COLLOCATIONS
Collocations are words that are generally used together.
For example,
- commit a crime
- make a mistake
- distant memory
- break a record
- bunch of flowers
- fast food
It would sound strange if you said ’make a crime’, ’do a mistake’, ’remote memory’, ’knock a record’, ’pack of flowers’ or ’quick food’. These words don’t collocate with each other (don’t sound correct together).
PHRASAL VERBS
Phrasal verbs are verb+preposition combinations, so they are usually two-word expressions (sometimes more).
For example, ’look + after’, ’put off’, ’take + up’ or ’put + up with’.
The meaning of a phrasal verb is often very different from the original verb:
- She’s looking after the children. (She is taking care of the children.)
- They’ve put off the meeting. (They’ve postponed the meeting.)
- Greg’s taken up golf. (Greg’s started playing golf.)
- I can’t put up with my neighbours any longer. (I can’t tolerate my neighbours any longer.)
