TKT:KAL

PART 1: LEXIS
UNIT 4: Lexical
Units
Learning outcomes:
 Acquire/Revise your knowledge of how
words combine with other words in
different ways(e.g. with one other word
or with more than one to make a
complete phrase), and key terms
associated with this area.

 Complete a TKT:KAL exam style

question to practice this knowledge
What are lexical units?
Exercise 1
 Look at the table below and decide which
adjectives can be used with which nouns.
(Some adjectives can combine with more than
one noun)

Adjective Noun
Heavy Wind
Strong Sunshine
Light Snow
 What do we call
combinations such as this?
Collocations!!
What’s the difference between…
 A strong collocation?

 Words that collocate with few others

 A weak collocation?

 Words that collocate with many others

How do you think register
can affect collocations?
Exercise 2
 Look at the table below and decide which
verbs collocate with which nouns. What
meaning does the verb have in each
collocation? Verb Noun

A pill
Go home
mad
Catch
A bus

Take A ball
Is the meaning of the verb the
same in every collocation?
What do you think is the best way to
decide the meaning of the verb?
 Idioms!!
Can you remember the type of meaning that
an idiom has?
 That’s right!!
Idioms have a figurative or
idiomatic meaning.
Exercise 3:
 Read the passage below and underline the
idioms. What does each idiom mean?

 I was in the supermarket the other day when this man

caught my eye. He came over and asked me to give him a
hand carrying his bags to the car. Well, we were just leaving
when a shop assistant asked to look in the bags. Full of
stolen food! I couldn’t believe my eyes! And he nearly died
when I told him I’m a police officer and arrested him. I hope
he’s learnt his lesson…but I don’t suppose he has .

 Which parts of these idioms can change?

Some parts of the idioms can
change…
 Because of this they are called Semi-fixed
phrases.

 What do you think we call phrases where NO

part of them can change?
 Fixed phrases.

 We sometimes call these fixed and semi-

fixed phrases
 Formulaic Phrases
Do you know another name we
sometimes give to Formulaic
phrases and collocations?
They are sometimes called
Chunks.
Exercise 4:
 Which of the underlined formulaic phrases
below are fixed and which are semi fixed?
 1. See you soon!
 2. You can’t be serious!
 3. To whom it may concern
 4. Would you like some fish and chips?
 5. That’s not the best way of doing it, if you ask me.
 6. You’d better leave before you miss your train.
Any questions?
Lets try some activities…
How might knowledge of lexical
units help the teacher in the
classroom?
Would it be useful or not to
teach learners these terms?