Thread: Collocations
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Old 04-Dec-2003, 17:33
jwschang
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Default Re: Collocations

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Originally Posted by CitySpeak
Quote:
Originally Posted by RonBee
Quote:
Originally Posted by CitySpeak
Quote:
Originally Posted by Red5
One element of improving your vocabulary is learning which verbs go with which nouns - also called collocations. For example: Do you make or do a mess? Does he miss or lose an opportunity? Here is a series of collocation...

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Source: English as 2nd Language
English as 2nd Language
I heard someone say "They give a lot of value to their families."
Isn't "They place a lot of value on their families." more like how it would normally be said?
I think so.
give value to - or - place value on
Yes, it should be place a lot of value on. I don't think the first one is even an English sentence.
That sentence was spoken by a German speaker. It is a grammatically correct sentence. Collocationally, it is wrong.
It sounds like suits-talk. Give value to your shareholders, give value to the meeting, add value to this and that....
I think the speaker perhaps didn't mean placing value but giving value. Strange-speak nevertheless, when family relationships take on business jargon. :wink:
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