I have just found a very handy online dictionary of collocations called OZDIC. A dictionary of collocations is a great devise especially when you are not sure if you should do or make your homework (of course the first one!) or if you still have a dilemma if you can say that traffic is big (of course you cannot - traffic can be heavy but not big!) Dictionaries of collocations have one major flip side - once you start using them you become addicted, seriously addicted :)
Enjoy: http://www.ozdic.com/
A sample page:
traffic noun
1 vehicles travelling somewhere
ADJ. bad, busy, congested, heavy, thick | light | constant | fast, fast-flowing | slow-moving, sluggish | cycle, heavy goods vehicle, lorry, motor, road, vehicular, wheeled | foot, pedestrian | air, airline an air traffic controller | boat, maritime, river, sea | rail, railway | motorway | commercial, freight, goods, industrial, passenger | city, city-centre, local, town-centre, urban | international | commuter, tourist | rush-hour | holiday, summer | oncoming I stood waiting for a gap in the oncoming traffic. | through Through traffic is directed around the bypass. | northbound, southbound, etc. | one-way, two-way
QUANT. stream
VERB + TRAFFIC generate, increase Building larger roads could generate more traffic. | cut, reduce | slow down | block, hold up, obstruct, stop, tie up Traffic was held up for six hours by the motorway blockade. | direct | divert
TRAFFIC + VERB build up, thicken In the town centre, traffic was already building up as early as 3 p.m. | grow, increase Traffic has increased by 50% in ten years. | clog sth Traffic clogs the streets of the city centre. | thin Traffic thins noticeably after 9 a.m. | flow, move, speed, travel The road is being widened to keep traffic moving. | go by, pass | head We joined the traffic heading northwards on the motorway. | roar, rumble
TRAFFIC + NOUN accident | hazard Sheep are a traffic hazard in the hills. | chaos, congestion, disruption, delays, hold-ups, problems, queues | fumes, pollution | noise | flow, speed Widening the road would improve traffic flow. | levels, volume | calming, management, restraint, safety | sign, signal | laws, legislation, regulations | system | offence, violation | bollard, cone, island A traffic island at the junction separates left- and right-turning vehicles. | artery (formal), route | report, survey, update | cop, officer, police, policeman, warden | engineer, planner | duty a policeman on traffic duty
PHRASES the volume of traffic
2 messages, signals, etc.
ADJ. radio, telephone | data, voice | network | Internet, Net, site, Web, website Our company will help you generate site traffic.
VERB + TRAFFIC boost, build, generate
3 illegal buying and selling of sth
ADJ. illegal | arms, drug
PREP. ~ in sth - the traffic in arms
