u rce 4 hit the rocks 6
- to a n e m e rgency 49
relief cast in t h e role of 29
- well to t reatment 37
prov i d e - 35 p e n d i n g the response 4
room
s i g h of - 60 - fo r i m p rovement 17, 5 1
s h i rk responsibilities 43
w e l c o m e - 57
English Collocations i n Use Advanced 179
 a m p le - 46 schedule lead a seminar 1
j ot down a - n u m ber 10 d ra w u p a - 28 send o u t a sea rch p a rty 26
leave - 46 sti c k to a - 28 give s o m eone a good send-off 57
m a ke - fo r 8 scheme senior m o ment 41
ta ke u p a lot of - 46 fast-trac k - 11 sense
the root c a u s e 53 h a re b ra i n ed - 59 - of a c h ievement 60
rough i d ea 13 i ntro d u ce a neigh b o u rhood - of a d venture 26
d ow n right rude 7 watch - 35 - of p u rpose 60
rule la u nc h a - 28 m a ke s o u n d b u s i n ess - 14
flout a - 30 tree- p l a nti n g - 32 ta l k a lot of - 9
s i m ple - 48 d isti n g u i s h e d scholar 17 sentence
rumour win a scholarship 17 be given a - 38
- flies a ro u n d 20 school c u sto d i a l - 38
d ispel a - 5 2 - o f fis h 5 4 se rve o u t a - 38
spread a - 20 - of s a rd i n es 54 sentimental va l u e 4, 41
run noun atte n d - 17 separate
b reak i nto a - 5 2 score noun co m p letely - 7
run verb - sta n d s a t 27 e n t i re ly - 7
- i nto d iffic u lties 6 score verb tota l ly - 7
- d ry 31 - an own goa l 27 series of events 29
- erra n d s 12 the latest scores 27 serious medical co n d ition 37
- s m oot h ly 36 search seriously
- i nto tro u b le 6 ca l l off a - 21, 52 ta ke a co m p l a i n t - 1 6
run up natio n w i d e - 2 1 ta ke s o meone - 2 0
- a b i l l l , 33 send out a - party 26 serve o u t a sente n ce 38
- c u rta i n s 8 searing heat 31 j u stice is served 38
- a h u ge d e bt 33 season service
- a n overd raft 33 festive - 23 n ext- d a y - 16
run-down a re a 35 new -'s look 24 p ro m pt - 16
rural idyll 32 - t i c ket 2 5 p rov i d e a n exce l l e n t - 16
rush hou r 25 seat u n ri v a l led - 24
rustic c h a r m 32 - of lea r n i n g 17 set a djective
rustle u p a m ea l 8 gra b a - 4 - text 17
get the sack 1 2 second h o m e 4 1 set verb
tou c h of sadness 54 secret - you rself clea r o bjectives 14
safeguard s o m e o n e's i nterests 34 d ivu lge a - 9 - off a fi re a l a rm 5 2
co nform t o safety regu lati o n s 1 6 tel l a - 9 - a tre n d 24
boost sales 14 secure - t h e w h eels i n m ot i o n 53
- a m aj o rity 21 - to w o rk
stay the same 5 1
- a p la ce 17 ra i n sets in 52
poor sanitary co n d itions 35
see n egotiate a settlement 21
a shoa l of sard ines 54
- a d e c l i n e 14 severe
use satnav 36
- the e rror of yo u r ways 41 - b lo w 49
satisfied c u sto m e r 16
- a fa l l 14 face - weather co n d itions 26
satisfy
- a growth 14 shake off a co ld 37
- a d e m a n d 14
- off a n i ntruder 10 shape n o un
- the req u i re m e nts 30
- off a n o p ponent 10 keep i n - 27
d i p i nto savings 10
- a rise 14 shape verb
say
seek permission 22, 30 - you r d estiny 46
n eed less to - 9
seize power 21, 39 - s o m e o n e's life 46
n ot - a word 9
select a rese a rc h topic 1 8 share p ri ces fluctu ate 5 1
w o u ld n 't - n o to 9
u n i q u e selling point 14 sharp wit 45
it goes witho u t saying 9

180 English Collocations in Use Advanced

shatter s o m e o n e's confi dence 5 9 d o t h e sights 26 - n u m be r 50
flock of sheep 54 sign up fo r a course 17 - p e rcenta ge 50
sheer great significance 50 - q u a ntity 50
- epic gra n d e u r 26 significant smile
- q u a ntity 5 0 - a m o u n t (of) 5 0 b ro a d - 2
- size 50 - n u m be r (of) 50 d azzli n g - 45
p rovide shelter 35 - q u a n tity (of) 50 frie n d ly - 45
shift i n c rease significa ntly 51 w a r m - 45
d ra m atic - 5 1 silence ru n s moothly 36
sudden - 51 - d esce n d s 47 snack
shirk resp o n s i b i lities 43 - rei g n s 47 gra b a - 5
shiver down yo u r spine 60 meet w i t h a sto ny - 47 h ave a - 5
shoal fu n d a me nta lly similar 55 tasty - 24
- of fish 54 simple snippet of information 3
- of sard i n es 54 - rule 48 flu rry of snow 54
shock - truth 3 soak u p atmosphere 1 0
b e i n for a - 59 simplicity itself 48 soaring crime rates 38
co me a s a bit of a - 57 simultaneous tem perat u re soars 31
n a sty - 59 - equation 4 social
in a state of - 59 provid e - t ra nslation 4 -exc l u sion 34
shopping situation -fa b ri c 35
do the - 16 cast light o n a - 6 -n etwork 40
go - 16 h a n d le a d iffic u lt - 44 -w h i rl 19
o n l i n e - 16 size soft w h isper 47
short of space 46 good - 50 solar heating 31
give it yo u r best shot 56 sheer - 50 solution
shoulder t h e b l a m e 6 skills fi n d a - 3 1
b road shoulders 2 a dva n ce d com puter - 44 long-ter m - 28
show noun good co m p u ter - 44 novel - 35
- of u n ity 2 1 hone yo u r - 44 song
show verb i nte rperso n a l - 44 break i n to - 52
-a d ec l i n e 14 m a ster n ew - 12 b u rst i nto - 3
-a d ecrease 5 1 sleep sound a djective
-a dow n w a rd t rend 51 lull s o m e o n e to - 26 m a ke - busi ness sense 14
-a fa l l 14 not lose a n y - 57 sound noun
-a growth 14 slight - t ravels 47
-a n i m provem e n t 5 1 - c h a nge of p l a n 2 8 m a ke a - 47
-a n i n crease 5 1 - d ec rease 1 4 sound verb
-i n itiative 17 - i n c rease 14 sou n d s like h a rd w o rk 49
-a rise 14 slightly source
-a n u pwa rd t rend 51 - d ifferent 7 - of a m usement 4
shut down a c o m pute r 36 - offe n sive 7 - of e n te rta i n ment 4
sick slim - of fu n 4
- with w o rry 59 - c h a nce 6 - of fu n d i n g 4
wo rried - 59 - majo rity 21 - of i n come 4, 33
t h row a sickie 12 sta n d a rd s slip 3 a ltern ative energy - 3 1
side slippery c u sto mer 43 cheap - 4
- effects 3 7 h a rd slog 5 6 d iv u l ge a - 9
the other - of the a rg u m e n t 55 slur yo u r words 47 rel i a b l e - 4
ta ke a sideswi pe 59 small rich - 4
sigh of re lief 60 - a m o u n t 50 va l u a ble - 4
let someone o u t of you r sight 4 1 - m i n o rity 5 0 sources c lose t o 4 2

English Collocations in Use Advanced 181

 s pace j o i n the - 1 1 straight
confi ned - 46 lay off - 1 1 - - A stu d e n t 1 7
s h o rt o f - 4 6 m e m ber of - 1 1 give a - a nswer 58
t a ke up a lot of - 46 stage w a l k - i n to a job 6
vacant parki n g - 46 - a p rotest 8 i n a straightforward w a y 48
waste of - 46 - a stri ke 12 com p lete stranger 40
spark fears 5 2 ta ke a f i r m stance agai nst 2 2 stu bborn streak 45
spate stand noun streaming cold 37
- of attacks 3, 39 m a ke a - a g a i n st 8 street
- of t hefts 3 stand verb close off a - 52
speak - tri a l 38 crow d e d - 32
- p roperly 9 co m e u p to standard 16 hit the h i g h - 24
- very h i g h ly of 9 standardise p roce d u res 30 strength
speaking standards b u i l d u p yo u r - 37
ge nera l ly - 9 - slip 3 test of - 2 1
strictly - 9 a d here to - 30 strenuous effort 56
s pecial exacti n g - 30 stress
- occasion 19 put o n standby 26 i n c rease y o u r - level s 59
h ave a - c h a rm 26 sco re stands at 27 red u ce your - level 37
s pectacular m o u n ta i n s 1 star-studded c a st 29 b u d get d oe s n 't stretch to 26
s pectacularly s u ccessfu l 29 startling origi n a lity 29 strictly s p e a king 9
s peculation excite - 2 2 state noun strike
flu rry of - 54 - of co nfusion 49 - a b a l a nce ( betwee n ) 5 5
fu e l - 1 3 - o f e u p h o r i a 60 go o n - 12
p ro m pt - 53 in a - of s h o c k 59 pre-em ptive - 39
d el iver a speech 2 1 state verb tra i n - 2 5
s pell d isaster 5 3 - a n aim 9 stage a - 12
s u n ny spells 26 - you r b u s i n es s 9 s u rgi c a l - 39
spend - a goa l 9 d i saster strikes 49
- a fortune 33 - a p u rpose 9 bear a striking rese m b l a nce to 45
- q u a lity t i m e 19 issue a statement 22 strikingly d i fferent 55
p u b l i c spending 34 stay stroke
s h iver down yo u r spine 60 - the co u rse 12 - of ge n i u s 54
spirits - the s a m e 5 1 - o f l u c k 3, 54, 60
- a re h i g h 26 steady growth 34 - of w o r k 54
b oost 26
-
steep lea r n i n g c u rve 48 strong
s poilt b rat 41 steer the eco n o my 34 - langu a ge 20
d o sport 37 step-by-step a p p roach 48 - point 4 5
d o extreme sports 2 7 stick strongly
s pot a n erro r 49 - to a d iet 19 - infl u e n ce 7
spotlessly clea n 7 - to a sched u l e 28 - i nflu e n ce d 29
spread a ru m o u r 20 stimulate growth 14, 34 struggle
spring stinking ric h 7 consta n t - 49
- to someone's defence 40 p l ay the stock m a rket 1 uphill - 56
- a su rp rise o n 1 9 stockpile wea p o n s 39 stubborn stre a k 45
sprinkling of c i n n a m o n 54 m eet with a stony si lence 47
stuck in traffic 25
b r i n g stability 39 student
stoop to t h a t level 43
stable m atu re - 1 7
put a stop to 5 2
- enviro n m e n t 41 stra i ght-A - 17
h ave a stopover 2 6
- re lati o n s h i p 40 u n d erta ke a study 18
store m u sic 36
staff stunning ra n ge 24
sell yo u r story 42
h igh tu rn ove r of - 12 stunningly attractive 3

182 English Collocations in Use Advanced

subject adjective surge of a d re n a l i n 60 - o ffice 10
- to police i n vestigati o n 5 surgical stri ke 39 - a post 11
subject n o u n surprise - referen ces 12
b ri n g up the - 20 - pa rty 19 - a lot of roo m 46
b roach the 20- spri n g a - on 19 - a lot of space 46
c h a n ge t h e 20
- m i ld ly surprised 7 o rd e r a takeaway 19
core - 17 survey c h a n ge takes place 5 1
d ro p the - 2 0 ca rry o u t a - 16 talent
rea d a - at u n iversity 17 do a - 16 n at u ra l - 17
submit fight fo r survival 49 reve a l a - 44
- assig n m e n ts 5 suspense talk
- a report 1 8 - b u i ld s u p 29 - b u s i n ess 9
subscribe to the theory l3 bea r the - 29 - n o n sense 9
i l lega l substance 35 swarm - a lot of sense 9
substantial - of bees 54 talks
- a m o u n t (of) 50 - of l o c u sts 54 - co l l a pse 52
- decrease 14 sweat e nter i nto - 2 1
- i n c rease 14 - b l o o d 56 cut t h ro u g h red tape 30
- n u m b e r (of) 50 - o u r g u ts o u t 56 target
- q u a ntity (of) 50 sweated l a b o u r 12 - a u d ience 15
- reward 2 1 sweeping c h a n ge 51 - m a rket 14
subtle swipe a c a rd 36 m eet a - 14
- d iffere n ce 55 switch c h a n n e ls 36 task
- d isti n ct i o n 55 system s crash 36 b re a k a - down 48
leafy suburbs 32 tackle d a u nt i n g - 12
success - the issue 18 perfo r m a - 44
b u i ld o n t h e - 34 - a p ro bl e m 49 m e n i a l tasks 12
m a ke a - of 8 take a c q u i re a taste fo r 27
m eet with - 34 - so m et h i n g bad ly 49 levy a tax 34
successful - a boat 4 i nt ro d u ce gree n taxes 3 1
extremely - 6 0 - a c o m p la i nt seri o usly 1 6 h a i l a taxi 32
s pecta c u l a rl y 29
-
- yo u r c ustom elsewh ere 1 6 team
sudden sh i ft 5 1 - d elight i n 60 - effort 56
suffer - it easy fo r a w h i le 3 - of experts 1
- casualties 39 - the e a sy way out 48 head a 6-

- fro m c h ro n i c a d isease 37 - exception to 59 w o r k as a - 12

- at the h a n d s of 59 - the fi e l d 27 wea r a n d tear 36
suggestion - a fi r m sta n ce a ga i n st 22 b u rst i nto tears 10
a ct o n a - 28 - t h e fla k 43 perfect a technique 48
come u p w i t h a 1 -
- fo r g ra n ted 41 h a rness technology 36
tentative - 28 - i n d u st ria l a ction 12 p ri m e-ti m e television 21
m a ke some suggestions 8 - issue w i t h 22 tell
summon u p t h e e n ergy 27 - a n overd ose 37 - s o m eo n e's fortu n e 9
sun-damaged h a i r 24 - s o m e on e 's point 58 - a secret 9
sunny spells 2 6 - p ri o rity over 11 temperature soa rs 31
supplement y o u r i nco m e 33 - s o m e o n e seriously 20 temperatures fluctuate 51
e n d less supply 50 - a s i d es w i pe 59 tem pting offe r 1 1
support noun - the time to 48 tentative su ggestion 28
d ru m u p - 28 - the view that 13 c o i n a term 8
p rovi d e m o ra l 40
- - s o m et h i n g the w ro n g w a y 40 terminate
support verb take on res p o n s i b i lity 12 - a c o ntract 52
- a fa m i ly 41 take up - a p re g n a n cy 52
- the hypothesis 18 - a c h a l l e n ge 27

English Co/locations in Use Advanced 183

 terms t h a n i m ports 14 travels
on b a d - 40 a ct on a tip-off 1 0 so u n d - 47
rem a i n o n frie n d ly - 40 p ro pose a toast 23 respo n d well to treatment 3 7
test noun keep so m e o n e on their toes 6 tree-planting scheme 32
- of strength 2 1 p u t together a CV 1 1 go trekking 26
test verb weighty tome 6 trend
- a theo ry 18 top q u a lity 16 show a d o wnward - 5 1
set text 1 7 select a resea rc h topic 18 show a n u pward - 5 1
i d entity theft 33 reg i m e topples 2 1 set a - 2 4
s pate o f thefts 3 totally trial
theory - awesom e 5 a djo u rn a - 38
fo rmu late a - 18 - dependent 7 face - 38
s u bscri be to the - 13 - d iffe rent 7 put o n - 3 8
test a - 1 8 - out o f o rd e r 4 3 sta n d - 3 8
there's no p l a c e l i ke h o m e 1 - separate 7 tribute
think p i ctu resq u e town 2 pay - to 4
- h ig h ly of 29 touch p lay a d i rty trick 43
- latera l ly 13 - of class 54 troop
h o n estly - 13 - of h u m o u r 54 - of b a b o o n s 54
thinly d i sguised 45 - of i rony 54 - of m o n keys 54
thirst - of sad n es s 54 troops
- for a dventu re 26 tough deploy - 3 9
- for knowledge 17 - cha llenge 4 withd ra w 39 -

thoroughly - q u estion 20 trouble

- ashamed 7 toxic waste 3 1 - b rea k s o u t 21
- e njoy 7 toy with a n i d e a 2 8 ca use a n y - 5 7
- reco m me n d 29 trace of an a ccent 47 go to a n y - 57
thought off the beaten track 26 put so m eo n e to any - 57
give someth i n g so m e - 13 tradition ru n i n to 6
-

- occu rred to m e 57 - d ates b a c k to 23 play truant 17

t u rn yo u r thoughts to 4 a ge-old - 23 u neasy truce 39
threat a n n u a l - 23 d ream co m es true 60
- h a n gs ove r 59 b re a k with - 23 trumped-up c h a rges 3 8
i d le - 3 keep u p the - 23 trust noun
pose a - 49 lon g-sta n d i n g - 23 a b use - 40
thriving i n d u stry 34 p ro u d - 23 betray s o meon e's - 43, 58
throw rich - 23 win so m eo n e's - 40
- a sickie 12 u p hold a - 2 3 trust verb
- a pa rty 19 w e a r traditional d ress 23 - s o m e o n e i m plicitly 44
throwaway co m me n t 22 traffic not - a n i nc h 43
thrust of an a rgu m e n t 18 bring - to a sta n d still 25 truth
d u l l thud 47 ease - congest i o n 25 plain - 3
c l a p of thunder 47 revea l t h e - 42
getti ng stu c k in - 25
tie the k n ot 23 - gri d lock 2 5 s i m p le - 3
tighten controls 30 turn
train operato r 25
time - yo u r t h o u ghts to 4
p e rsona lity traits 45
fi n d - 19 - a p rofit 8
u n dergo a transformation 5 1
free u p - 10 life i s turned u pside-d o w n 5 1
p rovid e s i m u lta n eous translation
h ave a w h a le o f a - 2 7 h igh turnover o f staff 1 2
4
over t h e cou rse o f - 46 TV
s pe n d q u a l ity - 1 9 transport noun
loca l - l i n ks/se rvices 25 flat-sc ree n - 36
ta ke the - to 48 high-d efi n ition 36
rel i a b le pu b l i c - 32 -

exports a re five times g reater

184 English Collocations in Use Advanced

occasio n a l twinge 41 utterly h u s ky - 4 7
u nacceptable beh aviour 45 - a b s u rd 7 lose y o u r - 4 7
u nanimous verd ict 38 - ri d i c u lo u s 7 m u ffled - 47
u nbounded e n t h u siasm 50 vacant p a r k i n g space 46 ra ise your - 47
rem a i n unchanged 5 1 vain h o p e 3 volume of work 1 1
leave unchecked 3 4 valiant effort 56 livi n g wage 1 2
excruci ati n gly uncomfortable 24 valuable s o u rce 4 walk stra ight i nto a j o b 6
undeclared e a r n i ngs 34 value with i n walking d i sta n ce 32
underage d ri n ki n g 35 - fo r m oney 16, 34 attention wanders 17
underestimate the va lue of 4 assess s o m et h i n g's - 4 warm s m i le 45
undergo novelty - 4 waste
- a reviva l 5 1 place g reat - o n 4 - of s pace 46
- a tra nsfo r m ation 5 1 p ra ctica l - 4 d is posa l of h o u s e h o l d - 3 1
g l i m mer of understanding 54 senti m e n ta l - 4, 41 d u m p - 31
undertake a stu d y 18 u n d e re st i m ate the - of 4 recycle - 31
p re p a rati o n s a re underway 28 highly valued 44 toxic - 31
undivided atte ntion 41 wide variation 55 watch noun
u neasy tru ce 39 wide variety 50 i nt ro d u ce a n e i g h b o u r h o od
ris i n g unemployment 34 vast ex p a n se 46 - scheme 35
unexplored w i l d e rness 26 vehicle e m issions 31 watch verb
give vent to your frustra t i o n 59 - w h a t you eat 37
u nfit fo r h u m a n h a b itation 35
perfect venue 19 co n ce n tration wavers 17
u ninterrupted eco n o m i c growth
verdict way
34
co ntest a - 38 in a stra i ghtfo rwa rd - 48
u nique sel l i n g p o i n t 14
ove rt u r n a - 38 ta ke the easy - o u t 48
s how of unity 2 1
u n a n i m ou s - 38 ta ke someth i n g the w ro n g - 40
u niversity
viable o pt i o n 48 ways
g ra d u ate fro m - 17
fas h i o n victim 24 c h a n ge your - 3 1
rea d a s u bject at - 17
victory e x p l o re d i fferen t - 4 8
u nknown q u a ntity 50
convi n c i n g - 27 see t h e error of you r - 4 1
h i g h ly unlikely 7
proc la i m a - 21 sto c k p i l e weapons 39
u n mitigated d is a ste r 29 wear
ta ke the view that 13
u npaid overt i m e 12 - a n d tea r 36
vigorous d efence 18
u nprovoked a ttack 39 - t ra d itio n a l d ress 23
pict u res q u e village 1
u n reliable weather
violence
- evi d e n ce 3 8 - p atte rns 31
- eru pts 39
- witn ess 38 a d verse - co n d iti o n s 49
- esc a lates 39
q u ell unrest 52 face severe - co n d iti o n s 26
i ncite - 35
u n social h o u rs 12 i n clement - 2
m i n d less - 43
u ntimely d eath 37 wedded bliss 23
go viral 1 5
u nveil a p l a n 2 8 fa i ryta le wedding 42
visit
b e up fo r d o i n g someth i n g 57 weighty
flyi n g - 19
regu lar update 22 pay s o m e o n e a - 19 - m a tters 6
u phill struggle 56 w h i r lw i n d - 19 - p ro b lems 6
uphold a t ra d itio n 23 vital - to m e 6
l i fe is tu rned u pside-down 51 - clue 2 1 welcome
show an u pward t rend 51 a bs o l u tely - 31 m a ke someone - 19
u rban vociferous o p ponent 2 2 well
- livi n g 32 voice - good 5
- regen e ra t i o n 32 boom i n g - 47 - q u a lified 44
u se SATN AV 36 d issenti n g - 22 res p o n d - to treatm e n t 37
n ot utter a w o rd 47 gruff - 4 7 a well-deserved re p u ta t i o n 29

English Collocations in Use Advanced 185

 h ave a w ha le of a t i m e 27 - t h e battle 4 work noun
w h a les - a sc h o l a rs h i p 17 do - 1 1
pod of - 54 - someone's trust 40 h a rd - 49
w h at offshore w i n d fa r m 3 1 nasty p i ece of - 43
- 's i n fashion 24 wine a n d d i ne 19 so u n d s l i ke h a rd - 49
watch - you eat 37 wining and d i n i n g 19 stroke of - 54
set t h e wheels i n m otion 53 d eclare someone the w i n n e r 9 volu m e of - 11
ta ke it easy for a w h ile 3 Wi-Fi hotspots 36 work verb
p a n d e r to someo n e 's every whim wisdom - to s o m e o ne's adva ntage 60
41 i m pa rt - 9 - as a tea m 12
s oc i a l whirl 19 words of - 1 - fro m h o m e 25
w h i rlwind visit 19 respect someone's wishes 41 m a ke a re lationship - 40
soft w h isper 47 s h a rp wit 45 work up a n a p petite 10
w h o le ga m u t of e m otions 54 withdra w troops 39 working h y p othesis 18
w h o lehearted ly reco m mend 44 within heavy workload 12
wide - living m e m o ry 46 world of d ifference 55
- c h oi ce 50 - w a l k i n g d i sta n ce 32 worried sick 59
- ra n ge 1, 50 it goes without s a y i n g 9 sick with w orry 59
- vari ation 55 withsta nd worth the effo rt 48
- variety 50 - the i m pact 3 wou ld n't s a y no to 9
d iffe r widely 55 - press u re 3 wreak h a vo c 53
w i despread u n relia ble witness 38 wrestle with a problem 1 3
- b e lief 13 pack of wolves 54 banish wrin k les 24
- flood i n g 31, 49 c h a n ged woman 51 write off a d ebt 33
- looti n g 49 a bso lutely w o n d e rful 7 ta ke somet h i n g the wrong way 40
go wild 27 word wrongfully d i s m iss 12
u n explo red wild e rn e s s 26 fou r-letter - 2 0 yawning ga p 55
w i l d ly h ave a - w i t h 5 academic year 17
- exaggerated 7 not say a - 9 be given a yellow card 27
- i n accurate 7 not utter a - 47 d isaffected youth 41
fluctu ate - 5 1 words
win - of w i s d o m 1
- a n a rg u m e n t 2 0 s l u r you r - 47

186 English Co/locations in Use Advanced

 E N G LISH

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