Learning words or phrases in chunks: Here are some related to the recent CAA protests

Learners of any language learn the target language better if they learn words and phrases in chunks. In some of my previous columns, I have discussed the need for being aware of collocations in order to use words appropriately. Words are not used in isolation in English or any other language. Exposure to the language helps learners become familiar with a fixed sets of words. Here are examples of chunks of the word ‘thing’: The thing is, all sorts of things, there is no such thing. What are the collocations of the word? ‘Thing’ collocates with numerous adjectives such as good, great, positive, negative, usual, first, last, best, everyday, key.

For example:
The best thing for you is to explain to her.
The young boy will help you with everyday things like buying vegetables.

The past week witnessed protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) across India.  Students of several educational institutions, activists of non-governmental organisations and members of various political parties took to the streets in different parts of the country protesting against the police crackdown on students of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University and demanded the withdrawal of the controversial Act. This week’s column discusses the words and phrases in news reports related to the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Here are some chunks of words used in various news stories related to CAA:  Police clampdown on the Jamia students, mounting protests, eruption of protests, a cool frame of mind, to take to the streets, to demand a probe into something, to issue a statement, to be up in arms against somebody, to pass the bill, ulterior motive, secular fabric of the country. Let’s look at the word ‘protest’. It collocates with these verbs: organise, stage, lodge, register, leads to.

Several student organisations staged protests in Chennai against CAA.
They say that it is their duty to register protest against this new citizenship law.

The word collocates with these nouns (protest + noun): group, movement | demonstration, march, meeting, rally | strike | petition | song
She has joined a protest movement.
I am taking part in the protest march.
We have composed a new protest song.

The adverbs that can collocate with ‘protest’ are: strongly, vehemently, vigorously | formally | loudly | mildly | weakly | peacefully | bitterly, desperately, indignantly
We have asked the students to protest peacefully.
The demonstrators have been protesting vehemently against the police crackdown.

Here are some useful chunks of words in the context of the Citizenship Amendment Act protests:
to repeal ‘unconstitutional and divisive’ CAA the atmosphere of fear and hatred

Learning words in chunks helps learners develop their collocation competence and use collocations appropriately.