Study the following phrases from the poem.
- treading the lonely expanses
- climbing the heights
- scorching sun
Such phrases are word pairs that come together in combinations and are called collocations.
Collocations are specific word pairings in English. They refer to the way certain words frequently appear together with others.
Fill in the blanks by choosing the words given in the brackets that collocate appropriately.
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The hikers reached the _____ (summit/peak) of the mountain after several days of trekking through challenging conditions.
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The _____ (empty/barren) landscape of the desert made it nearly impossible to find any water sources.
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In the rainforest, the _____ (heavy/dense) forest provides a habitat for a diverse range of wildlife.
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Chitra is a very _____ (heroic/adventurous) person and enjoys mountain climbing.
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I'll try to get back in time, but I'm not _____ (doing/making) any promises.
peak
barren
dense
adventurous
making
Explanation
(1) 'Peak of the mountain' is the correct collocation. While 'summit' can also mean top, 'peak of the mountain' is the more commonly used expression in English. (2) 'Barren landscape' is the correct collocation. 'Barren' specifically describes land that is too poor to produce much vegetation, which appropriately describes a desert landscape. (3) 'Dense forest' is the correct collocation. 'Dense' describes thick vegetation where trees grow closely together, which is characteristic of rainforests. (4) 'Adventurous person' is the correct collocation. Someone who enjoys activities like mountain climbing is described as 'adventurous' rather than 'heroic'. (5) 'Making promises' is the correct collocation. In English, we say 'make a promise' not 'do a promise'.