273. Verb-Object Collocations

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Custom and logic cause some objects of a verb to be more typical than others

DEFINITION AND EXTENT

Although a verb’s ability to have an object is a grammatical property, the actual objects that it has are more dictated by logic or custom. Thus, logic would normally rule out colours as an object of MEASURE, while custom causes an effort to be common after MAKE but not after DO (see 141. Ways of Using MAKE).

Some possible verb-object combinations are more common than others. Those that occur with noticeable regularity are often categorised as “collocations” (see 16. Ways of Distinguishing Similar Words, #5). A major subgroup of verb-object collocations that this blog examines in detail elsewhere involves object nouns spelled like verbs (see 173. “Do Research” or “Make Research”). Further frequent combinations are presented in posts on common small verbs: HAVE, GO, DO, GIVE, TAKE,  COME and SEE.

Here I wish to present other verb-object collocations that are common in English. Some are best identified by starting with a noun and examining the verbs it is likely to accompany as an object, while others are more easily found by starting with a verb. In both cases, it is surprising how often the partner word comes easily to mind. Readers who find the same are likely to already have a good “feel” for English.

My preferred way of presenting verb-object partnerships first from nouns and then from verbs is by means of two quizzes. These are followed by a matching exercise.

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OBJECT-DETERMINED VERBS

If the noun benefits is made the object of a verb meaning “cause”, the verb is likely to be not CAUSE but BRING (see 277. Advantages & Disadvantages, #4).

Below is a quiz that presents nouns like benefits and invites you to imagine each as the object of various verbs, in order to identify any combinations that sound unlikely. The number of unlikely combinations each time is variable: it might be none, or one, or more than one. Answers are provided afterwards.

1. …doubts

CAST, EXPERIENCE, EXPRESS, HAVE, PROVIDE, RAISE, RECEIVE, SUFFER

2 …problems

ADDRESS, CAUSE, ENCOUNTER, EXPERIENCE, FACE, GIVE, HAVE, SOLVE, SUFFER, TACKLE, UNDERGO

3. …academic references

CHASE UP, CHECK, CONSULT, FOLLOW UP, INSPECT, LOOK UP

4. …a role

ASSUME, CONDUCT, FILL, HAVE, PERFORM, PLAY, TAKE

5. …a meeting

ARRANGE, ATTEND, CALL, CHAIR, CONVENE, CREATE, HAVE, HOLD, SET UP

6. …debate

CREATE, GENERATE, INITIATE, MAKE, RAISE, SPARK, START, TRIGGER

7. …a target

ACHIEVE, ESTABLISH, HAVE, GIVE, HIT, MEET, MISS, SET

8. …a law

DRAW UP, ENACT, ESTABLISH, INTRODUCE, LEGISLATE, MAKE, PASS, RATIFY, SET UP

9. …taxes

AVOID, COLLECT, EVADE, EXPAND, INCREASE, LEVY, PAY, RAISE, REDUCE, REFUND

10. …a message

CARRY, COMPOSE, CONVEY, RECEIVE, SEND, SIGNAL, TAKE, TRANSMIT, WRITE

11. …a theory

BUILD, COMPILE, CONSTRUCT, DEVELOP, DRAW ON, FIT, FORMULATE, PRESENT, PROPOSE, USE

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Answers

1. Doubts

Unlikely verbs: PROVIDE and RECEIVE. Doubts are usually communicated or felt. The first of these meanings is typically expressed with CAST, EXPRESS or RAISE, the latter with EXPERIENCE, HAVE or SUFFER. Uncountable doubt is also usable with all of these verbs except RAISE, and is additionally common in the phrase throw doubt on…..

2. Problems

Unlikely verb: UNDERGO. It typically has an action noun or -ing gerund as its object, e.g. examination, investigation, repairs and training (see 173. “Do Research” or “Make Research”?, #6)

3. Academic References

Unlikely verb: INSPECT. Another meaning of a reference is “written support for someone’s job application”. This is most likely to accompany just CHASE UP, CHECK and FOLLOW UP.

4. A Role

Unlikely verb: CONDUCT. The most typical verb by far is PLAY.

5. A Meeting

Unlikely verb: CREATE. Holding a meeting is a more formal event than having one, suggesting an agenda and multiple participants. Have a meeting can mean “meet” or “be attending a meeting” or “be soon attending a meeting” (see 116: Rarer Uses of HAVE, #3 and #4).

6. Debate

Unlikely verbs: MAKE and RAISE.

7. A Target

Unlikely verb: GIVE.

8. A Law

Unlikely verbs: LEGISLATE and SET UP. LEGISLATE is an “intransitive” verb (see 113. Verbs that cannot be Passive). As it means “pass a law”, there is no need to actually say law.

9. Taxes

Unlikely verb: EXPAND.

10. A Message

Unlikely verb: SIGNAL. The idea of a message is already present within the meaning of this verb.

11. A theory

Unlikely verb: COMPILE. The object of this verb is likely to be some kind of group, such as a catalogue, list or selection.

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VERB-DETERMINED OBJECTS

To identify combinations where the verb suggests the object rather than the reverse, this quiz is like the first, except that the lists are of suggested objects rather than verbs.

12. POSE…

complications, dangers, difficulties, issues, obstacles, problems, questions, threats

13. MOUNT…

a display, an exhibition, an investigation, an offensive, an operation, a procedure, a search, a ship, a show

14. LAUNCH…

an attack, a career, an initiative, an investigation, a publication, a policy, a product, a project, a rocket

15. TACKLE…

backlogs, issues, mysteries, operations, problems, questions, subjects, tasks

16. SPARK…

action, discussion, debate, enthusiasm, freedom, interest, questions, a response, suffering, sympathy

17. EXPOSE…

corruption, deceit, difficulties, flaws, lies, suffering, the truth, weaknesses, wrongdoing

18. EXERT…

authority, force, a hold, influence, power, pressure, strength, temperature

19. DRAW UP…

agreements, arrangements, documents, lists, plans, policies, procedures, processes, programmes

20. EXACT

…a calculation, concessions, gifts, payment, a price, punishment, a toll, taxes, retribution, vengeance

21. DEVOTE… (to…)

attention, effort, energy, importance, one’s life, a project, resources, space, time, writings

22. WREAK…

changes, damage, destruction, devastation, discoveries, havoc, revenge, a transformation

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Answers

12. POSE

Unlikely object: complications (more likely to follow CAUSE). The most typical objects are problems and questions.

13. MOUNT

Unlikely objects: a procedure (often paired with INITIATE) and a ship (often paired with BOARD or LAUNCH). Here, MOUNT means either “present” (a display, exhibition, show) or “stage”. A third meaning, not represented above, is “ascend” (stairs, a horse).

14. LAUNCH

Unlikely object: none. Most of the common objects of MOUNT are also usable after LAUNCH. MOUNT has the idea of start-to-finish supervision, while LAUNCH focuses more on initiation.

15. TACKLE

Unlikely object: operations. The “deal with” meaning of this word is derived from the sporting concept of trying to gain a ball from an opponent (see 137. Words that Reflect English Culture, #4). Most common objects name a source of difficulty.

16. SPARK

Unlikely objects: freedom and suffering. The objects of this figurative verb meaning “cause” tend to be positive outcomes, either events like discussion or emotions like enthusiasm.

17. EXPOSE

Unlikely object: none. Objects of this verb are typically hidden evils. Even the truth can fall into this category because it can represent truths that are repugnant as well as those that are inspiring. With the latter, REVEAL is more suitable than EXPOSE.

18. EXERT

Unlikely object: temperature. All of the other objects are personal attributes or powers that someone can use to pressurise others into giving something.

19. DRAW UP

Unlikely object: processes. This verb implies human planning, something not likely to be found in processes, which occur more naturally (see 210. Process Descriptions).

20. EXACT

Unlikely objects: a calculation and gifts. This verb has two common object types. One, often with a from phrase after the object, is desirable gains achieved through force. Gifts are ruled out here because they are usually made freely. The other object type, often with a following on phrase, is inflicted suffering of some kind. Calculations may involve suffering, but they are not usually inflicted.

21. DEVOTE

Unlikely object: importance (often paired with ATTACH or ATTRIBUTE: see 198. Indicating Importance, #2). Most of the common objects of DEVOTE are personal abilities or possessions that could also be objects of GIVE (see 244. Special Uses of GIVE, #5). DEVOTE implies more effort, or bestows a greater value on what is given.

Like GIVE, DEVOTE in the active form normally needs two nouns after it, one naming a recipient. However, its recipient noun must always be the second one (after to) – the two nouns cannot be reversed with to removed (see 126. Verbs with an Indirect Object, final section).

22. WREAK

Unlikely object: discoveries. Like INFLICT, this verb has the idea of forcing other people to experience something (expressed by the object) that is definitely or possibly undesirable. The people in question can be named or described with an on phrase after the object. The past simple tense and past participle of the verb are both wrought.

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PRACTICE EXERCISE: MATCHING VERBS WITH THEIR PREDICTABLE OBJECT

Some verb-object combinations are close to being fixed expressions. The following exercise presents a number of examples all mixed together. The task is to separate them out. Answers are, as ever, given afterwards.

Answers

bear the brunt, beg the question, buck a trend, cast a shadow, contract an illness, court disaster, hike prices, repeal a law, stimulate demand, strike a balance, sue for peace, tip the balance.

272. Uses of “Ever”

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“Ever” contributes to words and characteristic word combinations, with variable meanings

THE VALUE OF CONSIDERING “EVER”

Ever is like only: most often used like an ordinary English adverb, but with enough less well-known possibilities to make it what I call “multi-use” (see 3. Multi-Use Words). As with my post on only (251. The Grammar of “Only”), the purpose of concentrating on ever here is to offer both a comprehensive description of its usage and some reminders of various grammar points made elsewhere in this blog.

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USES

1. As an Ordinary Time Adverb

Ever is used with adjectives and sometimes verbs to mean “without ending”. With adjectives, this meaning is a type of duration (saying how long). Like most adjective-focussed adverbs, ever typically goes first. The combinations can usually occupy either of the main adjective positions: before a noun (e.g. an ever fruitful enterprise) and after one with a link verb in between (…was ever grateful/ready). Some combinations are so common that they have ceased to be separate words. Ever-present usually has a hyphen; evergreen lacks even that.

Before comparative adjectives (ever better, ever more dangerous), ever perhaps expresses unending frequency (saying how often) rather than duration.

With verbs, ever mostly expresses unending frequency. When it does, the verb must represent a brief action rather than an extended one or a state (see 225. Simultaneous Occurrence), and be in either a “continuous” tense (BE -ing) or the participle form (especially -ing). Common verbs include ASK, COMPLAIN, DEMAND, SAY, SEEK, SUGGEST, THINK (= believe), TRY and WISH. A typical sentence might be:

(a) Small children are ever trying to be noticed.

The position here of ever, just before the -ing part of the verb, is the only possible one.

Participles with ever follow it, separated by a hyphen, e.g. ever-increasing prices, ever-criticised behaviour (see 223. Uses of Hyphens, #4D). In the word everlasting, the absence of a hyphen perhaps reflects combination with an adjective rather than participle (see 245. Adjectives with a Participle Ending).

With both adjectives and verbs, frequency-indicating ever is replaceable by a frequency-indicating always (see 227. Time Adverbs). With verbs, ever perhaps sounds slightly less positive than always, suggesting the repetitions are causing irritation.

The other main use of ever with verbs usually requires them to be negative and/or in a question, and allows tenses other than continuous ones, e.g.did not ever go…, will they ever see…?  Ever then means “at any time” (see 310. Aspects of Negation, #7), and not ever is very similar to never, though much less common outside questions.

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2. In Questions Asked with a Question Word

Ever can go directly after any question word except whether, whom and whose, forming (except after why) a single word with it (see 285. Complexities of Question Words, #4). It can also follow any question word more distantly, before the main part of the verb. Both uses suggest its user cannot imagine any possible answer to the question:

(b) Whatever did the money buy?

(c) What did the money ever buy?

The difference here is that (b) is a genuine information-seeking question, while (c) is just an expression of scepticism implying the answer nothing .

The tenses in the following examples make the question about something happening either as it is asked or so recently that evidence of it is still visible. As with (b), information is being sought:

(d) Whatever are you doing?

(e) Wherever have they been?

In addition, though, ever suggests surprise or irritation. Moreover, the visibility of the event means ever cannot logically be in the later, existence-questioning position.

An alternative to ever directly after a question word is on earth (see 274. Questions with a Hidden Meaning, #7). It similarly suggests that the speaker is mystified, surprised or irritated, but perhaps more emphatically.

Ever questions like (c), (d) and (e) can be indirect, with ever in the same positions. However, indirect forms of questions like (b) seem likely not to include ever at all.

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3. After Comparatives and Superlatives

The comparative and superlative forms of both adjectives and adverbs can be expanded into a phrase by means of a following ever statement, with ever meaning “at any time”. After comparatives, the statement is introduced by than, after superlatives that. The verb in the statement rarely has a negative or question form:

(f) The moon astronauts travelled further from the earth than humans had ever done before.

(g) The moon is the furthest (point) that humans have ever reached beyond the earth.

In (f), further is a comparative adverb linked by than to the following ever statement; in (g), furthest is a superlative adjective (describing the visible or implied noun point) linked by that to the following ever statement.

In addition to adjectives and adverbs in the superlative form, there are a few base-form ones with a superlative-like meaning – first and last for example – that can similarly have a subsequent that…ever statement. Moreover, base-form adjectives and adverbs between as…as… (e.g. as far as…) can also precede an ever statement, the second as acting like than/that after comparatives and superlatives.

Abbreviated forms of than, that and as statements like the above are often possible. In one, there is just ever by itself after either a comparative + than (e.g. better than ever), or a superlative without that (e.g. the furthest ever), or a base adjective between as…as (e.g. as far as ever). The use directly after a superlative is replaceable by other “intensifying” words, such as yet, so far and imaginable (see 269. Exotic Grammar Structures 7, #3). Another type of abbreviation after a superlative is ever + passive (-ed) participle: …the furthest (point) ever reached in (g).

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4. After Conditional “if”

This is another context where ever meaning “at any time” can accompany a verb that is neither negative nor in a question. It is usable in the same two sentence positions that are possible after question words:

(h) If … aliens were … encountered, the excitement would be huge.

(i) If … a comet was … seen, a disaster was expected.

Sentence (h) is a standard use of if, with the event mentioned after it implied to be unlikely. In (i), on the other hand, certain occurrence is conveyed, rather as it is with when, but with a suggestion of greater rarity (see 118. Problems with Conditional “if”, #6).

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5. With Certain Adverbs and Adverb Phrases

Ever can precede after, more or since in their independent adverb role. Ever after means “always after then” (typically with a verb in a past or future tense). Ever more means either “always after then” (with a past tense verb and for in front) or “always after now” (with a future tense verb). Ever since means “always between then and now” (with a verb in the present perfect tense). Ever is not replaceable in any of these with always:

(j) Gold was found there once and has been sought ever since.

Note that after and since without ever can imply either “always” or “once”, so that adding ever is a way of ensuring that the “always” meaning is understood.

After and since can additionally be prepositions or conjunctions after ever, necessitating further words after them. For example, since in (j) would become a preposition before a noun expression like that time, and a conjunction before a subject + verb, e.g. that occurred (see 61. “Since” versus “Because”).

One other adverb commonly found after ever is so combined with either an adjective (ever so easy) or adverb (ever so easily). This is so meaning “very”, and ever just makes that meaning even stronger (like very, very…). It is a rather informal use: in formal contexts both words would probably be replaced by extremely or similar (see 194. Adverbs that Say How Much, #5).

Also notable is only ever, which means “always with no alternative” (see 251. The Grammar of “Only”).

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6. As a Suffix (“-ever”)

As mentioned above, ever is often fused onto the end of a word that by itself introduces a question (whoever, whenever, however etc.).

Words formed like this have both the questioning uses described above (#2) and a non-questioning one. In the latter, the verb after the -ever word cannot be the only one in its sentence in the way did…buy is in (b) (a “direct” question). Instead, it typically belongs to adverb-like combinations in longer sentences:

(k) HOWEVER the question IS POSED, the answer is always the same.

(l) WHATEVER anyone ADVISES, problems can be overcome.

The -ever parts here are adverbial because they are neither the subject of the main verb nor the complement or object. The main verb in (k) (is) has the subject the answer and the complement the same; the main verb in (l) (can be overcome) has the subject problems and allows no object. 

For more about however in sentences like (k), see 256. Unusual Meanings of Familiar Words, #6. For information about dropping BE after whatever in sentences like (l), see the end of 192. When BE can be Omitted).

Of course, -ever words in indirect questions similarly need more than one verb in their sentence. However, they still differ from most non-questioning -ever words in introducing noun-like instead of adverb-like sentence parts (see 185. Noun Synonyms of Question Words).

Nevertheless, there are also a few non-questioning -ever uses – involving whoever, whatever or whichever – that introduce a noun-like sentence part:

(m) Whatever was written is lost.

The underlined part here is the subject of is lost. What still rules out such cases as indirect questions is absence of a question-indicating expression like ask, explain or know (see 219. Wording next to Indirect Questions).

Non-questioning -ever has three alternative meanings. The most common is “unimportance”: that the -ever part is naming something that does not affect what is mentioned in the main part of the sentence (see 199. Importance and Unimportance, #8). For example, sentence (k) says the wording of the question does not affect the answer. This meaning allows -so- to be inserted into the -ever word (e.g. whatsoever, howsoever) to give more emphasis.

The other two meanings seem more likely when the -ever part has a noun rather than adverbial role, as in sentence (m). One of these meanings is “all” or “everything” – the start of (m) could mean “everything written”. The other possible meaning is “unknown”: (m) could be indicating ignorance of what exact single thing was written.

One other use of whatever is directly after a negative (pro)noun to emphasize the negation, rather like at all, e.g. nothing whatever, no reason whatever.