Chapter 1 the study of collocations

Table 49.  Accuracy order for the collocation types included in the blank-filling 
test - Group 3 
Type  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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33. Verb Adverb 
34. Noun Noun 
4. Prep Noun 
24. SV(O) wh-word 
23. SV(O) Adverbial 
29. Adjective Noun 
27. Verb Noun (creation) 
1. Noun Prep 
36. Prep Det Noun 
37. Phrasal Verb 
28. Verb Noun (eradication) 
5. Adjective Prep 
11. SV(O) Prep O 
 
 
The above accuracy order for Group 3 was statistically significant.  It shows 
that subjects in the highest proficiency level were accurate in both lexical and 
grammatical collocations. 
 
Overall, as with the translation data, the subjects were less accurate in their 
responses to the blank-filling test, i.e. 45 subjects out of 275, about 16%, were 
accurate in their responses to Type 34, the type with the most accurate answers. 
 
Comparing the results from the three scales, the following conclusions can 
be drawn. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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i)  Type 11. SV(O) Prep O and 27. Verb Noun (creation) collocations were among the 
most difficult collocation types (see also the results for the translation data).  Also, 
the subjects' responses to Type 28. Verb Noun (eradication) collocations were no 
more accurate than their responses to Type 27. Verb Noun (creation) collocations 
(see implicational scale for Group 3).  It appears that Verb Noun collocations are 
difficult to acquire, irrespective of whether or not they denote creation or eradication 
(see Benson et al. 1986a). 
ii)  Subjects in Groups 1 and 2 achieved similar levels of accuracy, while subjects in 
Group 3 were clearly more accurate in the blank-filling test, despite the fact that 
their test contained more items.  Undoubtedly, students at the most proficient level 
for this study had a more advanced level of collocational knowledge. 
iii)  The greatest difference in the three acquisition orders was with respect to Type 
33. Verb Adverb collocations.  Subjects in Groups 1 and 3 were accurate in their 
responses to this type of collocation, with Group 3 subjects significantly more 
accurate than Group 1 subjects, while subjects in Group 2 were not at all accurate 
on this collocation type.  An examination of the specific collocations tested showed 
that Groups 1 and 3 were tested only on the collocation 'work hard', while subjects 
in Group 2 were tested on 'work hard', 'brake hard', and 'think highly'.  In terms of 
idiomaticity, 'think highly' is more idiomatic than the other two Verb Adverb 
collocations.  The idiomaticity of the collocation 'think highly' can be determined in 
terms of its level of abstraction and literalness (i.e. the likelihood of its literal 
meaning): 'think highly' is a more abstract collocation compared to the 'work hard' 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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and 'brake hard', which represent physical actions; also 'think highly' is of low 
literalness (i.e. of unlikely literal meaning), while 'work hard' and 'brake hard' are 
collocations with high literalness (see Cronk & Schweigert 1992).  The collocation 
'think highly' appeared to be especially difficult for subjects in Group 2, and even if 
they  answered the other two collocations correctly they still would not be able to 
score more than 66% accuracy on this type of collocation (less than the 80% 
accuracy criterion). 
iv)  As the level of proficiency increased, the students' performance on Prep Noun 
collocations also increased.  Despite the fact that subjects in Group 3 had more than 
double the number of Prep Noun collocations in their version of the blank-filling 
test than subjects in Group 1, they were far more accurate in their responses to this 
type of collocation.  On the other hand, Noun Prep collocations were difficult for all 
three groups.  The two types of collocation consist of the same parts of speech (a 
noun and a preposition) but in a different order.  When the preposition precedes 
the noun, collocations are easier for L2 learners.  When the preposition comes after 
the noun, collocations become more difficult.  A look at some of the Prep Noun 
collocations included in the test shows that these collocations are fairly fixed, 
frequent and regular (i.e. rule-governed), e.g. 'on Sundays' [on + day of the week], 
'at 7:06' [at + time], 'in favour', 'in danger'.  Noun Prep collocations are also fixed but 
less regular, more unpredictable (i.e. no rules can be generated for them) and 
associative, e.g. 'skills in', 'attitude towards', 'accusations against', 'degree in'.  It is 
possible that the order in which the parts of a collocation combine, rather than the 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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class they belong to (e.g. noun, verb, preposition, etc.), influences the degree of 
difficulty and consequently the acquisition of a collocation. 
v)  SV(O) Adverbial and SV(O) wh-word collocations were relatively easy for all 
groups, with SV(O) Adverbial collocations slightly more difficult than SV(O) wh-
word collocations.  Both these types have occurred frequently in the TWE series, 
with SV(O) wh-word collocations more frequent than SV(O) Adverbial collocations. 
vi)  As students became more proficient their accuracy on Adjective Noun lexical 
collocations also improved.  The Adjective Noun collocations for this test were fixed 
and formal, e.g. 'sore throat', 'marine life', 'heavy drinker'.  The subjects' knowledge 
of fixed collocations therefore improved significantly with proficiency.