A collocation is two or more words which co-occur more often than would be expected by chance. These combinations are used by native speakers who take them for granted because they just sound right to them. All languages have collocations and Arabic and Berber are no exception to the rule.

A. Matching Exercise (taken from Moroccan 2^nd Year Textbooks)

B. Blank Filling Exercise 1

C. Blank Filling Exercise 2

D. Meaning of Collocations

E. Match with Arabic Meaning (taken from Gateway 2)

F. Make, Do, Get, or Have?

G. Picture Collocations

H. Siamese Twins List

I. Make vs Do List

J. Collocations Song (click the icon and enjoy Mom’s Nagging Song with many collocations in it)

A. Match the words that go together to make a collocation

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A	B
1. have	areas
2. formal	education
3. rural	drain
4. brain	fun
5. take	school
6. local	gap
7. boarding	countries
8. gender	community
9. developing	mistake
10. make a	place

A	B
1. common	access
2. international	diversity
3. have	good
4. problem	priority
5. natural	opportunity
6. high	solving
7. cultural	organisations
8. health	disaster
9. equal	attention
10. pay	care

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B. Fill in the blanks with collocations from the list: standing ovation, high heels, shopping centre, digital camera, cultural diversity, for a song, old-fashioned, sense of humor, low fat, waste management.

1. “It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a ……………………..” Max

Eastman

2. Barack Obama received a ……………………..” at the end of his Cairo University speech on 4 June 2009.

3. ……………………..”, or the variety of human societies or cultures in a specific region, is a driving force of development.

4. I bought this piano ……………………..” at Goodwill. (cheaply)

5. My parents are very conservative and stick to ……………………..” values. (outdated)

6. I was given a 6.0 mega pixel ……………………..” for my birthday.

7. Derb Omar is one of the most famous ……………………..” in Morocco.

8. This restaurant offers ……………………..” food for people who are on this diet.

9. ……………………..” refers to the collection, transport, processing, recycling and disposal of waste materials.

10. ……………………..” shoes are stylish and sexy; however, they are sometimes dangerous.

C. Fill in the blanks with the missing part of the collocation.

1. Leila is jumping up and ……… because she is happy and overjoyed for her success.

2. In Les Miserables, Causette sweeps the ………, dusts, tidies up the rooms, makes beds, fetches water at the well and collects firewood.

3. I was still ……… awake at 5 o’clock when the telephone rang.

4. It is vitally ……… to go over your notes before class.

5. We’ll ……… a decision next week as whether to buy that car or not.

6. I went to the ……… -and-found office to look for my umbrella.

7. My father lived in the country all his life: ……… and boy.

8. Mohammed is an ardent ……… of Picasso’s paintings.

9. Moroccan civil workers reach retirement ……… at sixty.

10. My books are within ……… reach because the bookcase is next to my desk.

D. What do these collocations mean?

1. Money laundering: ……………………………………………………………………………

2. A round of applause: ……………………………………………………………………………

3. Make coffee: ……………………………………………………………………………

4. Flesh and blood: ……………………………………………………………………………

5. Frenetic competition: …………………………………………………………………………….

6. Do one's nails: ……………………………………………………………………………

7. Life expectancy: ……………………………………………………………………………

8. Virtual contacts: …………………………………………………………………………….

9. Leisure time: …………………………………………………………………………….

10. Loud and clear: ……………………………………………………………………………

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E. Match the English collocations with their Arabic meaning.

English collocation	Arabic Meaning
1. Digital divide	سوء استعمال الموارد
2. Waste management	الحل السحري / العصا السحرية
3. Political parties	يجري أو يقوم ببحث
4. Real challenges	العمل التطوعي
5. Empower women	تدبير النفايات
6. Silver bullet	العزلة الرقمية
7. Do a search	أوجه عديدة
8. Integral part	يستمر بلا هوادة
9. Voluntary work	تأهيل النساء
10. Obey the law	تحديات حقيقية
11. Various facets	يحترم القانون
12. Rural dwellers	الأحزاب السياسية
13. Money laundering	جزء لايتجزأ
14. Continue unabated	المفاوضة الجماعية
15. Resources abuse	نطاق واسع
16. Viable solutions	غسل الأموال
17. water and sanitation	حلول قابلة للتطبيق
18. A compelling story	سكان البوادي
19. Broad spectrum	المياه و النظام الصحي
20. collective bargaining	قصة مقنعة

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F. Fill in the blanks with make, do, have or get.

1. I usually ______ dressed before breakfast.

2. I like ______ my homework at night.

3. Last night mom ______ dinner and dad ______ the dishes.

4. The little kids ______ a lot of fun at the fair the other day.

5. One of my classmates ______ an accident last week by colliding his bike with a tree.

6. The teacher was late this morning because he ______ stuck in the traffic jam.

7. Many people nowadays rarely read the papers; they only ______ the crosswords and sudoku.

8. Dad’s car broke down on the highway but he did not have enough credit on his phone to ______ a phone call.

9. When I think back on the teachers who ______ a difference in my life, my English teacher stands out above all of them.

10. I'm planning to ______ a haircut this summer. I haven’t had one for months now.

11. If you ______ a toothache you should see a dentist as soon as possible.

12. People who ______ married too young ended regretting all the things they missed.

13. Samira ______ fired from the boarding school for missing a couple of classes.

14. Many people work over time to ______ some extra money.

15. The Arabic teacher ______ us write down the entire thirty free verse poem on our note books.

16. You need to ______ your teacher’s permission to leave the classroom.

17. The Coke here ______ a slightly different taste from the one I had in the USA.

18. My teacher said I was making some progress with English.

19. The secretary has ______ a few spelling mistakes in the report.

20. Time in America is scarce and sacred. So, getting projects ______ in the time allotted is critically important.

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G. What collocations do the following pictures stand for?

1. Making a face	2. …………………….	3. ………………………
4. …………………….	5. ………………………….	6. ……………………….
7. ……………………….	8. ………………………………..	9. ………………………….

H. Siamese Twins List

alive and kicking an arm and a leg apples and oranges back and forth be-all and end-all bells and whistles black and white blood and guts bow and arrow bread and butter by and large cap and gown cat and mouse cats and dogs clean and tidy crash and burn down and out far and away

far and wide flesh and blood heaven and hell here and there hide and seek high and dry high and mighty hot and cold in and out king and queen knife and fork ladies and gentlemen law and order live and let live lost and found loud and clear man and boy

man and wife meat and potatoes meet and greet mother and father mum and dad nook and cranny nuts and bolts odds and ends old and new once and for all peace and quiet pros and cons read and write rough and tumble sick and tired skin and bone song and dance spick and span

spit and polish thick and thin thunder and lightning time and again time and time again to and fro tooth and nail touch and go trial and error up and down yes and no all or nothing day or night do or die (neither) fish nor fowl (neither) hide nor hair kill or cure make or break

I. Make vs Do List

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Words that go with DO	Words that go with MAKE
do a crossword do the ironing do the laundry do the washing do the washing up do your work do homework do housework do your job do anything do everything do nothing. do badly do business do the dishes do a favor do good do harm do time (to go to prison) do well do your best do your hair do your nails do your worst	make amends make arrangements make believe (to pretend) make a choice make coffee make a comment make a cup of tea / coffee make a dress make a decision make a difference make an effort make an enquiry make an excuse make a fool of yourself make food make a fortune make friends make a fuss make a journey make love make a mess make a mistake make money make a move	make a noise make a phone call make a plan make a point make a profit make a promise make a remark make a sound make a speech make a suggestion make tea make time make a visit make your bed make a dress make food

Get up now, get up now, get up out of bed,
Wash your face, brush your teeth, comb your sleepy head.
Here’s your clothes and your shoes, hear the words I said,
Get up now, get up and make your bed.

Are you hot, are you cold, are you wearing that?
Where’s your books and your lunch and your homework at?
Grab your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hat.
Don’t forget, you’ve gotta feed the cat.

Eat your breakfast, the experts tell us it’s the most important meal of all,
Take your vitamins so you will grow up one day to be big and tall.
Please remember the orthodontist will be seeing you at three today,
Don’t forget your piano lesson is this afternoon so you must play.

Don’t shovel, chew slowly, but hurry, the bus is here,
Be careful, come back here, did you wash behind your ears?
Play outside, don’t play rough, would you just play fair?
Be polite, make a friend, don’t forget to share,
Work it out, wait your turn, never take a dare,
Get along, don’t make me come down there.

Clean your room, fold your clothes, put your stuff away,
Make your bed, do it now, do we have all day?
Were you born in a barn? Would you like some hay?
Can you even hear a word I say?

Answer the phone, Get off the phone,
Don’t sit so close, turn it down, no texting at the table.
No more computer time tonight,
Your ipod’s my ipod if you don’t listen up.

Where you going and with whom and what time do you think you’re coming home?
Saying thank you, please, excuse me, makes you welcome everywhere you roam.
You’ll appreciate my wisdom someday when you’re older and you’re grown.
Can’t wait til you have a couple little children of your own.

You’ll thank me for the council I gave you so willingly,
But right now I thank you not to roll your eyes at me.
Close your mouth when you chew, we’d appreciate,
Take a bite, maybe two, of the stuff you hate.
Use your fork, do not burp or I’ll set you straight.
Eat the food I put upon your plate.

Get an A, get in the door, don’t be smart with me,
Get a grip, get in here or I’ll count to three,
Get a job, Get a life, get a PhD, get a dose of

I don’t care who started it,

You’re grounded until you’re 36,
Get your story straight and tell the truth for once for heaven sake.

And, if all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump to?
If I’ve said once I’ve said it at least a thousand times before,
That you’re too old to act this way,
It must be your father’s DNA.

Look at me when I am talking, stand up straighter when you walk.
A place for everything, and everything must be in place.
Stop crying or I’ll give you something real to cry about.

oh

Brush your teeth, wash your face, get your pj’s on.
Get in bed, get a hug, say a prayer with Mom.
Don’t forget I love you (kiss)

And tomorrow we will do this all again

because a Mom’s work never ends.

You don’t need the reason why,
Because, Because, Because, Because,
I said so, I said so, I said so, I said so.
I’m the Mom, the Mom, the Mom, the Mom, the Mom!

Ta-Da!

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