(1) a serious illness/problem/offence
(2) to cause serious injury/damage
(3) They pose a serious threat to security.

(1) She lay on her back staring up at the ceiling.
(2) a large room with a high ceiling
(3) price ceilings

(1) ...the former military ruler of Lesotho...
(2) He was a weak-willed and indecisive ruler.
(3) I draw a line with a ruler.

(1) the British ambassador to Italy/in Rome
(2) a former ambassador to the UN
(3) (figurative)The best ambassadors for the sport are the players.

(1) a cotton vest
(2) a bullet-proof vest
(3) a running vest

(1) Let's wait until the rain stops.
(2) until she spoke I hadn't realized she wasn't English.
(3) You're not going out until you've finished this.

(1) Latin and greek will be squeezed out of school timetables.
(2) greek yogurt contains much less fat than double cream.
(3) The very earliest sculptures were made under the influence of greek art.

(1) a suitable candidate
(2) This programme is not suitable for children.
(3) a suitable place for a picnic

(1) We expected great things of the England team, but on the day they simply failed to deliver the goods.
(2) a heavy goods vehicle
(3) a goods train

(1) The electricity industry consumes large amounts of fossil fuels.
(2) Before he died he had consumed a large quantity of alcohol.
(3) Carolyn was consumed with guilt.

(1) a hotel/private/honeymoon suite
(2) a suite of rooms/offices
(3) a bathroom/bedroom suite

(1) a good knowledge of French
(2) I can only carry two at a time.
(3) There's a visitor for you.

(1) a leather jacket
(2) The soles are made of leather.
(3) a leather-bound book

(1) People said we were interfering with nature, and that we should just let the animals die...
(2) Thorne let him talk...
(3) I love sweets but Mum doesn't let me have them very often...

(1) a dusty road
(2) piles of dusty books
(3) dusty pink

(1) This is my husband, Steve.
(2) They lived together as husband and wife (= as if they were married) for years.
(3) a husband-and-wife team

(1) Can I make a suggestion ?
(2) Do you have any suggestions ?
(3) I'd like to hear your suggestions for ways of raising money.

(1) a scientific discovery
(2) scientific knowledge
(3) sites of scientific interest

(1) to lead/form a government
(2) the last Conservative government
(3) the government of the day

(1) The calendar in his hands is not a common one , but a moslem calendar.

(1) a silly idea
(2) That was a silly thing to do !
(3) Her work is full of silly mistakes.

(1) chicken with herb dumplings
(2) apple dumplings
(3) The utility model can automatically fill stuffing in egg dumpling wrappers at a definite quantity.

(1) adventure stories
(2) a sense/spirit of adventure
(3) her adventures travelling in Africa

(1) the changing seasons
(2) the cricket/hunting/shooting, etc. season
(3) He scored his first goal of the season on Saturday.

(1) A smell of bread drifted from some distant bakery.
(2) You can walk to the bakery to buy donuts!
(3) Miguel: Then what about the girl in the bakery?

(1) The script was good, but those guys butchered it.
(2) He owns the butcher's in the main street.
(3) Our people are being butchered in their homes.

(1) a plastic bucket
(2) (British English)They were playing on the beach with their buckets and spades .
(3) two buckets/bucketfuls of water

(1) The human brain needs to be without oxygen for only four minutes before permanent damage occurs.
(2) They loaded themselves with food, medical supplies, and oxygen equipment.
(3) He took the dogs for an airing.

(1) Human beings need food, clothing and shelter.
(2) to take shelter from the storm
(3) The fox was running for the shelter of the trees.

(1) a field mushroom (= the most common type that is eaten, often just called a ‘mushroom ’, and often grown to be sold)
(2) fried mushrooms
(3) cream of mushroom soup

(1) We've only done this battery car cos marketing told us to.
(2) In rugby circles, there is nothing but criticism for the coverage of sport on terrestrial TV.
(3) Kids from six years old play mini rugby at the club.

(1) She's tall and thin.
(2) tall chimneys
(3) the tallest building in the world

(1) The city is best explored on foot.
(2) They explored the land to the south of the Murray river.
(3) As soon as we arrived on the island we were eager to explore.

(1) There will be fines for people who drop litter .
(2) The floor was covered with a litter of newspapers, clothes and empty cups.
(3) cat litter

(1) an electric motor
(2) an electric light/guitar, etc.
(3) an electric current/charge

(1) savage dogs
(2) She had been badly hurt in what police described as ‘a savage attack ’.
(3) savage public spending cuts

(1) the local family planning clinic
(2) The antenatal clinic is on Wednesdays.
(3) He is being treated at the London clinic.

(1) ‘Do you think all this money will change your life? ’ ‘certainly not. ’
(2) Without treatment, she will almost certainly die.
(3) certainly, the early years are crucial to a child's development.

(1) a theoretical approach
(2) theoretical physics
(3) The first year provides students with a sound theoretical basis for later study.