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Collocate With for Dummies

verb


What does Collocate With really mean?

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Hey there! So, let's talk about the phrase "collocate with." I know it might sound a bit intimidating at first, but don't worry, I'm here to break it down for you.

When we say "collocate with," we're basically talking about words that like to hang out together. You know how some words just seem to fit perfectly with certain other words? Well, those words are said to "collocate with" each other.

Let me give you an example to make it clearer. Imagine you're at a party, and you see your best friend talking to a group of people. Naturally, you would go and join your friend, right? In this case, your friend is like one word, and you are like another word that wants to "collocate with" your friend. Just like you and your friend go well together at the party, certain words like to go well together in sentences.

Now, these collocations can be different for different words. Some words just have a natural affinity for each other. For instance, we always say "salt and pepper" together because they collocate with each other. Similarly, we say "strong coffee" or "heavy rain" because the words "strong" and "heavy" collocate with "coffee" and "rain" respectively.

Collocations can also help us understand idiomatic expressions. You know those funny phrases people use that don't always make sense when you take them literally? Well, collocations play a big role in understanding them. For example, we say "make" friends, but we don't "do" friends, right? That's because the word "make" is the one that collocates with "friends."

So, in a nutshell, "collocate with" means that certain words have a natural tendency to hang out together in sentences, just like you and your friend at a party. It's like a friendship between words that helps us understand language better.

I hope that makes it a lot clearer for you! Remember, learning new words and their collocations is like discovering new friends who will always be there for you in sentences. Keep exploring, and soon you'll become a champion at collocating words!

Revised and Fact checked by Olivia Davis on 2023-10-28 04:58:49

Collocate With In a sentece

Learn how to use Collocate With inside a sentece

  • Salt usually collocates with pepper when seasoning food.
  • The word 'fast' often collocates with 'food' to describe quick meals.
  • In English, the verb 'make' frequently collocates with 'friends' to indicate forming new relationships.
  • The adjective 'beautiful' typically collocates with 'flowers' to describe their appearance.
  • The phrase 'hard work' often collocates with 'success' to imply that one needs to put in effort to achieve goals.

Collocate With Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

Collocate With Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.