Collocation f Words that work naturally with each other and which are used together frequently, such as heavy traffic, are called ‘collocations’. Complete the table with the six underlined collocations in the text. 1 Noun + noun 2 Adjective + noun 3 Verb + adverb The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics establish conclusively that we are seeing a significant reduction in the number of UK residents making visits abroad. The evidence that has been gathered by government officials ‘shows a fall in 2010 of three million visits. Travel disruptions, the exchange rate, and economic hardship are likely to be responsible for this declirie, Collocations are often defined as ‘words that go together’. A knowledge of collocations is important because it allows you to speak and write more naturally. This means that you will be more easily, understood by native speakers who will expect to hear particular combinations of words. In the text above, for example, you could say a large reduction, but the adjective significant collocates better. (Significant also collocates well with other nouns such as impact and proportion.) Similarly, flercely competitive is more natural than strongly competitive; and native speakers say a big mistake but not a big error: instead, they use serious or major with error. In this unit, a selection of useful collocations for academic English is divided into four grammatical categories. 1 Adjective-noun collocations * There is a widespread belief that a life led close to nature is a more virtuous one than that of a city-dweller 2 Adverb-adjective collocations + Texans are justifiably proud of Sam Houston, the first President of the Republic of Texas. 3 Verb + noun; verb + adverb + After carrying out an assessment, the NHS decides what services they can offer to support home carers. + The local authority responded favourably to the museum's request for additional funding, 4 Noun + noun + A formula exists to produce films which will meet the important commercial criterion of family entertainment’.Adjective + noun study In this section, twelve key adjectives with their frequent noun collocations are listed in three groups. 1 Adjectives of size and impact considerable + amount, degree, difference(s), doubt(s), extent, impact, influence, interest, number, power, risk important + aspect, contribution, decision(s), difference(s), point(s), question(s), reason(s) major + change(s), concern(s), contribution, difference(s), factor(s), issue, problem(s), role, theme significant + difference(s), effec, impact, increase, number, part, proportion, reduction widespread + allegations, assumption, belief; destruction, opposition, practice, protests, support, use 2 Adjectives connected with areas of influence economic + conditions, decline, difficulties, factor(s), hardship, policy/ies, prosperity, status, success financial + burden, controls, crisis, data, implications, institutions, position, risk(s), security, support, world political + agenda, factor(s), landscape, party, power, reform, rights, stability, system social + class, factor(s), mobility, network(s), policy ies, problems, relationships 3 Limiting adjectives local + area, authorities, businesses, community ies, economy, government, people relevant + data, details, documents, example, factor(s), information, point specific + case(s), characteristic(s), conditions, context, example, information, purpose, type(s) test yourself Circle the most appropriate option. 1 Transport infrastructure is a major contribution/theme/power in business development seminars these days. 2 Could you give a specific purpose/example/ | point of acid rain causing serious damage? 3 Political stability/solidity/reliability is a | pre-condition for most types of national wealth-creating plans, 4 Russia still has considerable emphasis/ {nfluence/weight on the independent states of | Central Asia | 5 There is a widespread Uiought/point/belief that social mobility/movement/ flow is dependent on exiucational opportunities. 6 Small businesses have a significant pressure/ mpact/force on a country’s economic richness/ | rise/prosperity. Adverb + adjective study In adverb + adjective collocations, the adverb either intensifies the adjective (highly experienced), or it adds ‘meaning (recently published). As with adjectives, adverb + adjective collocations can either stand on their own after the verbs be, appear, become, look, and seem, or precede a noun. * If a local workforce is to become highly skilled, education providers and businesses need to work together. + The government has announced that it plans to create a new form of privately-financed university. 1 Intensifying adverbs In this group, the adverbs make the adjectives stronger. conspicuously absent (= surprising that the person or thing is not present: the CEO was conspicuously absent from the meeting with furious shareholders) barely adequate (= at an almost unacceptably low standard) generously compensated fiercely competitive strictly confidential seriously delayed severely delayed carefully documented (a carefully documented report is one that is based on a good and thorough use of evidence) highly experienced heavily fortified (often used in military contexts: the rebel leader's heavily fortified headquarters) critically ill deeply offensive/offended meticulously planned densely populated immensely powerful highly qualified strictly regulated extensively reported profoundly sceptical (= very doubtful) highly skilled2 Adverbs that add meaning In many other adverb + adjective collocations, the adverb has a specific meaning rather than an intensifying effect. Here are some examples: casually employed (= not given a permanent contract of work) evenly matched (used to describe the two sides in a contest, argument, etc.) falsely accused (= incorrectly accused) justifiably proud (~ proud with good reason) largely justified (= not completely justified) mainly theoretical (= with very little practical application) newly appointed (used to describe someone who has very recently been recruited to a post) privately financed, publicly financed (often used to describe construction projects) recently published (= published not long ago) wrongfully imprisoned (= put in prison even though innocent) (IP Well and badly collocate usefully with many adjectives, e.g. well or badly designed or constructed. Badly worded means ‘poorly written’. Note that badly advised means ‘given poor advice’ but well advised is used in contexts such as: * Nolan plewould be well advised to pay compensation before their reputation suffers further. (= it would be a good idea for Nolan ple to pay compensation) test yourself Complete each sentence with one of the adverbs in the box. Three adverbs are not needed. minimally barely deeply incorrectly mainly casually informally severely wrongfully | 4 Most fruit pickers are employed, | and are sometimes offered basic accommodation. 2 It was proved on appeal that all three men had been ___ imprisoned. 3 Some critics attacked the TV programme, describing it as offensive. 4 Supplies to the villages were delayed by the collapse of two bridges, making the overall situation much worse. 5 Simpson (2009) suggests that facilities for the athletes were adequate. 6 The work carried out by Grigson on artificial intelligence was theoretical, Verb + noun, and verb + adverb study The list below focuses on selected verbs, showing ‘common noun and adverb collocations. analyse: the data, the evidence, the results analyse: closely, in depth, in detail, systematically carry out: an analysis, an assessment, an experiment, aan investigation, a survey, a task carry out: fully, systematically consider: the evidence, the options consider: carefully, seriously deal with: an issue, a problem, the situation deal with: effectively, swiftiy demonstrate: the importance (of), the need (for) demonstrate: clearly, conclusively deny: the accusation, the allegation deny: categorically, strenuously discuss: an idea, an issue, a problem, a question discuss: at length, briefly, thoroughly establish: the connection, the relationship (between) establish: conclusively, firmly examine: the evidence, the facts examine: critically thoroughly identify: the causes (of), the factors (leading to) identify: clearly, straightaway raise: awareness, funds, morale, questions, standards refer to: frequently, in passing, obliquely, specifically respond to: an idea, a plan, a proposal wourably, negatively, positively attomatically, inevitably resolve: an argument, a conflict, a dispute, an issue, a problem resolve: eventually, speedily study: conclusions, data, results, the situation study: closely, in depth, in detail, thoroughlysuppress: evidence, personal freedom, protests, a rebellion, social unrest suppress: brutally, ruthlessty write: authoritatively, convincingly, knowledgeably (on) test yourself Complete each sentence with the correct form of one of the verbs in the box. consider suppress resolve demonstrate raise deny 1 Narrative structure normally involves some kind of conflict which is eventually ___at the end of the story. 2 The purpose of the conference was to __ awareness amongst doctors of. the pressures on parents caring at home for children with disabilities 3 Billings describes how the regime has brutally all protests by opposition groups. 4 Dalston's research __ conclusively that two of the local languages had no written form. | 5 Senior managers at the company | categorically that they had encouraged a culture | of bullying to develop in the workplace. | 6 The enquiry panel the evidence | carefully over a period of six weeks in early 2009, Noun + noun study Just as nouns are combined in everyday English (table lamp, horse race), so nouns collocate with each other in all types of writing and speaking. For an explanation of the grammar of noun + noun combinations, see page 032 in unit 5 Noun phrases. Listed below are seven of the most productive ‘head nouns’ (the nouns that come first in combinations) in general and academic writing, with some of their most frequent noun collocations, Note that some second nouns are regularly used in singular and plural forms, (business trip(s)); some are never used in plural forms because they are uncountable (market growth); some are normally used in plurel form (health cuts); and some are normally used in singular form (computer age). business + community/ies, dealings, empire(s), environment, interests, objective(s), opportunity/ies, relationship(s), trip(s) computer + age, animation, error(s), graphics, hardware, interface, model(s), problem(s), program(s), software, studies family + background, business(es), car(s), doctor(s), entertainment, event(s), friend(s), photo(s), problem(s), wedding (s) government + agency/ies, approval, bonds, control(s), decision(s), grant(s), minister(s), official(s), plan(s), policy/ies, regulation(s) health + advice, centre(s), concern(s), cuts, hazards), industry ies, issue(s), policy/ies, scare(s), service(s), treatment(s), worker(s) market + crash(es), economy/ies, force(s), growth, penetration, potential, rates), research, saturation, segmentation research + centre(s), dato, evidence, findings, funding, grant(s), interests, methods, project(s), proposal(s), scientist(s), team(s) test yourself Circle the most appropriate option, 1 Halliwells ple have maintained a solid performance in a very difficult business economy environment/background, 2 The first film to take some advantage of computer studies/entertainment/animation was Westworld (1973). 3 Walter Scott's family background/issues/ dealings, particularly his grandparents’ home at Sandyknowe Farm, played a key role in the development of his romantic imagination. | 4 The educational work of the charity Mindset has been put at risk by the loss of two substantial government revenues/incomes/ grants, 5 Syms (2010) emphasizes that rural health wworkers/doctors/officers in developing countries are the stimulus behind regional progress in medicine. 6 With the withdrawal of central funding, many universities will now have to come to terms with ‘working in the commercial world of market issues /forces problems.