Word formation and collocations: English by topic
Collocations are words that habitually go together in English: people say make an effort, not do an effort. Without them you are understood, but you do not sound natural. At B2 there are verb and noun collocations (to take advantage of, to draw a conclusion) and adjectives with prepositions (keen on, fed up with, similar to). At C1, strong collocations of formal English: to pose a threat, to strike a balance, to wreak havoc. At C2, collocations of emphasis: a resounding success, blatant disregard, painfully aware. At C1 and C2 the topic also has exercises on word formation and collocation.
Words on this topic
- to make a mistake
- owner
- to agree with
- to tell the truth
- to depend on
- unhappy
- to get ready
- creativity
- heavy rain
- to misunderstand
- to make an effort
- aware of
- to pose a threat
- a resounding success
- to make a decision
- B1 Intermediate,
Word endings like -tion, -ness and -ful
Nouns and adjectives made from a word you already know by adding an ending: -er, -or, -tion, -ment, -ness, -ful, -less and -able. The definitions give only the meaning, so you remember the whole word and its ending.
20 cards - B1 Intermediate,
More prepositions after verbs and adjectives
More verbs and adjectives that always take the same preposition: agree with, believe in, insist on, short of, typical of and others.
20 cards - B1 Intermediate,
Tell, break, lose and save
Everyday word partners with four common verbs: tell the truth, break a promise, lose your temper, save time and more.
20 cards - B1 Intermediate,
Prepositions after verbs and adjectives
Common verbs and adjectives that always take the same preposition: depend on, wait for, good at, married to and more.
20 cards - B1 Intermediate,
Opposites with un-, dis-, in-, im- and il-
Words that mean the opposite of a word you already know, made with un-, dis-, in-, im- and il-. The definitions do not show the shorter word, so you remember the whole word and its prefix.
20 cards - B1 Intermediate,
Get, go and keep
Everyday word partners with three common verbs: get lost, go wrong, keep a secret and more.
20 cards - B1 Intermediate,
Impossible, useless, enjoyable
Prefixes for "not" and suffixes that make nouns, adjectives and adverbs: un-, im-, dis-, -ment, -ness, -ful, -less, -able, -ly.
13 questions3 pages
- B2 Upper-intermediate,
Word endings like -ity, -ship, -ive and -ise
Nouns, adjectives and verbs made with -ity, -ship, -hood, -dom, -ism, -ence, -ive, -ous, -ise, -ify and -en. The definitions give only the meaning, so you learn the whole word.
20 cards - B2 Upper-intermediate,
Adjective and noun collocations
Adjectives that go with particular nouns, like heavy rain and a white lie. Every answer is a collocation.
20 cards - B2 Upper-intermediate,
Prefixes like mis-, over-, under- and re-
Words with mis-, over-, under-, re-, out-, co-, bi-, multi-, anti- and non-. The definitions give only the meaning, so you learn the whole word.
20 cards - B2 Upper-intermediate,
Verb and noun collocations
Verbs and nouns that naturally go together, for speaking and writing.
20 cards - B2 Upper-intermediate,
Adjectives with prepositions
Adjectives and the prepositions that naturally follow them.
20 cards - B2 Upper-intermediate,
Wide, widen, width
Build the noun, verb, adjective or adverb the sentence needs: width, widen, patience, modernise, dangerous, undercooked.
13 questions3 pages
- C1 Advanced,
Strong collocations for formal English
Fixed verb and adjective combinations that sound natural in formal writing, the news and presentations.
20 cards - C1 Advanced,
Word formation and strong collocations
Build nouns and adjectives with prefixes and suffixes, and choose the words that naturally go together.
16 questions3 pages
- C2 Proficiency,
Collocations of emphasis
Fixed intensifying word combinations that sound natural and forceful in speech, journalism and formal writing.
20 cards - C2 Proficiency,
Verb-noun collocations and word formation
Form the right word from a given root and choose the verbs and adjectives that native speakers combine.
14 questions3 pages