Here you will learn English collocations with the preposition IN.
Using these collocations will help you improve your English, particularly your written English.
12 Collocations with the Preposition In
Hi there, welcome back to Harry’s English grammar lessons where I’m trying to help you with the improving your overall English. So what are we going to talk about today? Well, we’re going to talk about collocations and in this case we’re using collocations with the preposition in. I N.
It can be used in many different situations.
We can talk about time or periods of time, like in a month, uh, or in a particular month, like in December or in January, whatever it might be at the moment where in September just and we’re coming into October or it can be about a specific thing like a space.
So you can find it in a box, you can find it in a drawer or you can find it in a wardrobe, a cupboard, wherever that might be.
Or you might just be in your mind, you’re just thinking about it and it doesn’t really exist.
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INSANITY: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Okay. So I’ve got lots of that, these options for you and I go through them as I usually do one by one and I’d give you some examples to help you. And these are really good because I’ve selected these specifically for those who are practising your written skills. They can be used in writing.
You know, we have to practice our oral skills cause that’s important and it’s about the communication. But in today’s world, you know, we’re texting, we’re sending SMSs . We’re using Whatsapp, emails, whatever it might be. So we need to really practise our written English as well.
So we’re going to go through these, as I said one by one with hopefully some good examples for you.
1️⃣ So the first one is IN ADDITION TO
Usually in addition to is followed by the -ING format of the verb.
In addition to writing, I would also like you to concentrate on something else.
In addition to working for me, you’re also going to have to report to my assistant.
So you were using the -ING after that. So in addition to means extra additional work. So in addition to means extra things that you have to do, in addition to.
It is quite formal and also when we’re talking to people in spoken English, we might not always use it. But as I said to you, very important in your written English because we tend to be a little bit more formal when we’re writing.
12 Collocations with the Preposition In
2️⃣ The next one again is a little bit formal. And again very specific for you practising your written English – IN ANSWER TO.
So you often see this at the top of an email at the top of a letter when somebody introduced themselves they say:
Well, in answer to your query of such and such a date.
In answer to the question that you raised in our last meeting …
In answer to the letter you sent me last week …
So it is very, very formal. So in answer to followed then with a reference to whatever the particular question that was raised. And the person in answer to is going hopefully to give you that particular answer.
3️⃣ And the next one is IN ANY CASE
In any case, not necessarily specifically for writing. So somebody will use this in the verbal communication with you. In any case usually means, well, I’ve told you about that, but this is what I think.
4️⃣ And the next one, short IN BRIEF.
In brief means, well, let me just summarize something. So at the end of a meeting, you have the people sitting around the table and you say, well, look in brief, this is what we need to do.
5️⃣ So that’s in brief, keep something very short as opposed to the next one, which is IN DETAIL.
So if you wanted to talk to somebody but in detail, then you go through it step by step, line by line. So they make sure that you make sure that they understand everything.
When we start the meeting we might go into detail about last month meeting or the sales figures that weren’t so good or the business plan for the next year or the budget for the next year.
So you want to go through those things in detail, in a lot of detail.
So in brief, short, compact. In detail, a lot more.
And before I move on, just when you’re using in detail, make sure that it is the single in detail.
Never in detailS.
Let me know the details. That’s perfect.
– Tell me everything about it. What does it look like?
– I want to buy a car.
– Well, tell me the details, the price, the mileage, et cetera.
But when you’re talking about them and meeting in detail, means step by step.
12 Collocations with the Preposition In
6️⃣ We continue learning English collocations with the preposition in. So the next one I have for you is IN EFFECT.
And in effect means really?
What it means is you’ll have to go back to that particular client and spell it out to him again. So really this is what I want you to do. Really. This is what it means. So in effect, and the next one is quite common.
7️⃣ I’m sure you’ve all heard of it IN FACT.
And when we talk about in fact, we mean actually, yeah.
In fact, what I mean is this…
8️⃣ And the next one is IN GENERAL.
In general means overall. We’re not talking about something specific.
We’re talking about something a little bit more generalistic.
In general, the people in the UK, are heavier than the people in Italy because they eat the wrong food.
It’s not the same.
Everybody in the UK is heavier than everyone in Italy, but in general.
12 Collocations with the Preposition In
9️⃣ And the next one is a really good one to use IN MODERATION.
People love to use this. Everything in moderation. Work in moderation, get work life balance, drinking in moderation, eating food in moderation. Don’t drink too much, don’t eat too much, don’t work too much. Ah, in fact, don’t do anything too much. Always do things in moderation and you get a nice balance in your life.
1️⃣0️⃣ The next one, we have two prepositions that we can use here IN ORDER OF, or IN ORDER TO.
In order of, for example, in order of importance, so you rank things. What’s the most important?
In order to we can use, when we say, for example:
In order to speed up administration, you no longer have to complete the form in triplicate.
So in order to achieve something, in order to cut down on the waking time, in order to make our service better.
As I said before, in order of whatever it might be.
Earlier on we spoke about in general.
1️⃣1️⃣ In general, which you said something not so specific. Now we have another one IN PARTICULAR.
This is the exact opposite. So when you want to be really specific, you refer to something in particular.
In particular, your second paragraph on the first page where you mentioned….
1️⃣2️⃣ And the last one I have on this list is IN THEORY
Oh this is a wonderful expression because people love this. They know they don’t have to be specific or they don’t have to do it in practice.
Well in theory, yeah you’re right. But it never works that way.
Oh, in theory this is what we meant. But in reality we do it another way.
Thanks for listening and that’s it for today. Collocations with the preposition IN.
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More Information
For more information on English collocations, English phrasal verbs and English idioms, check out the following links:
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