What is a collocation?

A collocation is two or more words that often go together. These combinations just sound "right" to native English speakers, who use them all the time. On the other hand, other combinations may be unnatural and just sound "wrong". Look at these examples: Natural English... Unnatural English... the fast train fast food the quick train quick food

a quick shower a fast shower a quick meal a fast meal

Why learn collocations?

Your language will be more natural and more easily understood. You will have alternative and richer ways of expressing yourself. It is easier for our brains to remember and use language in chunks or blocks rather than as single words.

How to learn collocations

Be aware of collocations, and try to recognize them when you see or hear them. Treat collocations as single blocks of language. Think of them as individual blocks or chunks, and learn strongly support, not strongly + support. When you learn a new word, write down other words that collocate with it (remember rightly,remember distinctly, remember vaguely, remember vividly). Read as much as possible. Reading is an excellent way to learn vocabulary and collocations in context and naturally. Revise what you learn regularly. Practise using new collocations in context as soon as possible after learning them. Learn collocations in groups that work for you. You could learn them by topic (time, number, weather, money, family) or by a particular word (take action, take a chance, take an exam). You can find information on collocations in any good learner's dictionary. And you can also find specialized dictionaries of collocations.

Types of Collocation
There are several different types of collocation made from combinations of verb, noun, adjective etc. Some of the most common types are:

Adverb + Adjective: completely satisfied (NOT downright satisfied) Adjective + Noun: excruciating pain (NOT excruciating joy) Noun + Noun: a surge of anger (NOT a rush of anger) Noun + Verb: lions roar (NOT lions shout) Verb + Noun: commit suicide (NOT undertake suicide) Verb + Expression With Preposition: burst into tears (NOT blow up in tears) Verb + Adverb: wave frantically (NOT wave feverishly)

Collocation Lists
On this page you can find a few short lists of collocations to give you more of an idea about them. Many good learner's dictionaries show collocations associated with specific words. There are also dictionaries of collocations, though these are more difficult to find.

Some common verbs

have have have have have have have have have have have a bath a drink a good time a haircut a holiday a problem a relationship a rest lunch sympathy take a break a chance a look a rest a seat a taxi an exam notes someone's place someone's temperature do do do do do do do do do do do business nothing someone a favour the cooking the housework the shopping the washing up your best your hair your homework break a habit a leg a promise a record a window someone's heart the ice the law the news to someone the rules make make make make make make make make make make make a difference a mess a mistake a noise an effort furniture money progress room trouble catch a ball a bus a chill a cold a thief fire sight of someone's attention someone's eye the flu keep a diary a promise a secret an appointment calm control in touch quiet someone's place the change

take take take take take take take take take take

break break break break break break break break break break

catch catch catch catch catch catch catch catch catch catch

pay pay pay pay pay pay pay pay pay pay

pay a fine attention by credit card cash interest someone a compliment someone a visit the bill the price your respects come close complete with direct early first into view last late on time prepared right back

save save save save save save save save save save

save electricity energy money one's strength someone a seat someone's life something to a disk space time yourself the trouble go

keep keep keep keep keep keep keep keep keep keep

come come come come come come come come come come come

go go go go go go go go go go go

abroad astray bad bald bankrupt blind crazy dark deaf fishing mad

get get get get get get get get get get get

get a job a shock angry divorced drunk frightened home lost married nowhere permission

come come come come come come come come come

second to a compromise to a decision to an agreement to an end to a standstill to terms with to a total of under attack

go go go go go go go go go

missing on foot online out of business overseas quiet sailing to war yellow

get get get get get get get get get

pregnant ready started the impression the message the sack upset wet worried

Miscellaneous
Time bang on time dead on time early 12th century free time from dawn till dusk great deal of time late 20th century make time for next few days past few weeks right on time run out of time save time spare time spend some time take your time tell someone the time time goes by time passes waste time Business English annual turnover bear in mind break off negotiations cease trading chair a meeting close a deal close a meeting come to the point dismiss an offer draw a conclusion draw your attention to launch a new product lay off staff go bankrupt go into partnership make a loss make a profit market forces sales figures take on staff a a a a a a a Classifiers ball of string bar of chocolate bottle of water bunch of carrots cube of sugar pack of cards pad of paper

Collocation
I want to concentrate in this article on the problems non-native speakers may have with English vocabulary use - in particular with the appropriate combinations of words. This is an aspect of language called collocation. An example of collocation that many learners of English may be familiar with is the different adjectives that are used to describe a goodlooking man and a good-looking woman. We talk of a beautiful woman and of a handsome man, but rarely of a beautiful man or a handsome woman.

(It is quite possible, in fact, to describe a woman as handsome. However, this implies that she is not beautiful at all in the traditional sense of female beauty, but rather that she is mature in age, has large features and a certain strength of character. Similarly, a man could be described as beautiful, but this would usually imply that he had feminine features. Calling a man pretty is most often done perjoratively to suggest effeminacy. *)
In another familiar example of collocation, we talk of high mountains and tall trees, but not usually of tall mountains and high trees. Similarly a man can be tall but never high (except in the sense of being intoxicated!), whereas a ceiling can only be high, not tall. A window can be both tall or high, but a tall window is not the same as a high window. We get old and tired, but we go bald or grey. We get sick but we fall ill. A big house, a large house and

a great house have the same meaning, but a great man is not the same as a big man or a large man. You can make a big mistake or a great mistake, but you cannot make a large mistake. You can be a little sad but not a little happy. We say very pleased and very tiny, but we do not say very delighted or very huge. And so on - there are endless examples of this kind of difficulty! The problem for the learner of English is that there are no collocation rules that can be learned. The native English speaker intuitively makes the correct collocation, based on a lifetimes experience of hearing and reading the words in set combinations. The non-native speaker has a more limited experience and may frequently collocate words in a way that sounds odd to the native speaker. Here are some questions to test your knowledge of collocations:

What is the difference between a high window and a tall window? Look at the following pairs of phrases and in each case choose the most usual collocation: o strong tea / powerful tea o a strong car / a powerful car o a strong computer / a powerful computer o a strong drug /a powerful drug Now look at the following words and phrases and decide if we do them or make them. For example, do we do a mess or make a mess? the housework the beds a test a promise your best a speech a telephone call your hair (i.e. comb it or make it tidy

a mess a noise a job

a mistake a wish someone a favour the shopping damage

Finally some odds and ends. See if you know the correct collocations in answer to the following questions?

The opposite of strong tea is weak tea. What is the opposite of strong cigarettes, a strong wind, a strong smell? What is the usual way of describing someone who smokes a lot? o a big smoker o a strong smoker o a hard smoker o a heavy smoker o a furious smoker Someone can be very tired, but not very awake or very asleep. What do we say instead? What is the opposite of sweet wine? Which of the following are the usual collocations? o completely beautiful o incredibly beautiful o absolutely beautiful o extremely beautiful o totally beautiful

utterly beautiful thoroughly beautiful The following collocations are incorrect. Can you sort them out? o to get in a building o to get on a car o to go in a ship

o o

More on collocation : Interactive quiz

Answers

A high window is a window that is located a long way from the ground, whereas a tall window measures a long way from top to bottom. We talk of strong tea, a powerful car and a powerful computer. A drug can be both strong and powerful. These are the usual collocations with make or do:

make a mess make a mistake make a noise make a wish do a job do someone a favour do the do damage shopping

do the housework make or do the beds do a test make a promise do your best make a speech make a telephone do your hair (i.e. comb it or call make it tidy

Odds and ends. Here are the usual collocations: o mild cigarettes, a light wind, a faint smell o a heavy smoker o wide awake; sound asleep or fast asleep o dry wine o to get in a car; to get on a ship; to go in a building o incredibly beautiful; extremely beautiful (and possibly: utterly beautiful)