Lesson Content
Grammar Focus
Advanced Collocations: Use Strong Word Combinations Naturally
Collocations are word combinations that sound natural to native speakers. These are not just grammar patterns—they are common word pairings that people expect to hear. Using them helps you sound fluent, accurate, and professional. Advanced collocations often include strong adjective + noun or adverb + adjective pairs.
You can’t always guess them by translating or using a dictionary. For example, we say “deep sleep,” not “strong sleep,” and “fully aware,” not “completely aware,” because these are fixed, natural phrases. Learning collocations helps you understand real speech and improves your writing and speaking clarity.
🔹 Common Advanced Collocations:
• fully aware – “I’m fully aware of the risks.”
• deep sleep – “She was in a deep sleep when the storm hit.”
• widely believed – “It’s widely believed that hard work brings success.”
• overriding concern – “Safety remains our overriding concern.”
• conveniently located – “The café is conveniently located next to the station.”
🔹 More Useful Examples:
• “He was fully aware that he might fail.”
• “After the long trip, I finally got some deep sleep.”
• “It is widely believed that this diet improves health.”
• “The team’s overriding concern is customer satisfaction.”
• “The school is conveniently located for most families.”
⚠️ Tip: Learn these phrases as whole expressions. Use them regularly so they become automatic in your speaking and writing.
🗣️ Why This Grammar Matters for Listening and Speaking
Using advanced collocations helps you sound polished and professional. These phrases are often used in business meetings, academic settings, and formal conversations, but they also show up in casual talk when people express strong feelings or opinions.
You’ll hear and use them in these real-life situations:
🔹 Making presentations or giving explanations
• “It’s widely believed this strategy will succeed.”
🔹 Describing personal thoughts or priorities
• “My overriding concern is the health of the community.”
🔹 Telling stories or recounting events
• “I fell into a deep sleep after the hike.”
🔹 Showing understanding or agreement
• “I’m fully aware of the risks, but I still support the decision.”
🔹 Discussing locations and directions
• “The restaurant is conveniently located near my office.”
🎧 Listening Tip:
When native speakers talk quickly, these phrases may sound like one word:
• “fullyaware,” “deep sleep,” “widelybelieved”
Practice listening to how these collocations are grouped naturally in speech. When you use them, your fluency and confidence grow.
Let’s Practice
Language Game
Now, practice your language skills with this interactive game.
🎧🗣️ Listening & Speaking Practice Questions
Talk Using Collocations
These questions help you practice using advanced collocations in your speaking. Try to include phrases like “fully aware,” “deep sleep,” “widely believed,” “overriding concern,” or “conveniently located” in your answers. Listen carefully and ask follow-up questions.
🔹 Daily Life Reflections:
What is something you’re fully aware of when making decisions?
➤ “I’m fully aware of how important time management is at work.”
🔹 Personal Priorities:
What is your overriding concern when you travel?
➤ “My overriding concern is keeping my documents and phone safe.”
🔹 Rest and Sleep:
Describe a time when you fell into a deep sleep. What happened before that?
➤ “After the long exam, I went home and fell into a deep sleep.”
🔹 Opinions and Beliefs:
What is something that is widely believed in your country? Do you agree?
➤ “It’s widely believed that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
🔹 Location and Convenience:
Describe a place that is conveniently located. Why do you like it?
➤ “My gym is conveniently located next to my apartment. I can walk there in two minutes.”
🔹 Past Experience:
Talk about a time when you were not fully aware of a situation.
➤ “I wasn’t fully aware of how difficult the job would be.”
🔹 Advice for Others:
What is something you think others should be fully aware of when learning English?
➤ “They should be fully aware that speaking takes daily practice.”