1. Collocation: Our Senses
Use of English
Collocation: Units 43 – 45

2. Introduction We will cover… The common collocations of…
Colours
Lights
Texture
Taste and Smell
Some metaphorical collocations in writing related to our senses

3. Colour The colours clash The colour runs / fades Subdued colours
Colours not going well with each other
E.g. bright yellow VS. bright green
The colour runs / fades
Colour going off
Subdued colours
Dark / boring colours
Opposite: bright / strong
Add a touch of colours
Put in some different colours

4. Light Growing dark Pitch dark A flickering candle / a twinkling star
Getting dark
Pitch dark
Completely dark
A flickering candle / a twinkling star
Shining unsteadily
Beam of light
Ray of light
Pinpoint of light

5. Light A faint glow of dawn Tinged with + (colour) The glare of the sun
A weak beam of light before sunrise
Tinged with + (colour)
Lightly-shaded
The glare of the sun
Strong shiny light

6. Texture Hair Skin Water / Sea Dry VS. Greasy Dry VS. Oily
Smooth VS. Rough
Water / Sea
Smooth VS. Choppy / Rough

7. Texture Road / Flight Pillow / Bed / Ground Meat Pencil / Knife
Smooth VS. Bumpy
Pillow / Bed / Ground
Soft VS. Firm / Hard
Meat
Tender VS. Tough
Pencil / Knife
Sharp VS. Blunt

8. Taste and Smell Positive: Fragrant perfume
Distinctive aroma (pleasant smell of food and drink)
Wafting (moving gently through the air) smell
Fresh scent
Subtle (not obvious = a whiff of) flavour
An acquired taste (something you dislike at first yet becoming something you like after trying)

9. Taste and Smell Negative:
Acrid smoke (causing a burning feeling in your throat)
Noxious fume (=poisonous gas)
Foul-smelling
Body odour (bad smell caused by sweat)
Overpowering stink
Revolting stench

10. Metaphorical Collocations
A grey area = an unclear area
E.g. The law about downloading from the Internet seems to be a grey area.
Add colour to = make something interesting
E.g. The trip to China added colour to our life.
Green issues = environmental issues

11. Metaphorical Collocations
Blacken (one’s) name = destroy someone’s reputation
Shed / Throw some light on = explain
E.g. The student is trying hard to shed / throw some light on his project to his class.
Cast a shadow over = make something less happy
E.g. My sister’s illness cast a shadow over our Christmas celebration.

12. Metaphorical Collocations
(be) under the shadow of = receive less attention
E.g. Jim has been under the shadow of his talented brother.
Has a sharp tongue = always saying unkind things
Coarse jokes = vulgar (rude) jokes / jokes in bad taste

13. Metaphorical Collocations
Leave a bad / unpleasant taste in (one’s) mouth = leave an unpleasant memory
E.g. The SARS has left a bad / unpleasant taste in a lot of HK people’s mouth.
Smell danger = feel the coming of danger
Get the flavour of = get a general idea of something
E.g. I couldn’t hear every word he said, but I got the flavour of what he meant.

14. ~The End~