Intermediate, Second Edition 2017, Cambridge University Press
Michael McCarthy, Felicity O’Dell

  • Collocation means a natural combination of words; it refers to the way English words are closely associated with each other.
  • Derived from Cambridge English Corpus, a vast database of real English taken from a range of sources.
  • Excluded with idioms, which are a special type of collocation where a fixed group of words has a meaning that cannot be guessed from the surface.

Learning about collocations

  • 1 What is a collocation?

  • 2 Finding, recording and learning collocations

  • 3 Using your dictionary

  • 4 Types of collation

  • 5 Register

Grammatical aspects of collocations

  • 6 Intensifying adverbs highly unlikely, utterly ridiculous, strongly object

  • 7 Everyday verbs 1 make a mistake, do your best, do damage

  • 8 Everyday verbs 2 go bald, become extinct, fall ill (24/05/20)

  • 9 Everyday verbs 3 have fun, take action, pay a compliment (26/05/20)

Special aspects of collocation

  • 10 Synonyms and confusable words 1 close a meeting, antique furniture, only child (27/12/21)

  • 11 Synonyms and confusable words 2 gain power, achieve your goals, defeat an opponent (28/12/21)

  • 12 Metaphor sunny smile, ideas flow, heated discussion (04/01/22)

Topics: Travel and the environment

  • 13 Weather strong wind, blanket of fog, river bursts its banks (17/07/20)

  • 14 Travel tiring journey, aisle seat, family-run hotel (05/01/22)

  • 15 Countryside surrounding countryside, well worth seeing (11/01/22)

  • 16 Towns and cities lined with shops, sprawling city, volume of traffic

Topics: People and relationships

  • 17 People: character and behaviour have a vivid imagination, lose your patience

  • 18 People: physical appearance slender waist, immaculately groomed

  • 19 Families distant cousin, expecting a baby, stable home

  • 20 Relationships casual acquaintance, love at first sight

Topics: Leisure and lifestyle

  • 21 Houses, flats and rooms move into a flat, spacious living room

  • 22 Eating and drinking nourishing meal, spoil your appetite, dying of hunger

  • 23 Films and books film critic, go on the stage

  • 24 Music give a performance, go on tour, strum a guitar

  • 25 Sport go snowboarding, take a penalty

  • 26 Health and illness catch a cold, vigorous exercise, be taken ill

Topics: Work and study

  • 27 Using the Internet refine your search, open an attachment

  • 28 Study and learning do research, attend a lecture, first draft

  • 29 Presentations target audience, prepare handouts, public speaking

  • 30 Work high-powered job, hand in your notice

  • 31 Business set up a business, launch a product, rival company

  • 32 Academic writing 1 key factor, challenge a theory, carry out research

  • 33 Academic writing 2 make reference to, argue convincingly, research suggests

Topics: Society and institutions

  • 34 Laws and punishments break the law, bend the rules, fair trial

  • 35 Crime hardened criminal, juvenile crime, tackle crime

  • 36 News hit the headlines, hold talks, take hostage

  • 37 Money squander money, price soars, go cheap

  • 38 War and peace war breaks out, restore order, call a truce

  • 39 Global problem eradicate poverty, forced and voluntary migration

Basic concepts

  • 40 Time save time, ungodly hours, from dawn till dusk

  • 41 Sound break the silence, excessive noise, almighty bang

  • 42 Distance and size within commuting distance, painfully thin

  • 43 Colour and light bright colour, beam of light, shed some light on

  • 44 Texture choppy sea, soft pillow, ice melts

  • 45 Taste and smell fragrant perfume, have a taste, smell danger

  • 46 Number and frequency significant number, come to a total of, rare species

  • 47 Movement and speed prompt payment, painfully slow, lose your balance

  • 48 Change make an adjustment, break a habit, change the subject

  • 49 Ways of speaking brief chat, raise a subject, drop a hint

  • 50 Ways of walking pace up and down, wander aimlessly, faltering steps

Functions

  • 51 Starting and finishing promising start, bring something to an end

  • 52 Talking about success and failure make a breakthrough, fail miserably

  • 53 Talking about cause and effect cause alarm, adverse effects, have a major impact

  • 54 Remembering and sensing vaguely remember, blot out a memory, have a feeling

  • 55 Agreeing and disagreeing settle a dispute, agree to differ, heated argument

  • 56 Talking about beliefs and opinions firmly believe, colour someone’s judgement

  • 57 Deciding and choosing arrive at a decision, have second thoughts, tough choice

  • 58 Claiming and denying make the point that, contradictory evidence

  • 59 Liking and disliking have a liking, state a preference, take offence

  • 60 Praising and criticising offer your congratulations, speak highly of

Key

Index