Vocabulary
Collocations: words that go together naturally
Have you ever said do a mistake? English speakers say make a mistake instead.
In English, some word combinations are more usual than others. This lesson helps you notice and learn them.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
collocations KOL-uh-KAY-shunz
The short answer
A collocation (a common word combination) is a group of words that appear together unusually often. Learning common combinations helps you choose more usual English phrases.
I always make a mistake when I type quickly.
Why it works: English pairs the verb make with mistake.
4 more examples
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Studying in the library
Let's take a break after this lesson.
We use take a break to mean pause an activity.
Not this:Let's
do a breakafter this lesson. What changes: The listener understands you, but do a break sounds unnatural in English. -
Stepping inside after a storm
My jacket was wet from the heavy rain.
Heavy rain is the usual English phrase for a downpour.
Not this:My jacket was wet from the
strong rain. What changes: People may understand strong rain, but heavy rain is the usual phrase for a downpour. -
After dinner at home
I need to do the dishes tonight.
For this household task, English uses do the dishes.
Not this:I need to
make the dishestonight. What changes: It can sound as if you are creating plates instead of washing them. -
Ordering a quick dinner
They eat fast food on Friday evenings.
Quick restaurant meals are called fast food.
Not this:They eat
quick foodon Friday evenings. What changes: Quick food can describe food that is quick to prepare, but it is not the usual category name.
Quick check
You have an assignment to complete before dinner. Which sentence says this?
Talking about an evening study routine
Answer: I must do my homework before dinner.
Show the answer
Answer: I must do my homework before dinner.
For this phrase, English uses do homework. Make and do have many fixed partners, so learn the whole phrase.
Read the full guide
When you speak English, words travel in familiar pairs. Choosing the right partner makes your meaning clear right away.
Words that naturally fit together
The problem: I choose each word separately instead of learning the usual English combination.
You write an email to your manager and say that you did an error. The grammar is understandable, but English usually says make a mistake. Some words have usual partners, so learn the phrase as a whole.
| Partner phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| make a mistake | do something incorrectly | I often make a mistake with names. |
| do your homework | complete school study | You should do your homework before dinner. |
| take a break | stop working briefly | You can take a break for coffee. |
| make a decision | choose what to do | You need to make a decision today. |
| do the dishes | wash plates and cups | You can do the dishes after eating. |
| heavy rain | a lot of rain falling | We walked home in heavy rain. |
| strong wind | powerful moving air | A strong wind blew through town. |
| fast food | food sold quickly for immediate eating | We ate fast food on the trip. |
| take notes | write down key points | You can take notes during class. |
| make the bed | arrange sheets and blankets neatly | You always make the bed each morning. |
| solve a problem | find an answer to a difficulty | We need to solve this problem today. |
| keep a promise | do what you said you would do | She always keeps her promises. |
Your turn
Which phrase matches how English speakers talk about pauses?
Answer: take a break
Show the answer
Answer: take a break
English pairs the verb take with break when you pause work.
How paired words join in speech
The problem: In fast speech, words can run together, and I cannot hear where one word ends.
On a podcast, you may hear take a break without a clear pause after take. In connected speech, a final consonant can link to a following vowel. The words stay separate, but the boundary can be harder to hear.
The final sound of take can link to the vowel in a.
take a break
Writing keeps the three words separate.
take / a / break
Your turn
Complete the sentence. Use make or do.
Answer: When you type too fast, you always make a mistake.
Show the answer
Answer: make
The k sound at the end of make can link to the vowel in a. The words remain separate words.
When to use make or do
The problem: I choose make or do by translating from my first language.
These two verbs appear in many fixed phrases. Some patterns can help, but no short rule covers every phrase. Learn make a phone call and do your homework as complete combinations.
-
Not this:
I must do a phone call.Say: I must make a phone call.
Make a phone call is the usual English combination.
-
Not this:
She is going to make her homework.Say: She is going to do her homework.
Do homework is the usual English combination.
Make appears in phrases about results and choices, but learn each phrase.
make a decision, make the bed
Do appears in many phrases about work and tasks, but learn each phrase.
do the laundry, do your homework
Your turn
Choose the natural partner verb for cleaning plates after dinner.
Answer: do the dishes
Show the answer
Answer: do the dishes
For this household task, English uses do the dishes.
Picking the right descriptive partner
The problem: I choose a synonym, but it is not the usual partner for that noun.
After a storm, you might describe heavy rain. Strong and heavy can both describe force, but English usually pairs strong with wind and heavy with rain. The usual partner matters.
Use heavy for a large amount of falling rain.
There was heavy rain all night.
Use strong for powerful moving air.
A strong wind blew the door shut.
-
We stopped for fast food on our trip.
Why it works: Fast food is the usual name for food sold ready to eat. Quick food can mean food that is quick to prepare, not the category name.
-
He drank a cup of strong coffee.
Why it works: Use strong coffee when you mean a strong taste.
Your turn
Which phrase is the usual English phrase for a downpour?
Answer: heavy rain
Show the answer
Answer: heavy rain
Heavy rain is the usual phrase for a downpour. Strong wind is also a common word combination.
Before you go
Question 1 of 3
Which phrase is the usual English combination for an error?
Answer: make a mistake
Show the answer
Answer: make a mistake
English uses make a mistake. Learn the verb and noun together.
Question 2 of 3
Before work, you need to buy groceries. Which sentence says this?
Answer: I need to do the shopping before work.
Show the answer
Answer: I need to do the shopping before work.
English commonly uses do the shopping for this regular task.
Question 3 of 3 · One new sentence
You want to tell your coworker that you will pause before the meeting. What do you say?
Planning your morning at a new office job
Answer: I'll take a quick break before our meeting.
Show the answer
Answer: I'll take a quick break before our meeting.
We say take a quick break to pause an activity before starting another.
Remember this
Do not translate one word at a time. Learn common words with their usual partners, then listen for those combinations in connected speech.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Collocations: words that go together naturally"
What is a collocation in English?
A collocation is a word combination that occurs together more often than chance would predict. It is about what English speakers usually say together, not just whether each word is correct on its own.
She made a quick decision before the train left for work.
Why can a word-by-word translation sound odd in English?
Two words can be understandable together without being the usual English combination. A dictionary may show that each word is possible, but a collocations dictionary helps you see which partners are normally used together.
We need to make a plan before Friday's meeting begins.
Is there one rule for make and do?
No. Make and do have some useful patterns, but both appear in many fixed phrases. Learn each common phrase as a unit. For example, English uses do the shopping and make a decision.
I need to do the shopping tonight before I cook dinner.
He made a decision after lunch with his project team.
Why do we say heavy rain but strong wind?
These are established English combinations. Heavy is the usual partner for rain when a lot falls, and strong is the usual partner for wind. Knowing synonyms is useful, but synonyms do not always share the same partners.
Heavy rain delayed the match at the local sports field.
A strong wind closed the gate beside our garden shed.
Why are word combinations harder to hear in fast speech?
In connected speech, words spoken one after another can sound continuous instead of clearly separate. Listen for familiar combinations and for the meaning of the whole sentence. Do not expect every word boundary to sound like a pause.
We can take a taxi after work if the buses stop.
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