Read the following passage, identify any collocations and complete the table.
Collocations are particularly useful in academic English, and indeed when students are taught abut the topic, their interest levels are generally high. At least, this is what the research indicates. Reading critically is a good way of developing your understanding of collocations. One of the key criteria in using collocations is identifying the frequency with which they appear together.
Verb + noun
Verb + adverb
Noun + verb
Noun +noun
Adjective + noun
Adverb+ adverb
Adverb+ adjective particularly useful
NoteIt is important to distinguish academic or political collocations from idioms. Idioms (such as up to the minute or figure something out) tend to be more informal, and therefore are not much used in academic English. Phrasal verbs may also be categorized as collocations, but these are generally considered too informal for academic or political writing as well.
The following table provides a list of useful collocations used generally in academic language
Verb + noun
-develop + an understanding/a framework/ a plan
-do business/an experiment/ homework
-find an answer/a solution/time
-follow advice/an example/a procedure
- give a definition/a description/an explanation
- make an attempt/ a criticism/a reference/an effort
- reach an agreement/a conclusion/a decision
-submit an application/an essay/your resignation
-take an opportunity
Noun + verb Adjective + noun
-the research indicates/shows/demonstrates -key criteria/reason/idea