Adverb-adjective collocations – C1 English Vocabulary

Adverb-adjective collocations

In this Advanced Vocabulary lesson, you will learn common adverb + adjective/past participle collocations. Check the explanation to familiarize yourself with the expressions before doing the exercises.

Exercise 1

Choose the correct option for each gap.

Please wait...

1 The rules were ______ defined at the start of the game.

A. seriously

B. clearly

C. fully

D. deeply

2 Many of the residents were ______ opposed to the increase in maintenance costs.

A. virtually

B. poorly

C. deeply

D. strongly

3 Two of the passengers were ______ injured in the accident.

A. clearly

B. fully

C. utterly

D. seriously

4 The idea sounds ______ ridiculous; it simply wouldn’t work.

A. closely

B. poorly

C. utterly

D. fully

5 Most people are aware that stress and poor sleep are ______ related.

A. clearly

B. virtually

C. closely

D. fully

6 It is important that the contestants are ______ aware of the risks.

A. fully

B. closely

C. clearly

D. seriously

7 Working from home is becoming ______ common these days.

A. increasingly

B. closely

C. deeply

D. virtually

8 Matt was ______ responsible for the project’s success.

A. poorly

B. deeply

C. virtually

D. largely

9 This restaurant is ______ recognised for its excellent food.

A. closely

B. widely

C. heavily

D. fully

10 The new law was ______ criticised by the public.

A. clearly

B. fully

C. heavily

D. seriously

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Adverb-adjective collocations

In this Advanced Vocabulary lesson, you will learn common adverb + adjective/past participle collocations. These combinations are very frequent in essays, reviews and reports, but learners often use unnatural alternatives such as very + adjective. Check the table below and read the sentence examples to learn how to use them naturally in context.

Adverb + adjective collocations

1 deeply concerned

• The local residents are deeply concerned about the environmental impact of the project.

2 highly unlikely

• It is highly unlikely that the proposal will be approved without major changes.

3 utterly ridiculous

• The idea that technology can solve every problem is utterly ridiculous.

4 virtually impossible

• Under the current conditions, meeting the deadline is virtually impossible.

5 perfectly clear

• It was perfectly clear from his response that he disagreed.

6 strongly opposed

• Several experts are strongly opposed to the proposed reforms.

7 firmly convinced

• She is firmly convinced that education is the key to long-term change.

8 fully aware

• The company is fully aware of the risks involved.

9 deeply disappointed

• Many supporters were deeply disappointed by the final decision.

10 clearly defined

• The roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined from the start.

11 closely related

• Language and culture are closely related and cannot be studied in isolation.

12 widely recognised

• Climate change is a widely recognised global challenge.

13 clearly evident

• The improvement in her confidence was clearly evident.

14 largely responsible

• Human activity is largely responsible for the decline in biodiversity.

15 increasingly common

• Remote working has become increasingly common in recent years.

16 badly affected

• Small businesses were badly affected by the economic downturn.

17 seriously injured

• Several passengers were seriously injured in the accident.

18 deeply rooted

• These attitudes are deeply rooted in the country’s history.

19 heavily criticised

• The policy was heavily criticised by both the media and the public.

20 poorly managed

• The project failed because it was poorly managed from the outset.

After completing the exercises in this lesson on Adverb-adjective Collocations, you can use the unit’s Vocabulary Flashcards to revise and help you memorize the terms.