Intermediate verb-noun collocations. 45 questions on reach, raise, meet, draw, hold, break, and pay collocations in semi-formal contexts.
What this test covers
- Collocations with reach, draw, and raise
- Collocations with meet, face, and hold
- Collocations with break, pay, and carry out
Answer the 45 questions below. Each answer is checked straight away, with an explanation. Press Submit at the end to get your score and save it to your dashboard. Answers are not kept if you leave before submitting.
All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
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Q1The committee needs to ___ a consensus before we can finalize the new policy.
Answer: A. reach
The standard collocation is to 'reach a consensus,' meaning to arrive at a decision that everyone agrees with. While 'obtain' and 'gain' are common verbs for getting something, they do not naturally pair with 'consensus.' 'Hold' is used for opinions or meetings, not for the process of reaching an agreement.
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Q2The speaker used anecdotes to ___ attention to the main issue of the presentation.
Answer: A. draw
In this context, 'draw attention' is a fixed collocation meaning to attract someone's notice. The verb 'pull' is too literal, while 'take' is not used in this idiomatic way. Although 'keep attention' is grammatically possible, the phrase 'attention to' specifically signals that 'draw' is the intended answer.
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Q3We must ___ awareness about the dangers of pollution in our local area.
Answer: C. raise
To 'raise awareness' is a very common set phrase meaning to increase public knowledge about a specific issue. 'Rise' is an intransitive verb (it doesn't take an object), so it cannot be used here. 'Lift' and 'inflate' are used for physical objects or prices, but not for abstract concepts like awareness.
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Q4The team managed to ___ all the project requirements before the end of the quarter.
Answer: C. meet
In professional English, we 'meet requirements' or 'meet needs.' This collocation means to fulfill a set of necessary conditions. While you can 'achieve' a goal or 'execute' a plan, 'meet' is the specific verb collocating with the noun 'requirements.'
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Q5If the company continues to ignore the data, they will inevitably ___ a crisis.
Answer: C. face
The verb 'face' is used when someone has to deal with a difficult situation, such as a crisis or a problem. While you might 'see' or 'notice' a crisis happening, 'face' emphasizes the confrontation and the need for action. 'Meet' is not typically used with 'crisis' unless it refers to meeting a deadline or a requirement.
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Q6Which sentence is correct?
Answer: B. She holds a position of great responsibility in the firm.
In formal contexts, we say someone 'holds a position' or 'holds a post.' It means to have a specific job or role. 'Carries' is often used with 'responsibility' alone (she carries responsibility), but not with 'position.' 'Achieves' would refer to the act of getting the position, but not the state of having it.
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Q7Which sentence is correct?
Answer: B. The athlete managed to break a record during the final race.
In sports, when an athlete sets a new best time or score, they 'break a record.' While 'reach' is sometimes used to describe hitting a specific number, 'break' is the standard idiomatic collocation for surpassing a previous record. 'Pay' and 'face' do not fit the context of athletic achievements.
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Q8Which sentence is correct?
Answer: C. Investors are concerned about the price they will have to pay.
To 'pay a price' is both a literal expression (money) and a common figurative idiom meaning to suffer the negative consequences of an action. The other verbs like 'draw,' 'carry out,' or 'hold' do not form standard collocations with 'price' in this context.
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Q9Identify the sentence with an error:
Answer: A. The consultant was hired to make an investigation.
We do not typically say 'make an investigation.' The standard collocations for this noun are 'conduct an investigation,' 'carry out an investigation,' or the more informal 'do an investigation.' Using 'make' is a common error based on translations from other languages.
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Q10Identify the sentence with an error:
Answer: A. The board decided to reach a concern about the safety measures.
The noun 'concern' (meaning a worry) collocations with 'raise,' 'voice,' or 'express.' You cannot 'reach a concern' because 'reach' implies arriving at a destination or a conclusion (like reaching an agreement). The context clue 'about the safety measures' indicates an opinion being shared, not a goal being attained.
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Q11The students were asked to ___ a comparison between the two historical eras.
Answer: D. make
The most common and natural collocation is to 'make a comparison.' While 'draw a comparison' is also correct in formal English, 'make' is the standard verb for most activities involving analysis or production of a statement. 'Create' and 'form' are less common in this specific context.
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Q12The charity worked hard to ___ funds for the new hospital wing.
Answer: C. raise
When collecting money for a specific purpose or organization, the correct verb is 'raise.' We 'raise funds' or 'raise money.' 'Reach' would only be used if there was a specific financial target (reach a goal), and 'pay' or 'hold' do not describe the act of collecting donations.
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Q13Which sentence is correct?
Answer: C. We must reach a compromise to end the strike.
To 'reach a compromise' is the standard phrase for coming to an agreement where both sides give up something. 'Reach' suggests a successful conclusion to a negotiation. Verbs like 'face' or 'pay' do not collocate with 'compromise' to describe the act of agreeing.
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Q14Which sentence is correct?
Answer: A. The manager needs to carry out an assessment of the risks.
The phrasal verb 'carry out' is used with formal nouns like 'assessment,' 'research,' or 'survey' to mean 'to perform' or 'to conduct.' While you might 'reach a conclusion' after an assessment, you 'carry out' the assessment itself.
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Q15Which sentence is correct?
Answer: D. She decided to pay a compliment to her colleague.
To 'pay a compliment' is a fixed idiomatic expression meaning to say something nice to someone. 'Face,' 'reach,' and 'draw' are not used with the noun 'compliment' in this way.
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Q16The department is currently ___ talks to resolve the labor dispute.
Answer: A. holding
In news and business English, we 'hold talks' or 'hold negotiations.' This means to organize or conduct formal discussions. You cannot 'pay' or 'raise' talks, and 'reaching' would be used with the result (reaching a settlement) rather than the process itself.
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Q17We must ensure we ___ the deadline, otherwise the project will be delayed.
Answer: A. meet
The standard collocation for finishing something on time is to 'meet a deadline.' If you fail to finish on time, you 'miss the deadline.' You 'reach' a goal or destination, but you 'meet' a time-based requirement like a deadline.
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Q18The CEO had to ___ the facts regarding the company's declining profits.
Answer: A. face
To 'face the facts' is a common idiom meaning to accept an unpleasant or difficult situation. It is often used when someone has been avoiding the truth. 'Pay,' 'reach,' and 'carry out' do not fit this context of acknowledging reality.
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Q19It is difficult to ___ the ice at the start of a large conference.
Answer: B. break
To 'break the ice' is a very common idiom meaning to say or do something to make people feel more relaxed in a social situation, especially with people they don't know. The other verbs do not form this idiomatic expression.
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Q20The director plans to ___ reforms to modernize the workplace culture.
Answer: A. carry out
To 'carry out' is used for actions like 'reforms,' 'tasks,' or 'orders.' It means to perform or put a plan into action. You 'face' a problem and 'reach' a goal, but you 'carry out' the actual steps of a reform program.
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Q21The team failed to ___ their potential in the final match of the season.
Answer: B. reach
We use the collocation 'reach one's potential' to mean achieving the level of success or ability that someone is capable of. While 'meet' is used with standards or expectations, 'reach' is the specific verb used for the abstract limit of 'potential.'
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Q22You should ___ a distinction between the two candidates based on their experience.
Answer: D. draw
To 'draw a distinction' is a formal way of saying that you are pointing out or making a difference between two things. 'Draw' here means to formulate or clarify in your mind or in words. 'Break,' 'reach,' and 'hold' are not used with the noun 'distinction' in this way.
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Q23The employees were worried about how to ___ the opposition from the management.
Answer: D. face
When dealing with resistance or people who disagree with you, the correct collocation is to 'face opposition.' This highlights the difficulty of the situation. 'Reach' and 'attain' are for positive goals, and 'hold' is for opinions or physical objects.
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Q24The organizers will ___ an event next month to celebrate the anniversary.
Answer: D. hold
We 'hold' events, meetings, or conferences. This verb indicates organizing and hosting a social or formal gathering. While you can 'carry out' a plan for an event, the event itself is 'held.'
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Q25We must not ___ the rules of the agreement during the trial period.
Answer: C. break
When someone does not follow a law, regulation, or agreement, they 'break the rules.' This is the opposite of 'following' or 'obeying' the rules. 'Reach,' 'face,' and 'pay' do not collocate with 'rules' in this context.
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Q26She was asked to ___ a visit to the site to inspect the progress.
Answer: A. pay
To 'pay a visit' is a common, slightly formal idiom meaning to visit a person or place. Although 'carry out an inspection' is a valid phrase, when the noun is 'visit,' the correct verb is 'pay.'
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Q27Identify the sentence with an error:
Answer: D. The team held a target of 100 sales by Friday.
You 'set a target' (create a goal) and 'reach' or 'achieve a target' (hit the goal). However, 'hold a target' is not a standard English collocation. 'Hold' is used for records or beliefs, but targets are things you aim for or attain.
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Q28Identify the sentence with an error:
Answer: A. The government decided to reach the alarm after the incident.
To warn people about a danger, you 'sound the alarm' or 'raise the alarm.' 'Reach the alarm' is incorrect because 'reach' implies getting to a physical location or a goal, which doesn't fit the context of alerting others. 'Ignore the alarm' is also a valid phrase, meaning they chose not to listen to it.
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Q29Identify the sentence with an error:
Answer: A. The student failed to reach the criteria for the scholarship.
With 'criteria,' we use verbs like 'meet,' 'satisfy,' or 'fulfill' to show that conditions have been reached. 'Reach the criteria' is generally considered incorrect; instead, you would 'reach a standard' or 'reach a level.' The context of an application for a scholarship makes 'meet' the most common choice.
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Q30Identify the sentence with an error:
Answer: C. The witness had to meet charges in court.
In legal contexts, a defendant has to 'face charges,' 'answer charges' (respond to them), or 'contest charges' (fight them). 'Meet charges' is not a valid collocation. Note that you can 'meet' a deadline or a person, but you 'face' an accusation or a legal charge.
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Q31Which sentence is correct?
Answer: A. He hopes to draw inspiration from his travels.
To 'draw inspiration' from something means to get ideas or be motivated by it. This is a very common collocation. You cannot 'hold,' 'pay,' or 'reach' inspiration.
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Q32Which sentence is correct?
Answer: D. The scientist will carry out research on the new virus.
We use 'carry out,' 'conduct,' or 'do' with the noun 'research.' 'Carry out' is particularly common in academic and scientific contexts. You cannot 'hold,' 'face,' or 'reach' research as an activity.
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Q33Which sentence is correct?
Answer: D. The protesters raised an objection to the new law.
When you formally disagree or present a complaint, you 'raise an objection.' This is a standard phrase in legal, debate, and formal contexts. 'Hold an objection' is not used; instead, you would 'hold a belief' or 'have an objection.'
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Q34Which sentence is correct?
Answer: D. We must hold a meeting to discuss the budget.
The correct verb for organizing or conducting a meeting is 'hold.' You 'hold a meeting,' 'hold a conference,' or 'hold a discussion.' You 'face' a difficult situation, but you 'hold' the gathering intended to discuss it.
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Q35Which sentence is correct?
Answer: D. They need to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers.
To 'pay tribute' to someone is an idiomatic expression meaning to show respect or admiration, often in a public ceremony or speech. 'Reach,' 'hold,' and 'face' do not collocate with 'tribute' in this way.
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Q36The negotiator managed to ___ an agreement that satisfied both parties.
Answer: C. reach
The standard collocation for a successful negotiation is to 'reach an agreement.' 'Reach' indicates the successful arrival at a conclusion after a period of effort or discussion. 'Make' and 'come to' are also possible, but 'reach' is the most common formal collocation with 'agreement.' 'Draw' and 'hold' do not collocate with 'agreement' in this way.
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Q37It is necessary to ___ the standards of quality in our production.
Answer: B. raise
To 'raise standards' means to improve the level of quality or expectations. This is a standard collocation. You can also 'meet standards' (be good enough) or 'set standards' (decide the rules), but 'pay' and 'face' do not fit this context.
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Q38The company had to ___ the criticism from the public after the scandal.
Answer: A. face
When a person or company is attacked with negative words or opinions, they 'face criticism.' This collocation describes the act of dealing with being criticized. You cannot 'reach,' 'hold,' or 'break' criticism.
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Q39The employee was warned not to ___ a promise made to the client.
Answer: D. break
The opposite of 'keeping a promise' is 'breaking a promise.' This is the standard collocation for failing to do what you said you would do. 'Pay,' 'reach,' and 'hold' are not used in this way with 'promise.'
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Q40The committee decided to ___ the instructions provided by the headquarters.
Answer: A. carry out
To 'carry out instructions' means to follow them and do what is asked. It is a formal way of saying 'obey' or 'do.' While you 'meet requirements,' you 'carry out' specific sets of instructions or orders.
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Q41Identify the sentence with an error:
Answer: B. The witness had to reach the fine for the offense.
With the noun 'fine' (a financial penalty), we use verbs like 'pay,' 'settle,' or 'cover.' 'Reach the fine' is incorrect because 'reach' usually implies moving toward a goal or level, whereas a fine is a debt you must resolve.
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Q42Identify the sentence with an error:
Answer: C. The expert helped to hold hopes for a recovery.
We say 'raise hopes,' 'boost hopes,' or 'increase hopes' when someone becomes more optimistic. However, 'hold hopes' is not standard; we usually say 'have hope' or 'hold onto hope' (a phrasal verb), but the simple verb-noun collocation 'hold hopes' is incorrect.
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Q43Identify the sentence with an error:
Answer: B. The moderator struggled to reach the attention of the audience.
You can 'catch,' 'attract,' 'hold,' 'keep,' or 'maintain' someone's attention. However, you do not 'reach' attention. 'Reach' implies arriving at a physical location or a specific number/limit, which doesn't apply to the state of an audience listening to you.
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Q44Identify the sentence with an error:
Answer: C. The team had to reach the demand for new products.
When talking about business 'demand,' we use verbs like 'meet,' 'fulfill,' or 'satisfy.' These mean producing enough products to match what people want to buy. 'Reach the demand' is incorrect; 'reach' is typically used for levels or targets, not for market demand.
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Q45Which sentence is correct?
Answer: C. The group decided to draw a line under the incident.
To 'draw a line under' something is a common idiom meaning to decide that something is finished and you will not worry about it or discuss it anymore. The other verbs (put, set, reach) do not form this specific idiomatic phrase.
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