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Collocations in English

Collocations in English

International English Test Editorial Team·8 Jan 2024·4 min read

What do we mean by collocations in English? This term pertains to the frequent pairing of two words to create a unified expression.

Today, we’ll explore some of the most prevalent collocations in English, specifically those involving adverbs and adjectives.

This serves as a substantial method to enhance your vocabulary.

In such instances, the adverb functions to amplify the impact of the adjective. Let’s begin!

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Ridiculously Easy

This English phrase signifies “experiencing great success” and is frequently employed in the business domain.

For instance:

– His fall lineup of shoes achieved significant success.
– Although his grocery store had modest beginnings, it eventually achieved remarkable success.

Highly Successful

This English phrase denotes a remarkable level of success and is commonly utilized in business contexts.

For instance:

– His fall shoe collection enjoyed tremendous success.
– Despite its modest beginnings, his grocery store evolved into a highly successful venture.

Strongly opposed

This collocation indicates being “vehemently against” and is employed to characterize an individual with strong feelings against a specific thing or idea.

For instance, if your friend holds intense sentiments and strong opinions against smoking, you could express:

– My friend Alex is vehemently opposed to smoking.
– My father is vehemently opposed to early marriages.

Strongly opposed

This combination of words signifies being “vehemently against” and is employed to characterize an individual with intense feelings against a specific thing or idea.

For instance, if your friend holds strong sentiments and firm opinions against smoking, you could state:

– My friend Alex is vehemently opposed to smoking.
– My father is vehemently opposed to early marriages.

Utterly Ridiculous

At times, we come across utterly absurd situations in life. This expression can be used to convey such situations in English.

– Isn’t this situation with tickets completely ridiculous?
– It was utterly ridiculous to follow them for such a long time.

Deeply concerned

This phrase can be employed to characterize an individual who is profoundly troubled about something.

For instance:

– These days, I am deeply concerned about the future of our company.
– She is deeply concerned about Jim; he has been extremely depressed since losing his job.

Highly profitable

If something is deemed “highly profitable,” it indicates that it generates substantial income. This term is frequently utilized in the business realm.

For instance:

– Our latest product is highly profitable in the European market.
– To establish a highly profitable business, understanding the desires and needs of the public is essential.

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Deeply unhappy

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Absolutely convinced

The final collocation in my compilation is frequently employed in public lectures and speeches delivered by significant individuals like politicians and business leaders. It signifies being “completely sure” about something.

For instance:

– We are absolutely convinced that advertising has the power to influence people to purchase things they do not want or need.
– I am absolutely convinced that we will reach an agreement with La’free.

I am deeply concerned about your English improvement, and I am absolutely convinced that you will learn to speak English very well!

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Frequently Asked Questions

A collocation is the frequent pairing of two words that go together to form a natural, unified expression. Pairs like deeply concerned, highly profitable, or strongly opposed sound correct to native speakers, while swapping the words for synonyms often sounds wrong. Learning these set combinations is a strong way to build vocabulary and make your English sound more fluent and idiomatic.
In adverb plus adjective collocations, the adverb amplifies the impact of the adjective it modifies. For example, in highly successful the adverb highly intensifies successful, and in deeply concerned the adverb deeply strengthens concerned. The adverb does not simply mean very; it is the specific word that conventionally partners with that adjective to create a stronger, more natural expression.
Strongly opposed, often expressed as vehemently opposed, means being firmly against something and describes a person with intense feelings or firm opinions on an issue. You use it when someone holds strong sentiments against a thing or idea, as in My friend Alex is vehemently opposed to smoking or My father is vehemently opposed to early marriages.
Highly profitable describes something that generates substantial income and appears frequently in the business domain. You can apply it to products, markets, or ventures, as in Our latest product is highly profitable in the European market. The post notes that to build a highly profitable business you need to understand the desires and needs of the public.
Absolutely convinced means being completely sure about something. It is frequently employed in public lectures and speeches given by influential people such as politicians and business leaders. For example, you might say We are absolutely convinced that advertising influences people, or I am absolutely convinced that we will reach an agreement.
These two collocations express very different feelings. Deeply concerned describes someone who is profoundly troubled or worried about something, as in I am deeply concerned about the future of our company. Utterly ridiculous, by contrast, conveys that a situation is completely absurd, as in It was utterly ridiculous to follow them for such a long time.
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International English Test Editorial Team

ALTE Associate Member · UK English assessment provider · Est. 2023

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