ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)
UNIT 43
Negative opinions about people
A
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Lecturers
and students
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Students these days are not
what they used to be. Half of them are bone
idle1 and the others have an attitude problem2. They seem to let anyone
in to university these days. I have one very slippery customer3 in one of my classes. He’s
more interested in mindless
violence than books and is ready to pick a fight4 at any opportunity.
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1 (informal)
extremely lazy
2 a negative,
uncooperative attitude
3 (informal)
someone who cannot be trusted
4 provoke a
fight
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Lecturers these days say that
students have no respect for
authority but they seem to hold
us in contempt5.
I always seem to take the flak6
if there’s a problem in class, as they have decided that I am a disruptive influence7
who poisons the atmosphere
for other students. But, as I see it, if a class is a disaster, the blame rests8
fairly and squarely with the lecturer. They shouldn’t be allowed to shirk their responsibilities9
to us students.
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5 despise
6 be held
responsible
7 someone who
encourages others to behave in a negative way
8 it is the
fault of
9 pay no
attention to their responsibilities
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B
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Critical
exclamations
These collocations are quite forceful,
but can also be used humorously. A rising intonation combined with a smile
will soften them.
‘I am appalled that you would stoop to that level!’ [do
something as bad as that]
‘That was a really dirty trick to play!’ [nasty/dishonest thing to do]
‘I think Ron is a nasty piece of work!’ [an unpleasant, untrustworthy
person]
‘Your behaviour was totally out of order!’ [very
inappropriate]
‘It was a downright disgrace to behave like that!’ [absolutely
disgraceful]
‘I wouldn’t
trust Eva an inch!’
[wouldn’t trust at all]
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C
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Other
collocations relating to opinions about people
example
|
meaning
|
I’ll never
tell you a secret again. You have totally betrayed my trust.
|
disappointed
me because I
trusted you
|
He did really
well, given that he is only a child. It’s not fair to belittle his achievements.
|
make what he
has done seem unimportant
|
You’re
letting his good looks cloud your
judgement.
|
affect your
judgement negatively
|
Your essay
was not bad, but I have a few minor
niggles.
|
small
complaints
|
How did you
manage to overlook such a glaring
error?
|
obvious
mistake
|
He said he
was leaving me because he was sick of my constant nagging.
|
complaining
or criticising all the time
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Common
mistakes
Note that we say deep dissatisfaction, NOT strong dissatisfaction.
For example, I am writing to express my deep
dissatisfaction about …
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EXERCISES
43.1
|
Look at A. Find a collocation that
matches each of these definitions.
1 an untrustworthy person
2 senselessly violent
behaviour
3 not take one’s duties
seriously
4 provoke a fight
5 be blamed
6 spoil the mood
7 despise
8 someone who has a negative
impact (on others)
|
|
43.2
|
Find a collocation on the opposite page
that could be used about these people.
1 A colleague, Sara, doesn’t
seem to you to do any work at all.
Sara’s ________________________________________.
2 Another colleague, George,
seems to be making the atmosphere at work less pleasant than it used to be.
George is at work________________________________________.
3 You suspect your neighbour,
Glyn, is involved in some illegal activity.
I wouldn’t ________________________________________.
4 You always thought your
sister, Josie, was rather silly but now she has done something particularly
bad. (give two answers)
Josie’s behaviour was ________________________________________.
5 You are not completely
satisfied with the translation work done by your student because there are
a few small errors.
I have some________________________________________
with your translation.
6 You think your new neighbour
looks like a very unpleasant person.
My new neighbour looks ________________________________________.
|
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43.3
|
Complete these collocations using a
verb from the box.
belittle
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betray
|
cloud
|
have
|
have
|
hold
|
pick
|
play
|
rests
|
stoop
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1 _____________ someone’s
trust
2 _____________ in contempt
3_____________ an attitude problem
4 _____________ a fight
5 the blame_____________.
6 _____________ someone’s
achievements
7 _____________ someone’s
judgement
8 _____________ a dirty trick
9 would never _____________ to
that level
10 _____________ no respect
for
|
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43.4
|
Complete each sentence using the word
in brackets in the appropriate form.
1 The papers are increasingly
full of __________ stories of violence. (MIND)
2 Your work is full of __________
errors. (GLARE)
3 I’m afraid your daughter is
a __________ influence in my lessons. (DISRUPT)
4 Such dreadful behaviour is a
downright __________. (GRACE)
5 It’s very unkind to belittle
her __________ in that way. (ACHIEVE)
6 His parents’ constant made __________
him keen to leave home. (NAG)
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ANSWER KEY
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