Abstract: As the basic units of language communication, extended units of meaning guarantee the fluency and accuracy of language
output. This study takes the extended unit of meaning formed by the noun "ability" as an example and discusses the characteristics of
Chinese English learners' extended units of meaning with nouns. It is found that: Chinese English learners prefer to use verbs and
possessive pronouns or possessive cases to collocate nouns. Furthermore, Chinese English learners' mastering of semantic prosodies of
words needs to be improved.

Key words: extended unit of meaning, Chinese English learners, collocations