Collocations are words that usually go together in English.
Here we are going to look at words that go with the word 'fall' to make useful and popular expressions you will hear in social and professional contexts.
(bad/terrible) fall
Bad and terrible as well as catastrophic (below) are words which describe degrees of severity. A fall, in this case, refers to hitting the ground from a height. A bad or terrible fall indicates that hitting the ground had knock-on consequences or effects.
Examples
- The horse was knocked out of the race when he suffered a terrible fall over the second hurdle.
- My grandmother had a bad fall from her bath in her home yesterday.
- When your children begin walking it's important to install gates on the stairs in order to prevent a terrible fall.
catastrophic/substantial/significant fall
A catastrophic/substantial/significant fall may mean literally to hit the ground in a severe or serious way. It can also refer to a significant reduction in amounts or numbers; or it can be used to talk about the economy.
Examples
- There has been a catastrophic fall in native species' sightings in the area.
- Young people have suffered from a substantial fall in funding for creative subjects.
- Due to wide-reaching awareness campaigns, Police have seen a significant fall in drunk-driving arrests in the past five years.
a fresh fall
When we talk about the weather (such as snow for example) we can say the most recent event or shower was a 'fresh fall'.
Examples
- Last night there was up to a metre of snow, but the fresh fall this morning added to this, leading to reports of over 1.5 metres in some areas.
- Be careful going outside. There was a fresh fall of rain half an hour ago and the ground is slippy.
- After a fresh fall of rain, you can often see worms and insects come to the surface of the earth.
a projected fall
A projection is similar to a prediction. A projected fall is a reduction or decrease that is likely or expected to occur.
Examples
- A projected fall in world population is expected to occur by 2100.
- A projected fall in economic growth is expected in the next four years.
- We didn't see evidence of the projected fall in shares until the third quarter.
sharp/steep fall
A sharp or steep fall is a fall which is dramatic or almost vertical. These terms could be used to talk about a drop from one level to another or a clear reduction or fall in figures or amounts.
Examples
- Citizens raised concerns about the steep fall from the cliff edge to the water and have asked that a barrier be installed by the council.
- The rise in anti-social behaviour lead to a steep fall in house prices in the area.
- It will take a sharp fall in transport costs to encourage people to take public transport and leave their cars at home.