1. to achieve success – to obtain the desired result, wealth, fame, etc.
Ex: Lori achieved success by graduating from Stanford with honors.
2. bitterly disappointed – very upset.
Ex: Roth was bitterly disappointed when he was not accepted at Yale.
3. booming economy – a strong economy with a lot of prosperity.
Ex: Tax receipts sharply grew with the booming economy.
4. brand awareness – extent to which a company’s brand is known.
Ex: Albemare Fish Company concentrated its marketing on brand awareness.
5. break a leg – expression of “good luck.”
Ex: Before Setti gave her speech, her boss told her to “break a leg.”
6. to break a promise – to not do what you said you would do.
Ex: Nina broke a promise to take her baby sister skating on Saturday.
7. to break a record – to destroy a previously set record by setting a new one.
Ex: Ahmed broke the record for time to run the 100 meter dash.
8. to break someone’s heart – to cause great emotional pain and suffering.
Ex: Lola broke Ian’s heart when she went to the dance with Jared instead.
9. to break the ice – to make unfamiliar people feel relaxed and at ease.
Ex: Our boss always breaks the ice by talking to clients about his children.
10. to break the law – to commit an offense or fail to follow the law.
Ex: The accountant broke the law by transferring company funds into his own bank account.
11. to bring up the subject – to introduce a topic in a conversation or meeting.
Ex: Josh brought up the subject of leaving work early on Friday at the morning meeting.
12. crucial role – an important part of something.
Ex: A private detective played a crucial role in solving the mystery of the missing bank funds.
13. to do exercises – to perform physical activity
Ex: You are encouraged to do exercises in order to stay healthy.
14. to do your homework – to perform tasks or assignments.
Ex: Alberto did his homework before going to basketball practice.
15. to draw a conclusion– to gain evidence and make a final judgment.
Ex: The CEO was forced to draw a conclusion that Sarah was not ready for the promotion.
16. first-hand knowledge – information from the original source.
Ex: The bank manager had ¬first-hand knowledge of the embezzlement case.
17. to foot the bill – to pay for any expenses.
Ex: Lars had to foot the bill for his car accident with the delivery truck.
18. to form/develop a friendship – to make or be friends with someone.
Ex: Kayla and Mike developed a friendship working so late at night together.
19. to gain control – to exercise direct authority over something.
Ex: The army gained control of the bridge by surprising the enemy.
20. to get along – to be or remain on friendly terms.
Ex: Lorenzo and Tara seem to get along well together despite their differences.
21. to get away – to escape or go away from somewhere.
Ex: Rosa got away from the shark by swimming quickly to shore.
22. to get mad – to become irritated or upset.
Ex: Raul’s girlfriend got mad when he canceled their weekend trip to the beach.
23. to get permission – to receive authorization to do something
Ex: Alan got permission to leave early on Friday.
24. to get the message – to clearly understand someone’s intentions.
Ex: When the boss denied Reggie’s request for a raise, he got the message.
25. to go blind– to not be able to see any longer.
Ex: Joana went blind after the car wreck on the freeway.
26. gradual increase – becoming larger or greater at a regular pace
Ex: The gradual increase in taxes slowly decreased profits of the company.
27. harsh environment – difficult, cruel, or unpleasant situation or circumstance.
Ex: Eddie was in a harsh environment when he first entered the military.
28. to have difficulty – to encounter trouble or an awkward task.
Ex: Hannah had difficulty trying to live after being fired from her job.
29. to have an argument – to experience a disagreement with someone.
Ex: The store manager had an argument with an Tamara after she arrived late to work.
30. to have a feeling – to know something
Ex: Jess had a feeling her mom was sick so she took her to the doctor.
31. to have sympathy – to express pity or sorrow for someone.
Ex: Lorna had sympathy for Lance when he broke his left foot by taking him to the park every day.
32. to head a team – to lead a group of people.
Ex: Max was chosen to head a team to investigate the finances of the company.
33. highly controversial – causing extreme amount of argument or disputes.
Ex: The CEO’s sudden decision fire her very polite secretary was highly controversial.
34. to hold a conversation – to talk with someone.
Ex: Janie could not hold a conversation with her neighbor because her children were playing in the street.
35. ideas flow– originate from.
Ex: Seth’s ideas flow from his experience as a computer engineer and electrician.
36. imposing building – a large oversized tall structure.
Ex: The headquarters of the Nimbleton Corporation is that imposing building on Main Street.
37. interest rate – the percentage of a sum of money for its use.
Ex: The astronomical interest rate discouraged buying a house last year.
38. inverse relationship – a relationship opposite in nature or effect
Ex: There was an inverse relationship between the interest rate and number of houses bought: the higher the rate, the lower the number of houses bought.
39. to judge someone harshly – to criticize someone in a harmful or unpleasant way.
Ex: Maria’s boss judged her harshly after she failed to sale more cars than last month.
40. to lose patience– to not be able to remain tolerant or calm.
Ex: Mikhail lost patience with John’s sloppy work so he fired him!
41. to make a decision – to decide on one action over another.
Ex: Bert made a decision to save money so he stopped buying a latte on Monday morning.
42. to make a mistake – to commit an error or misinterpret something.
Ex: Lars made a mistake when he told Kyle to deliver the goods at the wrong address.
43. to make an effort – to try to do something.
Ex: Kayla and Mike made an effort to keep their romance a secret.
44. to make friends – to establish a relationship with someone.
Ex: Chad and Larissa quickly made friends at the new school.
45. marked improvement – a noticeable change in quality or condition.
Ex: Felipe showed a marked improvement in his work after his boss reprimanded him.
46. panoramic view – a situation or topic as if viewed from an large distance or altitude.
Ex: Lyla was astounded by the panoramic view of Manhattan from her new office.
47. profound change – a big difference in quality or condition.
Ex: The CEO announced profound changes like no more free lunches for employees in order to make the company profitable again.
48. relaxed atmosphere – a calm peaceful situation
Ex: Lola went to the beach in order to make her decision in a relaxed atmosphere.
49. to revive the economy – to restore or bring back to vitality the economy.
Ex: The president lowered taxes on businesses in an attempt to revive the economy.
50. sprawling city– a city developing in an uncontrolled way.
Ex: Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a sprawling city.
Collocations Exercise
Directions: Choose the correct word to make the right combination to correctly complete the sentence.
1. Lonnie achieved/broke a promise to take Sally to the movies on Thursday.
2. A crucial/booming economy increased jobs for the people of Smalltown.
3. The company got permission/difficulty to build a bridge across the river.
4. Jeffrey had/made a mistake when he tried to run away from the policemen.
5. Studying for her MBA made a marked/profound change in Conchita’s career.
6. The small shop owner got/had the message when someone burned down his house when he did not pay the ransom.
7. The inverse/first-hand relationship between the low interest rate and high number of houses sold helped the local real estate market.
8. Jeb made/lost patience with the local mayor and decided to vote against him in the next election.
9. The new business focused on brand/imposing awareness to tell the public about its products.
10. The crucial/gradual increase in energy costs hurt business in the small valley.