COLLOCATIONS

Choose the right word to complete each blank.

1. If you don't want your business to _____ bankrupt, avoid consulting those willing to step out on a limB.
A. come B. take C. go D. pay
2. Lawyers are naturally keen to have _____ with anyone who could provide him with incontrovertible evidences
concerning the lawsuits they're in charge.
A. contact B. association C. connection D. communication
3. In Physic class, we are told that resistance wire can be found in an electrical _____ such as a heater or an oven.
A. device B. appliance C. utensil D. gadget
4. Entering the meeting half an hour late, he tried to _____ an excuse, still the strict chairman of the board told him
to leave the room.
A. make B. do C. give D. have
5. It seems that they had had a _____ row, as she had locked him out of the apartment all night long.
A. freezing B. warming C. grieving D. blazing
6. In some cultures, that men make eye contact _____ women is strictly forbidden outside the immediate family.
A. on B. to C. with D. for
7. The recent heavy rains have contributed to ease the water _____ resulted from the severe prolonged drought.
A. shortage B. lack C. absence D. deprivation
8. Students in private school often receive more _____ attention from their teachers; therefore, they have more
chance to reach their full learning potential.
A. personal B. individual C. distinctive D. unique
9. That manufacturer is worldly-known for selecting only ingredients that meet their very strict _____ of quality and
renewability.
A. demands B. necessities C. criterions D. requirements
10. Despite the development of e-books and online reading materials, printed books are still regarded as a wonderful
_____ of entertainment.
A. resource B. place C. source D. replacement
11. Some teachers have tendency to preference to _____ students with disadvantaged backgrounds such as poor and
handicapped students.
A. lend B. give C. deliver D. send
12. There was a time when human beings worried that all of the earth's surface would be _____ covered with lava
were a giant meteor to hit the planet.
A. thickly B. fully C. densely D. totally
13. As estimated in the report, the storm _____ great damage to not only the coastal cities but the mountainous areas
as well.
A. make B. cause C. lead D. bring
14. The two business partners failed to agree _____ some points of the contract, so they arranged to meet up another
day, after considering their own company's interest.
A. with B. at C. on D. for
15. Regardless of family background, we always think of each other _____ true friends.
A. as B. like C. same D. similar
16. If traipsing around shops does not _____ to you, perhaps using a catalogue will do.
A. appear B. attract C. access D. appeal
17. The influence of the last _____ 12 storm on the central region is so disruptive that the local authority had to spend
months to surmount the consequence.
A. power B. energy C. force D. velocit
18. He's praised for possessing a distinctive _____ style which was plain and factual, without witticisms or flourishes.
A. literature B. literal C. literary D. literally
19. She did agree to lend him some money; nevertheless, after being told that he was a blackleg, she _____ a second
thought.
A. transferred B. changed C. made D. gave
20. Had it not been for its cautiously prepared performance, the play could not have _____ most of the audience to
tears.
A. moved B. given C. brought D. travelled
21. His mother encouraged him to take up some sports and do exercise regularly in order to stay in _____.
A. shadow B. shape C. shield D. shell
22. The name of Barnard star derives _____ the name of Edward Emerson Barnard, the American astronomer who
discovered it.
A. after B. from C. towards D. of
23. In the 19 century, a group of archeologist explored an ancient castle in West Austria and found lots of precious
th

pottery utensils _____ 50 meters.

A. in the depth of B. at the deep of C. at the depth of D. in the deep of
24. Thanks to our continuous attempt, the year-end brochure will be _____ for publication in late November.
A. ready B. willing C. capable D. agile
25. There are all kinds of giveaway which could be used _____ product samples.
A. in point of B. in advance of C. in need of D. in place of
26. He desperately wished to _____ a living through writing but his writings are so dull that no publisher agree to
publish them.
A. earn B. do C. save D. accumulate
27. The inner city's traffic eventually came to a _____ as a seriously-injured accident happened.
A. delay B. inaction C. gridlock D. standstill
28. Although the Internet is thought to give children opportunities to _____ their minds, reports has shown its
negative effect on children's mental health.
A. enlarge B. broaden C. spread D. open
29. To some extent, we should focus on what we have _____ common rather than emphasizing our differences when
being in a team.
A. in B. on C. of D. for
30.1 should have been offered that job had I arrived in time for the interview, but I _____ my chance.
A. threw B. flew C. blew D. drew
31. Being mistaken as a genuine precious artifact, the artificial vase was initially valued _____ $2000.
A. for B. with C. at D. of
32. The goal of the conference is to _____ a compromise between the two nations in terms of military and economy.
A. have B. reach C. make D. touch
33. There is an underlying rule in business that a small percentage reduction _____ the cost of materials would mean
a significant increase in profit.
A. in B. with C. of D. for
34. It's not difficult to recognize the _____ contrast between the lives of the poorest and the richest members of
society.
A. acute B. tampering C. bribery D. sharp
35. President Gorbachev demanded and got more and more personal power, although he was _____ able to use it
effectively.
A. rarely B. scantily C. faintly D. hardly
36. She was one of the few of the younger generation who took the time to _____ a conference questionnaire
seriously.
A. get B. take C. put D. give
37. The living condition which children in slum areas of Africa is _____ belief.
A. over B. beyond C. above D. off
38. The celebrity lost her temper when realizing that the evening dress she had ordered online was completely _____
in her size.
A. out of stock B. out of order C. out of touch D. out of sight
39. For some reasons, pollution in big cities can be to _____ for severe traffic congestion and poor waste treatment.
A. criticize B. accuse C. blame D. imply
40. The building contractors are sensibly attributing the corruptive structure _____ a major basement fault.
A. to B. for C. from D. with
41. The kidnapper promised not to _____ the child harm if her affluent parents gave him a large amount of money.
A. make B. give C. do D. bring
42. The bank client was clever to _____ a pretense of giving the robber some money while her colleague called the
police.
A. take B. make C. have D. do
43. The little girl has such a deep a _____ for her newly-born brother that she spends almost all her day off playing
with him.
A. emotion B. endearment C. passion D. affection
44. This year our company lost £ million, which is a far _____ from last year's £0 million profit.
A. Laugh B. smile C. cry D. frown
45. My mom told me that it was _____ crying over spilt milk; therefore, I never feel bad with poor marks.
A. a waste time B. a waste of time C. a time waste D. a time of waste
46. It's necessary to use the decision-making exercise to weigh up the _____ of an action before doing it.
A. pros and cons B. bits and pieces C. nuts and bolts D. ins and outs
47. To avoid hurting the witnesses' feelings, the judge didn't _____ detail about the scene of the murder case.
A. go through B. go into C. go over D. go down
48. To be honest, the twins _____ a lot of resemblance to each other; as a result, it takes time to tell them apart.
A. carry B. maintain C. bear D. evade
49. After seeing my medical record, the doctor advised me to have an operation without_____.
A. postponement B. setback C. interruption D. delay
50. Had he not remembered _____ that his passport was in his coat pocket, he would have had his flight cancelled.
A. for the time being B. behind the time C. ahead of his time D. in the nick of time
51. Now that you have spent all day typing the report, it's time for you to _____ a rest.
A. pay B. make C. take D. give
52. She is narrating the accident in great _____ so that the police can find the cause of it.
A. feature B. detail C. figure D. detachment
53. It was very kind of Peter to _____ me a favor. Had it not been for his help, I would not have finished my
cleaning.
A. do B. have C. give D. bring
54. After several days persuading, eventually I _____ my parents' permission to attend my boyfriend's birthday party.
A. had B. took C. held D. got
55. To be honest, she shouldn't have believed in the stories he told. He's just a _____ talker.
A. huge B. broad C. large D. big
56. So nerve-wracking seemed the news that everyone _____ their breath to wait for it.
A. keep B. hold C. put D. had
57. Despite their effort to boost the revenue of the company, they failed to _____ the objective established 3 months
ago.
A. attain B. regain C. retain D. obtain
58. The doctor advised her to _____ a heart valves operation; otherwise, her health will get worse.
A. take B. get C. have D. do
59. I'm on cloud nine because the lecturer _____ me a compliment at class this morning.
A. paid B. gave C. put D. gained
60. The last points he gave at the debate bear no _____ to the overall topic, which enables the opponent team to win.
A. relationship B. relation C. relative D. related
61. Having a talented and successful brother, I'm often told to _____ his example.
A. adopt B. pursue C. shadow D. follow
62. By the time the campaign was held, the organization had _____ a survey on what youngsters think of
cohabitation.
A. convey B. confirm C. conduct D. connect
63. _____ smokers are more likely to go down with lung cancer than those who don't have the habit of smoking.
A. strong B. great C. big D. heavy
64. It's high time she had to _____ a decision whether to take the job offer or not.
A. make B. come C. bring D. get
65. World war II definitely _____ the growth of worldwide economy, contributing to poverty and death in
participating countries.
A. avoid B. curb C. evade D. recess
66. The government claim that every citizen in the country must _____ the traffic rule in order to save their own life.
A. comply B. obey C. adhere D. perform
67. A _____ number of elephants are being killed for ivory across the country.
A. large B. big C. broad D. ample
68. Eliud Kipchoge, an athlete from Kenya, is said to have _____ the marathon record with the result of 02:01:39.
A. cracked B. clotted C. broken D. divided
69. It was a ten-year-old students on his way home that was _____ injured in the road accident this morning.
A. seriously B. perilously C. gravely D. harmfully
70. In celebration for my parents' wedding anniversary, my father is going to call the restaurant to reserve _____ a
table of five.
A. to B. for C. on D. with
71. Had her younger brother dressed warm enough last night, he wouldn't have _____ a cold this morning.
A. grabbed B. reached C. caught D. attained
72. After several years hard of hearing, my grandmother _____ deaf the age of eighty-four.
A. made B. took C. went D. bore
73. Even though moving away, the boy next door still tried to _____ with me via emails.
A. keep in touch B. be in contact C. make a call D. have a connection
74. It took the police half a year to investigate the case and find the evidence _____ enough to accused the murderer
of his crime.
A. heavy B. large C. hard D. strong
75. When I entered the room, Tom was sitting silently on the couch, in _____ thought.
A. broad B. deep C. profound D. sunk
76. It may be a _____ mistake to say that he is a caring person. In fact, he hardly spends time with his family.
A. full B. vast C. big D. huge
77. The innovation of the commercial center is a springboard _____ the development of our city.
A. to B. for C. of D. with
78. After weeks of staying in the hospital, he recovered and now his health is in good_____.
A. condition B. situation C. edition D. conception
79. His discovery of the new drug has _____ a difference in medical sector.
A. done B. given C. made D. brought
80. Some developed countries can take advantage of its _____ strength to invest in domestic and foreign corporation.
A. economics B. economical C. economistic D. economic
81. The project will prove efficient in the long _____; therefore, it's time to conduct it.
A. jump B. run C. walk D. hike
82. Some scientists spend all their lives _____ researches on a specific subject and became successful, but some
didn't.
A. making B. having C. doing D. getting
83. My little puppy _____ missing 4 days ago and wherever I tried to find him, he didn't appear.
A. went B. did C. made D. got
84. They _____ oppose killing dogs for food; therefore, you shouldn't talk about dog meet in front of them.
A. bitterly B. really C. fairly D. extremely
85. While listening to the teacher, the students attempted to _____ notes so that they can revise the lesson at home.
A. make B. take C. break D. give
86. All the characters in his fiction are _____ imaginary, but readers can always find them familiar.
A. wholly B. utterly C. barely D. purely
87. They had to manage a lot to _____ ends meet in the former days due to the influence of war.
A. have B. get C. make D. do
88. It's _____ hot outside, so take an umbrella with you whenever going out.
A. cooling B. frying C. boiling D. freezing
89. However hard she tried, she couldn't make an _____ on the boy next door.
A. confession B. impression C. expression D. possession
90. No sooner had I gone out of the shop than I caught _____ of my boyfriend hand in hand with another girl.
A. sight B. light C. tight D. might
91. My sister is a _____ spender who is willing to spend a huge amount of money on shopping.
A. heavy B. strong C. great D. big
92. There has been a need of children's injection against measles _____ large scale.
A. in B. over C. on D. through
93. Pollution is the _____ of the environment in general and our health in particular.
A. commitment B. detriment C. measurement D. employment
94. To _____ the audience's attention, the speaker stopped some minutes and told a joke before starting a new point.
A. keep B. take C. give D. hold
95. The company's productivity has increased _____ for the last 3 months.
A. highly B. entirely C. largely D. markedly
96. Slamming the door, one reporter stepped into the room and _____ the news on a road accident.
A. broke B. cracked C. split D. wrapped
97. The new law will soon come into _____ after being passed by the constitution.
A. practice B. force C. influence D. reality
98. Deforestation has driven wild animal to the _____ of extinction.
A. verge B. border C. brim D. margin
99. If he hadn't inherited an enormous legacy after his father's death, he would have nothing hand _____ now.
A. on B. at C. in D. of
100. They went to court to divorce as the husband had realized his wife _____ a relationship with his neighbor.
A. get B. bring C. bear D. have
101. In short _____ of time, the rescue workers arrive to rescue people getting stuck in collapse.
A. episode B. duration C. interval D. period
102. Every _____ appliances has its average life span, which means it will be out of order then.
A. electrical B. electric C. electricity D. electron
103. This is the house where an elderly lady lived all _____ in the last stage of life.
A. lonely B. lone C. alone D. loner
104. The group is the collection of people interested in art, regardless of their social _____.
A. property B. status C. condition D. account
105. After weighing the pros and cons, the supporting team _____ a suggestion that motorbikes should be banned.
A. had B. made C. did D. took
106. He is certainly a hot-tempered. He can easily lose his _____ when someone say something against his opinion.
A. mood B. emotion C. spirit D. temper
107. In the social skills class, we learnt about how to make eye _____ with others in a conversation.
A. touch B. connection C. contact D. intercourse
108. _____ the absence of the Prime Minister, the meeting had to be cancelled to another day.
A. In B. On C. For D. With
109. It was a strange boy that _____ my life when I fell into water this afternoon.
A. saved B. earned C. made D. gave
110. The thing I like doing during the weekends is _____ the shopping with my family.
A. making B. going C. doing D. bringing
111. It took him nearly ten years to build a firm _____ name for his products as today.
A. brand B. label C. package D. company
112. As a matter of fact, finding a solution to _____ that issue is not that easy. We need to do more researches and
surveys.
A. locate B. challenge C. answer D. address
113. People living by the river are _____ the advantage of the fertile soil for cultivation.
A. putting B. taking C. getting D. having
114. To get married to a man that is almost the same age as his father is a _____ decision of her life.
A. large B. good C. big D. huge
115.1 shouldn't have _____ lie to my mom. She could easily identify any mistake I have made.
A. told B. said C. spoke D. talked
116. We believe that it is _____ wrong to prohibit children to go to school. They need to socialize to gain more social
understanding.
A. solely B. perfectly C. purely D. utterly
117. When I arrived, the children were giving their mother a hand to _____ the table.
A. put B. lay C. place D. lift
118. We can't deny the fact that parents' actions have an effect _____ their kids' behaviors when they mature.
A. in B. on C. to D. with
119. Charles _____ regretted not looking after his father who has just passed away when he was in hospital.
A. movingly B. sadly C. deeply D. severely
120. My friend, Alex, is under a lot of pressure due to the _____ workload his boss assigned to him.
A. bigB. wide C. heavy D. acute
121. My brother is the kind of person that always do whatever he can to _____ his promise.
A. hold B. store C. save D. keep
122. After going over the annual financial report, the head of the board claimed that this year skim is to kick the
_____ sales.
A. up B. in C. for D. to
123. Such a _____ sleeper is his sister that no boy wants to have a relationship with her.
A. ample B. heavy C. burden
124. The prisoner has just been let _____ after 10 years' imprisonment.
D. massive
C
A. into B. for C. out D. at
125. If you park your car somewhere illegally, you will receive a _____ ticket.
A. package B. parked C. packable D. parking
126. It is 7 km from the shopping center to the museum; however, if you _____ a short cut, the way will be much
shorter.
A. give B. have C. take D. do
127. Thanks to this course, I'm _____ aware of computer software and technologies.
A. fully B. mostly C. merely D. hardly
128. Being bullied by her classmates, the little girl burst _____ tear and quickly run home.
A. for B. into C. with D. of
129. The teacher told me to take a _____ when I asked whether I should apply for that scholarship.
A. faith B. risk C. chance D. shot
130. It was my girlfriend that helped me _____ the habit of smoking.
A. destroy B. weaken C. crash D. break
131. This is the first time I have been to Ho Chi Minh city, so I'll _____ a train instead of booking a flight.
A. get B. bring C. put D. catch
132. Hardly had we driven into the highway when we realized that our car had _____ out of petrol.
A. move B. lead C. leave D. run
133. As the speaker finished his speech, all the audience gave him a of _____ applause.
A. round B. circle C. ring D. wheel
134. On behalf of the organization, the chairman decided to _____ a meeting to discuss the new scheme.
A. runB. hold C. keep D. talk
135. He promised to tell me the truth as long as I _____ calm.
A. keep B. make C. get D. bring
136. If I hadn't forgotten to brings along some cash, I wouldn't have had to pay _____ credit card this morning.
A. in B. by C. on D. for
137. After discussing for more than an hour, they finally _____ to a conclusion that the project should be put
forward.
A. reach B. arrive C. come D. touch
138. Because they didn't bring along an umbrella, they _____ wet in the sudden rain.
A. took B. came C. made D. got
139. What my ex told me was a _____ of lies, which disappointed me so much.
A. pack B. herd C. bundle D. load
140. In buses, we should give seats for women who are _____ a baby so that she won't get tired.
A. taking B. doing C. bringing D. having
141. Being deprived of her little daughter, the mother _____ mad.
A. came B. went C. made D. put
142. The final exam left us completely tired. In other words, we were _____ after that exam.
A. mostly to B. out of C. barely with D. all in
143. She is the only person that I can _____ on after all.
A. putB. decide C. turn D. count
144. The kids are being scolded for _____ noise in the lunchtime.
A. doing B. making C. having D. taking
145. It's extremely difficult to _____ the genuine and artificial painting apart, but the critic can do that as a piece of
cake.
A. tellB. say C. talk D. speak
146. Teacher said: "The more difficult the lesson seems to be, the more necessary it is to concentrate _____ it."
A. with B. to C. on D. for
147. Although it's the first time we've meet each other, we tried to _____ the ice by gossiping about some bits and
pieces.
A. break B. build C. melt D. feel
148. Never before has my mother spent any money _____ her hair, but today she did it.
A. making B. doing C. having D. putting
149. As the young women has just recovered from the shock, the nurse told her to take a _____ breath to calm down.
A. great B. big C. deep D. wide
150. To earn enough money for her living, she had to work _____ 6 days a week.
A. extra time B. more time C. spare time D. overtime
151. Had I not gone out late last night, I would not _____ a chill now.
A. take B. catch C. bring D. get
152. It is said that _____ exercise is beneficial for the development of not only children but adults as well.
A. regular B. instant C. intense D. usual
153. This drug is recommended by the doctor to _____ the pain in your knee.
A. increase B. ease C. put D. construct
154. The story _____ to end as the main character chooses to kill herself.
A. arrive B. reach C. came D. went
155. On March 8 , Bob went to the flower shop and bought his mom a _____ of flowers.
th

A. flock B. load C. pile D. bunch

156. The man next door has just been arrested for _____ murder, which was really shocking to all of us.
A. commenting B. commanding C. committing D. commuting
157. I believe that what he has said was far from _____. You shouldn't count on him.
A. true B. truth C. truly D. truthful
158. The daughter has yet to realize that her mother suffered from a _____ death when she was only two years old.
A. disastrous B. messy C. fatal D. tragic
159. Hanoi is one of the most _____ crowded cities that has been encountered serious pollution problem in the world.
A. closely B. overly C. densely D. thickly
160. Last night storm is reported to have been the most destructive storm in the last 10 years, with _____ wind
blowing all night.
A. big B. fierce C. large D. dense
161. Such an eminent General as General Vo Nguyen Giap that hundreds of people all across the country came to
_____ their respect for him at his funeral in 2013.
162. So many different ideas are milling about _____ my head, but I can't settle down to work on any one of them.
A. in B. on C. of D. at
163. The more considerable effort you _____, the more likely to success you will be.
A. give B. get C. make D. have
164. I don't know if she _____ offense what I've just said, but I didn't mean to hurt her actually.
A. bring B. do C. give D. take
165. It has been a long time since the last time we have got such a _____ crop as this year.
A. booming B. bumper C. bingo D. beloved
166. By the year of 2055, Vietnam will have succeeded in _____ illiteracy in not only big cities but also some remote
areas.
A. eradicating B. eroding C. erupting D. erring
167. The number of wild birds in this area has decreased _____ in the last 10 years.
A. intensely B. dramatically C. constantly D. cruelly
168. All we need for the time being is the project going _____.
A. quickly B. considerably C. probably D. smoothly
169. Never before have I written code for a computer program; however, today I'll have a go _____ it.
A. at B. in C. to D. on
170. In his speech, the chairman expressed his wish to pay _____ to all employees for all
their contribution to the corporation.
A. tributary B. attribution C. tribute D. contribution
171. Anna, my best friend at high school is the only person I find it easy to _____ my opinion with.
A. throw B. share C. express D. give
172. We have got only 2 days to prepare and then _____ a presentation about animal testing.
A. get B. take C. give D. put
173. As the camping site is often crowed on the weekends, we will arrive early to _____ space.
A. bring B. save C. have D. come
174. To _____ to the development of the whole country, we should try our best to study from now on.
A. contribute B. construct C. conquer D. congratulate
175. Seeing that there is a _____ vacancy in that company, I immediately applied for that position.
A. work B. labor C. job D. stuff