Converse of subject

• affect: One of the key areas to be affected by the slowdown in high street spending is spending on the home.

Converse of object

• predict: It predicts a slowdown in economic growth in 2005.

• expect: He said: " I certainly expect a slowdown in growth in the first half of 2002.

• suffer: In Europe, however, the company has suffered a slowdown in sales.

• reflect: Slower cargo growth of 4.7 % reflects a general slowdown in global economic activity.

• cause: In addition, higher gas prices in the US have caused a slowdown in sales of new motor vehicles.

Noun used with modifier

• consumer: Yet barring a consumer slowdown, the company now appears genuinely well placed.

• housing: The real worry is that rather than a housing slowdown the UK could be heading for a housing crash.

• spending: UK growth is still buoyant despite the first signs that a consumer spending slowdown is finally on the horizon.

• summer: Last month we commented that the traditional summer slowdown would take the heat out of the market.

Adjective modifier

• sharp: We were seeing the sharpest slowdown in global economic activity for almost thirty years.

• marked: But firms expect a marked slowdown in the rate of business growth over the first quarter of 1999.

• economic: Germany, despite its general economic slowdown, has 15 of its cities in the top 20 European urban centers in terms of GDP.

• gradual: The process we are describing, nevertheless, suggests a fairly gradual slowdown in economic growth rather than ' falling off a cliff ' .

• global: Clearly no economy could be immune from the global slowdown.

• seasonal: This year's seasonal slowdown has been slower than usual.

Preposition: in

• spending: Part of the slowdown in spending is mirrored by the rise in the savings ratio in the fourth quarter of 2005.

• growth: Instead, there has been a slowdown in house price growth.

• market: There appears to be no slowdown in the private jet market.

• demand: A slowdown in world demand has means that Japanese exports have fallen by 5.1 % .