上次與同學討論過collocation（搭配）的重要性，並講述兩種常見的形式，今天將會談論另外兩種常見的collocation。除了在動詞和名詞之間留意collocation，亦應注意以下的兩種情況，都可能會有關。
以fighter和fight作例如下：
Deadline fighter非正統英語
1. Adjective + Noun
The fearless/ competent /fierce/ freedom/ jet/ rebel/ opposition fighter
a. She has a reputation of being a fearless fighter.
b. Only a handful of the opposition fighters survived the air raid.
The noun "fighter" can be used with adjectives like "competent" and "fearless"; or with nouns like "jet", "freedom" and "rebel", etc.
（Fighter可以配搭形容詞如competent和fearless，名詞如jet、freedom和rebel。）
近年在批改同學的功課時，發現同學時常運用一個詞語deadline fighter。Deadline fighter或源於英語中的一表達fight the deadline/ meet the deadline。雖然英語中有fight the deadline，但是我從來未見native speakers運用，反倒是香港同學時常運用。這些「港式英語」應該避免。
2. Adverb + Verb
Fight bravely/ gallantly/ valiantly/ bitterly/ hard in a war or a contest
a. The rebel fighters fight bitterly against the government army.
"Fight" is used as verb, which goes with adverbs such as bravely/ hard/ bitterly, etc.
（Fight用作動詞，配搭副詞如bravely、hard及bitterly。）
Collocation很重要，大家平時多看英語讀物，多查字典，才能提升對其掌握。
最後，我祝同學有一個愉快的2018年，心想事成！
Exercise
Please select the best answer for completing the statement below.
1. To ensure _______ development, the government should invest more on environment and natural resource management and conservation.
a. sustainable c. rural
b. fast d. protracted
Answer
A
■Dr. A. Chan，哲學博士，哲學碩士，英語講師。熟悉公開考試之出題模式與評分準則，任教英語。
隔星期三見報