Collocations are words that naturally go together. Learn them as short units inside complete sentences, and they will come back when you write.
This lesson follows replacing vague words with precise choices in the vocabulary in context section.
Which kinds of collocation matter most?
Three kinds appear in almost every essay and message.
| Type | Natural | Sounds wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Verb + noun | make a decision, take a break, pay attention | do a decision, get a break, give attention |
| Adjective + noun | heavy rain, strong wind, fierce competition | strong rain, heavy wind, hard competition |
| Adverb + adjective | deeply grateful, fully aware, highly recommended | deep grateful, full aware, high recommended |
The wrong versions are understandable, which is why they survive. A reader still sees them as slips.
Sentence-card method
Write each collocation on a card with a complete sentence.
- Front: the collocation with a gap, for example “We must ___ a decision before Friday.”
- Back: the missing word (“make”) and the full sentence.
- Add a second sentence of your own that uses the pair about your own life.
Review the cards aloud for a few minutes each day. The gap on the front forces you to recall the partner word, not only to recognise it.
Worked example: an original paragraph
Before.
Yesterday there was a strong rain and I did a decision to stay at home. I got a break from practice, and I paid attention on my notes.
After.
Yesterday there was heavy rain and I made a decision to stay at home. I took a break from practice, and I paid attention to my notes.
| Change | Rule |
|---|---|
| strong rain → heavy rain | adjective partner |
| did a decision → made a decision | verb partner |
| got a break → took a break | verb partner |
| paid attention on → paid attention to | preposition partner |
Notice that “paid attention to” is also a collocation, with its preposition.
A common mistake
Many students learn the pair without the sentence. You remember “make a decision” on the card, but when you write you choose “do” because the situation felt different.
Fix it by learning the pair in two or three sentences from different situations, so the pattern survives a change of topic.
Check yourself
Correct the collocations: “She took a big risk and got a good progress in her studies. Last night she did a mistake in the test.”
Answer
“She took a big risk and made good progress in her studies. Last night she made a mistake in the test.”
“Got a good progress” becomes “made good progress” (progress cannot take “a”), and “did a mistake” becomes “made a mistake”. “Took a risk” was already correct.
What to study next
Collocation errors often come from another language. Continue with avoiding direct translation from another language, or try the vocabulary practice.
For a teacher to go through the pairs in your writing, see online one-to-one English tuition.