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Unit 09
Collocations & Word Patterns
natural advanced combinations
Why Collocations Matter at C1
A collocation is a pair or group of words that naturally go together. Grammar may be perfect, but the wrong word partner sounds unnatural. C1 fluency depends on knowing these combinations: make a decision (not "do a decision"), heavy rain (not "strong rain"), deeply concerned (not "strongly concerned").
Verb + Noun Collocations
| Verb | Goes with | NOT |
|---|---|---|
| make | a decision, a mistake, progress, an effort, a profit | do a decision |
| do | homework, business, research, harm, a favour | make homework |
| take | a risk, responsibility, a break, action, notes | make a risk |
| have | an effect, an impact, a chat, an argument | do an effect |
| pay | attention, a compliment, a visit, respect | give attention |
| give | a speech, advice, a hand, priority | make a speech (rare) |
Adjective + Noun Collocations
| Adjective | Goes with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| heavy | rain, traffic, smoker, workload | Heavy traffic delayed us. |
| strong | coffee, opinion, accent, possibility | She has a strong accent. |
| deep | sleep, trouble, knowledge, breath | He fell into a deep sleep. |
| high | expectations, standards, pressure, demand | They set high standards. |
| bitterly | disappointed, cold | I was bitterly disappointed. |
Adverb + Adjective Collocations (Intensifiers)
| Intensifier | Goes with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| deeply | concerned, grateful, moved, religious | Deeply grateful for your help. |
| highly | likely, recommended, qualified, unlikely | A highly recommended book. |
| fully | aware, booked, understand, recovered | I'm fully aware of the risks. |
| utterly | ridiculous, exhausted, impossible | The plan was utterly ridiculous. |
| perfectly | clear, normal, capable, fine | It's perfectly clear. |
Verb + Preposition Patterns
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| depend on | It depends on the weather. |
| consist of | The team consists of five people. |
| result in / from | The error resulted in delays. |
| cope with | She copes with stress well. |
| account for | This accounts for the difference. |
| refrain from | Please refrain from smoking. |
Common Fixed Phrases
- bear in mind — remember/consider: Bear in mind that prices may change.
- take into account — consider: We must take costs into account.
- come to a conclusion / an agreement: They came to an agreement.
- make up your mind — decide: I can't make up my mind.
- play a role / part: Luck played a major role.
Adjective + Preposition & Noun + Of
| Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|
| adjective + of | aware of, capable of, fond of, proud of, short of |
| adjective + for / to | responsible for, famous for, eligible for · similar to, sensitive to, committed to |
| adjective + on / in / with | keen on, dependent on · interested in, involved in · familiar with, satisfied with |
| noun + of | a sense of humour, a means of transport, a lack of time, a wealth of experience, the root of the problem |
| noun + on / to / for | an impact on, an effect on · a solution to, the key to · a demand for, a reason for |
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
We need toverbmakeobjecta decisionadverbsoon.
↳ make a decision — not "do a decision".
subjectI amadverbdeeplyadjectivegratefulfor your help.
↳ deeply grateful — natural adverb + adjective pair.
subjectSuccessverbdepends onobjecthard work.
↳ depend on — fixed verb + preposition.
Common Mistakes
I did a big mistake.
→
I made a big mistake.
Collocation: make a mistake.
There was strong rain.
→
There was heavy rain.
Collocation: heavy rain (not strong).
She is strongly concerned.
→
She is deeply concerned.
Collocation: deeply concerned.
It depends of the weather.
→
It depends on the weather.
depend + on (not "of").
She gave attention to every detail.
→
She paid attention to every detail.
Collocation: pay attention (to).
She is responsible of the team.
→
She is responsible for the team.
responsible for.