The collocation tag has no wiki summary.
10
votes
3answers
992 views
“Quick question” vs. “short question”
Which one would you prefer: "quick question" or "short question" for a question that you know is simple and will only take a moment to answer? Or maybe "simple question"? The problem I have with ...
10
votes
4answers
27k views
What is the difference between “sardonic” and “sarcastic”?
Basically, sardonic and sarcastic both stand for mocking gestures, but what is the difference in their contextual use?
Are there any other words that represent a similar gesture?
9
votes
3answers
132 views
Make/take a photograph?
In English we say "take a photograph" whereas in some other languages one would say "make a photograph".
The French say "take" even though they "make" far more often than we do in English, and ...
8
votes
1answer
220 views
Use of “medicine students”
Recently I used the term medicine students to mean students of medicine. This was corrected to medical students. I googled and found that the term I chose is not really used.
However I still hear ...
7
votes
5answers
4k views
When to use words quite, rather, pretty, fairly etc
Is there any logic to this or just decision?
I would use the following combinations:
quite amazing
rather large
pretty good
I would not use the following combinations:
pretty amazing
quite large
...
7
votes
4answers
502 views
How can I learn to get collocations right?
I read an article about collocation which includes an example:
We can say highly sophisticated, and we can say extremely happy.
highly happy and extremely sophisticated would be wrong.
How can I ...
5
votes
4answers
3k views
“Take a degree” or “do a degree”
In university I learned that we say to do a degree in X but I saw many other sources where it says to take a degree in X.
Which is correct? Is there a regional difference?
5
votes
6answers
16k views
Is there a difference between “vice”, “deputy”, “associate”, and “assistant” as descriptive job titles?
When vice, deputy, associate, or assistant is collocated with a job title, such as vice manager, deputy manager, associate manager, assistant manager, I wonder how to rank or differentiate their ...
4
votes
3answers
281 views
Construction of to cheat
I am not a native speaker and I would like to write a sentence using the verb "to cheat on". The situation I want to describe is that someone (Mr X) has lied to someone else (Mr Y) convincing Mr Y to ...
4
votes
2answers
323 views
What does this sentence mean by “my cold came out of remission”?
What does the part "my cold came out of remission" mean in the following sentence?
It seems that my cold came out of remission…
I'll work from home today and hopefully kick it before Monday.
4
votes
2answers
224 views
Is “sound approach” an accepted phrase?
English is not my first language, and in my language (Bosnian) we write just as we speak ; so from time to time, I encounter phrases which I know I have heard before, but am not sure if I am writing ...
3
votes
2answers
152 views
“In the market” or “on the market”
I am trying to help a friend of mine proofreading an English email and she has a preposition there that I am not completely certain is correct. The original sentence was this:
[Name of the ...
3
votes
1answer
53 views
switch genders or gender?
Recently I read an article on Wired.com "Apple Hires Hacker Who Helped Save Windows From Security Hell", http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/12/apple-hires-hacker/
Here is a sentence I'm kind ...
3
votes
3answers
3k views
“No point in” vs. “no point of” vs. “no point to”
Point in, point of, point to. (Point in the sense of "purpose".) What are the differences among these — in meaning? in usage (each is used in certain constructions or with certain ...
3
votes
1answer
64 views
Can something “hold a property”
In academic writing, it is common to refer to or prove properties about the main object of an article.
If I prove a property for (some object), I know I can use the phrase:
Property X holds for ...
2
votes
4answers
293 views
”Demand in/on/for something”
I am not sure whether to use in, on, or for after the word demand in the following sentence:
The continuing demand on high-quality software that is reusable and
easy to maintain and modify after ...
2
votes
4answers
265 views
“Fall term”, “autumn semester”, “autumn term” or “fall semester”?
Please clarify which is UK English, American English, and where and when to use which:
Fall term (American English?)
Autumn semester (UK English?)
Autumn term (wrong?)
Fall semester (wrong?)
2
votes
3answers
120 views
“Broad surface” or “large surface” [closed]
When comparing the total surface area of (geometrical) bodies, can I describe it as "large surface" (or "largest") or, as an editor suggested, do I have to use "broad surface"?
Edit:
Example ...
2
votes
1answer
113 views
“Slit one's wrists” vs. “cut one's wrists” [closed]
Which one is used more often? You can cut your leg, hand etc. but do you slit or cut your wrists? Is the correct word related to the method of action that causes wrists to bleed?
2
votes
2answers
61 views
“Starting with” vs. “starting from”
I would like to ask about the difference between the two phrases starting with and starting from.
Take the following two sentences for example:
Please give me all the names starting with A.
...
2
votes
2answers
73 views
Can I bother someone “for” something?
If I want someone (in this case, a Professor) to do something for me that they don't need to do (in this case, a second opinion on another Professor's paper), can I ask whether I can "bother them for ...
2
votes
1answer
40 views
“To consolidate cost”
Is it correct to use the expression "consolidate cost" when you add cost figures in a specific period of time? The context is a description of what a piece of code is doing:
consolidate cost over ...
2
votes
3answers
824 views
“Gain/acquire/gather/get experience”
According to my Longman dictionary, gain experience and get experience seem to mean the same:
gain/get experience: The programme enables pupils to gain some experience of the world of work.
But ...
1
vote
2answers
960 views
Does “freak somebody out” has the meaning of “make somebody angry”?
This is an excerpt from the LDOCE.
freak out
phrasal verb informal
to become very anxious, upset, or afraid, or make someone very anxious, upset, or afraid :
People just freaked out when they ...
1
vote
7answers
187 views
Proper verb to use with “test”
Assume that somebody has created a test/quiz like this one.
Has he developed the test? put it together? wrote it? something else?
What verb would you use?
1
vote
2answers
112 views
“Stop a loophole” vs. “fix a loophole”
Which is the preferred usage — "to stop a loophole" or "to fix a loophole"?
1
vote
5answers
672 views
“Director at”, “founder of”. What is the correct usage of “at” and “of”?
I have a twitter account and I see some people having in their profiles mention:
Company Director at ABC
and others
Company Director of ABC
Also, I come across:
Founder of ABC
and
...
1
vote
5answers
100 views
“Photo playback” — can photos be played?
The phrase "photo playback" has about 35k Google hits, especially in production descriptions, but is it correct English?
It seems that “playback” can be used with video and audio, because we can play ...
1
vote
1answer
85 views
Prepositions used with “command line” and “shell”
I found the following variations on the use of "command line" and "shell" in computing and wonder which are correct and how to use them appropriately.
Command line: is it "at the command line" or ...
1
vote
2answers
96 views
Why “knowledge of English” and not “English knowledge”?
Why is the following sentence correct:
"A candidate with a good knowledge of English is required for this teaching position."
And NOT this sentence:
"A candidate with good English knowledge is ...
1
vote
2answers
96 views
“Offence threat” vs. “offensive threat”
I was watching an NBA game. After Omer Asik missed an easy shot, the commentator said that Omer was not much of an offensive threat. I used to say offence threat often. Which usage is more established ...
1
vote
3answers
339 views
“Write out a prescription” vs. “make out a prescription”
Are "write out a prescription" and "make out a prescription" used more or less interchangeably?
1
vote
4answers
605 views
“Large amount of calories” vs. “high amount of calories”
Is it more typical to say that there are a large amount of calories or a high amount of calories?
For example:
Chocolate cake contains a high/large amount of calories.
1
vote
1answer
116 views
Is there a difference between “depressive” and “depressing”?
Is news depressing or depressive? In what situations would you use these two words?
According to dicionary.com:
depressive - tending to depress
depressing - serving to depress; inducing a ...
1
vote
2answers
255 views
What is ‘a bell-covered hat’?
Harry looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie, his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he ...
1
vote
0answers
485 views
“Particular” vs. “specific” [closed]
The Free Dictionary lists particular and specific as synonyms, but there still seems to be a subtle distinction between the two. What is that distinction?
In a phrase along the lines of:
the ...
0
votes
2answers
113 views
“Rotate image” vs. “spin image”
I need to title an application button that moves an image 90 degrees clockwise/anticlockwise.
Which of the following fits better?
Spin image
Rotate image
0
votes
2answers
114 views
What does “to be caught in a controversy” mean?
Can I use something like "I am caught in a controversy" to express that I am witnessing and confused by the controversy between other entities?
0
votes
2answers
79 views
Grammaticality of “a high number of”
Is the phrase "a high number of" considered correct? Or is it only correct to say "a large number of"?
Example:
Japan has a high number of active volcanoes.
0
votes
1answer
94 views
Is “low physique” idiomatic?
Is "low physique" idiomatic? If not, what is the adjective to be used with physique?
0
votes
1answer
48 views
Does “approbate one's flaws” make sense?
I'm going for a little stronger word than accept and I like the word approbate.
To approbate my flaws.
Does it work?
0
votes
1answer
68 views
“Quench thirst” vs. “still thirst” when “thirst” is used figuratively
Do I say "quenched my thirst" or "stilled my thirst" when I speak of something that I desire and not actual thirst? E.g. a thirst for a new car or something.
0
votes
2answers
50 views
“leverage 'x' with 'y'”?
I read through other questions regarding the use of "leverage" and wonder if you can "leverage one resource with another? For example "Leverage our resources with your own to help you gain market ...
0
votes
4answers
286 views
What is the correct word to describe a turn or a bend — “hard”, “sharp”, “heavy”…?
If there is a very sharp turn or detour or bend — in a piece of plastic, for example, — what is the correct word to describe it (hard, sharp, heavy...)?
0
votes
2answers
160 views
What are proper collocations of 'revision'?
Can I say: I will do/make revision of the material that we have covered so far.
Should I say : I will revise the material that we have covered so far.
0
votes
1answer
265 views
“give me five” and “slap me five”, any difference?
What's the meaning of "slap me five"? Any difference between "slap me five" and "give me five"?
There is a book called Slap Me Five.
0
votes
2answers
62 views
What can we do with a problem? [closed]
We could solve a problem, obviously.
Is it possible to use "break", "beat", "hit", "crack" with the meaning of "solve"? I'm trying to find some more emotional equivalent.
-1
votes
1answer
228 views
“Take advantage” vs. “make advantage”
I'm worried that 'take advantage' could have a slightly negative connotation. Could you say "make advantage [of a situation]"?
-1
votes
1answer
41 views
Proper adjective to use with the word “chance” (“low”, “small”, “slim”, etc.)
What is the proper adjective to use with word chance? Can chance be low, small, slim?
What would be your suggestion?
-1
votes
1answer
50 views
Using 'show' with 'treatment'
Is it proper to say 'show special treatment' for example in "He showed him special treatment."?
I know it sounds more natural to say, "He took a special interest in him because of his background." ...
