Understanding Collocations in English

The question asks us to find the correct word to complete the sentence using a collocation. A collocation is a pair or group of words that are habitually used together, creating a natural-sounding phrase. For example, we say 'make a mistake', not 'do a mistake'. In this sentence, we need an adverb that correctly collocates with the verb 'fined'.

Analyzing the Options for the Collocation

Let's look at the provided options and see which one forms a common and correct collocation with the word 'fined':

• Wholly: This means completely or entirely. While someone might be 'wholly responsible', being 'wholly fined' isn't a standard collocation in the sense of receiving a penalty.
• Hardly: This means scarcely or almost not. If someone is 'hardly fined', it suggests they received little to no fine, which doesn't fit the context of committing a traffic infraction usually resulting in a penalty.
• Slowly: This relates to speed or pace. Being 'slowly fined' doesn't make sense in the context of receiving a penalty; the fining process isn't described by speed.
• Heavily: This adverb is commonly used to indicate something done to a great extent or degree. When used with 'fined', 'heavily fined' is a standard collocation meaning that a large or substantial fine was imposed. Committing a traffic infraction can lead to a significant penalty, so 'heavily fined' fits the context perfectly.

The most common and appropriate collocation in this context is 'heavily fined', which indicates that motorists who commit the infraction will receive a large fine.

Why 'Heavily Fined' is the Correct Collocation

The phrase 'heavily fined' is widely used in English to describe the imposition of a significant monetary penalty. When referring to legal or traffic penalties, 'heavily' is the standard adverb used to modify 'fined' when the fine is large.

Therefore, the correct word to fill the blank and form the correct collocation is 'heavily'.

Revision Table: Key Collocations with Penalties

Additional Information: What are Collocations?

Collocations are fundamental to sounding natural and fluent in English. They are not always governed by strict grammatical rules but are based on common usage. Learning collocations helps improve vocabulary and comprehension. Some common types of collocations include:

• Adverb + Adjective (e.g., completely satisfied, terribly important)
• Adjective + Noun (e.g., heavy rain, strong accent)
• Noun + Noun (e.g., a sense of humor, a round of applause)
• Verb + Noun (e.g., take a shower, break a promise)
• Adverb + Verb (e.g., strongly recommend, deeply regret)
• Verb + Adverb (e.g., fined heavily, sleep soundly)

Understanding collocations like 'heavily fined' is crucial for both spoken and written English.