Word Wonder - Textbook

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Last edited 11 days ago by Learn LoopHQ.

Chapter: 04. A Strange Transformation

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Word Wonder: Mastering Verb-Noun Collocations

Hey there, language explorer! Get ready to unlock a super useful secret to sounding more natural and fluent in English: verb-noun collocations.

Think of collocations as best friends in the world of words. Some words just love to hang out together, and when they do, they create natural-sounding phrases. A verb-noun collocation is simply a specific verb that goes perfectly with a specific noun.

You already know some:

“make your bed” (You don’t “do your bed,” right?)

“plan a party” (Not “arrange a party” usually)

“spend time” (Not “waste time” unless you mean it!)

“pay a visit” (You don’t “give a visit”)

The more you learn these pairs, the more your English will shine! It’s not about making a sentence grammatically correct, but about making it sound natural to a native speaker.

For example, you can say “The rain was hitting the window,” but “The pattering of raindrops” sounds much more descriptive and natural. Similarly, a door can “make a noise,” but “the banging of a door” is more specific and common.

So, how do you learn them?

Read, Read, Read! The more you read English books, articles, and stories, the more you’ll naturally notice these pairs.

Listen Actively! Pay attention to how people speak. What verbs do they use with certain nouns?

Practice! Try using new collocations in your own sentences and conversations.

Now, let’s test your collocation skills!

Match the columns to make verb-noun collocations.

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Answers:

tell - c. a story (tell a story)

make - e. a decision (make a decision)

pay - a. attention (pay attention)

raise - f. a child (raise a child)

find - b. peace (find peace)

convey - d. a thought (convey a thought)

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