Collocation （慣用搭配）- 由John 張提供

英語的『慣用搭配』是一對或一組經常在一起的詞。

例如：make an effort, fast food 或 watch TV等等，是固定不變的。

若果改用其他組合例如：look at TV（看著電視）代替watch TV（看電視），看起來意思近似，相信也可以明白，但在以英語為母語的人眼中，仍屬不正確。

『慣用搭配』跟『複合詞』非常近似，但與『慣用語』並不相同。

複合詞	慣用搭配	慣用語
car park checkpoint teapot key ring shoelaces	make a mistake, heavy snow, valid license, live music, bitterly disappointed	pull somebody’s leg   a storm in a tea cup

從上表可見，第三欄的『慣用語』最難理解。如果將pull somebody’s leg　理解成為：扯別人後腿。則會有負面的意思。但其實它指的是開玩笑的、志在逗人開心的意思。例：Are you for real, or are you just pulling my leg? （你說真的嗎，還是逗我玩的？）根㯫牛津字典的解釋：Deceive someone playfully; tease someone.

最易明白的是第一欄的『複合詞』，因為它是由兩個或以上的單詞組成，只要了解個別單詞的意思，便會明白整體的意思，而且猜對的比率頗高。

第二欄的『慣用搭配』也並不困難，只是不可以改用其他組合，所以要強記，這樣，便會構成壓力！但只要明白『慣用搭配』亦有其規律，便有跡可尋了。
如何搭配才算合適？

『慣用搭配』　的組成方式最起碼包括以下七種：

	組成方法		例　子
1	副詞＋形容詞	Adv + Adj	richly decorated, fully aware of
2	形容詞＋名詞	Adj + N	regular basis, acute pain
3	名詞＋名詞	N + N	post office, car park, rubber boot
4	名詞＋動詞	N + V	dog barking, snow was falling
5	動詞＋名詞	V + N	committing crime, making an effort
6	動詞＋介詞表述	V + Prep.Expr	burst into tears, filled with horror
7	動詞＋副詞	V + Adv	whispered softly, placed gently

1. 副詞＋形容詞　 （Adv + Adj）g. richly decorated, fully aware of
2. 形容詞＋名詞　 （Adj + N）g. regular basis, acute pain
3. 名詞＋名詞 （N + N）g. post office, car park
4. 名詞＋動詞     （N + V）g. dog barking, snow was falling
5. 動詞＋名詞     （V + N）g. committing crime, making an effort
6. 動詞＋介詞表述 （V + Prep.Expr）g. burst into tears, filled with horror
7. 動詞＋副詞           （V + Adv）g. whispered softly, placed gently

動腦筯1：將表格中的20個字／短語配對成10組搭配

an effort	cold	have	mistakes	strictly
ancient	dark	make	monument	substantial
bitterly	engine	make	pitch	TV
breakfast	forbidden	meal	powerful	watch

動腦筯2：找出下文的『慣用搭配』

My friend Beth is desperately worried about her son at the moment. He wants to enroll on a course of some sort but just can’t make a decision about what to study. I gave Beth a ring and we had a long chat about it last night. She said he’d like to study for a degree but is afraid he won’t meet the requirements for university entry. Beth thinks he should do a course in Management because he’d like to set up his own business in the future. I agreed that that would be a wise choice.

動腦筯3：下文有幾個用錯了的『慣用搭配』，找出並改正之：

In the morning I made some work in the garden, then I spent a rest for about an hour before going out to have some shopping in town. It was my sister’s birthday and I wanted to do a special effort to cook a nice meal for her. I gave a look at a new Thai cookery book in the bookshop and decided to buy it. It has some totally easy recipes and I managed to do a good impression with my very first Thai meal. I think my sister utterly enjoyed her birthday.

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答案：

Collocation Structure  (Answer)

動腦筯1答案：

1. make an effort, make mistakes, have/make breakfast, watch TV à Type 5 (V+N)
2. powerful engine, substantial meal, ancient monument à Type 2 (Adj+N)
3. bitterly cold, strictly forbidden à Type 1 (Adv +Adj)
4. pitch dark à Type 3 (N + N)

動腦筯2答案：

My friend Beth is desperately worried about her son at the moment. He wants to enroll on a course of some sort but just can’t make a decision about what to study. I gave Beth a ring and we had a long chat about it last night. She said he’d like to study for a degree but is afraid he won’t meet the requirements for university entry. Beth thinks he should do a course in Management because he’d like to set up his own business in the future. I agreed that that would be a wise choice.

動腦筯3答案：

In the morning I made did some work in the garden, then I spent had a rest for about an hour before going out to have do some shopping in town. It was my sister’s birthday and I wanted to do make a special effort to cook a nice meal for her. I gave had/took a look at a new Thai cookery book in the bookshop and decided to buy it. It has some totally quite/very/extremely easy recipes and I managed to do make a good impression with my very first Thai meal. I think my sister utterly really/ thorough enjoyed her birthday.