Collocations

What is a collocation?

A collocation is a combination of words that commonly appear together.

English speakers normally say:

make a decision

rather than:

do a decision

Even though both verbs can mean similar things in other contexts.

Verb + noun

Common examples:

• make a decision
• take a risk
• reach a conclusion
• raise a question
• conduct research
• provide evidence
• meet a requirement
• solve a problem

Adjective + noun

Examples:

• strong argument
• heavy rain
• significant difference
• major problem
• serious concern
• close relationship
• high probability

Adverb + adjective

Examples:

• highly effective
• deeply concerned
• closely related
• widely available
• completely different
• strongly opposed

Noun + noun

Examples:

• climate change
• research question
• language learning
• public transport
• school system

Why collocations matter

Incorrect collocations are often understandable, but they may sound unnatural.

For example:

powerful rain

A listener understands the meaning, but English normally uses:

heavy rain.

Another example:

do progress

Natural English:

make progress.

Less natural:

The researchers did a study and made a conclusion.

More natural:

The researchers conducted a study and reached a conclusion.

Another:

Less natural:

She has a very strong interest in environmental politics.

This is possible, but depending on context:

She has a keen interest in environmental politics.

may sound more natural.

1. Notice which words frequently appear together when reading.
2. Record phrases rather than isolated words.
3. Pay attention to verb + noun combinations.
4. Check dictionaries for example sentences.
5. Reuse collocations in your own writing and speaking.
6. Learn common combinations related to subjects you often discuss.

Incorrect:

do a mistake

Correct:

make a mistake

Incorrect:

make research

Correct:

conduct research

or:

do research

Incorrect:

strong rain

Correct:

heavy rain

Incorrect:

take a decision

This is possible in some varieties of English, especially British English, but make a decision is more widely used.

Which expression is most natural?

• A. do progress
• B. create progress
• C. make progress
• D. perform progress

Answer: C, make progress. This is the standard collocation.

• Collocations are words that commonly appear together.
• A grammatically possible combination may still sound unnatural.
• Learn phrases rather than only isolated vocabulary.
• Pay particular attention to verb + noun combinations.
• Reading and listening are useful ways to notice natural collocations.