2. What's a
collocation?
When words go together a lot, they develop a link;
a connection. Words which have strong links are
called collocations.
For example, 'fast' and 'chair' have no link. If you
type "fast chair" into google you see 9,590 results.
Now try to search "fast food". You get 150,000,000
results for fast food. So there is a strong link
between these words. 'Fast food' is a collocation.
Using collocations will help your English sound
more natural and more like a native speaker.
In this book there are 6 collocations
about weather. We hope you enjoy
it!
Click here to watch a
video about collocations.
3. drivingrain
This means very strong rain. Rain
that falls so powerfully it makes a
loud noise and can even be
painful. This is often because the
rain is mixing with strong winds.
For example:
Can you hear the weather?
There's driving rain outside.
4. crispsnow
This is snow where the top layer is
frozen. It makes a noise when you walk
on it.
For example:
It snowed last night and in the morning
there was crisp snow everywhere.
5. Freakweatherconditions
This means weather
conditions that are
not normal for the
place or the time of
year. This could be
snow in April or
strong lightning in a
place that does not
normally get it.
For example:
Climate change is
starting to cause
freak weather
conditions all over
the world.
6. Hardfrost
This is when it gets very cold
over night and you see a lot of
ice covereing everything.
'Hard frost' is a
much better
collocation than
'strong frost'.
For example:
It will get down
to -7C tomorrow
night, so there
will be a hard
frost.
7. Theriverburstitsbanks
This means there is too much
water in a river – usually
because of heavy rain.
The river then overflows and
causes flooding.
For example:
The Amazon river always
bursts its banks during the
rainy season.
8. bakinghot
This just means 'very hot'. Other strong
collocations are 'scorching hot' and 'boiling
hot'.
For example:
I just got back from holiday in Jamaica. It
was baking hot every day.
9. Quiz
1. ___________ hot
a) frying
b) cooking
c) baking
The answers are on the next page.
Tick the correct collocation:
2. ___________ snow
a) crunchy
b) crackling
c) crisp
3. ___________ frost
a) hard
b) grand
c) great
4. ___ weather conditions
a) weird
b) strange
c) freak
5. The river ___ its banks.
a) popped
b) burst
c) cracked
6. ___________ rain
a) swimming
b) flying
c) driving
10. 1. ___________ hot
a) frying
b) cooking
c) baking
2. ___________ snow
a) crunchy
b) crackling
c) crisp
3. ___________ frost
a) hard
b) grand
c) great
4. ___ weather conditions
a) weird
b) strange
c) freak
5. The river ___ its banks.
a) popped
b) burst
c) cracked
6. ___________ rain
a) swimming
b) flying
c) driving
Answers
