COLLOCATIONS - VALDENOR SOUSA

Hello you Guys!!!...How have you been?!
In this post, we're talking about COLLOCATIONS.

A "COLLOCATION" is a word or phrase that is often followed by another word or phrase. (dérêz-óFénFólôuBái)

On the other hand, a collocation is two or more words that often go together.

These combinations just sound "right" to native English speakers, who use them all the time.

• TYPES OF COLLOCATION:

So there are several different types of collocation made from combinations of verb, noun, adjective etc.

Some of the most common types are:

1- ADJECTIVE + NOUN:

- So all of these phrases are adjectives that are commonly followed by differents nouns.

- So let's begin our first collocation using the adjective HIGH:

• high school (You have middle school, high school and then University) 

• high ground (You need to get to a higher or elevated position maybe there is a flood and somebody says we need to get to high ground!)

• high tech (This just means advanced tecnology)

• high standards (This means that they just want the best for themselves and you could say well I have really high standards when it comes to food.)

• high degree of certainty(rráidigri-óvSôrtnTi)(This means that you really believe and know that something is going to happen.)

- Next we have collocations with the adjective BIG:

• big mistake (You're really trying to say that well okay this is a real problem and somebody made a big mistake)

• big surprise (It is not a normal surprise, it's a big surprise)

• big deal (this emphasizes that this thing is very important)

• big decision (a decision very very very important)

• big money (means you're talking about a lot money)

- The next adjective is LITTLE:

• little bit (this is talking about an amount)

• little time (if you don't have a lot of time to do something you could say well we have very little time)

• litlle boy / little girl (it is describing somebody'age,but you've got to be careful(bá-iúGárabikérfôl), it may not be polite sometimes(êimêiNá-bipoLáitch'SãmTáims) to call somebody a little boy or a little girl)

• little thought (in this case, somebody might say that well you gave this little thought)

- The next adjective is HEAVY:

• heavy drinker (in this case, somebody is a heavy drinker, it means that they do this a lot.)

• heavy smoker (in this case, somebody is a heavy smoker, it means that they do this a lot)

• heavy traffic (if there are many cars on the road you describe that and say well there's really heavy traffic today)

• heavy rain (it mains that it's raining a lot, I'm wet because it’s pouring, it's a heavy rain.)

• heavy sleeper (it mains that a person who sleeps deeply and is difficult to wake up )

- The next adjective is LIGHT(We can use LIGHT to say the opposite of many ADJECTVES that I just talked about)

• light drinker (the opposite of heavy drinker)

• light smoker (the opposite of heavy smoker)

• light sleeper (in which case any kind of noise would probably wake this person up)

• light rain (it means that It's drizzling)

• light breeze (it means that it's not very windy)

• light shade (it means that a light shade of some color, a light shade of red, a light shade of blue)

- The next adjective is STRONG.

• strong argument (strõ-ÓrguiMéntch)(if you're debating with someone you want to make sure that you're presenting a strong argument)

• strong feeling.

• strong desire.

• strong wind.

• strong evidence.

• strong hand.(in this case, they're not really talking about their hands, it is refers to somebody's position, a position of power)

• strong relationship.(we use it to talk about maybe a family member or your friends)

- The next adjective is DEEP.

• deep thought.(DípFótch)(you're really thinking about something, you're really focused)(Fôukêstch)

• deep voice.

• deep sleep.

• deep breath.(DípBréf)

• deep depression.(Díp-diPréxén)(very sad)

• deep down.

- The next adjective is FAST.

• fast food.(all of us are familiar with different fast food)

• fast start.

• fast pace.

• fast talker.

• fast sleeper.

• fast learner.(Fést-Lõnôr)

- The next adjective is QUICK.

• quick glance.(you saw for a very very very short period time)

• quick bite.(you're going to get a quick bite, you're going to eat, you're going to get something to eat very quickly)

• quick shower.(Kúik-Xáuôr)(You want to get a quick shower.)

• quick recap.

• quick decison.(I need you to make a quick decision)

- The next adjective is SLOW.

• slow grouth.

• slow progress.

• slow motion.(sLôuMôuxên)(I'm sure many of you have heard it with the word "motion")

• slow day.(If somebody says that well it's a slow day, it just means, it's not very busy, we often use this collocation when talking about work)

• slow learner.

2- adverb + adjective: completely satisfied (NOT downright satisfied)

3 - noun + noun: a surge of anger (NOT a rush of anger)

4 - noun + verb: lions roar (NOT lions shout)

5 - verb + noun: commit suicide (NOT undertake suicide)

6 - verb + expression with preposition: burst into tears (NOT blow up in tears)

7 - verb + adverb: wave frantically (NOT wave feverishly)