Understanding Verb + Adverb Collocations: A Guide for Students

Hello, students! I’m Ms Zaheda and I hope that you have all been well! Welcome to my next post in the ‘Mastering Word Collocations’ series. Let’s pick up from where we have left off previously – in my last video, I shared verb + noun collocations such as make progress or take responsibility. Today, we will be looking at another category of collocations; namely, verb + adverb collocations.

Since adverbs are less frequently used in the English language compared to nouns and verbs, some of you may have forgotten what they are, so let’s do a quick recap!

If an adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g. the boy is tall), then an adverb is a word that describes a verb (e.g. she chews noisily), an adjective (e.g. it is a very heavy book) or even another adverb (e.g. the train moves too slowly). Oftentimes, you can identify an adverb by looking at the end of the word. Does it end with –ly? If it does, it is most likely an adverb! However, there are some that do not end in —ly, for instance adverbs like fast, quite and almost.

Now let’s see how some of these adverbs pair with verbs to form collocations:

1. deeply regret – to feel a very strong sense of remorse
   Sentence: Upon realising that Mandy was innocent, Shanice deeply regretted accusing Mandy of stealing her pen.
2. closely examine – to look at something very carefully, usually with the purpose of making a judgement
   Sentence: The scientist closely examined the specimen, adjusting the lens of the microscope for a clearer view.
3. distinctly remember – to have a strong, clear memory of something
   Sentence: Despite having been in a coma for two weeks, Rafael distinctly remembered who pushed him down the stairs.
4. firmly believe – to be deeply convinced of and unwavering in your belief
   Sentence: I firmly believe I have what it takes to win this competition!
5. vaguely familiar – to roughly recognise (a place, person etc.) because of having seen or heard it before
   Sentence: His face was vaguely familiar, like a memory from a dream.
6. strongly suggest – making a suggestion that you feel is important and should be taken seriously
   Sentence: Seeing her patient tip the scales, the doctor strongly suggested that he go on a diet.
7. sorely mistaken – (regarding someone’s belief or opinion) to be very wrong or misguided
   Sentence: If you think the auditions are going to be easy, you are sorely mistaken.
   Take note that ‘gravely mistaken’ is also commonly used to convey the same meaning as ‘sorely mistaken’!
8. thoroughly enjoy – to fully take pleasure in or appreciate something
   Sentence: Grandmother thoroughly enjoyed her 100th birthday surprise.
9. freely admit – very willing to agree that something is true
   Sentence: Sarah freely admitted to cheating in the examination.
10. highly recommend – having an excellent reputation
    Sentence: This Michelin-star awarded restaurant is highly recommended by food connoisseurs all over the world.

Previously, I shared how you can easily revise collocations by creating a list of common collocations. Another way to learn them is by using a collocation dictionary such as this one: https://ozdic.com/

As a start, you can key in a word, such as the verb ‘remember’: