Here's a breakdown of collocations for nouns, categorized by their grammatical role:
1. Adjectives modifying the noun:
* Descriptive adjectives: These paint a picture of the noun, e.g.,
* bright sunshine, strong coffee, heavy traffic
* Evaluative adjectives: These express an opinion or judgement about the noun, e.g.,
* amazing opportunity, serious problem, important decision
* Classifying adjectives: These categorize the noun, e.g.,
* digital camera, red wine, political debate
2. Verbs related to the noun:
* Action verbs: These describe what the noun does, e.g.,
* take a photograph, play a game, make a mistake
* State verbs: These describe the noun's state or condition, e.g.,
* have a headache, feel happy, know the answer
* Transitive verbs: These require a direct object (usually the noun itself), e.g.,
* write a letter, read a book, give a gift
3. Adverbs modifying verbs related to the noun:
* Frequency adverbs: These describe how often something happens, e.g.,
* always arrive on time, frequently check emails, rarely go out
* Manner adverbs: These describe how something is done, e.g.,
* carefully pack the suitcase, quickly eat lunch, slowly walk the dog
* Degree adverbs: These describe the intensity of the verb, e.g.,
* completely understand the problem, totally disagree with the idea, slightly worried
4. Other nouns in combination:
* Noun phrases: These create more complex meanings, e.g.,
* a cup of coffee, the end of the movie, **a piece of advice
* Compound nouns: These are two or more words combined into one, e.g.,
* sunset, keyboard, heartbeat
Example:
Let's take the noun "meeting":
* Adjectives: important meeting, urgent meeting, informal meeting
* Verbs: schedule a meeting, attend a meeting, cancel a meeting
* Adverbs: briefly discuss in the meeting, thoroughly prepare for the meeting
* Other nouns: business meeting, team meeting, meeting agenda
Tips for learning collocations:
* Read extensively: Pay attention to how words are used together in authentic texts.
* Use dictionaries and online resources: Many dictionaries and online resources specialize in collocations.
* Practice active listening and speaking: Note the common phrases used by native speakers.
* Keep a list: Maintain a personal list of noun collocations that you find useful.
Remember that collocations are not rigid rules but rather common patterns that native speakers use. By understanding them, you can improve your fluency and accuracy in English.