Collocations

Collocation refers to a group of two or more words that usually go

together. A good way to think of collocation is to look at the word
collocation. Co - meaning together - location - meaning place.
Collocations are words that are located together. A good answer to
"What is collocation?" is: Collocation is a group of two or more words
that like to hang out together. Here are some examples of common
collocations that you might know:
make tea - I made a cup of tea for lunch.
do homework - I did all of my homework yesterday.
Even though it possible to use other word combinations,
understanding collocations help to improve fluency because they are
words that usually go together.
• A familiar grouping of words which appears together because of their
habitual use and thus creating the same meaning is called collocation.
Suppose, when we say heavy rain instead of big or strong rain, it
conveys the meaning that it is raining heavily.
• Although in the above example strong rain or the big rain conveys the
same meaning. In fact, both of them are also grammatically correct.
But, the use of big rain or strong rain will sound strange. Thus, we use
heavy rain to sound natural and a lot better English.
• Verb Collocations:
• The collocations which are used extensively tend to involve verb + noun formation in the
day to day situations.
• Here are some of the examples of these words for you to understand them better. In
each of these examples the verb has other meanings as well, but combining it with the
words will result in a group of words.
• To save time
• You will save a lot of your time if you concentrate on your studies rather than browsing
through the internet.
• To come prepared
• You have a presentation tomorrow, so make sure that you come prepared.
• To find a replacement
• Indian team needs to find a replacement for Virat Kohli as soon as possible.
Adjective Collocations
• Many collocations can be formed when you add adjectives with noun and
adverbs. Here are a few examples of how you can make collocations using a
single adjective:
• Deep: deep sleep, deep trouble.
• Heavy: Heavy rain, heavy sleeper, heavy snow, heavy traffic.
• Strong: Strong smell, strong sense, strong denial.
Noun Collocations
• In this type of collocations, you can use a verb as well as a noun to form the
group of words.
• Service industry, tea leaf, dogs bark, water flows, paper flutters, blurred
vision, critical analysis.
Business Collocations
• Mostly, the use of collocations is critical in various types of businesses and
work situations.
• Here, there are numerous ways in which you can form a collocation using
verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.
• They can be combined with keywords and a business expression can be
formed. Some of the important business collocations are:
• Security blanket/Cash flow/Opinion poll/Make money/Forgive a
debt/Counterfeit money/Key in a PIN/Annual turnover/Go bankrupt/Cease
to trade/Hard-earned money/Deposit a cheque/Close a deal/Open an
account.
• Adverb + Adjective: Fully aware, Happily married, Highly controversial,
Highly effective, Highly probable, Highly profitable…
• Adverb + Adverb: Only just, Pretty well, Quite a lot, Quite enough, Quite
often, Right away…
• Adverb + Verb: Badly damaged, Deeply rooted (in), Never knew, Quite
agree…
• Adjective + Noun: Internal injury, Internal organ, Irreparable damage, Joint
account, Just cause, Key issue, Key role…
• Adjective + Preposition: Comfortable with, Concerned with, Nasty of,
Nervous of, Nice of, Furious about, Guilty about…
• Noun + Noun: Core values, Corporate finance, Cottage industry, Creation
science, Credit bureau, Credit union…
• Verb + Noun: Go on foot, Have a fight, Have a fit, Have a game, Keep quiet,
Keep records…

• Verb + Preposition: Allow for, Apologize for, Ask for, Object to, Pray to, Prefer to
…

• Verb + Adverb: Go far, Go first, Go upstairs, Guess correctly, Hit hard, Judge
harshly, Know well…

• Noun + Preposition: Date with, Dealings with, Difficulty with, Debate on,
Information on, Hold on…
Examples:
• He’s brilliant at football.
• They are excellent at planning fun parties.
• The teacher was surprised at the student’s question.
• She has lost her belief in God.
• There was no change in the patient’s condition overnight.
• I need some lessons in how to set up a website.
• I congratulate you on your new job!
Idioms
• An idiom (also called idiomatic expression) is an expression, word, or
phrase that has a figurative meaning conventionally understood by
native speakers. This meaning is different from the literal meaning of
the idiom's individual elements. In other words, idioms don't mean
exactly what the words say. They have, however, hidden meaning.
• Literal Meaning: Before the bartender made the drink, he broke the
ice with a spoon and dropped it into the glass.

• Idiomatic Meaning: Before the conference began, the speaker broke

the ice with a joke.

• Example: Break the ice.

• There are no fixed rules for idioms. The more you read, better will be
your knowledge of idiomatic usages. Since the number of idioms runs
into hundreds, practicing is the only way to retain a good number of
them. Eventually, logical thinking and contextual meaning will help
you spot the right meaning of any idiom.
• If you say, “The cat's out of the bag” instead of “The secret is given away,” you're
using an idiom. The meaning of an idiom is different from the actual meaning of
the words used. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a proverb. Proverbs
are old but familiar sayings that usually give advice.
• A phrase is a small group of words that are like a unit. These units are a part of a
bigger sentence or a clause. Phrases are unlike idioms, they are actually direct
and to the point. They do not figurative meanings, the expression means what
the words indicate.
• A phrase is a group of words making incomplete sense e.g. on the road ( doesn't
make complete sense)
• An idiom is a group of words which by common usage has a meaning, which is
not the same as the literal meaning of the words. An idiom thus has a meaning of
its own. Every idiom is a phrase. However each phrase is not an idiom.
• Literal Meaning?

• Idiomatic Meaning?

• Idioms versus Proverbs?

• Idioms versus Phrases?

Phrasal Verbs
• Most phrasal verbs consist of two words (verb + adverb or verb +
preposition) but a few consists of three words.

• an idiomatic phrase consisting of a verb and another element,

typically either an adverb, as in break down, or a preposition, for
example see to, or a combination of both, such as look down on.
• In General, phrasal verbs are used to make your use of language look
more easily comprehensible.

• Generally, Phrasal verbs are not used in strictly formal use of the
language. However in many cases, they are.

• These days, any good speaker of English Language would use phrasal
verbs while speaking the language.
Bear With (Example Sentence is ………………………………)

Put through (Example Sentence is ………………………………)

Call up ((Example Sentence is ………………………………)

Fly in (Example Sentence is ………………………………)

Fly out (Example Sentence is ………………………………)

• Carried away (Example Sentence is ………………………………)

• Move into (Example Sentence is ………………………………)

• Shell out (Example Sentence is ………………………………)

• Narrow down (Example Sentence is ………………………………)

• Pass away (Example Sentence is ………………………………)

• A proverb is a short, pithy saying that expresses a traditionally held
truth or piece of advice, based on common sense or experience.
Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the
element of language that best encapsulates a society's values and
beliefs is its proverbs. Proverbs can be derived from our History,
Religion, any major event or daily activity
• A proverb is a short, pithy saying that expresses a traditionally held
truth or piece of advice, based on common sense or experience.
Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the
element of language that best encapsulates a society's values and
beliefs is its proverbs. Proverbs can be derived from our History,
Religion, any major event or daily activity
Proverbs vs Idioms
• A proverb is a short, pithy saying that expresses a traditionally held
truth or piece of advice, based on common sense or experience.
Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the
element of language that best encapsulates a society's values and
beliefs is its proverbs. Proverbs can be derived from our History,
Religion, any major event or daily activity
Examples:
• The pen is mightier than the sword
• When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
• When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Examples:
• Necessity is the mother of invention.
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
• One man's trash is another man's treasure.
• Too many cooks spoil the broth.
• Beggars can't be choosers.
• Actions speak louder than words.
• Cleanliness is next to godliness.
• You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.
• Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
• Birds of a feather flock together.
• Better late than never.
• People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
• No man is an island.