Examples of Collocation
Collocations are words that often go together. They are combinations of words that are frequently used together and sound natural to native speakers.
Here are some examples, categorized by different types:
Verb + Noun:
* Make a decision (not "do a decision")
* Do the laundry (not "make the laundry")
* Catch a cold (not "get a cold")
* Commit a crime (not "do a crime")
* Pay a visit (not "make a visit")
Adjective + Noun:
* Heavy rain (not "strong rain")
* Bright colors (not "shiny colors")
* Strong coffee (not "powerful coffee")
* Deep sleep (not "heavy sleep")
* Light breeze (not "soft breeze")
Noun + Noun:
* Traffic jam (not "car jam")
* High school (not "big school")
* Weekend trip (not "holiday trip")
* Hair dryer (not "hair blower")
* Peace treaty (not "war treaty")
Adverb + Adjective:
* Slightly disappointed (not "a little disappointed")
* Completely exhausted (not "totally exhausted")
* Deeply concerned (not "seriously concerned")
* Highly motivated (not "very motivated")
* Terribly sorry (not "very sorry")
Preposition + Noun:
* At work (not "on work")
* In trouble (not "at trouble")
* On time (not "at time")
* By car (not "with car")
* For example (not "by example")
Phrasal Verbs:
* Look after (take care of)
* Run into (meet unexpectedly)
* Get on with (have a good relationship with)
* Put up with (tolerate)
* Go through (experience)
Idioms:
* Spill the beans (reveal a secret)
* Kick the bucket (die)
* Once in a blue moon (rarely)
* Raining cats and dogs (raining heavily)
* Break a leg (good luck)
Beyond the Basics:
* Strong collocations: These are very common and almost fixed, like "make a mistake".
* Weak collocations: These are more flexible, like "heavy traffic" (could be "busy traffic" too).
* Verb + Preposition collocations: These are verbs followed by a specific preposition, like "look at", "think about".
Learning collocations can significantly improve your fluency and accuracy in English. They add a natural and native-like quality to your writing and speaking.