collocations

[sara88]

Hello
I would like to start this new thread to welcome learners of english as well as native speakers to share some collocations which they learned today. Whenever you find one along your listening or reading, just come and post it here. You can also add your comments on it or you can explain how one can remember it or recognize it later in your own way. as we can also correct each other.
First of all, for those who don't know, Collocation means:
"A word or phrase which is frequently used with another word or phrase, in a way that sounds correct to people who have spoken the language all their lives, but might not be expected from the meaning."
Ex:
In the phrase 'a hard frost', 'hard' is a collocation of 'frost' and 'strong' would not sound natural.(Cambridge dictionary)

So let's get started:


I have other exmpales but I'm not sure if we can call them collocations or not:
You should use a variety of words.
You should use a wide range of vocabulary.
A piece of advice.


You're all welcome to contribute.
I'm looking forward to read your posts.
Sara.

[sara88]

hello guys.
No one wants to post after Sara, ok I'll be the first one to post after her!! loll
Come on guys: let's practice together.
Today I brought for you an exercise about collocation so let's answer it together.
Here we go:
the collocations for
'to ........ your temper' (set/do/make/lose)
'to ........ tricks on someone' (make/do/play/set)
'to ........ a decision' (achieve/reach/hit/gain)
'to ........ a chance' (run/make/hold/stand)
'to ........ a cold' (take/suffer/catch/feel)


Let me answer the first question: Well, I think we should use "lose" because lose goes well with temper so it should be:
'to lose your temper'.

Let's see who will come after me!!!

[mfhaq77]

'to ..Play.. tricks on someone' (make/do/play/set)
'to ..reach.. a decision' (achieve/reach/hit/gain)
'to ..stand.. a chance' (run/make/hold/stand)
'to ..catch.. a cold' (take/suffer/catch/feel)

Try this one
'to ....... influence on someone' (spread/exercise/impose/create)

[sara88]

I think "create influence" is the correct one!!

Now an other one. i hope you will all help me solve it:

the collocations for
'........ average' (at/on/in/for)
'to be ........ arrest' (in/at/on/under)
'to be ........ booked' (absolutely/utterly/entirely/fully)
'to ........ a fortune' (achieve/make/win/take)
'to be ........ favour' (with/at/in/on)

[AZAMI ASLI]

I think "create influence" is the correct one!!

Now an other one. i hope you will all help me solve it:

the collocations for
'........ average' (at/on/in/for)
'to be ........ arrest' (in/at/on/under)
'to be ........ booked' (absolutely/utterly/entirely/fully)
'to ........ a fortune' (achieve/make/win/take)
'to be ........ favour' (with/at/in/on)

Sara , thanks for thread - it`s really useful - so ,
` on average `
` to be under arrest `
` to be entirely booked `?
` to win a fortune `?
` to be in favour `
Sara , help me with ? ones...

[bhaisahab]

Sara , thanks for thread - it`s really useful - so ,
` on average `
` to be under arrest `
` to be entirely booked `?
` to win a fortune `?
` to be in favour `
Sara , help me with ? ones...

It's "To be fully booked." and "To make a fortune."

[BobK]

Not 'entirely booked'. It would be understood OK, but it's not recorded at [Davies/BYU] BYU-BNC: British National Corpus . The collocation is "fully".

Note - I can't undertake to check all the posts here, but anyone can check them at that site. Put the first word in the word box and the second word in the context box, then click on Search.

b

[BobK]

It's "To be fully booked." and "To make a fortune."

Incidentally, as I was at that site I tried 'win a fortune'; "make" is by far the stronger collocation, but there is a handful of "win"s.

b

[sara88]

Thanks everyone for your help. That's really useful.
Now can anyone else suggest more question or give other examples about common collocations??!

[SUDHKAMP]

The doctor performed the operation.
crystal clear
middle management
nuclear family
cosmetic surgery
high probability
good chance
herd of cows
flock of sheep
school of fish