92
Collocation: which words go together
A
Adjective + noun collocations
Nouns often have typical adjectives which go with them. Here are some examples.
Compare thing and article:
we say
we don’t usually say
the real thing
the genuine thing
the genuine article
the real article
I don’t like five-a-side football; I prefer the real thing. [i.e. real football, with 11 players in each team]
These trainers are the genuine article. Those others are just cheap imported copies.
You can give a broad summary of something (NOT a wide summary).
You can describe something in great detail (NOT in big detail).
Some adjectives go with a restricted range of nouns. For example:
a formidable opponent/reputation/task/challenge
B
Verb + adverb collocations
Often, verbs have typical adverbs that collocate with them. The lines here show which collocations
are normal:
She always walks too
fast.
quickly.
Let’s move
swiftly on to the next point.
It’s something I feel strongly about (NOT I feel powerfully about).
If I remember rightly, it happened at about 6.30 (NOT If I remember perfectly).
C
Adverb + adjective collocations
It is useful to learn which adverbs most typically modify particular types of adjectives. For example,
the adverb utterly, which means totally or completely, very frequently occurs before adjectives with
negative connotations, although it can also be used with neutral or positive words. Typical examples
are: appalling, dismal, depressed, disgusting, distasteful, exhausted, false, fatuous, impossible,
lost, ludicrous, naive, pointless, ridiculous, unacceptable, useless, wrong. Try to notice this kind
of regularity when learning words.
D
Verb + object collocations
Verbs and their objects often form collocations.
You raise your hand to ask a question (NOT lift your hand).
You can raise a family. [bring up children] (NOT lift a family)
You can visit / go to / click on / check out a website.
Language help
Collocation is concerned with the way words regularly occur together, often in unpredictable ways.
It is a very good idea when learning new words to learn any typical collocations that go with them.
190
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
Exercises
92.1
Is the correct word real or genuine in these sentences? Choose the more normal
collocation. If both are acceptable, choose them both.
1
2
3
4
5
92.2
The photos of the pyramids are wonderful. One day I’d love to see the real / genuine thing.
He just doesn’t live in the real / genuine world. He lives in a fantasy world all the time.
This handbag is made of real / genuine leather.
She is a very real / genuine person. If she promises something, she’ll do it.
This home-made champagne is nice, but it’s not as good as the real / genuine article.
Choose one of the words below each sentence to fill the gaps. In each case only one of
them is the normal collocation for the underlined word. Use a dictionary if necessary.
1 After his death, she went to the hospital to collect his personal
.
A affairs
B objects
C effects
D extras
2 He made a rather
attempt at an apology, but it didn’t convince anyone.
A faint
B frail
C fragile
D feeble
opponent, and I respected him for that.
3 George was a
A formidable
B dreadful
C forbidding
D threatening
4 I began to feel
anxious when she didn’t arrive.
A totally
B pretty
C utterly
D blatantly
5 She seemed to be
bewildered by the answer they gave her.
A vividly
B strongly
C utterly
D heavily
92.3
Choose the most suitable collocation in these sentences. The word you choose should
have the approximate meaning given in brackets. Use a dictionary if necessary.
1 A brisk / brusque / brash walk before breakfast helps to enforce / sharpen / grow the appetite.
(quick and energetic; increase, make stronger)
2 The death tally / tale / toll in the earthquake has now risen to 20,000. (number or total)
3 Let’s take a sluggish / plodding / leisurely stroll along the beach, shall we? (slow and not energetic)
4 If you want to stay at home tonight, that’s utterly / perfectly / blatantly OK with me.
(completely, 100%)
5 My aunt bequeathed / bequested / bereaved £20,000 in her will to cancer research. (gave after
her death)
6 If I remember rightly / keenly / fairly, she had two brothers, both older than her. (correctly)
7 If you want information about the publisher of this book, you can accede / call / visit their website
at www.cambridge.org. (consult, look at)
8 Eating all those peanuts has spoilt / attacked / lowered my appetite. I don’t feel like dinner now.
(destroyed, decreased)
92.4
Which collocation is more likely? Choose the correct answer.
1
2
3
4
5
92.5
a strong car / a powerful car
strong tea / powerful tea
auburn hair / an auburn carpet
a doleful party / a doleful expression
a lengthy room / a lengthy meeting
Over to you
During the next week, try to find one new collocation that you were not aware of before for
each of these categories:
ADJECTIVE + NOUN
VERB + OBJECT
ADVERB + ADJECTIVE
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
191
93
Metaphor: seeing the light
A
What are metaphors?
Metaphor is concerned with using words in abstract rather than literal ways. It is a way of expressing
something by comparing it indirectly with something else that has similar characteristics.
If we call a city a jungle, for example, we are using a metaphor. We are suggesting that a city is like a
jungle, in that it is wild and full of dangers.
If we say that someone lights up our life, we are using a metaphor. We are suggesting that person is
like a light in our life, in that they make our life brighter and happier.
B
Idioms and metaphors
Many idioms are metaphorical expressions which are in common use.
be on the ball [be very aware of things and ready
to act – like a good footballer]
to keep someone/something on a tight rein
[have a lot of control over someone/something –
like a rider having control over a horse]
Some of the most common idiom-metaphors
are based on parts of the body. So we might
say that a building is in the heart of the city.
[centre] We can call the place where a river
joins the sea its mouth, and the person in
charge of an organisation its head. If you say
that someone has an eye for a bargain, you
mean they are good at finding a bargain. If you
keep a (close) eye on someone/something,
you watch them carefully. If you say that
something is in safe hands, you mean that the person in charge is capable. If you say that something
goes hand in hand with something else, you mean that they exist together and are interconnected:
Rights go hand in hand with responsibilities. If you talk about doing something using a rule of
thumb, you mean you are calculating something in a way that is not exact but will allow you to be
accurate enough.
C
Common metaphorical concepts in English
Many words in English are so frequently used in a metaphorical way that English speakers may no
longer notice that they are metaphors. Here are some examples:
• Intelligence and understanding are equated with light; for example, a clever person is called
bright and a less intelligent person dim. If you see the light, you understand something. To cast
light on something means making it easier to understand: The discovery of the poet’s letters has
cast light on his troubled relationship with his brother.
• Intensity of feeling or passion is equated with temperature; someone who is enthusiastic at one
time and not at another is said to blow hot and cold. If someone is hotheaded, then they react
quickly on the basis of their feelings without thinking first. If you call someone cold-hearted, then
you think they are without feeling.
• The movement of people or traffic is equated with the movement of water; we can, for example,
talk of people flooding or trickling out of a hall, or say there was a constant stream of traffic past
the window.
• Time is likened to money; both are seen as commodities that can be spent or wasted or used
profitably. You can also talk about investing time, using it in a way that you think will pay
dividends in future. [bring you advantages]
• Business is likened to a military operation; strategies, tactics and campaigns are used in both
contexts. So a company might launch an advertising campaign, for example, or work on its
marketing strategy.
192
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
Exercises
93.1
Choose a word from the box that can be used metaphorically to complete the sentence.
ball
eye
hands
head
heart
jungle
mouth
light
rein
thumb
1 Helen asked me to keep a close
on her little boy while the children were playing in
the garden.
2 You don’t need to worry about your grandfather – he’s in safe
in the hospital.
3 Our hotel offers excellent facilities in the
of the old city centre.
4 When the writer refers to the urban
, he is suggesting that the city is a dangerous
and unpleasant place.
5 As a rule of
, you can expect to deal with about 20 orders a day.
6 Joe is always on the
; he always knows what’s going on.
7 Can you see that small boat at the
of the river?
8 It is up to the
of the school how the budget is spent.
9 I’m afraid we need to keep a tight
on our spending this year.
.
10 I never used to understand opera, but an excellent TV series helped me to see the
93.2
Here are some more idioms which are based on metaphors. What is the idiom in each
sentence and what does it mean? What aspect of life does it draw its image from?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
93.3
Here are some more examples of the five metaphorical concepts in C opposite.
Underline the metaphor and say which concept it exemplifies and what it suggests.
1
2
3
4
5
93.4
Oscar’s going to be holding the reins while the boss is on holiday.
It’s hard to know what to do when management keeps moving the goalposts.
Starting his own dry-cleaning business was just another of his half-baked ideas.
We’ve had to tighten our belts since Sam lost his job.
The company needs to take its customers’ criticisms on board.
Are you still on track to finish your essay by this evening?
Jana worked around the clock to finish decorating the room before her parents came home.
I’m sure you can take him at face value – he seems perfectly honest to me.
This book throws a great deal of fresh light on the history of the period.
We could save half an hour at least if we went through the wood.
Try to keep cool even if he argues with you.
We spent months trying to achieve our sales targets.
Police tried to control the flow of the fans as they left the concert.
More unusual and original
metaphors are used a great deal in
literature. Here are some famous
metaphors from Shakespeare.
Underline the metaphors in each
case and explain what they suggest.
1 All the world’s a stage and all the
men and women merely players.
2 We are such stuff as dreams are
made on, and our little life is
rounded with a sleep.
3 There is a tide in the affairs of men,
which, taken at the flood, leads on
to fortune.
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
193
94
Idioms for everyday situations and feelings
A
B
When things go right
If something …
this means …
worked like a dream
a plan succeeded absolutely perfectly
went/ran like clockwork
it went smoothly, with no difficulties
is up and running
it has begun to work as planned
is falling into place
it is on the point of starting to work well
is looking up
it is looking very positive
When things go wrong: reacting in conversation
Oh no! That’s all we need/needed! [in response to news that makes current problems even worse]
That’s the last thing I wanted to hear! [in response to news that fulfils your worst fears]
This is like a bad dream! [when one bad thing after another happens in quick succession]
It’s a real nightmare / my worst nightmare. [used very generally, e.g. about traffic jams, computers
going wrong]
What a pain! [used very generally, in response to any situation that causes you difficulty]
C
Confusing situations or situations you don’t understand
Her sudden question threw me completely. [I didn’t know how to respond]
The meeting was a complete shambles. [a totally disorganised and chaotic event]
It’s a mystery to me how people know about my private life. [it’s something I cannot understand]
I’m sorry, we must have got our wires crossed. I thought the meeting was at 11, not 10.30. [there
must have been a miscommunication/misunderstanding]
I’m not with you. / You’ve lost me there. [what you have said has confused me]
D
194
Happiness and sadness
expression
meaning
to be on top of the world / on cloud nine / over the moon
to be extremely happy
to be in (your) element / to be made for
to be ideally suited for
to be fed up to the back teeth
to be extremely unhappy, disappointed
to be down in the dumps / down in the mouth
to be depressed
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
Exercises
94.1
Rewrite the underlined words using an idiom based on the word in brackets.
1
2
3
4
5
94.2
The system is now working as planned, so we should be able to get some useful data soon. (run)
Things are becoming very positive now that we’ve increased our online sales. (look)
The whole project was 100% successful. (dream)
After a problematic start, things are beginning to work well now. (fall)
The school open day ran very smoothly without difficulties or problems. (clock)
Fill in B’s missing words in these conversations.
1 A: ‘I’m afraid your insurance policy expired a month ago, so you can’t claim for the fire damage.’
B: ‘Oh no! This is like a bad
!’
2 A: ‘I’m afraid the boss is away this week so we’ll have to wait to sort this out till next week.’
B: ‘Oh, what a
! Ah well, I suppose there’s nothing we can do.’
3 A: ‘Tarek is ill and can’t come. Now Sheena’s phoned in to say she’s sick too!’
B: ‘Oh no! Two people sick! That’s all we
!’
4 A: ‘Wow! Look at this traffic jam. We’ll be stuck here for hours!’
B: ‘I know. It’s a real
!’
5 A: ‘The lawyers have said we can’t hold the festival because we haven’t done a proper risk assessment.’
B: ‘Oh no! That’s the last thing we wanted to
!’
94.3
Read the comments and then answer the questions.
Alex
Sabina
It’s a mystery to me
how those papers
just disappeared.
Monica
Ricardo
That shop is
a complete
shambles
these days.
Sorry, I’m not with
you. You’ve lost
me there.
Michelle
Sorry, I think
we got our
wires crossed
yesterday.
The news threw me
completely.
name
1 Who is talking about something disorganised and chaotic?
2 Who thinks there’s been a misunderstanding?
3 Who can’t follow what someone has said?
4 Who can’t find an explanation for something?
5 Who didn’t know how to respond to something?
94.4
Correct the mistakes in the idioms in these sentences.
1
2
3
4
5
94.5
Jessica’s on cloud seven now she’s at university.
She’s on her element now she’s got a job in an architect’s office.
You look a bit down in the damp. What’s the matter?
Just look at him! He looks fed up to the front teeth!
I was above the moon when they told me I’d got the job.
Look up these idioms in a dictionary. Do they fit best into A, B, C or D opposite? Circle the
correct letter.
1 Oh no! That’s the last straw!
2 I can’t get my head round it.
3 You look as miserable as sin.
A B C D
A B C D
A B C D
4 It worked like a charm.
5 I was walking on air.
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
A B C D
A B C D
195
95
Brushing up on phrasal verbs
A
Learning phrasal verbs
There are a great many phrasal verbs in English and many learners find them particularly difficult to
master. The best way to learn them is in context. When you come across [meet] one, write it down in
an example sentence.
There are a couple of important points to remember about phrasal verbs. Firstly, a verb +
preposition/particle combination may have more than one meaning. Come across, for example, can
also mean give an impression of being, as in: He can come across as unfriendly when you first meet
him. Come over can also be used with the same meaning, as in: He can come over as unfriendly.
Secondly, it is sensible to concentrate first on understanding phrasal verbs rather than using them.
There is usually an alternative way in which you can say the same thing using a single verb. So, for
example, instead of put forward a plan you can propose a plan, and instead of rush into a decision
you can make a hasty decision.
B
The verb
A very large number of phrasal verbs are formed using common verbs such as come, do, get or go, for
instance. Here are some more examples with come.
I hope our plans to visit Russia come off. [happen successfully]
Sandro’s family came over from Italy for the wedding. [travel to one place from another]
I wouldn’t usually say something like that. I don’t know what came over me. [influence someone to
behave in a particular way]
The proposal has come under a lot of criticism. [experience something (usually unpleasant)]
If the opportunity to work in the US comes up, you must take it. [occur unexpectedly]
Our plan has come up against some obstacles. [have to deal with a problem or difficulty]
C
The preposition/particle
The second part of a phrasal verb is a preposition or particle. This can sometimes help you
understand the meaning of the phrasal verb. For example, on can often convey an idea of continuing
over a period of time.
Selina decided to stay on at university and do a Master’s degree. [remain]
Try not to dwell on the past. [keep thinking about, usually something unpleasant]
I didn’t expect platform shoes to catch on. [become popular]
I wish she’d stop going on about her new car. [talking at length]
The crowd was urging the runners on. [encouraging]
The weather was terrible but the climbers pressed on regardless. [continued in a determined way]
D
Phrasal verbs in topics
It can be useful to learn phrasal verbs in sets connected with a topic. Here, for example, are some
from the context of work:
I need to brush up on my computer skills for my new job. [improve knowledge of something already
learnt but partly forgotten]
The company laid off half its staff during the recession. [stopped employing]
Tomorrow’s meeting has been called off because Jack is ill. [cancelled]
Sasha has thrown himself into his new job. [start doing something with great energy]
It took me a few weeks to settle in at my new office. [feel relaxed and happy]
It took me ages to put together the report. [prepare by collecting information from several sources]
Language help
When you learn a phrasal verb, note down the positions of the preposition/particle and the object, if
there is one. For example, you can say put a report together or put together a report, but you can only
say rush into a decision (NOT rush a decision into).
196
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
Exercises
95.1
Reword these sentences using a phrasal verb with come.
1
2
3
4
5
6
95.2
Complete the sentences with a verb, using the appropriate form.
1
2
3
4
5
6
95.3
Dan is always
on about how rich he is.
You can’t change what happened, so don’t
on it.
We’d better
on if we’re going to get to the hostel before dark.
I’m going to
on after work to finish the report.
Taekwondo has really
on – all my friends are learning it.
Hugo’s family tried their best to
him on to complete his novel.
Do these sentences have the correct preposition or particle? If not, correct them.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
95.4
Meena can seem a little arrogant at times, but she’s just shy.
Charlie was quick to take advantage of a chance for promotion that arose at his workplace.
The project was going well until we encountered some legal problems.
I found some lovely old photos when I was sorting some boxes yesterday.
I’m afraid it looks as if our plans to move to a new flat may not happen.
Something strange happened to me and I shouted at him angrily.
Do you think the company will have to lay any staff out?
I learnt Spanish at school but need to brush it on before I go to Spain.
I’m putting a presentation together for the board to consider.
If you rush for a decision, you may regret it later.
We’ll have to call out tomorrow’s picnic if the weather is bad.
The family soon settled on to their new flat in the city.
I love the way Katie always throws herself onto everything she does.
Nita put forward some very interesting ideas at the meeting.
Which of the phrasal verbs on the opposite page can have the preposition or particle
either before or after the object? Write the verbs in phrases both ways using one of
these objects.
team
skill
report
staff
meeting
plan
example urge a team on – urge on a team
95.5
These sentences use some other phrasal verbs. Can you work out what the verbs mean
from the context? Match the phrasal verbs in the sentences with the definitions in the box.
delay
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
explode
abolish
waste time
not tell
criticise
occur
start to work
Most of the students say they would like to do away with school uniform.
The new arrangements won’t kick in till next month.
Stop messing around – go and tidy your room.
Problems always seem to crop up at the most inconvenient times.
These complications will set the building work back by several weeks.
However hard he tries, his teacher always seems to run him down.
I heard the bomb go off at midday.
It’s foolish to hold something so important back from your partner.
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
197
96
Connotation: making associations
A
Different kinds of associations
HOME
LANGUAGE
CULTURE
SCIENCE
BUSINESS
We often associate words [make connections] with something that is not
obvious from the literal meaning of the word. The dove, for example, is a white
bird that has associations with peace. So if a journalist calls a politician a
dove, they are suggesting that he or she is a peacemaker. Similarly, they might
call a more aggressive, hard-line politician a hawk, a bird which hunts its prey.
Some associations like those of dove and hawk will be shared by most speakers
of English and they may even be included in a good dictionary for learners.
Sometimes associations are not the same for all native speakers of the same
language, but may vary from one geographical area to another. Black cats, for
example, have associations with good luck in Britain but with bad luck in the
USA.
Many associations are purely personal. Someone who had a bad experience of
dogs in childhood may think of a dog as being fierce and frightening, whereas
for others dogs may represent loyalty and friendship. The most commonly
shared association of the word dog in English is ‘faithfulness’. However, the
phrase a dog’s life is used to refer to a very unhappy and unpleasant life.
B
Understanding associations
Journalists, advertisers and other writers or speakers who want to interest and entertain their
audience often make use of word associations. A fashion advert might ask, for example, ‘Would you
like to have that Paris look?’, which draws on the associations of Paris with glamour and style. Or
someone might refer to cowboy builders, meaning builders who are not careful or trustworthy.
It might seem difficult at first to understand this kind of language, but your knowledge both of the
world and of the primary meanings of words will help you. Paris, for example, is known throughout
the world as a centre of high fashion and it is quite possible that the name Paris is associated with
glamour in your own language too. If you have seen a Western, you will have seen how cowboys
often behave in a careless and dishonest way.
Think, for example, about the words shark, scar and diamond. You probably know their literal
meanings – a large sea creature with sharp teeth, a mark left on the skin after a cut has healed, and
a precious stone, respectively – but what associations do you think they have for English speakers in
general? What might someone mean if they said the following?
‘They’re all sharks in that garage.’
‘I think that new office block is a scar on the landscape.’
‘Emma’s a real diamond.’
The idea of sharks as sharp-toothed creatures with an aggressive reputation should help you to
understand that the speaker does not like the garage. The fact that a scar is a mark of a wound on
something that was once unspoilt should help you to appreciate that the speaker does not like the
new office block. The beauty and high value of a diamond as a precious stone should help you to see
that the speaker has a high opinion of Emma.
Language help
Research into language learning shows that words are better remembered if you have personal
associations in mind as you learn them. Remember to think about what your associations with a word
are as you learn it.
198
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
Exercises
96.1
Answer these questions about the associations discussed on the opposite page.
1 Would you recommend a cowboy plumber to a friend?
2 Would a politician be more likely to be called a dove if they were a peacemaker or if they argued
for military action?
3 What is more likely to be a scar on the landscape – a waterfall or a factory chimney?
4 Would you be pleased to be called a diamond?
5 Would you be pleased to be called a hawk?
6 In Britain would you be likely to see a black cat on a good luck card or not?
7 What characteristic is a dog most typically said to have in English?
8 Would you be likely to call a business Supersharks?
96.2
Match the colours with their associations in English. Are any of these the same in your
language? (See Unit 65 for more about the associations of colour in English.)
1 purple
2 green
3 yellow
96.3
4 red
5 white
6 black
a purity
b evil
c royalty
d inexperienced
e danger
f a coward
Are these statements about the associations of animals in English correct? When a
statement is wrong, correct it.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
If you say someone has a dog’s life, you think they have an easy life.
If you call a businessman a snake, you trust him.
If you say someone’s hair is mousy, you mean it is dark brown and strikingly attractive.
If you say someone is being ratty, you mean they are irritable.
If you say someone can be catty, you mean they tend to be lazy.
If you say something is fishy, you mean it is suspicious.
If you call someone a sheep, you mean they are very independent-minded.
If you say that someone is hawk-eyed, you mean that they have very big eyes.
96.4
Can you make any associations between the colours in 96.2 and the animals and their
associations in 96.3 that will help you to understand why these associations have
been made?
96.5
Some of these have associations of good luck in English and some have associations of
bad luck. Decide whether each picture represents good luck or bad luck.
Friday
13th a horseshoe
aa horseshoe
walking
under
a aladder
aclover
four-leaved
Friday
13th 13th
a horseshoe
walking
under
aunder
ladder
a four-leaved
cloverclover
Friday
horseshoe
walking
ladder
a four-leaved
clover
Friday
13th
walking
under
a ladder
a four-leaved
1
96.6
2
3
4
Over to you
Write down five colours and five animals. What are your own associations for these words?
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
199
