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offer support — help

collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon

to say or show that you are willing to help someone, especially when they are having a difficult time.

Say it like a native

Textbook They extended their support to the bereaved family.

Native They offered the family a lot of support.

'Offer support' is the natural phrase; 'extend support' is formal.

Pattern: offer support (to someone)

In use

  • When my friend lost her job, I offered support by listening and checking in on her.daily life
  • In my opinion, it’s important for schools to offer support to students who are struggling, so they don’t feel alone.IELTS speaking

Common mistake

✗ We offered support for him.

✓ We offered him support. / We offered support to him.

'Offer someone support' or 'offer support TO someone' — not 'for'.

Common collocations

  • offer + support — emotional support, support to, full support, their support

Don't confuse it

'Offer support' is about making help available, while 'provide support' means actually giving help.

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