Advanced verb and noun collocations (C1 Vocabulary)

These verbs are precise, and each keeps a small circle of nouns. Wield goes with power words — power, influence, authority, a veto — and often adds over (wield influence over the board); it suggests force being applied, which is why it turns up so much in journalism. The neutral academic choice for the same idea is exert influence. Garner goes with things you gather by effort: support, praise, attention, votes. Undermine goes with things that can be eaten away: confidence, credibility, authority, trust. Stay inside each circle: you cannot wield support or garner losses.

Power and influence collocations

• wield influence /wiːld ˈɪnfluəns/ — Even after leaving office, the former chair continued to wield influence over budget decisions.
• garner support /ˈɡɑrnər səˈpɔrt/ — The mayor tried to garner support for the transport plan before the final vote.
• undermine confidence /ˌʌndərˈmaɪn ˈkɑnfɪdəns/ — The scandal steadily undermined public confidence in the institution.
• Not ""The CEO makes considerable influence over the board."" — say ""The CEO wields considerable influence over the board."". Influence is not something you make. Wield it (power handled like a tool) or exert it (the neutral academic choice); plain use influence is also fine, just flatter.
• Try it: The editorial board can ______ by deciding which stories receive prominent coverage. (wield influence / harbor doubts / shoulder responsibility) Answer: wield influence — The board actively exercises power over what gets covered, so "wield influence" is exact. "harbor doubts" is about holding on to reservations over time, which is not what a board does with coverage, and "shoulder responsibility" means accepting a burden or blame, not exercising authority.

Responsibility and consequence collocations

Formal English uses vivid metaphor verbs for duties and outcomes, and each one keeps its own company. You shoulder responsibility, a burden or the blame, as if carrying a weight. You harbor doubts, suspicions, resentment or a grudge — the picture is of keeping a feeling alive over time, not of hiding it, so you can harbor doubts and voice them in the same breath. You incur losses, costs, debt, a penalty or a fine: something you become liable for. Note that incur is not a formal swap for 'get' — its near neighbors are suffer losses and sustain losses.

• shoulder responsibility /ˈʃoʊldər rɪˌspɑnsəˈbɪləti/ — After the failed launch, the director chose to shoulder responsibility for the decision.
• harbor doubts /ˈhɑrbər daʊts/ — Several investors still harbor doubts about the merger's long-term value.
• incur losses /ɪnˈkɜr ˈlɔsɪz/ — Small exporters may incur losses if shipping delays continue through the winter.
• Try it: Although the plan had widespread approval, some stakeholders continued to ______ about its long-term costs. (harbor doubts / reap benefits / garner support) Answer: harbor doubts — "Continued to" is the clue: the stakeholders went on holding their reservations after everyone else had approved, and holding a negative feeling over time is exactly what "harbor doubts" describes. "reap benefits" means to receive rewards from earlier effort, and "garner support" means to gather backing, so neither fits a doubt that persists.
• Try it: After the failed merger, the director agreed to ______ for the decision publicly, while the firm went on to ______ during the downturn. (shoulder responsibility ... incur losses / garner support ... reap benefits / wield influence ... harbor doubts) Answer: shoulder responsibility ... incur losses — The director accepts the blame, so "shoulder responsibility" fits, and the firm suffers financial costs, so "incur losses" fits. "garner support ... reap benefits" describes gaining backing and rewards, which is the opposite of a failed merger, and "wield influence ... harbor doubts" mixes exercising power with holding on to reservations, neither of which matches accepting blame or suffering costs.