English Collocations (V) - Intensifying adverbs

In English there are lots of other ways of saying very or very much. For example, we can use words such highly, utterly, bitterly, deeply. These alternatives collocate strongly with specific words, and other combinations often sound unnatural.


A. Highly

+ (un)likely, unusual, successful, competitive, profitable, effective, controversial, recommended

Highly is used with some probability words (likely, unusual). With the exception of highly controversial, it usually combines with very positive words.

It is highly unlikely that I’ll finish my work on time.
Jill’s highly unusual behaviour began to worry her parents.


B. Absolutely, utterly

+ ridiculous, stupid, impossible, wrong, alone, appalled, convinced, devastated, miserable

Absolutely and (slightly more formal) utterly combine with adjectives with very extreme meanings where we can’t use very. For example, we say absolutely/utterly exhausted, not "very exhausted", whereas we say very tired, but not "absolutely/utterly tired". Often, but not always, these words have negative connotations.

It was an absolutely stupid comment to make.
The whole area was utterly devastated after the earthquake.


C. Bitterly

+ dissappointing/dissapointed, resent, criticise, regret, complain, cry, weep

Carries a feeling a deep sadness; used slightly more in writing than in conversation.

I was bitterly disappointed when I failed the exam.


D. Deeply

+ ashamed, concerned, shocked, commited, moved, affected, hurt (of feelings), regret, care, religious, unhappy

Collocates mainly with words associated with feelings; used slightly more in writing than in conversation.

Professor McDellvit was always deeply committed to her students.


E. Ridiculously

+ cheap, expensive, easy, low, high, long, short, small, large, early

Suggests something extreme, which seems unbelievable or unreasonable.

The restaurant was ridiculously expensive. I don’t think we’ll go there again.


F. Strongly

+ oppose, influence, believe, deny, recommend, support, condemn, suggest, feel, argue, object

Collocates with verbs, particularly verbs that relate to having an opinion.

I would strongly recommend that you learn a foreign language.


Exercices

1. Choose an adverb to replace very in each of these expressions.

utterly – strongly – bitterly – ridiculously – highly – deeply

a. very ashamed
b. very cheap
c. very controversial
d. very stupid
e. very successful
f. very disappointing
g. very opposed
h. very ridiculous
i. very easy
j. very concerned


2. Use a collocation from exercice 1. to complete each of these sentences.

a. The flight from London to Rome was ... . It only cost 20 euros.
b. Some people love her new book, others are very angry about it. It is ... .
c. His father was a pacifist all his life and was ... to war.
d. The exam results were ... for the whole class. We had all expected to do much better.
e. When I realise how much my selfish behaviour had upset everyone, I was ... .
f. In the 1990s she ran a(n) .... company which made outstanding profits.
g. Everyone got more than 95% correct in the test; it was ... .
h. You must apologise immediately. It was a(n) ... remark to make.
i. She has always been ... about the environment and would like to work for a conservation agency.
j. That you should even think that I would steal money from you is ... ! You must be crazy!


3. In each of these sets of phrases, one is not a correct collocation. Cross out the incorrect one.

a. strongly recommend – strongly influence – strongly love – strongly dislike
b. highly educated – highly profitable – highly unusual – highly exhausted
c. bitterly regard – bitterly regret – bitterly resent – bitterly criticise
d. absolutely convinced – absolutely tired – absolutely devastated – absolytely absurd
e. deeply unhappy – deeply religious – deeply successful – deeply commited


4. In this short text, the writer has often misused the word strongly. Correct the wrong collocations using adverbs from the box. Use each adverb once only.

bitterly – strictly – deeply – utterly

Everyone was complaining strongly when they heard about the new plan. People were strongly shocked to hear that children would be strongly forbidden to use the sports ground and most people were strongly opposed to the new rules. Even people who normally never expressed an opinion were strongly appalled by the proposals.


Key

1.
a. deeply ashamed
b. ridiculously cheap
c. highly controversial
d. utterly stupid
e. highly successful
f. bitterly dissapointing
g. strongly opposed
h. absolutely ridiculous
i. ridiculously easy
j. deeply concerned


2.
a. The flight from London to Rome was ridiculously cheap. It only cost 20 euros.
b. Some people love her new book, others are very angry about it. It is highly controversial.
c. His father was a pacifist all his life and was strongly opposed to war.
d. The exam results were bitterly dissapointing for the whole class. We had all expected to do much better.
e. When I realise how much my selfish behaviour had upset everyone, I was deeply ashamed.
f. In the 1990s she ran a highly successful company which made outstanding profits.
g. Everyone got more than 95% correct in the test; it was ridiculously easy.
h. You must apologise immediately. It was an utterly stupid remark to make.
i. She has always been deeply concerned about the environment and would like to work for a conservation agency.
j. That you should even think that I would steal money from you is absolutely ridiculous! You must be crazy!


3.
a. strongly love
b. highly exhausted
c. bitterly regard
d. absolutely tired
e. deeply successful

4. Everyone was complaining bitterly when they heard about the new plan. People were deeply shocked to hear that children would be strictly forbidden to use the sports ground and most people were strongly opposed to the new rules. Even people who normally never expressed an opinion were utterly appalled by the proposals.

English Collocations (IV) – Register

Often, collocations rather than individual words suggest a particular register. For example, phrases using pretty meaning fairly sound informal when used with negative adjectives (pretty awful, pretty dreadful, pretty dull), and are typical of spoken English.


A. Spoken English

I’m bored stiff in this lesson! (extremely bored)
You badly need a haircut!
I’ll have a think about it and let you know.
Give me a ring when you get home. (give me a phone call)


B. Formal English

Passengers must not alight from the bus whilst it is in motion. (get off the bus)
Cyclist must dismount here. (get off their bicycles)
Trespassers will be prosecuted. (peope whi go onto someone’s land or enter their building without permission will be taken to court)
Please dispose of unwanted items in the receptacle provided. (throw away; container used for storing or putting objects in)


C. Newspaper English

computer factory to axe jobs (make staff redundant)
airline slashes prices (cuts prices drastically)
government spending will rocket this year
police crack down on speeding (start dealing with it in a more severe way)
police quiz 16-year-old in murder enquiry (ask questions)


D. Business English

to submit a tender (present a document offering to do a job and stating the price)
to raise capital (get money to put into a business)
to go into partnership with someone (agree to start or run a business with someone)
to start up a business


Exercices

1. Underline formal (F) or informal (I) collocations in these sentences (one per sentence) and put F or I in the brackets at the end.

Cyclists should dismount before crossing the footbridge.
Never dispose of batteries and similar items by throwing them onto fire.
The students were all bored stiff by the lecture.
Passengers must alight from the buss through the rear door.
The grass badly needs cutting.
Please place all used tickets in the receptacle provided as you leave the building.


2. Underline typical news/media collocations in these newspaper clips.

a) Oil companies slash Prices
There was good news for motorists today as pump prices were lowered by the major oil companies.

b) Detectives quiz businessman over missing teenager
Senior detectives interviewed a man who has been named as prime suspect in the case of a missing 18 year-old who is feared to have been abducted.

c) Floods hit central region
Towns and villages in the Central region were battling against floods tonight as heavy rain continued.

d) Car firm to axe 200 jobs
The Presco car firm has announced that 200 workers will be made redundant at its Kenton factory. The job losses are the result of falling profits.


3. Match the beginning of eatch sentence on the first column with its ending on the second column to make typical collocations used in business English.

We raised
They submitted
They went into
We started up

partnership to develop a new range of products.
capital to expand the business.
a business to supply sport equipment to schools.
a tender for the new stadium.


4. Choose a formal or informal collocation as instructed at the end of each sentence. Use a dictionary if necessary.

She was dead / extremely keen to meet the new director. (informal)
We should be boarding the aircraft / getting on the plane in about ten minutes. (formal)


Solutions

1.
cyclists should dismount (F)
dispose of batteries (F)
bored stiff (I)
alight from the bus (F)
badly needs cutting (I)
the receptacle provided (F)

2.
slash prices
police quiz businessman
floods hit
axe 200 jobs
falling profits

3.
We raised capital to expand the business.
They submitted a tender for the new stadium.
They went into partnership to develop a new range of products.
We started up a business to supply sports equipment to schools.

4.
dead keen
boarding the aircraft
bore the cost of
dropped out of
embarked upon

English Collocations (III) – Types of Collocation

There are many different types of collocations.

A. Adjectives and nouns

Jean always wears red or yellow or some other bright colour.
We had a brief chat about the exams but didn’t have time to discuss them properly.
Unemployement is a major problem for the government at the moment.
Improving the health service is another key issue for government.


B. Nouns and verbs

The economy boomed in the 1990s. [the economy was very strong]
The company has grown and now employs 50 more people than last year.
The company has expanded and now has branches in most major cities.
The two companies merged in 2003 and now form one very large corporation.
The company launched the product in 2002. [introduced the product]
The price increase poses a problem for us. [is a problem]
The Internet has created opportunities for our business. [brought new opportunities]


C. Noun + noun

As Sam read the lies about him, he felt a surge of anger. [literarly: a sudden angry feeling]
Every parent feels a sense of pride when their child does well or wins something.
I felt a pang of nostalgia when I saw the wold photos of the village where I grew up.


D. Verbs and expressions with prepositions

As Jack went on stage to receive his gold medal for the judo competition you could see his parents swelling with pride. [looking extremely proud]
I was filled with horror when I read the newspaper report of the explosion.
When she split juice on her new skirt the little girl burst into tears. [suddenly started crying]


E. Verbs and adverbs

She pulled steadily on the rope and helped him to safety. [pulled firmly and evenly]
He placed the beautiful vase gently on the window ledge.
‘I love you and want to marry you’, Derek whispered softly to Marsha.
She smiled proudly as she looked at the photos of her new grandson.


F. Adverbs and adjectives

They are happily married.
I am fully aware that there are serious problems. [I know well]
Harry was blissfully unaware that he was in danger. [Harry had no idea at all, often used about something unpleasant]


Exercices:

1. Complete each sentence with a collocation from A.

Come to my office ten minuts before the meeting so we can have ...
With her lovely dark hair Uma looks best when she wears ...
In your essay on the influence of TV, don’t forget to discuss these ...
There is some crime in our town but it isn’t ...


2. Replace the underlined words with a collocating verb from B.

We are going to introduce an exciting new product in June.
The economy was extremely high 20 yeard ago.
The new university they are planning will provide a lot of job opportunities.
There are always some problems when two companies join together but I think it will be worth it in the long run.
The increase in oil prices certainly creates a problem for us.
The company got bigger and has now added children’s clothing to its product range.


3. Choose the correct feeling to complete each sentence.

anger
horror
tears
nostalgia
pride
pride

Most older people feel a slight pang of ... as they think back on their schooldays.
Carla’s father was filled with ... when he saw that she had dyed her beautiful black hair blonde.
When Paul saw how harshly the poor were treated by the wealthy landowners he felt a surge of ...
Swelling with ..., Dan watched his daughter pick up her violin and play.
When she saw her exam results, Kate burst into ...
If people have a sense of ... in their town, they are more likely to behave well there.


4. Look at E and F and choose the correct adverb to complete these sentencens.

Perhaps it’s a good thing that Ken’s ... unaware of what people really think of him.
I am ... aware that there will be problems whatever we decide.
Nadya smiled ... as she watched the children playing happily in the garden.
My grandparents have been ... married for 45 years.
Place the glasses ... in the box – they’re verry fragile.
Paul whispered ... in Anna’s ear that he would always love her.


5. Which of the sections A-F would each of there collocations fit into?

make a decision
blissfuly happy
tread carefully
a surge of emotion
acutely embarrasing
roar with laughter
a key factor
prices rise
a ginger cat
burst into something


Solutions:

1.
a brief chat
bright colours
major problems
the key issue

2.
launch
boomed
create opportunities for
merge
poses
has grown

3.
nostalgia
horror
anger
pride
tears
pride

4.
blissfully
fully
proudly
happily
gently
softly

5.
B - F - E - C - F - D - A - B - A - D

English Collocations (II) – finding and learning it

Sunt două metode principale ca să găseşti colocaţii: scoate-le din textele pe care le citeşti sau obişnuieşte-te să le scoţi din dicţionar atunci când îl consulţi ca să înveţi noi cuvinte. În textul următor, de exemplu, am subliniat colocaţiile:

After giving Mark a lift to the airport, Cathy made her way home. What an exciting life he led! At times Cathy felt desperately jealous of him. She spent her time doing litle more than taking care of thim and the children. Now her sister was getting divorced and would doubtless be making demands on her too. Cathy had promised to give her sister a call as soon as she got home but she decided to run herself a bath first. She had a sharp pain in her side and hoped that a hot bath might ease the pain.

Dacă te uiţi în dicţionar la cuvântul sharp, vei găsi câteva dintre colocaţiile următoare: a sharp pain, a sharp bend/turn, a sharp contrast/difference/distinction, a sharp rise/increase/drop.

Ca şi atunci când vrei să înveţi simple cuvinte, este bine să încerci să formezi cu colocaţiile găsite noi propoziţii (ex: I don’t have access to that kind of secret information).

Exerciţii:

1. Subliniază 11 colocaţii în acest text:

My friend Beth is desperately worried about her son at the moment. He wants to enrol on a course of some sort but just can’t make a decision about what to study. I gave Beth a ring and we had a long chat about it last night. She said he’d like to study for a degree but is afraid he won’t meet the requirements for university entry. Beth thinks he should do a course in Management because he’d like to set up his own business in the future. I agreed that that would be a wise choice.

2. Corectează opt colocaţii eronate din acest text. Nu te jena să utilizezi un dicţionar:

I the morning I made some work in the garden, then I spent a rest for about an hour before going out to have some shopping in town. It was my sister’s birthday and I wanted to do a special effort to cook a nice meal for her. I gave a look at a new Thai cookery book in the bookshop and decided to buy it. It has some totally easy recipes and I managed to do a good impression with my very first Thay meal. I think my sister utterly enjoyed her birthday.

3. Utilizează un dicţionar ca să găseşti trei sau patru colocaţii pentru fiecare din aceste cuvinte:

desperately
pain
wise
run

Soluţii:

1.
desperately worried
to enrol on a course
to make a decision
to give a ring
to have a long chat
to study for a degree
to meet the requirements
university entry
to do a course
to set up his own business
wise choice

2.
to do some work
to had a rest
to do shopping
to make an effort
a substantial meal
to have/take a look
very/quite/extremely easy
to make a good impression
thoroughly/really enjoyed

3.
desperately ill
desperately busy
desperately keen
desperately in love

in pain
constant pain
to ease the pain
sharp pain

a wise choice
wise guy

differences between the two sides run deep
the river ran dry
we’re beginning to run short of money
he was arrested for running drogs across the border

English Collocations (I)

O collocation este o pereche sau un grup de cuvinte care sunt adesea utilizate împreună. Aceste combinaţii sună natural pentru un vorbitor nativ, dar cei care studiază limba engleză trebuie să facă un efort deosebit ca să le înveţe, pentru că adesea sunt dificil de ghicit.

De exemplu, spunem fast cars şi fast food, şi nu quick cars sau quick food, deşi în principiu fast şi quick sunt sinonime. Pe de altă parte, preferăm a quick glance şi nu a fast glance, a quick meal şi niciodată a fast meal.

Colocaţiile nu trebuie confundate cu cuvintele compuse (compounds) sau cu locuţiunile (idioms). Cuvintele compuse sunt unităţi de sens formate din două sau mai multe cuvinte. Ele pot fi scrise separat, despărţite prin linioară sau ca un singur cuvânt. De obicei sensul unui cuvânt compus poate fi ghicit dacă ştim sensurile fiecăruia dintre componentele sale (ex: car park, post office, narrow-minded, shoelaces, teapot).

Locuţiunile sunt grupuri de cuvinte a căror topică este fixă şi al căror sens nu poate fi ghicit pornind de la sensurile componentele sale. De exemplu, pass the buck este o locuţiune care înseamnă “a delega responsabilitatea pentru o problema unei alte persoane pentru a evita implicarea personală”.

Studiul colocaţiilor este o idee bună, pentru că:
a) sunt un mod mai firesc de a exprima ceva: smoking is strictly forbidden este mai natural decât smoking is strongly forbidden;
b) dau alternative în expresie, fapt ce o face mai atrăgătoare şi mai precisă: în loc să repeţi it was very cold and very dark, poţi spune it was bitterly cold and pitch dark;
c) îţi îmbunătăţesc stilul în formulările scrise: îl loc să zici poverty causes crime, poţi spune poverty breeds crime; e preferabil să spui a substantial meal în loc de a big meal.

Câteva collocations foarte uzuale: make an effort, watch TV, powerful engine, ancient monuments, take a photo, keep to / stick to the rules.