Collocations 9: Synonyms and confusable words 1

Jun 23, 2016

Close and Shut
- to . . .
  close
  meetings
- to . . .
  close
  discussions
- to . . .
  close
  conferences
- to . . .
  close
  mouth
- to . . .
  shut
  mouth — impolite
  impolite way of telling someone not to speak, more informal
Start and Begin
- to . . .
  start
  car —start
  start not ~~begin~~, is used for engines and vehicles
- universe . . .
  began
  —begin
  begin is preferred in more formal and abstract contexts
Big and Large
- . . .
  big
  decision
- . . .
  big
  problems
- . . .
  big
  business
- . . .
  big
  city note
  note when big means important, it cannot be replaced by large
- . . .
  large
  city
- . . .
  large
  size
End and Finish
- film . . .
  ended
  with …
- to . . .
  end
  relationship —end
  end here means decide to stop
- to . . .
  finish
  homework — finish
  finish here means complete
Charge and Load
- to . . .
  charge
  phone — charge
  charge used for batteries, electrical items
- to . . .
  load
  the lorry — load
  load used for cargoes, lorries, vans, ships, etc. and for weapons
Injure and Damage
- . . .
  injured
  people — injure
  injure collocates with words to do with people
- . . .
  damaged
  sofa — damage
  damage collocates with words for things
Grow and Raise
- to . . .
  grow
  crops — grow
  grow collocates with crops, plants
- to . . .
  raise
  cattle — raise
  raise collocates with animals, children
Words meaning ‘old’.
- I met an . . .
  old
  friend the other day.
- It’s a very . . .
  old
  building.
- She studied . . .
  ancient
  history.
- In . . .
  ancient
  times, life was very hard.
- This shop sells . . .
  antique
  furniture.
- She collects . . .
  antique
  jewellery.
- I helped an . . .
  elderly
  person who was trying to cross the road. — elderly
  elderly is more polite than old
Words meaning ‘with no one or nothing else or with nothing similar’.
- Donna is a . . .
  single
  parent; it’s difficult for her to work full time.
- He lives in a very . . .
  lonely
  place / spot up in the mountains.
- At first I felt desperately . . .
  lonely
  when I moved from London to the countryside.
- I live alone, but I don’t like travelling . . .
  alone
  ; it’s nice to be with someone.
- There was just one . . .
  solitary
  figure on the otherwise deserted beach. [one person on their own]
- She was the . . .
  sole
  survivor of the crash. Everyone else died. [only survivor]
- I am an . . .
  only
  child; I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a brother or sister.
- This is a unique occasion, with three past Prime Ministers all together in . . .
  one
  room.
Choose the correct collocation.
- 1. The dentist told be to . . .
  close
  my mouth.
  - shut
  - close
- 2. I didn’t know what to do when I got into my car and couldn’t . . .
  start
  the engine.
  - begin
  - start
- 3. I want to buy a sweater for my dad. He needs one in a . . .
  large
  size.
  - large
  - big
- 4. I haven’t . . .
  finished
  my essay yet.
  - finished
  - ended
- 5. I can’t decide how to . . .
  end
  it.
  - end
  - finish
- 6. At what time do you plan to . . .
  close
  the conference?
  - close
  - shut
- 7. All societies develop their own stories about how the world . . .
  began
  .
  - started
  - began
- 8. It’s far too . . .
  big
  a problem for you to solve on your own.
  - large
  - big
- 9. It’s never easy to . . .
  end
  a relationship.
  - finish
  - end
Complete each phrase with a word meaning either ‘old’ or ‘alone’.
- a figure on the horizon
- a shop selling furniture
- to be an child
- the survivor of the accident
- to study history
- to live
- to feel desperately
- to catch up with friends
- support for parents
- a home for people
Choose the correct collocation.
- 1. Were many people . . .
  injured
  in the earthquake?
  - injured
  - damaged
- 2. Single parents . . .
  raising
  children without a partner’s support are entitled to financial help from the government.
  - raising
  - growing
- 3. My mobile isn’t working. I need to . . .
  charge
  the battery.
  - load
  - charge
- 4. She has a lot of beautiful . . .
  antique
  jewellery.
  - antique
  - elderly
- 6. That’s not news — it’s . . .
  ancient
  history!
  - ancient
  - antique
- 7. I don’t know how to . . .
  load
  a gun, let alone fire one.
  - charge
  - load
- 8. I’ve never been very successful at . . .
  growing
  plants.
  - growing
  - raising

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