I would like to open a thread about collocations-please write here collocations.

English as a Second Language Playground
21

cutting edge:
1.the newest, most advanced stage in the development of something
-working at the cutting edge of computer technology
2.an aspect of something that gives it an advantage
We’re relying on him to give the team a cutting edge.

the bleeding edge (of something) (computing)
Technology that is so advanced that there may be problems when you use it
-They were working at the bleeding edge of chip design.
-bleeding edge applications

grass cutter

cutting grass = grasscutter (animal similar to rat)

grasscutters (as they are often called in Ghana and other regions of West Africa; alternatively, cutting grass) is a kind of rat.

biting sarcasm/wit/a cutting remark = unkind and likely hurt sb’s feelings.

field trip (n)

a journey made by a group of people, often students, to study something in its natural environment
-We went on a geology field trip.
Delegates at the conference were taken on field trips to see the devastation.
My son brought this pumpkin home from a school field trip to a farm

Halooween candy = sweet for Haloween

trick or treat

a traditional activity at Halloween, in which children dress in costumes and visit houses. At each house they say ‘Trick or treat?‘ This means that they threaten to play a ‘trick’, or joke, on the people in the house unless they are given a ‘treat’, e.g. sweets or money. The practice of ‘trick or treat’ began in the US in the 1930s but is now common in Britain also.

treat as a joke = take it as a joke

treat to a drink or food= regale/stand a treat

22

jack-o’-lantern (n)
ˌdʒæk ə ˈlæntən ˈdʒækə læntərn

a pumpkin (= a large orange vegetable) with a face cut into it and a candle put inside to shine through the holes

to carve a pumpkin =cutting away material from the pumpkin

candy holder

candy striper noun
/ˈkændi ˌstraɪpər/

a young person, usually a girl, who works in a hospital as a nurse’s assistant without being paid

GPs = family doctors/GP =general practitioner
ˌdʒiː ˈpiː ˌdʒiː ˈpiː
(British English)
=the abbreviation for ‘general practitioner’ (a doctor who is trained in general medicine and who works in the local community, not in a hospital)
Go and see your GP as soon as possible.
There are four GPs in our local practice.
Her GP referred her to a specialist.
general practitioner
[UK: ˈdʒenrəl prækˈtɪʃənə]
[US: ˈdʒenərəl prækˈtɪʃənər]

legal practitioner
[UK: ˈliːɡəl prækˈtɪʃənə]
[US: ˈliːɡəl prækˈtɪʃənər]

medical practitioner
[UK: ˈmedɪkəl prækˈtɪʃənə]
[US: ˈmedəkəl prækˈtɪʃənər]

practician/ medical practitioner
[UK: prækˈtɪʃən, ˈmedɪkəl prækˈtɪʃənə]
[US: prækˈtɪʃən, ˈmedəkəl prækˈtɪʃənər]

23

[b]GP NOUN
ˌdʒiː ˈpiː ˌdʒiː ˈpiː
(British English)

the abbreviation for ‘general practitioner’ (a doctor who is trained in general medicine and who works in the local community, not in a hospital)
Go and see your GP as soon as possible.
There are four GPs in our local practice.
Her GP referred her to a specialist.

practitioner -can be doctor or lawyer

general practitioner
[UK: ˈdʒenrəl prækˈtɪʃənə]
[US: ˈdʒenərəl prækˈtɪʃənər]

general practitioner, practician
[UK: ˈdʒenrəl prækˈtɪʃənə, prækˈtɪʃən]
[US: ˈdʒenərəl prækˈtɪʃənər, prækˈtɪʃən]
(can be doctor or lawyer)

legal practitioner
[UK: ˈliːɡəl prækˈtɪʃənə]
[US: ˈliːɡəl prækˈtɪʃənər]
jurist
[UK: ˈdʒʊərɪst] [US: ˈdʒʊˌrɪst]
or lawyer

practician, local practitioner=
[UK: prækˈtɪʃən, ˈləʊkəl prækˈtɪʃənə]
[US: prækˈtɪʃən, ˈloʊkəl prækˈtɪʃənər]
=local doctor
[UK: ˈləʊkəl ˈdɒktə] [US: ˈloʊkəl ˈdɑːktər]
panel-doctor
[UK: ˈpænəl ˈdɒktə] [US: ˈpænəl ˈdɑːktər]

practician, medical practitioner
[UK: prækˈtɪʃən, ˈmedɪkəl prækˈtɪʃənə]
[US: prækˈtɪʃən, ˈmedəkəl prækˈtɪʃənər]

general practitioner
[UK: ˈdʒenrəl prækˈtɪʃənə]
[US: ˈdʒenərəl prækˈtɪʃənər]

general practitioner, practician
[UK: ˈdʒenrəl prækˈtɪʃənə, prækˈtɪʃən]
[US: ˈdʒenərəl prækˈtɪʃənər, prækˈtɪʃən]

Halloween just around the corner = Halloween is very near

in a nutshell
(to say or express something) in a very clear way, using few words
-To put it in a nutshell, we’re bankrupt.

crack the nutshell
He that would eat the kernel must crack the nut.

kernel (n)
ˈkɜːnl ˈkɜːrnl

1
the inner part of a nut or seed
2
the central, most important part of an idea or a subject
the kernel of her argument
There may be a kernel of truth (= a small amount of truth) in what she said.

Prov. You have to work if you want to get anything good.

a hard/tough nut to crack=a difficult problem to solve[/b]

24

Hi there,
Could you give me example sentences of these words?

  • debit, credit, dues, account, amount, total, net, gross etc.

Are the sentences below grammatical?
I opened an account in XXX bank. Or
I opened an account with Xxx bank.
I want to open a new account in another bank.
He deposited 300/- to/ in my account.

Thanks

25

You don’t have to suffer from interpersonal anxiety!
1.A leader has the ability to influence others through qualities such as personal charisma, expertise, command of language, and the creation of mutual respect – all of which require strong interpersonal skills.

M.M.Behavioral psychologists have developed relatively simple techniques to help people overcome their fear and discomfort of social situations.’

Me:Personal charisma there are people who have and the others don’t have. Is it a congenital capability? or a personal quality? We say about those people who have to attract and impress other people. I think Margaret Thatcher was a charismatic Prime Minister in the UK. I think in the US the most charismatic leader was John F. Kennedy.

26

Hello Noren,

I looked for on the Google and I saw that we can use all three options:
I opened an account in XXX bank.
I opened an account with Xxx bank.
For exp: Open an account with Insbc-online
I want to open a new account in another bank.-it is good
And we can say: I open an account at LLoydS
He deposited 300/- to/ in my account.

I found:
The funds borrowed are automatically deposited into your checking account.
My question is if I deposit some cash into my bank’s…
I deposited it into my primary bank account,

Everywhere they use deposit some cash into my bank’s account.

I didn’t know till now. It was a good question for me also.

27

Dear Kati,
Thank you so much for your attention to my post.

28

They manage conflict effectively by devising win-win solutions, constructively influencing the behavior of others, and using effective communication and persuasive strategies.

collocation: persuasive strategy Does it mean that this strategy is able to make believe with people that it will be very useful and good ?

29

Interpersonal skills include the ability to read and manage the emotions, motivations, and behaviors of oneself and others during social interactions or in a social-interactive context.

Collocation: the ability to read and manage the emotions
Is this collocation correlate to the idiom: reed sb like a book = to understand easily what sb. is thinking and feeling ?

30

Interpersonal skills include the ability to read and manage the emotions, motivations, and behaviors of oneself and others during social interactions or in a social-interactive context.

Collocation: the ability to read and manage the emotions
Is this collocation correlate to the idiom: reed sb like a book = to understand easily what sb. is thinking and feeling ?

31

Hello Alan,

Many thanks for your praise. It is good to receive sometimes praise also.
I am vey sorry that I had this post ONLY now. Many thanks. Iwas curious of its lyrics.I copy here, I 've forgotten it and I think the 99% of the Forum doesn’t know it.

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
This I tell ya, brother, you can’t have one without the other.

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
It’s an institute you can’t disparage.
Ask the local gentry and they will say it’s elementary.

Try, try, try to separate them, it’s an illusion.
Try, try, try and you only come to this conclusion:

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
Dad was told by mother you can’t have one
You can’t have none.
You can’t have one without the other.

[Musical interlude]

Try, try, try to separate them, it’s an illusion.
Try, try, try and you only come to this conclusion:

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
Dad was told by mother you can’t have one
(You can’t have none.)
You can’t have one without the other.

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
This I tell ya, brother, you can’t have one without the other.

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
It’s an institute you can’t disparage.
Ask the local gentry and they will say it’s elementary.

Try, try, try to separate them, it’s an illusion.
Try, try, try and you only come to this conclusion:

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
Dad was told by mother you can’t have one
You can’t have none.
You can’t have one without the other.

[Musical interlude]

Try, try, try to separate them, it’s an illusion.
Try, try, try and you only come to this conclusion:

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
Dad was told by mother you can’t have one
(You can’t have none.)
You can’t have one without the other.
Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
This I tell ya, brother, you can’t have one without the other.

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
It’s an institute you can’t disparage.
Ask the local gentry and they will say it’s elementary.

Try, try, try to separate them, it’s an illusion.
Try, try, try and you only come to this conclusion:

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
Dad was told by mother you can’t have one
You can’t have none.
You can’t have one without the other.

[Musical interlude]

Try, try, try to separate them, it’s an illusion.
Try, try, try and you only come to this conclusion:

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
Dad was told by mother you can’t have one
(You can’t have none.)
You can’t have one without the other.
Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
This I tell ya, brother, you can’t have one without the other.

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
It’s an institute you can’t disparage.
Ask the local gentry and they will say it’s elementary.

Try, try, try to separate them, it’s an illusion.
Try, try, try and you only come to this conclusion:

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
Dad was told by mother you can’t have one
You can’t have none.
You can’t have one without the other.

[Musical interlude]

Try, try, try to separate them, it’s an illusion.
Try, try, try and you only come to this conclusion:

Love and marriage, love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
Dad was told by mother you can’t have one
(You can’t have none.)
You can’t have one without the

songstube.net/video.php?titl … a&id=26946

32

Hello Kati, what about these? Are all grammatical?
PICNIC
a. Let’s go for a picnic in XYZ this Sunday.
b. The Ganga Family went on a picnic this morning.
c. They came back from the picnic spot before the rain
that occurred around 5pm.
d. They are planning to picnic in Vedetar tomorrow,
collecting Nrs. 100 per head.
e. This photo was taken nearby a lake where we’d had a family picnic last year

Thanks

33

Hello Alan,

Unfortunately my laptop broke down and I am compelled to use my iPad which is "self-propelled "(joke) it doesn’t do what I want. So in my first letter it put another link of Frank Sinatra, so another song. I hope this song will be what you had mentioned in your letter.

Regards:

Kati Sváby

Frank Sinatra :Love and Marriage

songstube.net/video.php?titl … a&id=26946

34

Helo Noren,

I found these ones:
a. Let’s go for a picnic in XYZ this Sunday. It is good : Let’s go for a picnic. Where? In XYZ it can be in when you say : in the mountains/in the fields but to the country etc

b. The Ganga Family went on a picnic this morning. -(“this morning” + “past simple” together isn’t good, you have to use present perfect) I think better:: The Ganga Family ‘s had a picnic this morning.
c. They came back from the picnic spot before the rain = I think:They returned from the picnic before starting to rain.
-that occurred around 5pm. – it seems to be good ,but you can say simply it happened around 5pm.
d. They are planning to picnic in Vedetar tomorrow, -it seems to be good.

-collecting Nrs. 100 per head. (if Nrs is:= Nepalese Rupee (national currency) –it seems to be good.
e. This photo was taken nearby a lake where we’d had a family picnic last year –it seems to be good

I have to think about when we use an article with a lake. I found Bez’s answer:

If a teacher could read it I would be very happy if he/she revises my English advice and if there are mistakes they would be pleased to give us an explanation. Many thanks.

Bye:
Kati

35

Hi Kati,
Thank you very much for your clear-cut explanation.

Noren

36

COLLOCATIONS USED TO TALK ABOUT CHANGES

SMALL CHANGES:

The mechanic made a few adjustments to the brakes and my car works better than ever.

They’ve had to make a slight alteration to the program so that everybody could attend it.

The company has made a few modifications to the software.

We’ve decided to adopt a new approach to the problem.

She’s lost so much weight that she had to have all of her clothes altered.

MAJOR CHANGES:

To break a habit is much more difficult than you’d think.

The organisation helps drug addicts who want to kick the habit.

The internet has revolutionised the way we study.

His relatives converted to Christianity in the last century.

P90X has the power to transform the way we exercise at home.
A P90X elég erős ahhoz, hogy átformálja az otthoni edzésmódokat.

OTHER COLLOCATIONS:

to change place/seat
to change school
to change jobs
to change one’s mind
to change the subject
to change the bed
to change clothes

37

7 Days of the Week

Everybody knows that there are 7 “days of the week”.

But do you know that there are only 5 “weekdays”?

And of course there are 2 days at the “weekend”.

The days of the week come from the Names of mythical figures,
so the first letter of each day must be a CAPITAL letter.

Days of the Week:
Monday = associated with the Moon
Tuesday = from the god Tiw, associated with Mars
Wednesday = from Germanic god Odin
Thursday = from Germanic god of thunder Thor
Friday = from Germanic goddess Frigga associated with Venus
Saturday = associated with Saturn
Sunday = associated with the Sun

Weekdays:
Saturday, Sunday

Here are the abbreviations:

Mo., Mon.
Tu., Tue., Tues.
We., Wed.
Th., Thu., Thur., Thurs.
Fr., Fri.
Sa., Sat.
Su., Sun.

(The most common abbreviations are the ones with 3 letters.)

7 Days a Week I Rock n’ Roll
youtube.com/watch?v=A_pyci5-aXA

Months of the year

Month	Short Form	Days	Season

1 January Jan. 31 Winter
2 February Feb. 28/29
3 March Mar. 31 Spring
4 April Apr. 30
5 May May 31
6 June Jun. 30 Summer
7 July Jul. 31
8 August Aug. 31
9 September Sep. 30 Autumn
10 October Oct. 31
11 November Nov. 30
12 December Dec. 31 Winter

Months of the Year Song

youtube.com/watch?v=dwBRcI4JkWc

38

PREFIXES AND THEIR MEANINGS

A prefix is placed at the beginning of a word to modify or
change its meaning. Here are 7 common prefixes in English,
together with their basic meaning and some examples.

1. counter-
meaning: opposition, opposite direction
example: counter-attack, counteract

2. extra-
meaning: outside, beyond
example: extracurricular, extramarital

  1. hemi-
    meaning: half
    example: hemisphere

  2. inter-
    meaning: between, among
    example: interact, interchange

  3. non-
    meaning: absence, negation
    example: non-smoker, non-alcoholic

  4. post-
    meaning: after in time or order
    example: postpone

7. re-
meaning: again
example: repaint, reappraise, reawake

39

7 Proverbs

A “proverb” is a short, traditional saying in general use.
It usually expresses some obvious truth or familiar
experience. There are proverbs in all languages. Here are
7 proverbs that are well known in English.

–

1.“You can’t tell a book by its cover.”

We need to read a book to know if it’s good or bad. We
cannot know what it’s like just by looking at the front or
back cover. This proverb is applied to everything, not only
books.

–

2.“Where there’s a will there’s a way.”

If we have the determination (the will) to do something, we
can always find the path or method to do it.

–

3.“Don’t cross your bridges before you come to them.”

Don’t worry about problems before they arrive.

–

4.“It was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.”

There is a limit to everything. We can load the camel with
lots of straw, but finally it will be too much and the
camel’s back will break. And it is only a single straw that
breaks its back - the last straw. This can be applied to
many things in life. People often say “That’s the last
straw!” when they will not accept any more of something.

–

5.“Bad news travels fast.”

“Bad news” means news about “bad” things like accidents,
death, illness etc. People tend to tell this type of news
quickly. But “good news” (passing an exam, winning some
money, getting a job etc) travels more slowly.

–

6.“You can’t take it with you when you die.”

When we die we leave everything on earth. We don’t take
anything with us. Even the richest people cannot take their
money with them after death. This proverb reminds us that
some material things are not really so valuable as we think.

–

7.“Still waters run deep.”

Some rivers have rough surfaces with waves. That’s usually
because the water is shallow and there are rocks near the
surface. But deep rivers have no rocks near the surface and
the water is smooth and still. This proverb means that
people who are calm and quiet on the outside, often have
a strong, “deep” personality inside.

–

–

40

7 TOEIC TIPS

Test of English for International Communication

TOEIC is a standardized test that measures your listening and
reading skills. Unlike other tests, the TOEIC evaluates your
ability to function in the business world rather than in an
academic setting. Here are 7 tips if you’re planning to take
TOEIC.

  1. Set a goal

  2. Understand the test

  3. Make a study plan

  4. Divide study time appropriately

  5. Build a strong vocabulary

  6. Isolate your weak points

  7. Eliminate distracters