Do you know what a post office is?
Look at this building.
In America, this is where we go to send letters and packages and do other things that have
to do with the U.S. mail.
And, this is where our local mail is despatched from.
We call it the post office.
Post means mail.
But, it's a building so what if you called it the post building?
You'd sound very weird.
Native speakers of American English would think that those two words just don't go together.
Post and office go together.
Post and building don't go together unless you say the post office building.
This is probably because the post office is not just a building, it's also an institution.
But, still, post building is not incorrect, it just doesn't sound right.
So, even though you know the definitions of certain words doesn't mean you know how to
use them.
This is one reason among many why learning a new word and immediately trying to make
up your own sentence with no guidance is a bad idea!
Post office is a collocation in English.
Collocations are words that are frequently used together and that, in English, just seem
to go together.
Many idioms consist of collocations, so if you follow my channel, you've already encountered
some.
Let's look at some other words:
Big can mean the same thing as large.
We often say 'a big accomplishment.'
Big accomplishment is a common collocation.
Great accomplishment can be used as well.
But large accomplishment just sounds wrong.
We never say 'large accomplishment.'You can say a large house or a big house and this
will sound fine.
But you can't say a large accomplishment.
Big and accomplishment go together.
This same thing is true of 'a big surprise.'
"My Christmas present was a big surprise."
Never a large surprise.
However, you can say a huge surprise, so don't get too entrenched in rules.
So, big and surprise go together.
Huge and surprise go together.
But, large and surprise never go together.
However, the word large has its own collocations.
"I have a large amount of wine left from the party."
'Large amount' sounds correct.
"I have a big amount of wine left from the party."
'Big amount' sounds weird.
Big and amount don't go together in English.
But what about opposites?
Let's consider deep and shallow.
You can be in deep thought or deep in thought, meaning you are thinking a lot and not paying
attention to anything else; you are really concentrating.
But the opposite of deep thought is not shallow thought.
Deep and thought go together.
Shallow and thought do not go together.
You might get in deep trouble if you steal something.
Deep trouble means a lot of trouble.
You can't get in shallow trouble.
You could get in a little trouble.
So the opposite of deep trouble is probably a little trouble.
On the other hand, heavy and light can sometimes form opposite collocations.
"The forecast calls for heavy rain all day."
"The forecast calls for light rain all day."
Heavy and light are opposite and they both go with rain.
Both heavy and light also go with snow.
Are you beginning to get the idea?
Collocations are unpredictable and can seem random so you really just have to learn them
just like you learn vocabulary words and idioms.
And, learning collocations is just as important, if not more important, than learning individual
vocabulary words.
Collocations reflect how native speakers actually speak.
Ive seen many YouTube videos where English teachers tell you to choose more intelligent
sounding or advanced words to replace common words.
However, if you use random words to sound more intelligent without understanding how
collocations are used you'll end up miss-using meany words and sounding unnatural and weird.
By the way, I'm a light sleeper.
I'm easily awoken.
What about you?
Are you a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper?