COLLOCATIONS: FEELINGS (PART 1)

COLLOCATIONS: THEORY
Read the theory about collocations and then complete the worksheet.

What is a Collocation?

In English, we have the habit of using certain words together more often than others.
These words that appear together are called collocations.

Why are Collocations Important?

It is important to master collocations, as they will make your speech sound more natural.
When you use collocations, your speech will be idiomatic; meaning you will sound more
like a native speaker.

Examples of Common Collocations

We had a good time at the party.

Let’s have a drink after work.
Good luck with the exam! Just do your best.
I make my bed every morning.

ESL Pals 1 Grammar Worksheet

 GUESS THE MEANING
Study the collocations. Work in pairs and try to figure out each collocation's meaning.
You are not expected to know them all, but give it a go and have fun!

1. ridiculously excited.

__________________________________________________________________________________

2. increasingly anxious.

__________________________________________________________________________________

3. blissfully happy.

__________________________________________________________________________________

4. worried sick.

__________________________________________________________________________________

5. rollercoaster of emotions.

__________________________________________________________________________________

6. seething with anger.

__________________________________________________________________________________

7. visibly disappointed.

__________________________________________________________________________________

ESL Pals 2 Grammar Worksheet

 DEFINITIONS
Read the sentences below and match the phrases in bold to their meaning.

1. Being in a relationship can cause a rollercoaster of emotions.

2. I am ridiculously excited to receive my new car next week!

3. Couples are usually blissfully happy in their first few years of marriage.

4. We were worried sick when we lost our dog, but luckily we found him!

5. I got increasingly anxious when I was waiting for my medical test results.

6. His parents were seething with anger when he failed his maths test.

7. She was visibly disappointed when he broke up with her.

Meanings:
a. Used to describe an intense anger that cannot be contained.

b. When you feel extremely excited.

c. When it is clear from someone’s facial expression that they are disappointed.

d. To be extremely worried.

e. The feeling of complete happiness.

f. When you start to feel more and more anxious.

g. Feeling contradicting emotions all at once.

Task: Work in pairs and create example sentences for each collocation, then share them
with the class.

ESL Pals 3 Grammar Worksheet

 COMPLETE THE SENTENCES
Complete the sentences by completing the collocations with the correct word.

1. He was ridiculously ______________ to receive the job offer. It’s his dream job!

2. He was seething with ______________ when he found out that she had lied to him.

3. I was worried ______________ when I lost my phone. All my banking information is

on there!

4. She experienced a rollercoaster of ______________ when her daughter was born.

5. He got increasingly ______________ as the exam got closer. Luckily, he passed!

6. They were blissfully ______________ when they got married.

7. He was visibly ______________ when he didn’t get the job.

8. The kids were ______________ excited when they heard about the surprise trip to
Disneyland.

9. She was ______________ with anger after discovering that her favourite dress had
been ruined.

10. The parents were ______________ sick when their daughter didn't come home on
time.

11. Going through a breakup can feel like a ______________ of emotions, with ups and
downs every day.

12. As the deadline approached, he became ______________ anxious about finishing the
project on time.

13. After months of hard work, they finally received the acceptance letter and were
______________ happy.

14. The audience was ______________ disappointed when the basketball team lost.

ESL Pals 4 Grammar Worksheet

 DIALOGUES USING COLLOCATIONS
Complete the dialogues by completing each collocation.

Dialogue 1:

Dialogue 2:

ESL Pals 5 Grammar Worksheet

Dialogue 3:

Dialogue 4:

Dialogue 5:

ESL Pals 6 Grammar Worksheet

Dialogue 6:

Dialogue 7:

ESL Pals 7 Grammar Worksheet

 SARAH’S FASHION DREAMS
Read the story below, then complete the exercises.

Sarah had always dreamed of a successful career in the fashion industry, and when she
landed a job at Gucci, she was ridiculously excited. In the first few months, there was a
lot of creativity and learning, and Sarah was super happy,

However, as time went on, she realised that the fashion industry could be a rollercoaster
of emotions. The pressure to meet tight deadlines and constantly innovate was difficult.
Sarah was seething with anger every time her ideas were rejected. She worked tirelessly,
worried sick that she would never meet her manager's expectations..

Sarah became increasingly anxious. She doubted her abilities and constantly questioned
if she was ready for this competitive world. The sleepless nights and self-doubt ensured
Sarah was no longer blissfully happy.

One day, Sarah received an incredible opportunity to show her designs at an important
fashion event. As the event approached, Sarah worked night and day on her creations.
When the day arrived, she anxiously awaited the feedback. However, the response was
not what she had hoped for. The critics were visibly disappointed.

Despite the disappointment, Sarah refused to give up. She continued to work hard and
learn more, as she was determined to prove herself. Months passed, and Sarah's
perseverance paid off. Her designs gradually caught the attention of influential people in
the industry. The rollercoaster of emotions taught her invaluable lessons about resilience,
self-belief, and the importance of staying true to her artistic vision.

Sarah's short period in her career had been filled with a wide range of emotions, from
excitement and happiness to anger and disappointment. In the end, it was her focus,
dedication, and determination that gave her success.

Questions:

1. Identify the collocations in the text.

2. When was Sarah seething with anger?
3. How did Sarah feel when she got the job?
4. Describe how Sarah experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.
5. In the story, who were visibly disappointed? What made them feel this way?
6. Retell the story to a classmate.
7. Predict what will happen next.

ESL Pals 8 Grammar Worksheet

 COLLOCATION QUESTIONS
Practice using the collocations in a natural way by answering the following questions.

1. Have you ever been ridiculously excited about something? How did it feel and what
caused your excitement?

2. Do you have a future goal that you would be ridiculously excited to achieve?

3. Can you recall a time when you were seething with anger? What triggered your
anger, and how did you manage or express it?

4. Have you ever witnessed a colleague or manager seething with anger? What was
the outcome?

5. Have you ever been worried sick about something work or school related? How did
it affect your daily life and overall well-being?

6. How can parents avoid being worried sick about their children or is it an inevitable
part of parenting?

7. Describe a time when you experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. What caused

these emotions, how did you cope and what did you learn from the experience?

8. How can sporting events cause a rollercoaster of emotions?

9. Have you ever found yourself increasingly anxious about a future event or
outcome? How did you cope with your rising anxiety?

10. How can you avoid becoming increasingly anxious as important events approach?

11. Share a moment in your life when you felt blissfully happy. What led to this state of
happiness, and how did it impact your perspective?

12. Do you think it's possible to always be blissfully happy?

13. Have you ever been visibly disappointed by someone’s actions? How did you
express your disappointment, and did it lead to any resolution or change?

14. Have you ever been visibly disappointed at work due to a project not meeting your
expectations? How did you handle and communicate your disappointment to your
team or colleagues?

ESL Pals 9 Grammar Worksheet

HOMEWORK
COLLOCATIONS: WRITING TASK
You are going to write responses using the collocations presented and studied in today’s
lesson. Follow the guidelines below.

Guidelines

Read each situation below (1-6) and write a response to each. You must use one or more
collocations from the list (a-g) in your answer:

a. ridiculously excited

b. seething with anger

c. worried sick

d. rollercoaster of emotions

e. increasingly anxious

f. blissfully happy

g. visibly disappointed

Situations:

1. You won a trip to her dream destination. You have been dreaming about visiting
this destination for years and can't contain your excitement.

2. Your boss just announced that there will be redundancies at the company. You
have worked hard for years and are worried sick about losing your job.

3. After waiting for months, you have finally received the results of your college
application. Unfortunately, you weren't accepted into your top choice of university.

4. Your neighbour has been having loud parties every weekend, despite numerous
complaints. This has been going on for months, and you are not happy at all.

5. You just got engaged to your long-term partner, and you can't wait to start
planning the wedding.

6. You have been waiting for hours at the airport for your flight, but there have been
multiple delays. You have an important meeting to attend, and the constant
uncertainty causes more and more stress.

ESL Pals 10 Grammar Worksheet