Use Collocation to Boost Your IELTS Score – Key Word: Offer

Offer

1          Verb + offer

Use the correct form of these verbs:

accept              make               turn down

put in               up                    withdraw

1. Marie must be mad! She’s declined an offer of an all-expenses-paid weekend in Prague! > Yes, she__________ a similar offer last year. I’d never refuse an offer like that!
2. It was well after midnight. Andrew suggested that I stay the night at his place and I __________ the offer. I wouldn’t usually do that, but he’s got two spare rooms.
3. The company have offered us a 5% salary increase. However, if we don’t agree within seven days, the offer will be __________ .
4. They were asking £100,000 for the house and we __________ an offer of £ 110,000, but we didn’t get it. Somebody else put in an offer of £150,000!
5. If I were you, I’d__________ an offer which was about 5% more than the asking price.
6. I think if you’re going to have any chance of getting this flat, you’re going to have to __________ your offer by at least £2000, to £122,000.

In examples 4, 5 and 6 ‘offer’ means financial offer. The past tense of ‘up’ would be ‘upped’.

2          Common adjective collocations

Use the following adjectives in these sentences:

better                   final

tempting          special

kind

1. We’ve just been down to Tesco’s. Melons are on __________ offer. Buy two, get one free. I’m usually suspicious of offers like that, but they’re delicious!
2. A week with Will and Sue at their Spanish villa sounds great. => Yes, it is a very__________ offer, but, much as I like Will, I couldn’t take Sue for a whole week!
3. I’m sorry, but £250 is my__________ offer. You can take it or leave it.
4. If you like, I can do your shopping for you. => That’s a very __________ offer. Are you sure?
5. I think the Germans expected us to jump at the offer they made for our business, but we decided to hold out for a __________ offer.

3          Offer + of + noun

Complete the sentences with these nouns:

help     lift        marriage         support            work

1. When our house was flooded, we received several offers of __________ from friends to clean it up.
2. We’ve received many offers of__________ since we started our campaign to outlaw handguns.
3. You need to get a job some time, you know! You can’t turn down offers of __________ just like that.
4. I can’t get a taxi, so could I take you up on your offer of a__________ to the airport?
5. My aunt was very beautiful when she was younger. Everyone says she turned down lots of offers of __________ .

4          Common expressions

Complete the sentences with these expressions:

a          they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

b          open to offers.

c          I might take you up on that offer someday.

d          on offer

1. The local college has a wide range of vocational courses __________ . I’m sure you’ll find one that meets your needs.
2. Feel free to stay at our place whenever you’re in town. => Thanks . ___________
3. The asking price is £300, but I’m __________ .
4. Although I was perfectly happy with my previous job with Xenop, I moved to Easycopy because ___________ !

ANSWER KEY

Ex 1:

1 turned down          2. accepted          3. withdrawn

4 made / put in        5. put in / make          6. up

Ex 2:

1. special 2. tempting 3. final             4. kind             5. better

Ex 3:

2. help 2. support        3. work            4. lift               5. marriage

Ex 4:    l-d        2-c       3-b       4-a

Also check :

• Best IELTS Vocabulary books
• Grammar for IELTS
• IELTS Vocabulary
• IELTS Listening words
• Sports Vocabulary IELTS
• English Pronunciation in use Intermediate pdf
• Work Vocabulary IELTS
• Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS