Collocations — Adjective + Noun

Strong evidence, sharp increase, widespread inequality.

Strong evidence · Heavy traffic · Sharp increase · Fixed combinations

B2 Vocabulary

Adjective + Noun collocations

These adjective + noun combinations cannot be translated literally. Using wrong adjectives is a very common error at B2 level.

strong evidence

convincing proof — NOT powerful or heavy evidence

heavy traffic

a lot of traffic on the roads — NOT big or strong traffic

high unemployment

a large number of unemployed people — NOT big unemployment

deep concern

serious worry — NOT big concern

broad range

a wide variety — NOT big or large range

close relationship

a near connection — NOT near relationship

sharp increase

a sudden, steep rise — NOT quick increase

growing awareness

increasing consciousness of an issue

widespread inequality

inequality affecting many areas

key issue

the most important problem

major breakthrough

a very significant discovery or development

crucial role

an extremely important function

There is strong evidence that automation leads to widespread redundancy.

There is growing awareness of the deep concern about data privacy.

The report shows a sharp increase in carbon emissions last year.

Renewable energy plays a crucial role in addressing the climate crisis.

Strong

strong evidence · strong argument · strong impact

Sharp

sharp increase · sharp decline · sharp contrast

Widespread

widespread inequality · widespread damage · widespread concern

Deep

deep concern · deep impact · deeply rooted