Topic: Collocation

What is Collocation?
Definition: A collocation is a combination of two or more words that are habitually used together by
native speakers. This combination sounds "right" or natural, whereas choosing a synonym or an
alternative word, even if grammatically correct, often sounds awkward or "wrong" to a native ear.
Why are Collocations Important?
1. Fluency and Naturalness: Using the correct collocation makes your speech and
writing sound much more like that of a native speaker.
2. Precision: They often convey a more precise meaning than a single word or an
unnatural combination (e.g., heavy rain is more specific than just a lot of rain).
3. Vocabulary Expansion: Learning words in chunks (collocations) is an effective way
to expand your vocabulary and improve retention.

Examples of Unnatural vs. Natural Collocations

Unnatural/Incorrect Collocation Natural/Correct Collocation
do a mistake make a mistake
quick food fast food
tall temperature high temperature
perform research conduct research

Common Types of Collocations

Collocations can be formed by combining various parts of speech, including:
Type Pattern Example
Adjective + Noun adjective describes noun heavy traffic, strong argument, deep sleep
Verb + Noun verb acts on noun pay attention, take a risk, make an effort
Adverb + adverb intensifies adjective highly successful, fully aware, deeply committed
Adjective
Noun + Noun two nouns commonly linked traffic jam, interest rate, sense of humour

Common Collocations in Spoken English

Spoken English often features collocations with common verbs (have, make, do, take, catch, pay,
save, keep, come, go, get) and adjective-noun pairs used in daily life.
Category Headword Collocations
Action make make a decision, make a mistake, make an effort, make progress,
make a difference, make the bed
Action do do your homework, do business, do a favour, do the
cooking/laundry
Action take take a look, take a break, take a risk, take notes, take a shower
Health catch catch a cold, catch the flu, catch a chill
Emotion/Feeling get get angry, get married, get wet, get lost, get the message
Time/Money save save time, save money, save energy
Adverb + Adj. deeply deeply ashamed, deeply regret, deeply religious
Noun + Adj. strong strong accent, strong coffee, strong wind

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 Self-test: Decide on the alternative that has the right collocation
Verb + Noun Collocations
1. The government has promised to ________ a national campaign to promote environmental
awareness.
A) set B) launch C) produce D) build
Answer: B) launch Explanation: 'Launch a campaign' is the standard and correct collocation, meaning to
start or introduce a new campaign.
2. You must always ________ attention to the speaker during a lecture to ensure you don't miss
important points.
A) take B) give C) pay D) make
Answer: C) pay Explanation: The correct collocation is 'pay attention', meaning to observe or listen
carefully.
3. The company decided to ________ measures to prevent any further security breaches.
A) make B) take C) do D) set
Answer: B) take Explanation: The idiomatic expression is 'take measures', which means to take action or
steps to achieve a particular purpose.
4. It is essential for students to ________ research on a topic before writing an academic paper.
A) make B) create C) conduct D) perform
Answer: C) conduct Explanation: The appropriate verb to use with research in an academic context is
'conduct research' (or sometimes 'carry out research').
5. The manager asked the new employee to ________ a presentation on their work experience.
A) make B) give C) present D) perform
Answer: B) give Explanation: The common collocation is 'give a presentation' (or 'make a presentation'
is also possible, but 'give' is often preferred in formal contexts like this).

Adjective + Noun Collocations

6. Despite the challenges, the project achieved a ________ success.
A) high B) tall C) large D) big
Answer: A) high Explanation: 'High success' is an acceptable and common collocation, although 'great
success' is arguably more common. However, of the options, 'high' is the most suitable adjective to indicate
a significant degree of success in a formal context.
7. The country is suffering from a period of ________ economic growth.
A) slow B) dull C) lazy D) low
Answer: A) slow Explanation: 'Slow economic growth' is a standard collocation used in economics to
describe a sluggish rate of increase in a country's production.
8. She has a ________ command of English, which helped her score well on the exam.
A) strong B) powerful C) mighty D) heavy
Answer: A) strong Explanation: 'Strong command' is the correct collocation to describe a high level of
proficiency or control over a skill, such as a language.
9. The committee reached a ________ decision after hours of deliberation.
A) joint B) common C) mutual D) unanimous Answer: D)
unanimous Explanation: A 'unanimous decision' means a decision on which all people involved are in
agreement.
10. Global warming has had a ________ impact on the planet's weather patterns.
A) significant B) big C) important D) major

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Answer: A) significant Explanation: 'Significant impact' is a very common academic collocation,
meaning an impact that is notably large or important. 'Major impact' is also very good, but 'significant' is
highly characteristic of formal exam vocabulary.

Collocations with Prepositions

11. The success of the business depends heavily ________ customer satisfaction.
A) on B) to C) in D) with
Answer: A) on Explanation: The verb 'depend' always collocates with the preposition 'on' or 'upon'.
12. Students must adhere ________ the university's strict code of conduct.
A) with B) to C) by D) in
Answer: B) to Explanation: The verb 'adhere' (meaning to stick firmly to) always collocates with the
preposition 'to'.
13. He demonstrated a clear enthusiasm ________ the subject matter.
A) in B) on C) for D) at
Answer: C) for Explanation: The noun 'enthusiasm' always collocates with the preposition 'for'.
14. Many people are deeply concerned ________ the rising cost of living.
A) with B) about C) in D) on
Answer: B) about Explanation: The adjective 'concerned' collocates with 'about' when referring to a
worry or anxiety.
15. The team provided an excellent solution that contributed ________ the overall success of the
project.
A) for B) to C) in D) with
Answer: B) to Explanation: The verb 'contribute' (meaning to give in order to help achieve or provide
something) always collocates with the preposition 'to'.

Adverb + Adjective / Adverb Collocations

16. The new policy is ________ effective in reducing administrative delays.
A) hugely B) strongly C) heavily D) highly
Answer: D) highly Explanation: 'Highly effective' is a very common collocation, meaning very or greatly
effective. 'Hugely' is also possible but 'highly' is more formal and common in academic/exam contexts.
17. The data analysis was ________ important for the final conclusion of the study.
A) extremely B) greatly C) powerfully D) hugely
Answer: A) extremely Explanation: 'Extremely important' is a fixed collocation meaning essential or
very much important.
18. She was ________ aware of the potential risks involved in the investment.
A) keenly B) deeply C) utterly D) strongly
Answer: A) keenly Explanation: 'Keenly aware' is a strong collocation meaning acutely or intensely aware.
19. The mistake was ________ regrettable and required a formal apology.
A) greatly B) seriously C) deeply D) highly
Answer: C) deeply Explanation: 'Deeply regrettable' is a fixed collocation, meaning very much something
to be sorry for. Other words that collocate with 'deeply' include: deeply concerned, deeply rooted, deeply
disappointed.
20. The experiment was ________ successful, exceeding all prior expectations.
A) entirely B) wholly C) completely D) highly
Answer: D) highly Explanation: 'Highly successful' is the standard adverb-adjective collocation, meaning
very successful.

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Mixed Collocations
21. The witness refused to ________ a statement to the police without his lawyer present.
A) give B) make C) provide D) say
Answer: B) make Explanation: The correct collocation is 'make a statement'.
22. We must ________ all necessary steps to prevent the problem from reoccurring.
A) perform B) make C) take D) do
Answer: C) take Explanation: The collocation is 'take steps' (similar to 'take measures'), meaning to do
the necessary things to achieve or avoid something.
23. The professor’s lecture offered profound ________ into the workings of the mind.
A) insights B) views C) perspectives D) knowledge Answer: A) insights
Explanation: The collocation is 'profound insights', often used with the verb 'offer' or 'provide,' meaning
deep, accurate, and wise understanding.
24. He was forced to ________ an emergency landing after one of the engines failed.
A) make B) do C) carry D) perform
Answer: A) make Explanation: The correct collocation for pilots landing an aircraft is 'make a landing'
or 'make an emergency landing'.
25. It is a common ________ that money can buy happiness, but this is often not true.
A) belief B) idea C) view D) opinion
Answer: A) belief Explanation: The fixed collocation is 'common belief', referring to an idea that is widely
accepted or held by many people, often forming part of a generalized statement or contrast.

DO & MAKE
1. Complete the sentences below by putting do or make into the correct form
in each gap.

Example: When you’ve done your homework, you can help me make the tea.

1. I want to (a) …… a lot of changes to the house to (b) …… it more comfortable.

2. Samri had to …… a choice between studying English or going on holiday.
3. Kate has been …… a lot of exercise recently.
Use with do Use with make

a cake a change a choice a course a decision friends a job a

mistake a plan a reservation a sandwich sport a test
aerobics an activity an exam an exercise homework housework
the shopping a sightseeing tour work

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 2. Five of the sentences below contain mistakes made by intermediate students in
Cambridge exams. Two sentences are correct (✔). Find and correct the mistakes.

Example: I did many mistakes when I read the text.

1. I liked doing the course because we made a lot of fun activities.

2. In my country people make a lot of things to help poor people.
3. Without the Internet I can’t do my homework.
4. Last week in class, my friends and I made some very difficult exercises.
5. We have some difficult choices to make.
6. We started by making some listening tests.
7. Dina went sightseeing and made some shopping.
3. Complete the questions below by putting ‘DO’ or ‘MAKE’ into the correct
form in each gap.
Example: What job would you like to [do] in the future?

1. Have you …… any plans for your summer holidays?

2. Who …… the shopping in your family?
3. What is the best way to …… friends, do you think?
4. What do you do when you …… a mistake speaking English?
5. What was the last exam you ……?

Activity: Spot the Collocation Mistake

Direction: Read the following sentences and replace the incorrect word with
the correct one to form a natural collocation:

1. I have to make my homework tonight.

2. The lecturer told a presentation on climate change.
3. The company suffered a big defeat in the court case.
4. She did a promise to help me with the project.

Answers:

1. I have to do my homework tonight.

2. The lecturer gave a presentation on climate change.
3. The company suffered a major (or heavy) defeat in the court case.
4. She made a promise to help me with the project.

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