6 Lexical Chunks or Collocations
Lexical chunks, also called collocations, are two or more words that are often used together as a unit. Speakers of English use them together without changing the order of the words themselves.
In lexical chunks, the words should be bound closely to one another, which explains why they often appear together. They naturally sound correct. For example, think about the expression “fast food”. Speakers do not say “quick food” or “fast meal” because those expressions sound unnatural.
Readers who identify these combinations of words can understand academic texts more effectively and quickly.
Patterns to Determine Lexical Chunks
Lexical chunks are formed by combining different parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) or by forming phrases where one part of speech dominates. By noticing these patterns, you will be able to identify lexical chunks in a text and create new ones afterward based on these patterns. Both possibilities will improve your vocabulary acquisition.
Noun + Noun
- Accounting system
- Action movie
- Business organization
- Departure time
Noun Phrases
- comfort of home
- degree of success
- point of sale
- window of opportunity
Verb + Noun
- Have breakfast
- Make money
- Pay attention
- Save energy
Verb Phrases
- to make a deal
- to solve a problem
- to take a risk
- to bridge the gap
Adjective + Noun
- excruciating pain
- heavy rain
- rich vocabulary
- strong smell
Adverb + Verb
- completely destroy
- distinctly remember
- fully understand
- sincerely hope
Adverb + Adjective
- absolutely delighted
- completely different
- perfectly clear
- really amazing
Binomials
- black and white
- by and large
- here and there
- now and then
Strategies to Identify Lexical Chunks
- As you read the text, look for patterns in which word groups appear together more than once. Then, write them down in a margin note.
- For new vocabulary words, notice the words that frequently appear next to them.
- Usually, certain verbs appear in combination with words; for example have, do, be, make, or take. Notice these combinations and take notes. For example, “have breakfast” (see above).
- Certain nouns may also appear in combination with other nouns; for example ” language barrier” (see above)
- If a lexical chunk is difficult to understand, look it up and find examples in sentences.
Exercise:
Read this short paragraph and identify the lexical chunks in it.
The condition of our bodies is something we all know is important. Keeping fit is something that most of us try to do, and going on a diet is easy enough when we become overweight. It is also important to have regular check-ups, especially if you do a lot of exercise. However, we all occasionally suffer from an illness and visit our doctor. He will probably take your temperature and will prescribe pills to cure the problem. But what if you went to a doctor and he then began to stick still needles into your skin? I think most of us would consider this a very painful way to get cured.
However, acupuncture is used to treat many illnesses, and often cures back pain and headaches. People who broke an arm or a leg can get great relief from pain with this method.
Adapted from https://grade-university.com/blog/tips-for-teaching-lexical-chunks
The content on this PB page has been paraphrased from the websites below. Ideas have been blended to configure this information. For specific details, and to learn more about these topics, visit:
- https://grammarist.com/grammar/collocations/
- https://grade-university.com/blog/tips-for-teaching-lexical-chunks
- Making Connections 4; Williams & Vittorio, 2016
