Collocation Lists

On this page you can find a few short lists of collocations to give you more of an idea about them. Many good learner's dictionaries show collocations associated with specific words. There are also dictionaries of collocations, though these are more difficult to find.

Some common verbs

have have a bath have a drink have a good time have a haircut have a holiday have a problem have a relationship have a rest have lunch have sympathy do do business do nothing do someone a favour do the cooking do the housework do the shopping do the washing up do your best do your hair do your homework make make a difference make a mess make a mistake make a noise make an effort make furniture make money make progress make room make trouble

take break catch take a break break a habit catch a ball take a chance break a leg catch a bus take a look break a promise catch a chill take a rest break a record catch a cold take a seat break a window catch a thief take a taxi break someone's heart catch fire take an exam break the ice catch sight of take notes break the law catch someone's attention take someone's place break the news to someone catch someone's eye take someone's temperature break the rules catch the flu save save electricity pay a fine save energy pay attention save money pay by credit card save one's strength pay cash save someone a seat pay interest pay someone a compliment save someone's life save something to a disk pay someone a visit save space pay the bill save time pay the price save yourself the trouble pay your respects come come close come complete with come direct go go abroad go astray go bad pay keep keep a diary keep a promise keep a secret keep an appointment keep calm keep control keep in touch keep quiet keep someone's place keep the change get get a job get a shock get angry

come early come first come into view come last come late come on time come prepared come right back come second come to a compromise come to a decision come to an agreement come to an end come to a standstill come to terms with come to a total of come under attack

go bald go bankrupt go blind go crazy go dark go deaf go fishing go mad go missing go on foot go online go out of business go overseas go quiet go sailing go to war go yellow Business English annual turnover bear in mind break off negotiations cease trading chair a meeting close a deal close a meeting come to the point dismiss an offer draw a conclusion draw your attention to launch a new product lay off staff go bankrupt go into partnership make a loss make a profit market forces sales figures take on staff

get divorced get drunk get frightened get home get lost get married get nowhere get permission get pregnant get ready get started get the impression get the message get the sack get upset get wet get worried Classifiers

Miscellaneous
Time bang on time dead on time early 12th century free time from dawn till dusk great deal of time late 20th century make time for next few days past few weeks right on time run out of time save time spare time spend some time take your time tell someone the time time goes by time passes waste time Collocation Quizzes

a ball of string a bar of chocolate a bottle of water a bunch of carrots a cube of sugar a pack of cards a pad of paper

Your English: Collocations: hit

Tim Bowen really hits the nail on the head with his discussion of the collocates of this versatile word.

In recent months we have seen Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton hit the campaign trail as they attempted to win the Democratic nomination for the presidential candidate. Most observers believe that Obama hit the ground running (was successful from the very start) hitting the target with a lot of his comments and policy statements, while it wasnt long before Clinton hit a bad patch (reached a difficult stage), hit a few problems and had to concede defeat. Some commentators seemed to hit the nail on the head (speak the exact truth) when they said that Hilarys husband Bill was the driving force behind her campaign and this story often hit the headlines (was the main story in the newspapers), although Hilary herself hit the roof (became very angry) whenever anyone suggested this was the case. Away from the world of politics, ordinary mortals hit the road when they leave on a long journey, hit the shops when they go out for a days shopping, hit the town when they go out for the evening, and hit the sack when they go to bed. When you are hungry a tasty meal will often hit the spot (be exactly what you need) but when you are thirsty be careful you dont hit the bottle (drink alcohol to excess) or you may end up hitting rock bottom (reaching the lowest possible level) and you may not know what hit you (be extremely shocked or surprised). Be patient, keep trying and, who knows, in the end you might hit the big time (become very successful).

Your English: Collocations: offset

Do you share car journeys to offset fuel costs? Tim Bowen weighs up a versatile verb. The verb to offset is defined as to balance the effects of something, with the result that there is no advantage or disadvantage. In that sense, it is very similar to the meaning of the phrasal verb cancel out. It is possible to offset certain terms related to a cost or an amount, such as expenditure, expense, fee, payment or price, as in To offset rising travel costs, many commuters have decided to share car journeys. Words associated with an increase, such as gain, growth or increase itself, can also be offset, as in Increased fuel bills are likely to offset any gains to family income from the small reduction in income tax. Likewise, words associated with loss or decrease can also be offset, e.g. decline, deficit, fall, loss, reduction and shortfall, as in To offset the shortfall in revenue from North Sea oil and gas, a new tax might be imposed on reusable energy. The effect, benefit or impact of something can also be offset, as in Sports drinks have been specially designed to offset the impact of dehydration or Any benefits from the extended healthcare package could be offset by higher taxes. It is also possible to offset a risk or risks, as in Red wine may have health benefits that could offset any risks associated with its consumption.

A number of adverbs can be used with offset, ranging from partially, partly and somewhat to largely completely and fully, as in Increases in the price of holiday packages will largely offset the loss of income caused by falling visitor numbers.

Have you ever missed a deadline? Tim Bowen counts down a number of useful collocations. Many people work to deadlines. A deadline may be strict (in other words, it is not negotiable) or it may be tight (not allowing you much time before it has to be met). A deadline can also be agreed, as in I always work to an agreed deadline, and, although somewhat tautological, there may be a final deadline, as in The final deadline for submitting applications is 2nd July. You can make or meet a deadline or, of course, you can miss it, as in Its easy to find you have missed the deadline for submitting entries. The deadline is imposed or set by the other party, as in We do not believe that it is sensible for the government to set an arbitrary deadline for this project. Once a deadline has been set, however, it may also be extended, as in Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to extend this deadline by a day or two. Two verbs can be used to describe a deadline that is getting close, loom and approach, as in Greece faced a looming deadline in mid-March when it needed to make repayments on a 14.5 billion-euro bond, or face bankruptcy or The deadline for submitting applications is fast approaching. A deadline can also pass or expire, as in The kidnappers deadline for their demands to be met has already passed and as yet there is no news on the fate of the hostages or In Nigeria, the deadline for the gun amnesty expired on 31st October.

Have you felt a slight drop in temperature? Or have you noticed a slight increase in the price of milk? Tim Bowen appreciates the subtleties of slight and its collocates. The adjective slight, meaning small in size, amount or degree, forms collocations with a number of nouns in a few basic categories. With the meaning of rise and fall, slight goes with increase and rise, and decline, decrease, drop, fall and reduction respectively, as in Please note that fees for future academic years may be subject to a slight annual increase and There was a slight decrease in fuel efficiency during the early 1980s. It also goes with certain nouns that indicate a change of some sort, e.g. adjustment, alteration, deviation, difference, improvement, modification and variation, as in Often the effects are minor and can be overcome with a slight adjustment in dosage and There was a slight improvement in the patients condition overnight.

Slight can also be used with words that indicate a problem, such as difficulty, error and mistake, as in There has been a slight error in calculating your wages this week and The first noticeable symptom is a slight difficulty in walking. It can also be used with the noun exaggeration, often as a kind of understatement, as in To say the building was in need of repair was a slight exaggeration; it was in need of demolition. The superlative form of slight is used to collocate with the nouns idea, sign and hint, as in I didnt have the slightest idea what they were talking about, He learned to walk away if there was the slightest hint of trouble and She didnt give the slightest sign of understanding what I was talking about. Have you ever been in a fragile state? Tim Bowen delicately explores collocates of fragile. If something is described as fragile, it is easy to break or damage or it is not strong or healthy. Certain aspects of the environment can be described as fragile, e.g. ecology, ecosystem, habitat and the word environment itself, as in 'The fragile environment of the Danube delta is under constant threat or Deforestation is causing serious damage to fragile mountain ecosystems. In terms of conflict, fragile also collocates with words that represent a break in hostilities, such as peace, truce and ceasefire, as in International mediation has enabled a fragile peace to return to the region. It can also be used to describe the situation of a particular country, collocating with democracy and economy as in The credit crunch is hitting Dubais fragile economy and there is no oil wealth to fall back on'. A fragile relationship is one that is likely to break down at any moment and can be applied to countries as in 'The fragile relationship between India and Pakistan or to people, as in The play deals with the fragile relationship between a father and his step-daughter. Individuals may suffer from a fragile ego or fragile confidence, as in 'A person with low selfesteem and a fragile ego has an overwhelming need to be the centre of attention'. In a sporting context, teams and individual sportsmen or women may also suffer from fragile confidence, as in 'They are desperately in need of a win as their confidence is rather fragile at the moment'. It is also possible for someone to be in a fragile state, as in After the all-night party, hes in rather a fragile state this morning. Tim Bowen captures the mood of the economic crisis with this educational discussion on collocates of the word place. A recent news report says that British Universities have begun to place limits on the number of students they recruit. This has partly resulted from the decision to place part of the burden of financing higher education on the universities themselves. Many have complained that placing the responsibility for higher education budgets on universities has placed a strain on their resources and forced them to place restrictions on new research projects. Some place the blame for the current situation fairly and squarely on the government, saying that while the government claims to place great importance on education on the one hand, it also places

great emphasis on the need to make savings and this has placed many educational institutions under pressure. Several people have complained that the government is placing profits above quality. Some are placing their hopes on a change of policy but others are continuing to place their hopes on the status quo. It is fair to say, however, that very few are placing bets on any significant improvement in the situation, at least in the short term. Under the current circumstances, some institutions have stopped placing advertisements to recruit new students in newspapers and many are reporting that the current economic crisis is making it difficult to place people in jobs when they graduate. We all make the occasional mistake, says Tim Bowen. You just have to admit it. Everyone makes the occasional or odd mistake in the sense of saying, writing, thinking or doing something that is not correct. Sometimes mistakes are just careless or sloppy but they can also be silly, stupid or foolish, and, on occasion, embarrassing. They can be minor or slight or they can be bad or serious. Deliberate mistakes are rare, except perhaps in adverts for proofreaders, but those which are not deliberate can be described as genuine, honest or innocent, as in Many discounts are issued incorrectly because of genuine mistakes made by claimants. If a mistake is very obvious, it can be described as glaring, as in His application is very strong but it contains one glaring mistake. People notice, find or spot mistakes, as in If you spot a mistake, please send us the details and we will notify the people responsible for maintaining the database. You can rectify or correct a mistake that has already been made but it might be better to eliminate mistakes by being more careful in the first place, as in Before submitting your work, use the spellchecker to eliminate any spelling mistakes. If you have made a mistake, it is often a good idea to admit or acknowledge it, as in As regular readers will know, I do like to acknowledge mymistakes and rectify them before they do too much damage. If mistakes appear gradually and begin to affect things in a negative way, they can be said to creep in, as in A number of mistakes had crept into the text so the results of the test were unreliable Tim Bowen bears the burden of explaining the collocates of this interesting word. Just dont bear a grudge against him. The recent sharp increases in the price of oil have led to a number of gloomy headlines around the world. According to various news sources, airlines will have to bear the costs of the price rise, while the poor old consumer will have to bear the burden of rising petrol prices. Small businesses, we are told, will bear the brunt of a strike by oil tanker drivers. This last expression means 'to feel the full impact of something' and is virtually the only everyday use of the word brunt (it can also follow the verbs take and carry). The effects of an oil price that is expected to reach 200 dollars a barrel don't bear thinking about (are too awful to

contemplate), while the general public will no doubt bear a grudge against the government for its handling of the situation (have an unfriendly attitude towards it because of what it has done). The current situation bears a strong resemblance to (is very similar to) the situation in the 1970s when oil prices rose sharply. The economies of many countries bore the scars (continued to feel the effects) of that crisis for many years. You have to bear in mind (remember), however, that these things go in cycles. It also appears that efforts to find alternative sources of energy to power vehicles are beginning to bear fruit (to produce positive results). The recent launch of Honda's hydrogen-powered car bears witness to this (is evidence of this). Tim Bowen sets out to explore the many varied collocates of this verb. Set is often cited as the English word with the most different meanings. Indeed, the Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners gives no fewer than 15 separate uses for the verb set (not to mention all the various phrasal verbs like set up, set out etc.), 11 for the noun and a further seven for the adjective. Unsurprisingly, there are a number of collocations with the verb set. You can set concrete things like alarm clocks, watches, timers and thermostats, for example. You can set a date or a time and you can also set a price or a rate for something (as in The Central Bank is responsible for setting interest rates). Set is also used with words referring to rules or standards such as conditions, guidelines, limits and criteria (as in Opposition parties have set conditions for peace negotiations to begin) and you can also set an example or set a precedent (as in Her behaviour sets a very bad example or This ruling will set a legal precedent). Set can be used with certain nouns to establish the way in which something is done, e.g. set a tone, a pattern, a fashion or a trend (Her opening speech set the tone for the whole conference). In terms of the future, you can set yourself (or someone else) a goal, a challenge, an objective or a task. From the unfortunate students point of view, teachers can set homework, set essays and, worst of all, set exams. Tim Bowen demonstrates his mental toughness with a set of tricky collocations. With the meaning of difficult, the adjective tough collocates with a number of words that refer to a match, race or competition, such as challenge, encounter, fight, fixture and game, as in It was one of the toughest games Ive ever taken part in. In a similar context, it can also be used with types of exercise, e.g. climb and workout, as in The view from the top is worth the tough climb. Jobs, assignments and tasks can be tough, as can choices and decisions, as in He has always avoided taking tough decisions. Negotiations is a noun often used with tough, as in Be prepared for some tough negotiations if you want to get a better deal. Questions in an exam or at an interview can also be described as tough, as in Most of the exam was easy but I found the last question a bit tough. With the meaning of strict or severe, tough is followed by on, as in The police are getting tough on illegal traders. In this sense, tough on collocates with a number of words for illicit

behaviour such as crime, drugs, illegal immigration, terror and terrorism, as in The new government has indicated that it will be tough on crime. It is also used with the perpetrators of these activities, and, in particular, with the words criminals and offenders, as in Many people believe the courts should be tougher on criminals, imposing tougher sentences. Finally, when it means strong, confident and determined, various adverbs collocate with tough. In addition to adverbs of degree such as exceptionally and remarkably, the adverbs emotionally and mentally can also be used with tough, as in You need to be mentally tough as well as physically fit to complete a marathon. Never one to evade his responsibilities, Tim Bowen avoids any confusion with a thorough explanation of two popular collocates. The verbs avoid and evade are similar in meaning but the words they collocate with reveal some important differences. In the sense of prevent something happening, you can avoid a particular feeling, such as disappointment, embarrassment or stress, as in please book early to avoid disappointment. You can also avoid a bad situation, such as a collision, a confrontation, a delay, an injury, a mistake or temptation, as in To avoid delays in processing your application, please complete the form in full. A further group of things that can be avoided includes words for various types of confusion such as confusion itself, ambiguity and misunderstanding, as in To avoid any misunderstandings, always carry your registration card with you. To evade, on the other hand, has the meaning of to avoid (sorry!) doing something, paying something or dealing with something. There is often the idea of cleverness, trickery or subterfuge being involved as well as intention. Thus you can evade your obligations, duty or responsibilities and you can also evade paying duty or tax, as in Attempts to evade excise duty and VAT are taken very seriously indeed. Politicians, in particular, are skilful at evading questions, problems or issues, as in He managed to evade the question of how much the scheme would actually cost. It is also possible to evade arrest, capture, justice, prosecution, the law and the authorities in general, as in The police intend to stop offenders from evading justice. Finally, it is important to remember that tax avoidance is legal but tax evasion is not. Shall we run Tim Bowen's latest article on the word run and its collocates? Oh, go on then. With the meaning of control, organise or manage, you can run a business, run a competition, run a rail or bus service or run a training course. In the world of politics, you can run a campaign, as in Hes the man who ran Obamas election campaign. In the sense of examine, medical or technical staff can run tests on someone or something, while security staff might find it necessary to run checks on someone. In the field of publishing, a newspaper can run an article on a particular topic (print it) or run an advertisement for some product or other. After a hard days work, the first thing some people like to do when they get home is run a bath (fill the bath with hot water) while others like to run their eyes over the newspaper (read it very quickly). If you are feeling ill, you might be running a temperature or running a fever, and if you ignore the symptoms you could run the risk of making it worse.

You can also run a computer program (start it or use it), as in Try running the program again and see if it works', and to connect your computer to the electricity supply you will probably have to run a cable from your desk to the socket. People who drive will know that it costs more and more to run a car these days (to use and maintain it) and they will also know that if they run a red light (continue driving even though the light is red), they run the risk of being fined. Tim Bowen discusses the wide range of collocations the verb to raise can form. Often confused with its intransitive equivalent rise, the verb raise is particularly rich in the number of collocations it can form. Some of these convey the literal meaning of raise, as in raise your hand or raise your glass, while others are more idiomatic, e.g. raise a smile or raise hell (as in 'His jokes failed to raise a smile' or make people laugh, and 'They raised hell when they were told the hotel had no record of their booking', or got very angry and made a scene). In the sense of create, raise can collocate with a number of abstract nouns, for example raise doubts, raise fears, raise hopes and raise expectations (as in 'We dont want to raise your hopes at this early stage' or 'Doubts have been raised about the viability of the project'). If you raise your eyebrows, you show that you are surprised by something, as in 'The decision raised a few eyebrows around here', while raising your voice indicates that you are speaking in a loud voice, probably because you are angry. You can also raise the alarm if you want to draw peoples attention to a problem. You can raise children, raise a family and, in American English, raise animals. Finally, if a performer or sports team puts in a performance that gets the audience or spectators particularly excited, they can raise the roof: 'They raised the roof when they played their best-known song as an encore'.

Tim Bowen serves up a lethal combination of collocations including deadly threats and fatal errors. The adjectives deadly, lethal and fatal all have broadly the same meaning. Deadly means able or likely to kill people, lethal is defined as very dangerous and able to kill you and fatal has the meaning of causing someone to die. There are a couple of cases where collocations including these adjectives overlap, e.g. a disease can be deadly, lethal or fatal, although a specific disease can only be fatal, e.g. He suffered a fatal heart attack or The infection proved fatal. Weapons can be both lethal and deadly but not fatal. Nouns that specifically collocate with deadly include poison, virus and threat, as in In the wrong hands, spent nuclear material could pose a deadly threat, while nouns that collocate with lethal include dose, injection and effect, as in In some US states, people are executed by lethal injection. Lethal is also used with words that specifically indicate a mixture that can cause death, as in She was found dead in her kitchen, having taken a lethal cocktail of alcohol and weedkiller and John was a heavy drug user and an alcoholic a lethal combination.

Fatal is specifically used with events that cause death such as accident, crash, collision and fall, as in He met with a fatal accident at the colliery yesterday. It is also used in situations where someone is hurt, such as attack, blow, injury, shot and wound, and in situations involving a very costly mistake with the words mistake, error and blunder, as in Never underestimate him because you will be making a fatal error This week, Tim Bowen launches into an avid description of the collocates of this particularly power-packed word. The verb launch, meaning 'to propel', is derived from the French verb lancer ('to throw'). Despite its apparently limited meaning, launch has numerous collocations. The first group are related to the idea of propelling something into the air, so one can launch a missile, launch a rocket or launch a satellite, as in The agency will launch a new weather satellite next month. It can also be used with ships, as in The QE2 was launched by Queen Elizabeth II in 1967, and is used to refer to the formal placing of a ship in the water for the first time. In the sense of propel, launch can also be used more figuratively, as in The accused was alleged to have launched a stream of abuse at police officers. Launch is also used to mean 'initiate' or 'instigate' and has a rich store of collocations in this sense. A country can launch an attack on another country and the same expression can be used figuratively in a sporting context, as in 'There was still time for City to launch one final attack on the United goal'. In the sense of 'initiate', launch can be used with the word inquiry, as in 'The government is to launch an inquiry into the affair. In a similar vein, the police can launch a murder investigation. In the sense of starting to sell something new, products and services can also be launched onto the market, as in The company has announced it will launch a new version of its software in January' or Fiat is planning to launch 25 new models in the next four years. Finally, publishers also launch new magazines and newspapers, as in They have announced plans to launch an upmarket sports magazine
Don't let those complicated questions about the finer points of the English language throw you off balance - Tim Bowen is here to help. This week he brings us an enlightening discussion on collocates of the word throw.

The European football authorities recently began to investigate allegations that a team threw a match (deliberately lost it in order to take a bribe) several years ago. If the allegations turn out to be true it is likely that the authorities will throw the book at the offending club (punish them very severely). One of the problems here seems to be that in order to be successful some people will simply throw caution to the wind (stop being careful and do something they know has risks) and throw money at something (try to improve it by spending excessive amounts of money). In such cases people often throw good money after bad (continue spending money on something that is clearly going to fail). The inevitable result of this is that it does fail and is then a question of throwing money down the drain (wasting it by spending it on something useless). If a project is to work, people need to throw their weight behind it (support it fully) and not simply throw their weight around (use their authority to tell other people what to do in a rude and unpleasant way). Sometimes things can throw you off balance (make you feel confused or surprised because you did not expect them) and throw everything into disarray (put it into a very bad state).

Under those circumstances you might feel like tearing everything up and starting all over again. The danger here is that you might throw the baby out with the bathwater (get rid of the good and useful aspects of something without intending to, while you try to get rid of the negative aspects). In the end, if all else fails, just throw a party and have fun.

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Tim Bowen takes us on a whirlwind tour of the British tourism sector. Mid-summer in the UK is normally the height of the tourist season. At weekends, London, in particular, is swarming with tourists and certain areas of the city such as Oxford Street and Covent Garden are thronged with visitors. Other cities, notably Canterbury, Oxford and Cambridge, are also overrun with tourists, many of whom participate in guided tours around their respective destinations. Various aspects of British life attract tourists. For example, Stratford-upon-Avon, with its strong historical associations with Shakespeare, brings in tourists from around the world. Other tourist destinations, magnets or hotspots in the UK include Bath, Edinburgh and Brighton. If you only have a few days to spare, it is possible to organise a whirlwind tour of the UK and visit all of the aforementioned places. If you have more time, on the other hand, you could take an extended tour or a leisurely tour. For many visitors, the tourist trail normally begins and ends in London and next year, in particular, it is hoped that the Olympic Games will boost tourism still further. However, the current economic situation is affecting tourism and many in the tourism sector are attempting to expand their businesses into other forms of tourism such as eco-tourism and green tourism, offering holidays in Indian tepees in the Welsh mountains or wooden cabins in the middle of forests. In this computer-driven age, however, it is quite possible to indulge in the ultimate in ethical tourism and stay at home. There you can enjoy a virtual tour, or even an interactive tour, of your chosen destination.

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Tim Bowen again reflects on the substantial damage sustained in the UKs recent riots as inspiration for some collocations. If a lot of damage is caused, it can be described as considerable, extensive, severe, significant, substantial or widespread. If, on the other hand, not much damage is caused, it is minimal, minor or slight. Permanent damage is irreparable, irreversible or lasting, as in Pollution is causing lasting damage to the environment.

Damage can be deliberate, in which case it can be described as criminal, malicious or wilful, as in A lot of the damage caused by the rioting was simply malicious or it can be accidental. Apart from causing damage, one can also inflict damage and actions can lead to or result in damage, as in The riots resulted in severe damage to a number of commercial properties. From the point of view of the victim of the damage, one can suffer, incur or sustain damage, as in Several businesses sustained substantial damage in the rioting. Damage can be repaired, reversed or undone, as in It may take months or even years to undo the damage caused by the rioting. Steps can be taken to limit, minimize or reduce damage, as in Areas of the city were cordoned off to minimize damage to property or damage can be prevented altogether, in which case it can be avoided or guarded against, as in Measures will be taken to guard against damage to property in the event of any repetition of the rioting. Finally, any damage will probably need to be assessed, as in A team of surveyors has inspected the burnt-out buildings and assessed the damage. Tim Bowen reveals a set of collocations that is equally dark, sinister and shocking! A story that largely dominated the news in the UK in May 2011 was the revelation of a secret affair between a famous footballer and a former reality TV star. The footballers name had been a closely-guarded secret (not told to anyone) for some time, reinforced by a legal injunction preventing the publication of his name. His identity was an open secret (widely known), however, mainly thanks to social networking sites. Secret scan also concern very personal matters, in which case they are innermost or intimate, as in Our unconscious world has the power to reveal our innermost secrets. Secrets may also involve bad or illegal behaviour, in which case they can be described as dark, dirty, guilty, shameful, shocking, sinister or sordid, as in This has been the wests dirty little secret ever since President Roosevelts time. A number of verbs are used with secret. It was the Internet that revealed the footballers secret and other verbs that can be used to mean tell someone a secret include betray, disclose, divulge, leak and let slip. A secret can also be discovered, of course, and other verbs that can be used here include find out, learn, uncover, unearth and unlock, as in While researching our family history, I unearthed a dark secret. The footballer attempted to bury his secret by using the courts to prevent his name being published in the newspapers. Other verbs that can be used in a similar way include conceal, guard, harbour, hide and keep, as in For many years she harboured a guilty secret.
Tim Bowen clears the way for the verb clear and its collocates.

The verb to clear is used in a number of fixed expressions, with the general meaning of remove, although in a few cases it has a different meaning.

If you clear a debt, you pay back all the money that you owe. If you clear an obstacle or a hurdle, you deal with it successfully, as in 'The company has cleared the main obstacle to concluding the sale'. You can also clear a backlog, as in 'Extra staff have been brought in to clear the backlog caused by the postal strike'. If you clear your desk, you remove everything from it because you are leaving your job. This can also be used as a euphemism for being fired, as in Ive heard he will be clearing his desk fairly soon'. If you clear the way, the ground or the decks, you do what needs to be done so that something else can happen without problems, as in The government has cleared the decks for an early general election' or 'The law cleared the way for polytechnics to become universities'. If you have a difficult relationship with someone because of an argument or a disagreement, you might find it necessary to clear the air (discuss the problem in order to resolve it), as in I think its time we cleared the air, dont you? Finally, clear can also go with immigration, customs or passport control to mean to obtain permission to enter a country or take something into a country after being checked by officials, as in Delays are often experienced by passengers waiting to clear passport control.

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We've no petty grievances with this set of collocations from Tim Bowen.

The adjective petty (derived from the French word petit, meaning small) has three basic meanings: trivial (not important and not worth worrying about), minor and mean/smallminded (when being unpleasant to someone). With the first two meanings, petty collocates with a relatively small number of nouns. In the sense of trivial, one can find petty arguments, petty squabbles, petty disagreements and petty jealousies, as in 'Im not interested in their petty squabbles and Village life is full of petty jealousies. In the same sense, petty can also go with grievances and complaints, as in He quickly grew tired of people coming to him with their petty grievances. In the sense of minor, while one can talk about minor crime, the term petty crime is often used to talk about crimes that are not particularly serious, as in The government has announced new measures to combat petty crime including vandalism, graffiti and litter. The perpetrators of such crimes are petty criminals or petty offenders. A petty thief is one who steals items of relatively low value. Pickpockets are examples of petty thieves. In offices and other businesses, money kept for small, everyday expenses is petty cash (often kept in a petty cashbox), and a low-ranking officer in the navy is a petty officer. With the meaning of mean or small-minded, petty collocates with the word remark as in, She was hurt by his petty remarks and with the words behaviour and attitude, as in They were upset by their neighbours petty behaviour and attitude.

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Tim Bowen provides a flood of literal and figurative expressions containing this word linked to natural disasters. The devastating floods in Pakistan have brought havoc and misery to that country. Bad floods can be described as major, severe or serious but if they are very bad, as these latest ones are, then devastating, disastrous and catastrophic can be used. A flood which suddenly appears in a mountainous area due to a period of extremely heavy rain is called a flash flood, as in Be wary of flash floods in mountain ranges where streams can suddenly turn into five metres of water with almost no warning. Various verbs with the basic meaning of cause collocate with flood, e.g. trigger, unleash, result in and lead to, as in 'Floods triggered by torrential rain have killed at least 24 people in the region. The affected are hit by, devastated by or ravaged by the flood, as in Huge swathes of land along the Indus river have been ravaged by the recent floods. Objects in the path of the flood may be swept away or washed away, as in The railway bridge was swept away by the flood. Rivers do not remain in flood forever and floods eventually subside or recede, meaning that the water level returns to normal. In a figurative sense, the word flood can also be applied to people and in particular to immigrants, migrants and refugees, as in The country was unable to cope with the flood of refugees. It can also be used with letters, calls or messages, as in His article provoked a flood of emails from angry readers and with the word memories, as in The photo brought back a flood of memories.

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Read the fruits of Tim Bowen's boundless energy in this blast of collocations. Some people are fortunate enough to have a great deal of energy. This can be described as tremendous energy or boundless energy, as in 'His enthusiasm and boundless energy will be missed by everyone at the school. Too much energy can be described as excess energy or surplus energy, as in Let the kids work off their excess energy with a few races.' Energy that is associated with emotion is generally described as nervous energy, as in 'I expended a lot of nervous energy on the day of the wedding', and energy that is not expressed is pent-up energy, as in Now is the time to release all that pent-up energy. If you have a lot of energy, you can be said to be bursting with energy or buzzing with energy. In that situation, you may need to release some energy or work it off, as in 'I need to work off all this surplus energy. If, on the other hand, you dont have much energy, you may want to save or conserve it, as in ' At the start of a marathon, runners are advised to run more slowly in order to conserve energy'.

When you have used up all your energy, you can be said to be drained of energy or lacking energy and if you need to get some from somewhere, you will need to summon up some energy, as in We found it difficult to summon up the energy for one last attempt to reach the summit'.
Tim Bowen pulls out all the stops with his description of the collocates of the verb to pull.

Many of the expressions containing the verb pull seem to have negative connotations. Some refer to trickery - to pull the wool over someones eyes, for example, meaning to try to trick or cheat someone by giving them wrong information. Then there is to pull a fast one, which also means to trick someone. If you use your influence in order to get something you want or to help someone else, especially if this is unfair, you are said to be pulling a few strings, while if someone pulls the strings, they are controlling a situation and the people in it, often in a secretive fashion. Such people often pull rank on other people (use the fact that they are more important or powerful to force them to do what they want them to do). They might also tell their subordinates to pull their socks up (tell them they are not doing their job well enough and that they must do better) because they are not pulling their weight (working as hard as their colleagues or the other people involved in an activity or a job). If you are the unfortunate victim, you might be upset by all this criticism but, after pulling yourself together (controlling your emotions and behaving calmly after being upset or angry), you could then pull out all the stops (make a big effort to ensure that something happens or is successful). In the end, of course, you might find out that your boss was simply pulling your leg (telling you something that was not true, as a joke). The only response to this is to say Pull the other one (its got bells on), indicating that you dont believe a word of what they are saying.

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You would really want to catch more than just a glimpse of Tim Bowen's article on catch and its collocates.

Eighteen months after his release, he was caught red-handed taking part in an armed robbery at a bank in North London. This unfortunate individual was found doing something clearly illegal and criminals who are caught in the act have little chance of escaping punishment. Clearly, the person in question was caught by surprise but you can also catch someone at a bad moment, as in 'I'm afraid you've caught me at a bad moment. Could you call back later?' Saying this is often an effective way of deterring (or at least delaying) cold callers on the telephone. If, on the other hand, someone is caught off (their) guard, something happens that they are not ready for, as in 'Local residents were caught off guard by the floods and had to be evacuated from their homes by boat'. If you catch a glimpse of someone, you see them for a very short time, as in People lined the streets outside the theatre, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. You can also smell something for a very short time, as in He caught a whiff of expensive perfume as she brushed past him'. Of course, you can catch various diseases, particularly during the winter months, and you might be warned against catching your death (of cold), as in 'Get out of those wet clothes or you'll catch your death of cold'.

Perhaps the best antidote to the winter blues is to go somewhere warm and catch some rays (go sunbathing) but don't overdo it or your friends might say Youve caught the sun, meaning that you have painful red skin after sunbathing for too long.

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That settles it! Tim Bowen's article on collocates of the verb settle proves that he is just the person to ask if you need information on collocations.

The verb settle collocates with a number of nouns that refer to conflicts of various kinds in the sense of bringing them to an end, for example settle an argument, settle a dispute, settle a conflict, as in There has not yet been any breakthrough in the international efforts to settle the conflict in the region' or I wonder if you can help us settle an argument? Whats the highest mountain in North America? It is also possible to use the verb settle in a legal context. A case can be settled out of court (without asking a court to decide), as in The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount'. If you make a claim on an insurance policy, the insurance company will either settle the claim (pay all the money owing to you) or, if they dispute the facts of the case, they may, of course, refuse to settle the claim. When you pay all the money you owe for goods or services, you settle the bill, as in A growing number of companies now offer payment online and even offer discounts to those who choose to settle their bills in this way. If someone has done something bad to you in some way and you have waited for some time to exact revenge, you settle a score with them by doing something bad to them, as in 'City have a score to settle after their controversial defeat last season. Finally, the fixed expression That settles it is used when you want to say that you have made a decision because you have enough information or because you do not want an annoying or unpleasant situation to continue, as in 'That settles it! I'm leaving'.

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If you get yourself lost in a dense forest does that make you pretty dense? Tim Bowen explores the various collocations of this versatile (and sometimes offensive) adjective. In the sense of growing very close together, dense collocates with a number of nouns. We can talk about dense woodland, dense undergrowth, dense vegetation, dense jungle or dense forest. In all cases, there is an idea of the trees or plants growing very close together and the area in question being difficult to access or pass through. Apart from plants, living creatures (including humans) in close proximity to each other can be described in phrases containing the word dense, as in a dense network of towns and cities or a dense black cloud of flying insects. Gas or smoke in which the particles are so close to each other that it is difficult to see through it can also be described as dense, as in Dense fog affected many roads and airports over the

weekend, arriving just in time for the Christmas getaway or Dense clouds of volcanic ash continue to spew out of the Icelandic volcano. Care should be taken when applying the word dense to population, however. Dense can also mean stupid, as in Hes a nice man but he can be a bit dense at times. If we say a particular city has a dense population, it could imply that the people living there are not very bright. This can be neatly avoided by using the adverb densely and referring to densely populated cities, countries or regions, as in Malta is Europes most densely populated country rather than The population of Malta is very dense, which might cause offence.
Tim Bowen casts new light on the verb to cast and its collocates.

The irregular verb cast, originally meaning to throw, is used in a number of expressions. If you cast your eye over something, you have a quick look at it, as in Could you just cast your eye over this report? If someone or something casts doubt on something, they make it seem less certain, good or real, as in There is some fresh information that casts doubt on his integrity. If you cast your mind back, you think about something that happened in the past, especially in order to remember something important, e.g. Try to cast your mind back to the last conversation you had with her'. To cast (new/fresh) light on something means to provide new information that helps people understand something more clearly, as in Human genome research is casting new light on Alzheimers disease. Traditionally it is witches who cast spells (use magic to make something happen to someone) but places can also cast a spell, e.g. 'Stonehenge never fails to cast a spell over the traveller', as can people, e.g. 'From the very first song her voice cast a spell on the audience. The sun can, of course, cast a shadow, as in The setting sun cast long shadows across the fields. Used metaphorically, cast a shadow means to make a situation seem less hopeful and more likely to end badly, as in 'Last night's killings cast a dark shadow over the peace talks. Finally, if you live in a democracy, dont forget to cast your vote at the next election.

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Tim Bowen keeps the peace by delivering another fine article on collocations. Most people want peace, especially peace that is durable, enduring, lasting or permanent, as in After years of conflict, lasting peace has returned to the region. Unfortunately, peace is not always expected to last very long, in which case it can be described as fragile or uneasy, as in An uneasy peace has descended on the area but outbreaks of sporadic violence are still being reported. Peace can be brought, built, made or secured, as in Frantic efforts are being made to bring peace to the war-ravaged country, and once this has happened it becomes necessary to keep, maintain, preserve or safeguard it, as in These operations support diplomatic efforts to maintain peace in an area of potential conflict. If this fails and violence breaks out again, it may become necessary to restore or re-establish peace, as in The rebellion appears to have fizzled out, thereby restoring peace to the country.

Certain activities promote peace, as in The agreement would serve the interests of both sides and promote regional peace and security, while other activities threaten or endanger peace, as in The growing influence of terrorist groups is endangering peace throughout the region. The word peace also collocates with a number of nouns, including various words for agreement such as accord, deal, settlement and treaty, as in Efforts to reach a peace deal have intensified in recent weeks, and words for discussions such as negotiations, process and talks, as in After several weeks of inactivity, peace talks are due to resume later today. Tim Bowen's articles play a vital role in jazzing up any study of idioms, collocations, phrasal verbs or word grammar. The verb play is most commonly used with sports and games on the one hand and musical instruments and music on the other and, of course, actors also play different roles. Most of the other words that commonly go with play form idiomatic expressions, most of which have some connection with the previously mentioned categories. The expression if you play your cards right, for example, has its origins in card games but means that if you do things in a particular way, you will be successful. This might involve playing the system (using the rules of a particular system to gain an advantage for yourself) or playing for time (deliberately delaying something so that you have more time to decide what to do). It might be a good idea to play it safe (avoid taking any risks) rather than playing with fire (taking unnecessary risks) and you should always play it cool (behave calmly and not show that you are worried). In many situations the best solution is probably to play it by ear (decide what to do as the situation develops rather than planning what to do beforehand) otherwise you might play straight into someones hands (do something that helps the person you are competing against). If the worst comes to the worst, you can always play the innocent (pretend that you do not understand and that it was nothing to do with you), although in a very sticky situation its probably best to play ball (do what the other person wants you to do). Enhance your understanding of collocations with a little help from Tim Bowen. The verb to enhance, meaning to improve something, collocates with nouns in a number of different categories. The first of these is a set of nouns that refers to reputation or appeal, notably attractiveness, credibility, prospects and reputation, as in A well-written CV can enhance your prospects of being invited to a job interview and An award can influence the sales of a book and enhance the reputation of an author. Enhance also collocates with a number of nouns in the general category of effectiveness such as efficiency, performance and quality, as in There are a number of ways to boost the speed of your PC and enhance its performance. Security can also be enhanced, as in The introduction of the new scanners is intended to greatly enhance the security of airline passengers. In the category of ability or knowledge, enhance can be used with a number of nouns including ability, capacity, learning, skill and understanding, as in The new climate model

will enhance understanding of changes in weather patterns or A diverse workforce enhances the ability of a business to innovate. In a formal sense, your enjoyment of an experience or an event can also be enhanced, for example In response to the questionnaire, a number of people suggested that background music did not actually enhance their enjoyment of eating out. Finally, a number of personal qualities can also be enhanced, notably beauty, self-esteem, well-being and vitality, as in Involving pupils in decision-making greatly enhances their selfesteem and The manufacturers claim that regular use of these natural products will enhance your well-being and vitality. Always winning a lot of support for his weekly articles, Tim Bowen returns to lead us through collocates of the connected verbs win, earn and gain. The verbs win, earn and gain have broadly similar meanings related to getting or achieving something. Where these verbs clearly differ, however, is in the nouns or noun phrases they collocate with. You can win a sporting event (a match, a race, a game) or a competition (e.g. the lottery), and for this achievement you might win a cup, a medal or a prize. British sportsmen and women who represent their country in international matches in football, rugby or cricket win a cap. Away from the world of sport, you can also win a contract, win the right to do something or win support or approval, as in The bill is winning a lot of support from farmers. Apart from earning money or earning a salary, you might also need to earn your keep (by working for the people you live with) and, in order to pay for everything you need, you will need to earn a living. If you are unfortunate enough to have a hand-to-mouth existence, you probably earn a crust whenever the opportunity arises (earn just enough money to live on), as in Ive been an actor for years, earning a crust wherever I can . You can gain weight, speed or momentum, as in 'The toboggan sped down the hill, gaining momentum'. You can also gain an advantage, as in 'Some people try to gain an advantage by using their personal contacts'. Gain also goes with nouns such as access, admission and entry, as in He gained entry to the building using a fake pass. Other nouns frequently used with gain include experience, acceptance, ground and time. However, at least one noun collocates with all three verbs. You can earn respect, gain respect or win respect, all of which involving getting respect as a result of your efforts or your behaviour. This week, Tim Bowen returns with some key information on the collocates of the word return. The verb return is widely used as an intransitive verb but its transitive form has a number of common collocations, mainly related to the meaning of doing or saying something to someone that is similar to something they have done or said to you. For example, you can return a greeting or return a phone call, as in I'm sorry I wasn't able to return your phone call earlier. If someone helps you out in some way, you can respond by returning the favour

 Thanks for helping me. I'll try to return the favour some day. If someone says something nice to you, you can return the compliment by saying something nice to them: She told me I looked well and I returned the compliment, telling her she looked terrific. You can also return items you have bought if there is something wrong with them: She had to return the dress because it didnt fit. In the sense of submit, you can also return a form, return a document or return a questionnaire: 'Please complete the questionnaire and return it to the personnel department. In the world of business, investments can return a profit, while in a military context you can return fire (shoot at someone who has shot at you): As soon as we started shooting, the enemy returned fire. In the world of politics, voters can return someone to office, as in It seems unlikely that the prime minister will be returned to office, and in the world of sport, tennis players return serve. Finally, when a jury in a court of law decides whether someone is guilty or not guilty of a crime, they return a verdict: After several hours the jury returned a verdict of not guilty'. As long as Tim Bowen never threatens to withdraw his service, we won't withdraw our support for his articles on collocations. Developers have withdrawn plans for a ski centre at an old quarry in North Wales, which means that a planning application was submitted but has now been abandoned. The verb withdraw is used in a number of different ways. You can withdraw money, cash or savings from a bank or a cash machine. Public bodies or companies can withdraw (in the sense of stop providing) funding, subsidies or sponsorship, as in 'Public funding is being withdrawn from the research project'. You can also withdraw your support for something, as in The opposition has withdrawn its support for the governments defence policies'. Defective goods can be withdrawn from sale, meaning that they are taken off the market, as in The drug had to be withdrawn as a result of a number of side-effects. Services can also be withdrawn, meaning that they are no longer provided, as in Bus services in many rural areas have been withdrawn. You can also withdraw your labour, meaning that you refuse to work because of a disagreement about pay, working conditions and so on, as in 'The right to withdraw labour is a basic principle of trade unionism. With the meaning of to say that something you said earlier is not true, especially when you want people to forget that you said it, you can withdraw a remark, an objection or an allegation, e.g. I asked him to withdraw his remarks and apologize. Finally, if you withdraw an invitation or an offer, it is no longer available, as in The controversial politicians invitation to address the meeting has been withdrawn.

Tim Bowen would break our hearts if he ever stopped writing these fantastic articles. This week, he discusses collocates of the word break.

Apart from the physical things that people can literally break, they can of course break the law (fail to obey it). With luck the prison sentence that follows wont break (destroy) their spirit, although it might break their heart (make them feel extremely sad). Once they are back in the world of work, they may wish to break new ground (do something completely different from what has been done before) or break the habit of a lifetime and do something that they themselves have never done before. Some people are good at breaking the ice (doing or saying something that makes people feel less shy or nervous in a social situation), while others have a habit of breaking ranks (disagreeing publicly with the other members of their group). Before a performance, actors are routinely told to break a leg (wished good luck, as it is considered bad luck to actually use the words good luck) and in the middle of a long trip, travellers may wish to break their journey (stop somewhere for a short time). Many people like to break the back of a particular task (finish the main part or the hardest part of it) and others sometimes break their back doing it (work extremely hard to get it done). If you say something wont break the bank, it means that it wont cost a lot of money, although these days it seems that economic developments might literally break a few banks. Indeed, if you happen to be in a situation where a banker is pouring out his heart to you and describing the terrible situation he finds himself in, you will probably respond with Youre breaking my heart, indicating rather sarcastically that you dont feel any sympathy towards him whatsoever. How are you coping in the current economic climate? Tim Bowen is here to help with a shower of collocations. The millions of people who were shivering as Europe experienced one of its coldest ever winters might be forgiven for thinking that climate change is happening in reverse. Even areas that normally enjoy a mild or temperate climate experienced, albeit briefly, the kind of harsh climate that exists in less hospitable regions of the globe. Away from the world of temperature and weather conditions, climate can also be used to refer to peoples attitudes at a particular time. Such references can be in a particular area, such as the business, economic, financial, moral or political climate, as in In the current difficult economic climate, small firms are finding it increasingly difficult to raise capital, or they may refer to the present time, as in the current, present or prevailing climate. A climate may be conducive or favourable, as in The prevailing business climate is not conducive to start-up enterprises of this type and can be created or fostered, as in The government aims to foster a climate in which small businesses can prosper. A number of nouns with negative connotations such as distrust, fear, hostility, hysteria, suspicion and uncertainty can follow climate in phrases like a climate of fear and a climate of suspicion, as in The governments policies are simply contributing to the climate of distrust that prevails in the country. In a similar way, climate can be followed by positive nouns such as trust, openness and tolerance, as in We aim to create a climate of tolerance in which people can coexist without fear or prejudice.

Tim Bowen has acquired a reputation for writing stellar Your English articles, read on to see why Apart from a wide range of words that it can be used with in the sense of buy, the verb acquire, meaning to get or develop something, collocates with nouns in four main categories. The first of these is a set of nouns that refer to knowledge or skill, notably competence, expertise, knowledge, skill and understanding, as in Bilingual children often acquire a competence in a foreign language more quickly than monolingual children or Teachers mentioned that such visits enabled them to acquire new skills that they could apply in their classrooms. The second category is that of a reputation, name or position, with nouns like reputation, status and nickname, as in He quickly acquired a reputation for ruthlessness when dealing with financial matters and Unsurprisingly, given his height, he acquired the nickname Lanky. The third category is related to things that people do or like, represented by the nouns habit and taste, as in We want people to acquire the habit of using public transport instead of their cars and I enjoy red wine but Ive never really acquired a taste for white wine. The phrase an acquired taste is used to describe something that you do not like at first but you gradually start to enjoy, as in I know a lot of people drink decaffeinated coffee but I have always found it to be something of an acquired taste. The final main category is that of illness, infection or disease, as in Any drug user who shares a needle is at risk of acquiring AIDS and Unfortunately, the number of hospital acquired infections is steadily increasing. Tim Bowen brings a smile to our faces with his article on the verb bring and its collocates. The verb bring can be used meaning to be the cause of a state, situation or feeling. In this sense, it is possible to bring peace, as in The agreement forms part of our efforts to bring peace to the region; to bring chaos or bring disruption, as in Heavy snowfalls brought chaos to parts of northern England this morning or The strike has brought disruption to postal services throughout the capital; to bring relief, as in Unfortunately, the storm failed to bring any relief from the searing heat; to bring comfort, as in The guilty verdict has brought some comfort to the relatives of the murdered couple; and to bring change(s), as in Increased investment has brought major changes to the city centre. Bring can also be used in the sense of to start a legal case against someone. One can bring a case, as in The case was brought by the European Commission after the government failed to meet its environmental targets; bring an action, a prosecution or a claim, as in After the collapse of the trial, the victim's family are planning to bring a private prosecution against their father's alleged murderer'; and bring charges, as in 'The police are expected to bring charges against several people arrested at the demonstration. Finally, if something cheers you up or makes you smile, you can say that it brings a smile to your face, while if something makes you cry or feel as if you are going to cry, you can say that it brings tears to your eyes.

You certainly won't find Tim Bowen's article on the word heavy and its collocates heavy going. The adjective heavy can go with certain types of weather to indicate there is an excessive amount of it, for example, heavy snow, heavy rain, heavy showers, heavy downpours. Traffic can also be heavy in the same sense, as can ones workload, as in A lot of students find it difficult to cope with the heavy workload on this course. Heavy can also be used to indicate that something involves a lot of people, things or money, for example, heavy casualties or heavy losses, as in The heavy losses made by the company this year could lead to many redundancies. Certain activities can also be described as heavy, meaning that an excessive amount is involved, e.g. heavy drinking, heavy smoking, heavy fighting (for example, There has been heavy fighting around the airport) but, although it is possible to be a heavy drinker or a heavy smoker, it is not possible to describe a fighter as heavy. If something is described as heavy going, it is difficult to achieve or understand, as in I tried reading his latest novel but I found it heavy going. If you make heavy weather of something, you make it more difficult than it really is, as in 'France are through to the next round after making heavy weather of beating Luxembourg'. Some medical problems can also be described as heavy, notably heavy bleeding and a heavy cold. Finally, if something takes a heavy toll on something, it affects the situation very badly, as in 'The armed conflict is taking a heavy toll on health services around the country. Have you ever made a cynical remark or employed cynical tactics? Tim Bowen gives the lowdown on this popular collocate for the sceptics among us. The adjective cynical is derived from the ancient school of Greek philosophers known as the Cynics. If you are cynical, you believe that people care only about themselves and are not sincere or honest. You also expect that things will not be successful or useful. Some cynical people are also willing to let other people be harmed so that they can gain an advantage. Cynical can be used with words that describe actions or plans like attempt, manoeuvre, ploy or tactic, as in 'This was little more than a cynical attempt to smear the Presidents reputation or The move was described as a cynical ploy to deflect criticism from the government's handling of the economy. In terms of behaviour, cynical is often used with the word disregard, as in The company was accused of displaying a cynical disregard for the safety of its workforce and with exploitation, as in The judge said the fraud was on a huge scale and was a deliberate and cynical exploitation of friends and family.

Remarks, comments and response can also be cynical, as in The deal has produced a cynical response in some observers who see it as a sell-out to commercial interests or Try to refrain from making cynical remarks and personal attacks on people's characters'. You can also take a cynical attitude towards something or a cynical view of something, as in This cynical attitude that fails to believe anything anymore is a disease of our age and The report gives a false and rather cynical view of the music industry. No need to panic about confusing collocates! Tim Bowen is here to relieve your stress. Stress, in the non-linguistic sense, can take many forms. It can be emotional, psychological or work-related, as in He was doing a highly specific yoga exercise to relieve work-related stress. Following a significant negative experience, stress can also be described as post-traumatic, as in The court was told that the defendant was suffering from severe post-traumatic stress as a result of the incident. As in this example, stress can be severe or it can also enormous or acute, as in She has been under enormous stress at work recently. If stress persists for a long time it can be described as chronic or prolonged, as in Prolonged stress can lead to depression. A number of verbs collocate with stress in the sense of dealing with it or eliminating it. Examples are alleviate, combat, counteract, minimize, reduce and relieve, as in Many people have found that gardening alleviates stress and helps them relax. Various verbs can be used in the sense of causing stress, including create, induce, place stress on someone and put someone under stress, as in It is important for non-smokers to understand the enormous stress that the new regulations place on smokers. In terms of feeling stress, one can be under stress, experience stress or suffer from stress, as in Shes been under a lot of stress in recent weeks. Stress can also be used in the plural in the expression stresses and strains (meaning problems and difficulties) as in Prince William and Kate Middleton will have to contend with all the stresses and strains that confront any young married couple. Tim Bowen causes a stir with collocates of the verb to cause. The Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners defines the verb to cause thus: to make something happen, usually something bad. If you think about cause and effect, it is possible to envisage numerous situations when the effect is a positive one. For example, pay rise (cause) and happy staff (effect). Interestingly, however, the verb to cause almost always collocates with negative effects. The most common examples are cause damage, cause concern, cause distress, cause embarrassment, cause harm, cause suffering, cause trouble and cause problems. In the legal world you can be arrested for causing a disturbance and sent to prison for causing death by dangerous driving.

At the risk of causing controversy, one could suggest that there are hardly any collocations with positive effects. One example might be "The 5-0 victory over their bitterest rivals caused great delight among City supporters". It is also possible to cause pleasure, cause amusement and cause happiness. Then we are back with the negative ones. One might think that cause euphoria is positive but it often appears in warnings on pharmaceutical products: "This drug may cause euphoria, muscle seizure, hypertension and coma. Staying with the pharmaceutical theme, perhaps the most superfluous advice ever given appeared on the packaging for a particular brand of sleeping pill: WARNING - may cause drowsiness. Tim Bowen is buoyantly optimistic that you can apply and teach these collocations with ease. Most people start the New Year with a sense of renewed optimism. Its a fresh start and, perhaps, an opportunity to adopt a new approach. Optimism can be boundless, irrepressible, unbridled or unfailing, as in As the new season begins, there is a feeling of unbridled optimism at the club. It can, however, also be unrealistic, nave, misplaced, undue, unwarranted or even blind, as in The optimism surrounding the club at the start of the season quickly turned out to have been misplaced. If you are an optimist, it might be advisable to be a bit more restrained. Cautious, guarded or reserved optimism might result in you being less disappointed when reality kicks in, as in After two successive draws, a sense of cautious optimism has returned to the club. Lets hope it doesnt lead to renewed optimism because that might end in disappointment again. Some people just cannot help it though and, no matter what happens, they have a buoyant, cheerful, cheery or infectious optimism, as in It was difficult not be influenced by the managers cheery optimism in the face of a string of poor results. It is quite normal for people to be optimistic at the start of something, but that optimism can quickly fade, wane or completely evaporate when things turn out badly, as in The sense of renewed optimism at the start of the year has completely evaporated as the club finds itself staring relegation in the face. Are you suffering from a stinking cold or a hacking cough? Tim Bowen spreads his germs. Autumn is here and winter will soon be upon us, the season of coughs and sneezes. There is, as yet, no cure for the common cold and many of us will catch a cold or have a cold during the months to come. Of course, colds vary in their intensity. They can often be slight but if you are unlucky, they can be bad, nasty or heavy. If they are particularly bad, they can be described as stinking, as in Im not coming to work today. Ive got a stinking cold or, if accompanied by frequent nose-blowing, streaming, as in Hes got a streaming cold. Hes got through a whole box of tissues today. Colds can often lead to coughs, which can also be mild or slight but, in more serious cases, nasty or severe. A tickly cough is relatively mild and accompanied by a tickling sensation at the back of the throat. A chesty cough is caused by an infection in the lungs and is generally

more serious. A cough can be noisy, in which case it can be described as hacking or rasping. A cough that lasts for a long time is persistent or, even worse, chronic. Coughs and colds are often accompanied by headaches, which can also vary in intensity from mild or slight to severe or terrible and, in extreme cases, to pounding, splitting, blinding or thumping, as in Ive got a splitting headache. Im going to lie down for a while. The best solution is to relieve the symptoms by having a hot drink, taking an aspirin and going to bed. Without fail, Tim Bowen continues to keep us on the edge of our seats, providing us with fabulous articles no matter what the weather. As the saying goes, you can't keep a good man down! Keep as a transitive verb has a number of related meanings and a good range of collocations. With the meaning 'to continue to have or own something', you can keep your job and your self-respect, keep a copy of something, or, if you are a waiter, you can keep the change. With the meaning to store in a particular place, you can keep your PIN number in a safe place or keep food in the fridge, or when storing information by writing it or putting it on a computer, you can keep transactions on file, keep records or keep a diary. Meaning to do what you said you would do, you can keep your word, keep a promise or keep a secret. You can also keep animals (meaning to own and look after them), as in 'They keep a few chickens to provide eggs' or 'Geoff's been keeping tropical fish for thirty years'. Meaning 'to control something so that it stays within a limit, you can keep costs down or keep expenditure within certain limits. Keep can also be used with personal pronouns (usually with you) to mean 'to delay', as in 'What kept you?' or 'Don't worry. I won't keep you long'. You can also keep something to yourself (not tell anyone else about it) or, if you are the kind of person who prefers your own company to the company of other people, you can keep yourself to yourself. Finally, if someone you like or approve of has managed to deal with criticism or overcome a difficulty, you can say You cant keep a good man (or woman) down. Tim Bowen draws attention to the collocates of this versatile word. Originally the word draw is believed to have meant carry. In modern times it has evolved to mean something closer to pull, attract or even take, and this meaning can be seen in examples such as draught beer is drawn from the barrel. It is this sense of draw that can be found in the majority of collocations that draw is used in. Here we could draw a distinction between this meaning of draw and its other main meaning to make sketches although the latter is believed to have its origin in the act of pulling a pencil or brush across a surface. Apart from distinctions, it is also possible to draw a parallel, an analogy or a comparison. On a positive note, an action or activity you engage in may draw praise but, on the other hand, it may also draw criticism, although you might draw some comfort from some of the positive comments you received earlier. If you want to enter a place unnoticed it might be a good idea not to draw attention to yourself, although in a different context you may wish to draw people's attention to something. Having considered a problem, you may wish to draw your own conclusion about it or you may wish to draw breath (stop for a while to take a rest) or draw a line under it (consider it finished and stop thinking about it).

If you are looking for a pattern in all of this, there is a strong possibility you will draw a blank (fail to find what you are looking for) but dont worry; it is finally drawing to a close (coming to an end).
Tim Bowen urges you not to lose sleep over the collocates of the verb to lose.

A number of nouns that collocate with lose refer to parts of the human body, the senses or the mind. You can lose consciousness (become unconscious), lose your memory or lose your mind (become crazy and start behaving in a strange way). For a short period of time you might lose your voice, as a result of a cold, for example, but more serious conditions might cause people to lose their sight or lose their hearing. You can also lose your head (become so upset that you stop thinking clearly or behaving in a sensible way). If you lose face, people no longer respect you or are impressed by you because you are not in control of a particular situation. This might be because you have lost your touch (you are not as successful at doing something as you were before) or you have lost sight of your objectives (forgotten what they are). The important thing is not to lose heart (become discouraged) and try not to lose your nerve (become frightened to do something) or lose your temper (suddenly become angry). In the final analysis, you may have lost the battle but won the war (not achieved a minor victory but at the same time succeeded in achieving something much more important). Whatever happens, don't lose any sleep over it (let it worry or upset you) or lose your rag (become very angry). If you do, you might end up losing your marbles (going completely crazy).

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Tim Bowen gives some popular collocations a thorough exploration. The adjective thorough, meaning including everything that is possible or necessary, forms collocations with a number of nouns in several basic categories. It can be used with various words that indicate a check of some kind, such as assessment, check-up, evaluation, inspection and the word check itself, e.g. All contestants are required to undergo a thorough medical check-up before entering the race. Research and analysis can also be thorough and other words in this category include appraisal, exploration, investigation, review and study, e.g. The company is undertaking a thorough review of all its working practices. Words that indicate some kind of change also collocate with thorough. Examples of these are reform, revision and overhaul, e.g. The report recommends a thorough overhaul of the current system. Preparations for an event often need to be thorough, as in Englands preparations for the forthcoming series against Australia have been particularly thorough, and, remaining in a sporting context, a thorough warm-up is normally necessary before strenuous physical activity.

In the sense of detailed, thorough is also used with words that indicate a description of the main features of something. Examples of these are overview, survey and description, as in The victim was able to give police a thorough description of the suspect. Finally, thorough also collocates with a number of words that refer to knowledge, such as grasp, grounding, understanding and the word knowledge itself, e.g. This course aims to give students a thorough grounding in the basic principles of astrophysics. This latest article by Tim Bowen will strike a chord with those itching for more collocations. With the general meaning of hit, the verb strike goes with a number of nouns and noun phrases to make various common expressions. If you accept neither of two extreme positions or things but find a solution that is reasonable and fair, you strike a balance between the two, as in A balance must be struck between meeting housing needs and preserving the environment'. If you strike a blow for an idea, a movement or a group, you do something to help or support it, as in 'Her actions have struck a blow for common sense and human decency. On the other hand, if you strike a blow against an idea, a movement or a group, you do something to harm or oppose it, as in Their main objective was to strike a blow against the rebel forces. To strike a deal means to reach an agreement which benefits both sides, as in The two leaders at the centre of the political stand-off have struck a deal and agreed to form a transitional power-sharing government'. If something strikes a chord with you, it produces an emotional reaction, e.g. Released during the dark days of the war, the film instantly struck a chord with audiences. Oil companies are constantly attempting to strike oil (find oil) but if you strike gold, you suddenly become rich or successful as a result of doing something, as in He seems to have struck gold with his first film. It is also possible to strike fear or terror into someone, as in By targeting shops and markets, the insurgents clearly intend to strike fear into people in the area. As ever, Tim Bowen applies intense concentration and produces another powerful Your English article. The adjective intense has three definitions in the Macmillan Dictionary. The first meaning given is very great or extreme. With this meaning, intense collocates with heat, cold, light and sunlight, as in Festivities began in the intense heat of the midday sun or At these altitudes the light is particularly intense. Similarly, intense can also be used with pain or suffering, as in Sufferers find the intense pain associated with the condition almost unbearable and 'The men had been subjected to detention without trial and this was causing their families intense suffering'. Intense also goes with pressure, scrutiny and dislike as in Hes under intense pressure at work and this is making him ill, The coalition governments policies are beginning to come under intense scrutiny and She has always viewed joggers with a mixture of curiosity and intense dislike.

The second meaning of intense is defined thus: 'involving or done with a lot of effort, energy, attention etc.' Examples of this use are He has an intense desire to succeed in whatever task he takes on and To play cricket at the highest level requires intense concentration and discipline. The remaining meaning of intense is 'feeling and showing emotions in a very strong way', as in 'Some people find her hard to get on with because she has such an intense personality' and He is a rather intense person and most people can only take him in small doses.

Collocation -- example
verb + noun -- take a vacation adjective + noun -- light rain adverb + verb -- completely forget adverb + adjective -- totally awesome adjective + preposition -- tired of ... noun + noun -- a business deal Here are some examples of longer collocations based on 'll: I'll give you a call. I'll be in touch. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. I'll be back in a minute. I'll see what I can do.

Collocations
1. to burst into laughter 2. to bear witness to (something) 3. to carry something too far 4. to cast an eye over (something) ( = to examine something briefly) 5. to catch (one's) eye 6. to change one's mind

7. to carry/convey a message 8. to cause damage to 9. to take care of somebody / something 10. to come to somebody's rescue/aid 11. to come off in an examination 12. to commit crime 13. to draw (one's) attention to (something) 14. to make comparison 15. to drive (someone) mad 16. to drop a line to (someone) ( = to write to somebody) 17. to turn a deaf ear to 18. to have something done (by somebody) 19. to do somebody a favour 20. to look down on somebody 21. There is a great demand for 22. to eat one's words

23. to exercise (one's) right 24. to engage a telephone line 25. to earn a living 26. to have a good/bad effect on 27. to enrich one's knowledge 28. to come to an end 29. to pay attention to (someone) 30. to place an order

31. to play tricks on (someone) 32. to put the blame on (someone) 33. to pay a visit to 34. to pick up a bad habit 35. to put an end to 36. to raise a question/an objection 37. to read between the lines (= to look for the underlying meaning of one's words) 38. to receive a good education 39. to receive a letter from 40. to take (one's) time (= to do something slowly) 41. to throw cold water on something (= to discourage someone from doing something) 42. to turn a blind eye to 43. to tackle a problem 44. to take the chance 45. to keep track on 46. to take shape 47. to _________ ________ a job 48. to ___________after somebody (= look like somebody) 49. to __________ turns 50. to give birth ________________ 51. to put __________with something / somebody 52. to __________support 53. to __________money from a bank 54. to come to terms __________somebody 55. to be fed up _________something

56. An accident ____________. 57. Beauty _____________. 58. A bomb __________ __________/ ____________.

59. Business ___________/ grows. 60. A contract __________into force. 61. Crime ___________. 62. A crisis ___________. 63. Darkness ___________. 64. Difficulties __________. 65. Diseases ______________. 66. Efforts ____________ . 67. An event __________ place. 68. Friendship __________/ grows. 69. A habit _________. 70. Time _________.
COLLOCATIONS 1

1. (give/make) a suggestion 2. (take/make) a telephone call

3. (do/make) an attempt to 4. (win/beat) a match 5. (win/beat) a team 6. (put/carry) out a plan

7. (put/bring) something to an end 8. (put/bring) an end to something 9. (ruin/hurt) your health 10. (do/make) a complaint about 11. (select/make) a choice 12. (do/make) a decision 13. (do/make) somebody a favour 14. (do/make) a comparison, 15. (put/take) action to 16. (rise/raise) fund 17. (keep/hold) one's word 18. (miss/lose) ones way 19. (watch/observe) a custom 20. (take/listen to) somebodys advice COLLOCATIONS 2 1. (do/make) business with somebody 2. (go/come) to an agreement 3. (make/do) friends with others 4. (give/pay) somebody a lift 5. (write/compile) a dictionary 6. (do/make) improvement 7. (do/make) a performance 8. (do /make) a promise 9. (give/open) a party 10. (take/make) use of something

11. (give/pay) a visit to somebody 12. (do/play) an important part 13. (do/make) a new start 14. (bring/take) advantage of something 15. (fit/meet) the requirements 16. (do/make) a good teacher 17. (do/make) haste 18. (raise/rise) a question.