Picture yourself walking through a bustling city street, observing the flurry of human interaction around you. From the hurried businessman hastily rushing through the crowd to the cheerful street performer enchanting passersby, the variety of human behavior you witness is astounding. But how can you accurately convey these observations in words? Well, mastering English collocations related to behavior will do just the trick! They can add an extra dash of realism to your conversations and writing, making your descriptions more vivid and engaging. Now, isn’t that a skill worth acquiring?
Let’s explore a fascinating selection of English collocations related to behavior:
1. Throw a tantrum: Display an outburst of anger, especially by children.
Example: The little girl threw a tantrum when her brother took her toy.
2. Burst into tears: Suddenly start crying.
Example: She burst into tears after hearing the sad news.
3. Keep one’s temper: Remain calm and not get angry.
Example: Despite the provocation, he managed to keep his temper.
4. Lose one’s patience: Get annoyed after waiting for a long time.
Example: I lost my patience after waiting for two hours.
5. Bear a grudge: Continue feeling an old resentment for someone.
Example: He still bears a grudge against his former boss.
6. Pull a prank: Play a practical joke.
Example: They pulled a prank on their teacher for April Fool’s Day.
7. Hold a conversation: Engage in a conversation.
Example: It’s hard to hold a conversation with him as he’s always on his phone.
8. Make a scene: Cause a public disturbance or embarrassment.
Example: She made a scene in the supermarket when her credit card got declined.
9. Pay a compliment: Say something nice about someone.
Example: He paid a compliment to his colleague on her presentation skills.
10. Put on airs: Act superior or pretentious.
Example: She always puts on airs at family gatherings.
11. Lend a hand: Help someone.
Example: I decided to lend a hand to my neighbor who was moving house.
12. Break a habit: Stop a habitual behavior.
Example: I’m trying to break the habit of snacking late at night.
13. Keep a promise: Do what you said you would do.
Example: He always keeps his promises, which is why people trust him.
14. Tell a lie: Say something that is not true.
Example: It’s never a good idea to tell a lie.
15. Raise an eyebrow: Show surprise, skepticism or disapproval.
Example: His bizarre outfit raised a few eyebrows at the party.
16. Take a risk: Do something even though something bad might happen.
Example: He took a risk and started his own business.
17. Blow a kiss: Pucker up and ‘throw’ a kiss towards someone.
Example: She blew a kiss to her husband as he left for work.
18. Play a trick: Deceive someone as a joke.
Example: They played a trick on their friend by hiding his backpack.
19. Give a wink: Close and open one eye quickly, often as a signal.
Example: He gave a wink to signal that he was joking.
20. Save face: Avoid humiliation.
Example: She made up an excuse to save face after forgetting her friend’s birthday.
21. Turn a blind eye: Ignore something that you know is wrong.
Example: The manager turned a blind eye to the problems in his team.
22. Have a heart: Show kindness and understanding.
Example: Despite her tough exterior, she really does have a heart.
23. Show respect: Behave in a way that shows you admire someone.
Example: He showed respect by standing up when his grandmother entered the room.
24. Crack a joke: Tell a joke.
Example: He cracked a joke to lighten the mood.
25. Cross one’s mind: To come into one’s consciousness.
Example: It never crossed my mind that he could be the thief.
26. Hold one’s tongue: Keep quiet.
Example: I had to hold my tongue to avoid saying something rude.
27. Lose one’s mind: Become insane.
Example: I’m going to lose my mind if this noise doesn’t stop.
28. Act out of character: Behave in a way that is different from what is usual.
Example: It was completely out of character for him to be rude.
29. Make an effort: Try hard to achieve something.
Example: I really made an effort to finish the project on time.
30. Come to one’s senses: Start to understand that one has been behaving foolishly.
Example: It took him a while, but he finally came to his senses.
31. Bend over backwards: Try very hard to help or please someone.
Example: She bent over backwards to make the visitors feel comfortable.
Learning these collocations can truly elevate your English, enabling you to capture the wide spectrum of human behavior with greater precision. Using them appropriately can help you paint a vivid picture of social interactions, enhancing your ability to express yourself effectively. So whether you are throwing a tantrum or paying a compliment, remember that the devil is in the detail, and these collocations add just the right amount of spice to your language repertoire.
