Adjective Collocations with Adverb, Noun and Adjective

March 23, 2026March 21, 2018 by Isabella

Published on March 21, 2018 by Isabella

1 min read

B1 English B2 English

Adjective Collocations: Adjective + Adjective

Adjective Collocations – Created by 7ESL

Best possible

Getting a perfect score is the best possible result.

Neat and tidy

The class room and its equipment had to be very neat and tidy.

Safe and sound

He was weak for lack of food, but safe and sound.

Sick and tired

The boy was sick and tired of doing his lengthy homework assignment.

Adjective Collocations: Noun + Adjective

Crystal clear

The water is crystal clear and drunk without any treatment.

Question 1: What is a collocation?

A A grammatical rule for ordering adjectives by size

B A word that has multiple unrelated meanings

C A combination of words that naturally go together in common usage

D A type of verb phrase used in formal writing

A collocation is a combination of words that naturally go together and are commonly used by native speakers. The article covers adjective collocations — combinations like adjective + adjective, adjective + adverb, and noun + adjective.

Question 2: "Crystal clear" is an example of an adjective + adverb collocation.

A True

B False

This statement is false. According to the article, "crystal clear" is categorized as a noun + adjective collocation, not an adjective + adverb collocation. "Crystal" functions as a noun modifying the adjective "clear."

Question 3: Which sentence uses the collocation "sick and tired" correctly?

A He was sick and tired because he ran a marathon and needed sleep.

B I'm sick and tired of hearing the same excuses every week.

C She felt sick and tired after eating fresh fruit.

D The doctor said he was sick and tired, so he prescribed medicine.

"Sick and tired" means extremely annoyed or fed up with something. The correct sentence uses it to express frustration with a repeated situation, which matches its natural meaning.

Question 4: Match each collocation to the type it belongs to.

Safe and sound

Good enough

Crystal clear

Close together

Adverb pair (position)

Noun + Adjective

Adjective + Adjective

Adjective + Adverb

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

"Safe and sound" and "neat and tidy" are adjective + adjective collocations. "Good enough" is an adjective + adverb collocation. "Crystal clear" is a noun + adjective collocation.

Question 5: In the collocation "best possible," what does the combination mean?

A The easiest option available

B The most likely to happen

C The highest or finest that can be achieved

D The most popular among choices

"Best possible" means the highest or finest that can be achieved. The article uses the example: "Getting a perfect score is the best possible result," showing it describes the maximum achievable outcome.

Adjective Collocations with Adverb, Noun and Adjective

Adjective Collocations: Adjective + Adjective

Adjective Collocations: Adjective + Adverb

Adjective Collocations: Noun + Adjective