Collocations for Intermediate Learners

Unit 2: Finding, recording and learning collocations

● give someone a lift ​- a free trip in another person’s vehicle, esp. a car: e.g. ​Can I
give you a lift home?
● make your way​- to travel or move to a place: e.g. It's getting late - we should make
our way home soon
● lead a busy, normal, quiet, etc. life​- to live a particular type of life: He was able to
lead a normal life, despite the illness
● to be desperately jealous of somebody
● spend your time doing something
● take care of somebody -​to protect someone or something and provide the things
that that person or thing needs: ​Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself (= I
do not need anyone else to protect me)
● get divorced
● make demands on someone/ something ​- to be a lot for someone or something to
deal with: ​This program makes heavy demands on the computer’s memory.
Enforcing the current law is making ridiculous demands on police​.
● give (someone) a call​- to call (someone) on the telephone: G ​ ive me a call when
you get back from your trip.
● run a bath (British English)/ fill the tub (American English)​- to fill a bath with
water for washing: ​I'll run you a bath while you take off those wet clothes.
● a sharp pain
● a sharp bend/turn
● a sharp contrast/difference/distinction
● a sharp rise/increase/drop
● ease the pain - ​to free from something that pains; to make less painful
● have access to something ​- ​I don’t have access to that kind of secret information.
● piece of advice​- A piece of advice is one bit of advice. Some advice might be
several bits, or it might be just one. In English “advice”, like “information” is
uncountable. 'Some advice' is more than one piece of information: ​Jim gave me a
very useful piece of advice
● find a way​- to discover how to achieve or deal with something: ​I must find a way to
help him.
● find your way​- to get somewhere you are trying to reach: ​Can you find your way
back to my house?
● learn something the hard way ​- to discover what you need to know through
experience or by making mistakes - ​I learnt the hard way that Jack can’t be trusted.
He doesn’t want to take my advice, so I guess he'll have to learn the hard way.
● get in someone’s way ​- to be in the area where someone is so that you make it
difficult for them to do something - ​Please tell me if I’m getting in your way.
● give way (British English)/ yield (American English) ​- to allow other vehicles to go
past before you move onto a road - ​You must give way to traffic from the left. If you're
going downhill, you need to yield to bikers going uphill.
● try every possible way​- I’ve tried every possible way to get him to change his mind.
● to be desperately worried about something
● enrol on a course - ​If you enrol or are enrolled at an institution or on a course, you
officially join it and pay a fee for it. ​Cherny was enrolled at the University in 1945. She
enrolled on a local Management course. I thought I'd enrol you with an art group at
the school.
● make a decision​- to decide. Y ​ ou need to make a decision whether or not to go.
● to have a long chat with somebody​- an informal friendly conversation
● study for a degree ​- You can study for a degree (you are studying a subject in order
to attain a level of accomplishment in it)
● meet the requirements​- satisfy the conditions ​Lynn did not meet the requirements
for this position.
● university entry
● do a course in something ​- ​ I decided to do a course in Italian.
● set up a business​- to start something such as a business, organization, or
institution
● a wise choice
● have a party - ​We're having a farewell party for the sales manager
● take an exam - ​take/pass/fail an exam
● give a lecture ​(also deliver a lecture formal) ​She gave a fascinating lecture on crime
in the 1800s. He delivered the lecture at the London School of Economics.
● give a party
● make (good) progress - ​to move forward in one's work or activity ​We're not finished
yet, but we're making progress.
● do your duty - ​to do, undertake, or accomplish that which is expected or required
from one
● do some work
● have a rest
● do the shopping
● have a look (take a look)​- to look (at something)
● very/quite/extremely easy
● make an impression (on somebody) (with something) - ​to make other people
notice and admire you ​It’s a performance that’s sure to make an impression on the
judges
● thoroughly/really enjoy something
● lead the expedition/ lead the discussion/ lead the inquiry into something - ​He
led an expedition to the Amazon in 1887. She led the discussion very skilfully. The
Prime Minister appointed a senior judge to lead the inquiry into the scandal.
● lead sb by the nose (informal) - ​to control someone and make them do exactly
what you want them to do. ​Politicians think they can easily lead people by the nose.
He let her lead him by the nose