collocation Practice

Idea

Verb + idea

He is a good speaker. He has that rare ability to get across complex ideas in the kind of language everybody can understand.

We`ve been considering the idea of moving to a smaller flat that the children have left home. We`ve actually been toying with the idea for a year or so.

The committee needs to come up with some ideas for raising funds for the new church.

She`s always rejected the idea of getting married.

I think my proposal would help improve the company, but I`m having a lot of trouble selling the idea to my boss.

She`ll never go along with the idea,so it`s not worth mentioning it to her.

Liking and disliking ideas

I want to become a racing driver but my father is dead against the idea. [dislike]

She has an open mind and she is always receptive to new ideas. [like]

In the UK there is a lot of resistance to the idea of a common currency. [dislike] Many people remained bitterly opposed to this idea. [dislike]

I`m not wild about the idea of going to boarding school, but I have no choice in the matter. [dislike]

In the whole I`m in favor of the idea. [like]

We are also sold on the idea. We think it can only improve the quality of the service. [like]

Some of them were extremely hostile to the idea of giving free needles to drug addicts. [dislike]

 

Collocation Practice

Action

Verb + action

Shopkeepers in the town are demanding rougher action against the vandals.

She will have to explain her actions and defend them if she is to get them back.

We have had enough talk we need to put these ideas into action as soon as we can.

Air traffic controllers are threatening to take industrial action their pay demands aren`t met.

The emergency services are always on standby and ready to swing into action a moments notice.

There is no way that the college can condone the actions of these students.

Common adjective collocations

It was this prompt action that prevented the fire from spreading.

We are loosing our money, this situation calls or drastic action.

Disiplinary action will be taken against disobedient members..

The army has been given full powers to take whatever action is necessary.

Britain and US agreed on joint action to combat the threat of world-wide terrorism.

The pilot of the jet had to take evasive action yesterday to avoid a mid-air collision.

Notes

They say he is a good player. I`ve never seen him in action.

He is out of action due to a knee injury.

Collocation Practice

Ability

Ability + verb

Examinations are not the only means of assessing someone`s ability.

I had so much confidence in himand I did`t doubt his abilities.

It`s a well-known fact that even small amounts of alcohol can affect your ability to drive.

She was so shocked by the accident that she lose the ability to speak.

Peter really showed a lot of ability as a teenager.

I had to give up half way through the race.I  had obviously overstimate my ability to run a marathon.

 Ability + Proposition + noun

The open champianship next weekwill be a real test of his ability.

Raymond is very clever but he doesn`t make full use of his ability.

His results for the examinationare certainly not a true reflection of his abilities.

He said that he would do the job to the best of his ability.

I believe he lost confidence. His faliare was not due to a lack of ability.

Note: When we talk about very intelligent children we Often call them

‘ Children of above Average Ability’.

 

Collocation Practice

Dear Blog Readers;

I`ve recently add a new part “Collocation Practice” to the tags here, and now it`s high time you know a little more about collocations and their usages.

Collocations are common combinations of words and they are a major key to fluency, for example look at these sentences containing the word ‘problem’:

1.       There is a great deal of indecision over how to tackle the problem.

2.       I believe that traffic congestion in large cities is an insurmountable problem.

3.       We must get to the root of this problem. We need to discover the cause.

You can see that problem collocates with the verb tackle, with the adjective insurmountable, and it forms a noun with the root of. And these are only a few of its collocations!

Remember:

Learning new vocabulary is not just learning new words;

It is also learning familiar word in new combinations.

Hope you can learn and use them.

Source: Key Words for Fluency

By: Gearge Woolard