Speaker 0 | 00:00.040
Hey everybody and welcome back for another deep dive.
Speaker 1 | 00:02.481
Oh, I love deep dives.
Speaker 0 | 00:04.121
Me too. And I think this one’s going to be really interesting. We are looking again at collocations.
Speaker 1 | 00:11.024
Collocation.
Speaker 0 | 00:11.904
You know, those words that just kind of go together. And I think this time we’ve got a really interesting set of sources.
Speaker 1 | 00:18.447
Oh yeah, I had fun reading these.
Speaker 0 | 00:20.108
Yeah, definitely kind of all over the map, but I think that’s kind of the fun of it. Absolutely. So we’re going to kind of just go through all the different collocations that we found. Sounds good. And yeah, just… kind of explore, you know, what they mean and how they’re used and why they’re so important for, you know, sounding like a native speaker.
Speaker 1 | 00:37.154
Exactly.
Speaker 0 | 00:37.954
So I guess without further ado, let’s jump right in. Let’s do it. So the first one that I noticed, and I thought this was interesting, is that we had a lot of collocations with the word environment.
Speaker 1 | 00:50.157
Oh, yeah. Environment is such a versatile word.
Speaker 0 | 00:53.238
Yeah. And we’ve got like natural environment, work environment, business environment. I mean, it seems like it can kind of go with anything.
Speaker 1 | 01:02.085
Well, it’s all about context, right? I mean, it’s the surroundings or the circumstances. So you can apply it to, you know, pretty much any situation. Yeah. Like you could say, you know, he thrives in a fast-paced work environment or the company adapted to the changing business environment.
Speaker 0 | 01:17.816
Yeah, that’s a good point. And it does kind of paint that picture. You know, you get a sense of the surrounding atmosphere.
Speaker 1 | 01:23.840
Absolutely.
Speaker 0 | 01:25.361
Okay, so moving on to the next one. This one I thought was interesting too. Substantial. Substantial. So we’ve got substantial amount, substantial difference, substantial increase. And it’s not just about, like, size, right? It’s about… Importance. Importance, yeah.
Speaker 1 | 01:42.247
Yeah, it implies significance. You know, it’s not just big. It’s meaningful.
Speaker 0 | 01:45.888
Right. So you could say, like, we need substantial evidence to support the claim. Exactly. Or the new policy had a substantial impact on the community. Yeah,
Speaker 1 | 01:53.730
perfect examples.
Speaker 0 | 01:54.730
Okay, so this next group, I’m kind of excited about this one because it’s… deed. Oh, deed. Yeah. So we’ve got noble deed, brave deed, deed of kindness. It’s very dramatic.
Speaker 1 | 02:04.734
It is. It’s like, you know, very heroic. And, you know, it’s not just like an action. It’s a.
Speaker 0 | 02:10.176
It’s a deed.
Speaker 1 | 02:11.016
It’s a deed. Yeah. There’s like a weight to it.
Speaker 0 | 02:13.057
Yeah. There’s a sense of, you know, courage or generosity or, you know, moral significance. Like, you know, his heroic deeds saved countless lives. Oh,
Speaker 1 | 02:22.701
yeah.
Speaker 0 | 02:23.421
Or even, you know, something small like a simple deed of kindness can brighten someone’s day.
Speaker 1 | 02:28.083
Yeah. I like that.
Speaker 0 | 02:29.224
It elevates it.
Speaker 1 | 02:29.984
Yeah, it elevates it for sure. Okay, so this next one I thought was kind of funny because it’s random thoughts.
Speaker 0 | 02:36.606
We all have those.
Speaker 1 | 02:38.106
We do. And it’s interesting because it’s a collocation, right? We say random sample, random selection, random order. But random thoughts, it’s like it’s specifically those thoughts that just kind of pop into your head.
Speaker 0 | 02:49.970
Right. It’s that spontaneity. Yeah. The unexpected ideas.
Speaker 1 | 02:53.031
And it’s different from like organized thoughts or.
Speaker 0 | 02:55.772
Planned ideas.
Speaker 1 | 02:56.352
Planned ideas,
Speaker 0 | 02:57.513
yeah. Because it’s that lack of structure.
Speaker 1 | 02:59.595
Right, right. It’s just those random sparks.
Speaker 0 | 03:01.717
Okay, so moving on to the next one, we’ve got enthusiasm.
Speaker 1 | 03:05.920
Enthusiasm.
Speaker 0 | 03:06.961
And we see it in a lot of different collocations, like lack of enthusiasm, with enthusiasm, spark enthusiasm. And it’s all about that feeling of…
Speaker 1 | 03:16.448
Excitement.
Speaker 0 | 03:17.309
Yeah, excitement and passion.
Speaker 1 | 03:18.750
Yeah, and drive.
Speaker 0 | 03:20.131
So, you know, like enthusiasm for learning.
Speaker 1 | 03:22.613
Enthusiasm.
Speaker 0 | 03:23.634
Great enthusiasm. Yeah. So I get… It adds that extra energy.
Speaker 1 | 03:27.537
Yeah. And motivation.
Speaker 0 | 03:29.038
So if you’re trying to convey that you’re really excited about something, you know, using a collocation with enthusiasm is a good way to do it. Absolutely. Instead of just saying, like, I’m interested. You can say, I have great enthusiasm.
Speaker 1 | 03:40.167
Much more powerful.
Speaker 0 | 03:41.387
Yeah, definitely. Okay. So this next one is kind of interesting because it’s about being neutral. Neutral. So you’ve got neutral ground, politically neutral. Neutral position.
Speaker 1 | 03:53.296
It’s all about being impartial, right?
Speaker 0 | 03:54.537
Right. And unbiased. Yeah. So it’s about, you know, seeing things from both sides or not taking sides. Exactly. You know, like a neutral observer or taking a neutral stance.
Speaker 1 | 04:04.262
It shows that you’re objective.
Speaker 0 | 04:05.863
Yeah. And I think especially in today’s world where everything is so polarized.
Speaker 1 | 04:10.006
Absolutely.
Speaker 0 | 04:10.726
You know, being able to convey that neutrality is really important.
Speaker 1 | 04:14.048
It is. It’s about, you know, seeing things clearly without letting your emotions cloud your judgment.
Speaker 0 | 04:20.051
Right. And using collocations like these can really help us do that. For sure. Okay. This next one I thought was interesting because it’s entitled. Entitled. And we’ve got entitled someone to something, entitled to benefits, entitled to a refund, even legally entitled.
Speaker 1 | 04:39.098
So it’s all about rights and privileges.
Speaker 0 | 04:40.778
Yeah. It’s about having a right to something. Yeah.
Speaker 1 | 04:43.119
Often based on rules or agreements.
Speaker 0 | 04:44.940
Right. So, you know, like if you’re, you know, entitled to compensation for an injury. Exactly. Or, you know, if you buy something that’s defective, you’re entitled to a refund.
Speaker 1 | 04:53.667
Yeah. And it’s interesting because it can be used in, you know, legal context, but also in everyday situations. That’s true. Like, you know, if you go to a restaurant and you don’t get what you ordered, you could say I’m entitled to a refund.
Speaker 0 | 05:05.144
Right. Because you have a right to get what you paid for.
Speaker 1 | 05:06.806
Exactly.
Speaker 0 | 05:07.646
And it’s a much more powerful way to say it than just saying, like, I want my money back.
Speaker 1 | 05:12.350
It is. It adds that sense of authority.
Speaker 0 | 05:14.472
Yeah. It’s like, you know, your rights.
Speaker 1 | 05:16.313
Exactly.
Speaker 0 | 05:17.254
OK, so moving on, we’ve got distinction.
Speaker 1 | 05:20.437
Distinction.
Speaker 0 | 05:21.418
And this one is all about, you know, separating or differentiating between things.
Speaker 1 | 05:26.602
Making a distinction.
Speaker 0 | 05:27.362
Making a distinction. Yeah. So we’ve got make a distinction. clear distinction, distinction between A and B, and even blur the distinction.
Speaker 1 | 05:34.927
Which is interesting because it’s the opposite of making a distinction.
Speaker 0 | 05:37.989
Right. It’s like you’re erasing the line between things. Yeah. But I think that the key takeaway here is that, you know, being able to make distinctions is really important for…
Speaker 1 | 05:47.114
Clear thinking.
Speaker 0 | 05:47.875
Clear thinking and effective communication.
Speaker 1 | 05:50.076
Absolutely.
Speaker 0 | 05:50.957
You know, if you can’t tell the difference between two things, then you can’t really talk about them intelligently.
Speaker 1 | 05:54.919
Right. And you can’t make informed decisions.
Speaker 0 | 05:57.160
Exactly. So, you know, like you’re talking about a distinction between fact and opinion.
Speaker 1 | 06:02.264
That’s a big one these days.
Speaker 0 | 06:03.865
It is. It is. And, you know, being able to articulate that distinction is really important.
Speaker 1 | 06:08.188
Absolutely.
Speaker 0 | 06:08.808
Okay. This next one is peculiar. Peculiar. And I like this one because it’s about all the things that make us unique.
Speaker 1 | 06:17.034
Our quirks.
Speaker 0 | 06:18.275
Yeah, our quirks and our, you know, individual characteristics.
Speaker 1 | 06:21.998
It suggests something unusual or distinctive.
Speaker 0 | 06:25.020
Right. So we’ve got. Peculiar habit, peculiar appearance, peculiar feeling, even peculiar taste.
Speaker 1 | 06:33.142
I like that one.
Speaker 0 | 06:34.063
Yeah, and it could be, you know, positive or negative or just neutral.
Speaker 1 | 06:38.407
It just depends on the context.
Speaker 0 | 06:39.788
Right, but it always adds that little bit of like…
Speaker 1 | 06:41.389
Of flavor.
Speaker 0 | 06:41.869
Flavor, yeah.
Speaker 1 | 06:42.950
Makes it more interesting.
Speaker 0 | 06:43.771
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Okay, so last one for this section. This one is cue. Cue. And, you know, we all know what a cue is. It’s a line. A line. But it’s interesting because there are all these collocations that go with it, like… Form a queue. Queue up. Join the queue. Jump a queue. Jump the queue. Yeah. Yes, which is a big no-no.
Speaker 1 | 07:01.462
Definitely a no-no.
Speaker 0 | 07:02.503
But it’s interesting because it just shows how, you know, even something as mundane as standing in line. Yeah.
Speaker 1 | 07:08.048
Has its own set of rules.
Speaker 0 | 07:09.148
Has its own set of rules and its own set of collocations. Exactly. And I think, you know, that’s one of the things that makes language so fascinating is that there are all these little nuances and these little.
Speaker 1 | 07:19.598
Hidden connections.
Speaker 0 | 07:20.679
Hidden connections, yeah, that we might not even be aware of.
Speaker 1 | 07:22.861
And that’s what we’re uncovering here.
Speaker 0 | 07:24.641
Exactly. Okay. So I think that’s a good place to take a break.
Speaker 1 | 07:28.382
Sounds good.
Speaker 0 | 07:29.242
We’ll come back and we’ll explore some more of these collocations in the next section.
Speaker 1 | 07:32.623
Looking forward to it. All right.
Speaker 0 | 07:33.704
See you then.
Speaker 1 | 07:34.284
See you. So you know how we were just talking about like distinguishing between things? Right. Right. Okay. Well, this next set, it has to do with objective. Objective. Yeah. Like, you know, objective analysis, objective evidence, objective criteria, even… remain objective.
Speaker 0 | 07:53.349
Okay. Yeah. Objective. That definitely have like a weight to it. Yeah. A weight to it. It’s like, you know, you’re trying to be fair and impartial and unbiased.
Speaker 1 | 08:02.553
Yeah. It’s about seeing things as they really are.
Speaker 0 | 08:05.234
Right. Without letting your own opinions or emotions or biases. Yeah. Get in the way.
Speaker 1 | 08:10.657
Exactly.
Speaker 0 | 08:11.417
So it’s like, you know, if you were a judge in a courtroom.
Speaker 1 | 08:15.139
Oh, yeah.
Speaker 0 | 08:16.059
You would want to remain objective. Absolutely. And, you know, make your decision based on the facts of the case. Yeah.
Speaker 1 | 08:23.985
And not, you know, your personal feelings about the people involved.
Speaker 0 | 08:27.407
Right. Right.
Speaker 1 | 08:28.508
So using these collocations like objective analysis or objective criteria, it really helps to convey that sense of fairness and impartiality.
Speaker 0 | 08:38.056
Yeah. And it’s like it adds credibility to whatever you’re saying.
Speaker 1 | 08:41.739
Yeah. Because you’re saying, hey, I’m looking at this from all angles.
Speaker 0 | 08:44.762
Right.
Speaker 1 | 08:45.222
Right. I’m not just pushing my own agenda.
Speaker 0 | 08:47.304
Exactly. Okay, so what else do we have?
Speaker 1 | 08:49.733
Okay, so this one’s kind of fun. It has to do with patent. Patent, okay. Yeah, like patent application, patent pending, file for a patent, patent infringement.
Speaker 0 | 08:59.799
So this is all about like, you know, protecting your ideas, your inventions.
Speaker 1 | 09:05.162
Your intellectual property.
Speaker 0 | 09:06.322
Yeah, it’s like, you know, you came up with this great idea and you don’t want anyone to steal it.
Speaker 1 | 09:11.085
And you want to make sure that you get the credit for it.
Speaker 0 | 09:13.186
Yeah, and the profit from it.
Speaker 1 | 09:14.307
Exactly.
Speaker 0 | 09:14.867
So you file for a patent.
Speaker 1 | 09:16.048
And then once you have that patent. Then you have legal protection.
Speaker 0 | 09:19.149
Right. So if someone tries to copy your idea.
Speaker 1 | 09:21.330
That’s patent infringement.
Speaker 0 | 09:22.691
Yeah. And then you can sue them.
Speaker 1 | 09:23.752
Exactly.
Speaker 0 | 09:24.272
All right. So patent, very important word.
Speaker 1 | 09:26.473
Very important.
Speaker 0 | 09:27.394
If you’re an inventor.
Speaker 1 | 09:28.414
Absolutely.
Speaker 0 | 09:29.275
Okay. So what’s next?
Speaker 1 | 09:30.135
All right. This one is kind of the opposite of permanent. It’s temporary.
Speaker 0 | 09:34.197
Temporary. Okay.
Speaker 1 | 09:35.178
Yeah. So we’ve got temporary solution, temporary relief, temporary measure, even temporary work.
Speaker 0 | 09:41.762
So it’s like, you know, it’s not a permanent fix.
Speaker 1 | 09:44.963
It’s a band-aid.
Speaker 0 | 09:45.844
It’s a band-aid.
Speaker 1 | 09:46.925
It’s going to tide you over.
Speaker 0 | 09:48.286
Until you can find a better solution.
Speaker 1 | 09:49.807
Right. Like if your house burns down. Oh, yeah. You might need temporary housing. Right.
Speaker 0 | 09:54.032
Or if you’re between.
Speaker 1 | 09:55.889
Jobs. You might take a temporary job.
Speaker 0 | 09:58.069
Yeah. So it’s acknowledging that it’s not a permanent situation. But it’s a way to deal with it in the meantime.
Speaker 1 | 10:05.512
In the meantime. Yeah. Okay, cool. So this next one is a little bit heavier. It’s sacrifice.
Speaker 0 | 10:11.335
Sacrifice.
Speaker 1 | 10:12.195
Yeah. Like personal sacrifice. Ultimate sacrifice. Make a sacrifice. Willing to sacrifice.
Speaker 0 | 10:17.417
So this is about, you know, giving up something.
Speaker 1 | 10:20.378
Giving up something important.
Speaker 0 | 10:21.639
Yeah. For something else that you consider. More important. More important. Yeah.
Speaker 1 | 10:24.900
Like, you know. You might sacrifice your free time. Right. To study for an exam.
Speaker 0 | 10:29.962
Or, you know, a parent might sacrifice their career.
Speaker 1 | 10:32.443
To stay home with their children.
Speaker 0 | 10:34.004
Yeah. Or, you know, soldiers sacrifice their lives.
Speaker 1 | 10:37.346
To protect their country.
Speaker 0 | 10:38.506
Yeah. So it’s a really powerful word.
Speaker 1 | 10:41.387
Very powerful.
Speaker 0 | 10:42.128
And it conveys that sense of, you know, selflessness.
Speaker 1 | 10:45.329
And dedication. Yeah. To something bigger than yourself.
Speaker 0 | 10:48.190
Right. And I think using these collocations with sacrifice really helps to emphasize that.
Speaker 1 | 10:53.333
Absolutely.
Speaker 0 | 10:54.073
You know, it’s not just giving up something.
Speaker 1 | 10:55.474
It’s a sacrifice.
Speaker 0 | 10:56.715
It’s a sacrifice. Yeah. There’s a weight to it.
Speaker 1 | 10:58.597
There’s a cost involved.
Speaker 0 | 10:59.998
Okay. So moving on. Let’s see. What else we got here?
Speaker 1 | 11:03.221
Oh, this one’s cool. It’s satellite. Satellite. Yeah. Like communication satellite, weather satellite, satellite imagery, even satellite launch.
Speaker 0 | 11:11.568
I love the word satellite. It just sounds futuristic. And it’s amazing technology.
Speaker 1 | 11:16.792
It is. It’s amazing how much we rely on satellites for, you know, communication. Weather forecasting. Kayaking. Spying.
Speaker 0 | 11:25.317
Oh, yeah. All sorts of things.
Speaker 1 | 11:26.158
And it’s all thanks to these little metal boxes orbiting the Earth.
Speaker 0 | 11:31.199
Yeah. It’s pretty incredible when you think about it. It is. Okay. So satellite. Another great example of a collocation.
Speaker 1 | 11:37.101
Absolutely.
Speaker 0 | 11:38.061
All the time. All the time. Okay. So let’s see what else we got.
Speaker 1 | 11:40.882
All right. This one is about direction. It’s vertical.
Speaker 0 | 11:44.903
Vertical.
Speaker 1 | 11:45.403
Okay. Yeah. Like vertical alignment, vertical integration, vertical line, even vertical axis.
Speaker 0 | 11:51.665
So it’s all about like up and down.
Speaker 1 | 11:54.987
Exactly.
Speaker 0 | 11:55.527
The opposite of horizontal.
Speaker 1 | 11:56.988
Right.
Speaker 0 | 11:57.729
And I know like in business, there’s a term vertical integration. Yeah.
Speaker 1 | 12:02.592
Where a company controls.
Speaker 0 | 12:04.073
All the different stages. Of production. Yeah. From like the raw materials.
Speaker 1 | 12:07.636
The finished product.
Speaker 0 | 12:08.716
Yeah. So they’re not relying on.
Speaker 1 | 12:10.858
Outside suppliers.
Speaker 0 | 12:12.059
Right. They’re doing everything themselves. Exactly. And that’s, you know, very powerful position to be in.
Speaker 1 | 12:18.223
It can be. Okay, cool. So vertical. You know, it can be used in a lot of different ways, but it always has that sense of up and down, up and down. Yeah. OK, good. OK, so this next one is about using other people’s words.
Speaker 0 | 12:31.914
OK.
Speaker 1 | 12:32.294
It’s quote. Oh, right. Yeah. Like quote a source, quote statistics, quote figures, even quote an example.
Speaker 0 | 12:40.037
So this is all about like, you know, if you’re writing a paper.
Speaker 1 | 12:44.139
Or giving a presentation.
Speaker 0 | 12:45.360
Yeah. And you want to use someone else’s words.
Speaker 1 | 12:47.465
To support your point.
Speaker 0 | 12:48.545
To support your point, right?
Speaker 1 | 12:49.685
Yeah, because it adds credibility.
Speaker 0 | 12:51.566
It does.
Speaker 1 | 12:51.946
It shows that you’re not just making things up.
Speaker 0 | 12:54.306
Right. You’ve got evidence.
Speaker 1 | 12:56.667
You’ve got research to back up your claims.
Speaker 0 | 12:58.888
But it’s important to…
Speaker 1 | 12:59.588
To set your sources.
Speaker 0 | 13:00.628
Set your sources, yes.
Speaker 1 | 13:01.548
Give credit where credit is due.
Speaker 0 | 13:03.069
Because otherwise it’s plagiarism.
Speaker 1 | 13:04.689
Exactly.
Speaker 0 | 13:05.550
And that’s a big no-no.
Speaker 1 | 13:06.590
Huge no-no.
Speaker 0 | 13:07.790
Okay, so quote, very important word.
Speaker 1 | 13:11.291
Especially in academic writing. Yeah. But also in, you know, journalism and other fields.
Speaker 0 | 13:15.812
Right. Anywhere where you’re using…
Speaker 1 | 13:17.169
Information from other sources.
Speaker 0 | 13:18.509
Exactly. Okay. So I think that’s a good place to…
Speaker 1 | 13:20.470
Wrap up this section.
Speaker 0 | 13:21.370
Wrap up this section, yeah.
Speaker 1 | 13:22.290
We’ve covered a lot of ground.
Speaker 0 | 13:23.670
We have. We have. But there’s still more to come.
Speaker 1 | 13:26.031
There is.
Speaker 0 | 13:26.591
So stay tuned for the next section where we’ll explore even more fascinating collocations. It’s going to be good. All right. See you then. So we’ve been talking all about collocations.
Speaker 1 | 13:36.414
Yeah. Those powerful word pairings.
Speaker 0 | 13:39.095
Right. And it’s been amazing to see how much depth and nuance they add to our language.
Speaker 1 | 13:44.816
Absolutely. It’s like… There are these hidden gems that unlock fluency and make you sound…
Speaker 0 | 13:50.418
Like a native speaker.
Speaker 1 | 13:51.319
Exactly.
Speaker 0 | 13:52.139
And you know what’s really cool is that we’ve only just scratched the surface.
Speaker 1 | 13:55.520
Yeah, there’s collocations out there.
Speaker 0 | 13:58.142
It’s like a whole universe of language just waiting to be explored.
Speaker 1 | 14:01.863
And the more you pay attention to them, the more you’ll start to notice them everywhere.
Speaker 0 | 14:05.825
It’s true. You start to see the patterns and the connections.
Speaker 1 | 14:08.186
And it just makes you appreciate the beauty of language even more.
Speaker 0 | 14:11.467
I know. I totally agree. And I think the biggest takeaway for our listeners today… is that collocations are an incredibly powerful tool for anyone who wants to improve their English.
Speaker 1 | 14:20.384
Absolutely. It’s not just about memorizing individual words.
Speaker 0 | 14:24.026
It’s about understanding how those words work together in natural idiomatic expressions.
Speaker 1 | 14:28.988
And the beauty of it is that it’s not about following strict grammar rules.
Speaker 0 | 14:33.271
It’s about developing an ear for what sounds right.
Speaker 1 | 14:36.593
What sounds natural.
Speaker 0 | 14:37.834
Yeah, and that comes from exposure and practice.
Speaker 1 | 14:40.035
Exactly. The more you read, the more you listen. the more you’ll start to internalize these collocations.
Speaker 0 | 14:45.338
The more confident you’ll become in using them yourself.
Speaker 1 | 14:47.579
So here’s a little challenge for our listeners.
Speaker 0 | 14:49.500
I love a challenge.
Speaker 1 | 14:50.400
Pick just three eight collocations from our deep dive today. Okay. And try using them in your conversations or writing this week.
Speaker 0 | 15:00.388
Ooh, I like that.
Speaker 1 | 15:01.388
Pay attention to how it makes you feel and how others respond.
Speaker 0 | 15:04.369
Yeah. See if you notice a difference.
Speaker 1 | 15:06.570
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Speaker 0 | 15:08.050
I think so too. It’s like you’re adding these little secret weapons to your language arsenal.
Speaker 1 | 15:12.151
And the best part is that the more you practice, the more natural it will become.
Speaker 0 | 15:15.772
Until it’s just second nature.
Speaker 1 | 15:17.252
Exactly. So go out there, experiment, have fun with it, and see how mastering collocations can transform your communication.
Speaker 0 | 15:24.935
I love it. And on that note, I think it’s time to wrap up our deep dive for today.
Speaker 1 | 15:29.376
It’s been a pleasure exploring the world of collocations with you.
Speaker 0 | 15:32.859
Likewise, and to all our listeners out there, keep learning, keep exploring, and keep those collocations flowing.
Speaker 1 | 15:39.664
Until next time, happy language learning, everyone.
Speaker 0 | 15:43.467
Bye for now.