This lesson practises 29 C2 collocations on People, Personality & Behaviour. Collocations are fixed word pairings that native speakers expect — Cambridge examiners test them in Use of English Part 1 and reward precise lexis in Writing. Run through the interactive drills first, then open this glossary to revise every item in the set. For question-by-question feedback, use Review mode after you finish the session.
display a marked tendency
He tends to display a marked tendency to interrupt others.
exercise sound judgement
Leaders must exercise sound judgement when tensions rise.
gruff exterior
Behind his gruff exterior, he was generous with his time.
stoop to that level
He promised not to stoop to that level during the argument.
play a dirty trick
It was cruel to play a dirty trick on a colleague.
bear a striking resemblance to
The child's mannerisms bear a striking resemblance to those of her grandmother.
see the error of one’s ways
After the complaint, they began to see the error of their ways.
live a comfortable life
They want to live a comfortable life without depending on anyone else.
sentimental value
The old watch has sentimental value because it belonged to her father.
a well-deserved reputation
At a discussion of personal behaviour, the personality profile featured a well-deserved reputation.
pander to their every whim
Good parents do not need to pander to their every whim.
conduct interviews in depth
The documentary team will conduct interviews in depth before editing.
blatantly obvious
It was blatantly obvious that he had not read the instructions.
abrasive manner
His abrasive manner made new colleagues reluctant to ask questions.
bubbly personality
At a discussion of personal behaviour, the participants were bubbly personality.
open hostility
The meeting ended in open hostility after the accusations.
thinly disguised
The compliment was thinly disguised criticism of her work.
tell the individual their concerns
You should tell the person your concerns privately.
pent-up anger
Years of pent-up anger surfaced during the conversation.
go through a midlife crisis
He seemed to go through a midlife crisis after leaving his job.
shoulder the blame
She refused to shoulder the blame for a decision made by the whole team.
personality traits
Patience and curiosity are personality traits that support teamwork.
lifelong ambition
Opening a bakery had been her lifelong ambition.
forthright manner
Her forthright manner was appreciated during the crisis meeting.
disorderly behaviour
The venue removed several guests for disorderly behaviour.
disruptive influence
The manager removed the disruptive influence from the team meeting.
display characteristics
The child may display characteristics associated with anxiety in new settings.
fall into a pattern
Families can fall into a pattern of avoiding difficult conversations.
intensely personal
The memoir was intensely personal and difficult for the author to discuss.