A Collocations List shows words that commonly appear together, making language sound more natural and fluent. Learning these word pairs improves writing, speaking, and overall communication.
This list helps students, writers, and professionals use the right word combinations for clearer and more effective expression. Understanding collocations enhances both spoken and written language, making communication more precise and natural.
What are Collocations?
A collocation is a group of words that naturally go together. Using them makes speech and writing sound more natural.
Examples:
- Make a decision (not Do a decision)
- Heavy rain (not Strong rain)
- Fast food (not Quick food)
Collocation types with Examples
1. Adjective + Noun
These combinations describe something with a commonly paired adjective.
- Strong coffee
- Heavy rain
- Fast food
- Bright future
- Deep sleep
2. Noun + Noun
Two nouns used together to form a meaningful phrase.
- Traffic jam
- Time management
- Blood pressure
- Decision-making
- Energy consumption
3. Verb + Noun
A verb that is commonly used with a specific noun.
- Make a decision
- Give advice
- Take a risk
- Save time
- Break a record
4. Verb + Adverb
A verb that naturally pairs with a certain adverb.
- Speak fluently
- Apologize sincerely
- Agree completely
- Work efficiently
- Drive carefully
5. Adverb + Adjective
An adverb that intensifies or modifies an adjective.
- Highly successful
- Deeply concerned
- Extremely difficult
- Perfectly clear
- Badly damaged
6. Preposition + Noun
A common preposition that pairs with a specific noun.
- In trouble
- On time
- At risk
- Under pressure
- By chance
7. Verb + Preposition
A verb that is typically followed by a particular preposition.
- Depend on
- Believe in
- Suffer from
- Focus on
- Deal with
Collocations with Examples
| Collocation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Make a decision | I need to make a decision about which college to attend. |
| Take a break | Let’s take a break and grab a cup of coffee. |
| Give advice | She always gives good advice when I’m feeling down. |
| Keep a promise | It’s important to keep your promises to build trust. |
| Break the news | She had to break the news to her parents about the accident. |
| Catch someone’s eye | The bright colors of the painting caught my eye. |
| Do your best | I’ll do my best to finish the project on time. |
| Pay attention | Please pay attention to the instructions before starting. |
| Take a look | Can you take a look at this document and provide feedback? |
| Keep a secret | I can always trust her to keep my secrets. |
| Meet a deadline | We need to work efficiently to meet the deadline. |
| Break a record | The athlete broke the world record for the 100m sprint. |
| Make an effort | She made a significant effort to improve her skills. |
| Lose your temper | He rarely loses his temper, even in stressful situations. |
| Have a chat | Let’s sit down and have a chat over a cup of tea. |
| Take a risk | Entrepreneurship involves taking calculated risks. |
| Keep the peace | Diplomats work to keep the peace between nations. |
| Catch a cold | I caught a cold after being out in the rain. |
| Give a presentation | She gave an excellent presentation at the conference. |
| Break a promise | It’s not a good idea to break a promise to your friends. |
| Do the dishes | I’ll cook dinner, and you can do the dishes afterward. |
| Pay a compliment | She paid him a sincere compliment on his new haircut. |
| Take notes | It’s important to take good notes during lectures. |
| Make a reservation | I called to make a reservation at the restaurant. |
| Keep a diary | Keeping a diary helps me remember important events. |
| Meet someone’s expectations | I hope my work will meet the company’s expectations. |
| Break the ice | To ease the tension, she tried to break the ice with a joke. |
| Do your homework | I can’t go out with you tonight; I need to do my homework. |
| Pay a visit | I’m planning to pay a visit to my grandmother this weekend. |
| Take a shower | After the workout, I’ll take a quick shower. |
| Keep a distance | It’s important to keep a safe distance in a crowded place. |
| Make an exception | We don’t usually allow pets, but we can make an exception for you. |
| Give a speech | The mayor will give a speech at the town hall meeting. |
| Take a chance | Sometimes, you need to take a chance to achieve your goals. |
| Keep in mind | When traveling, it’s important to keep safety in mind. |
| Break a habit | It’s hard to break a bad habit, but it can be done with effort. |
| Do research | Scientists do extensive research to make discoveries. |
| Pay the bill | It’s polite to pay the bill after a meal at a restaurant. |
| Meet a requirement | To graduate, you must meet the academic requirements. |
| Give a hand | Can you give me a hand with moving this heavy furniture? |
| Take a stand | It’s important to take a stand on important social issues. |
| Keep an eye on | Parents need to keep an eye on their children in public places. |
| Break a rule | If you break a rule in this school, there are consequences. |
| Make a suggestion | Please make a suggestion on how to improve our project. |
| Lose track of time | When I’m reading a good book, I often lose track of time. |
| Have a meal | Let’s have a meal together and catch up. |
| Take a deep breath | When stressed, it helps to take a deep breath to calm down. |
| Give it a try | You won’t know if you like it until you give it a try. |
| Keep your word | Always keep your word to maintain trust in relationships. |
| Meet a challenge | We need to work together to meet the challenge ahead. |
| Break the cycle | Breaking the cycle of poverty is a long-term goal. |
| Do your duty | Soldiers are trained to do their duty in times of war. |
| Pay the price | If you don’t study, you’ll pay the price on the exam. |
| Make a difference | Volunteers can make a difference in their communities. |
| Take a seat | Please take a seat while we wait for the doctor. |
| Give a warning | The lifeguard gave a warning about the strong currents. |
| Keep a record | It’s essential to keep a record of your expenses. |
| Meet a goal | The team worked hard to meet their sales goals. |
| Break the silence | He decided to break the silence by speaking up. |
| Make an announcement | The company will make an announcement at the conference. |
| Take a photo | Let’s take a photo to capture this moment. |
| Give permission | Can you give me permission to access your files? |
| Keep the balance | It’s important to keep the balance in your life. |
| Do the shopping | I need to do the shopping for groceries today. |
| Meet expectations | We aim to meet customer expectations. |
| Break a sweat | To stay healthy, you should break a sweat regularly. |
| Make a request | I’d like to make a request for some time off. |
Collocation with Different Words
Get Collocations
- get permission
- get the picture
- get started
- get lost
- get fired
- get home
- get a job
- get a life
- get divorced
- get drunk
- get excited
Do Collocations
- do your hair
- do some work
- do someone a favor
- do something right
- do something wrong
- do the dishes
- do your best
- do nothing
- do harm
- do an exercise
- do a cake
Make Collocations
- make a point
- make sense
- make a promise
- make a profit
- make progress
- make breakfast
- make the bed
- make trouble
- make furniture
- make a noise
- make a mess
Break Collocations
- break a promise
- break the law
- break the rules
- break a neck
- break a glass
- break a record
- break a leg
- break the ice
- break free
- break a promise
- break the law
Catch Collocations
- catch a ball
- catch a cold
- catch a chill
- catch the flu
- catch one’s breath
- catch someone’s eye
- catch a thief
- catch some rays
- catch a glimpse
Come Collocations
- come to an agreement
- come on time
- come close
- come in last
- come into view
- come early
- come in first
- come late
- come second
Save Collocations
- save someone’s life
- save one’s strength
- save something to a disk
- save someone a seat
- save energy
- save time
- save space
- save money
- Save lives
- Save something
- Save a short
- Save a penalty
keep Collocations
- Keep up the good work
- keep in touch
- keep track of
- keep tabs on
- keep in mind
- keep something at bay
- keep someone
- keep someone’s place
- keep someone posted
- keep up
- keep your job
- keep safe
Pay Collocations
- pay attention
- pay interest
- pay a fine
- pay a visit
- pay a compliment
- pay someone a visit
- pay wages
- pay by credit card
- Pay a bill
- pay attention
- Pay cash
- Pay one’s respect
Why Learning Collocations are Important?
Collocations are important because they make language sound natural and fluent. Using the right word combinations helps avoid awkward phrasing and improves both speaking and writing. They also make communication clearer and more professional.
Mistakes to Avoid with Collocations
1. Using the Wrong Word Combination
❌ Do a decision → ✅ Make a decision
❌ Strong rain → ✅ Heavy rain
❌ Quick food → ✅ Fast food
2. Overusing Certain Collocations
Repeating the same collocations too often (e.g., always saying “very good” instead of using alternatives like “highly effective” or “extremely useful”).
3. Ignoring Prepositions in Collocations
❌ Interested for music → ✅ Interested in music
❌ Good at speak English → ✅ Good at speaking English
4. Forgetting Context and Formality
Some collocations are informal, while others fit professional or academic settings.
- “Give me a hand” (casual) vs. “Provide assistance” (formal).
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